"For each of us, it was different." The studios mare hopped to the floor with a soft twitch of her tail. "They made me to infiltrate Celestia's school. I was to steal, spy, and sabotage." She pinned her ears back. "But I didn't want to do that. Especially once I had friends, and they were far superior friends than those cultists could ever be. They never yelled at me. They didn't belittle me at every mistake, no matter how small." She trembled a moment. "Sorry, got carried away."

Blueblood pointed a hoof towards her. "When they called your thoughts wrong, what happened? I can only imagine it was not pleasant."

The studious mare popped over her shoulders as she straightened up. "It was not. I was their last, and so the one who's chains were heaviest. They made me scream, and my tears were ignored. I grew to hate them, more than anything." She sank to the ground in miserable silence.

Tempo considered her fellow doll. "If this is too hard, we can stop. I didn't mean to hurt you."

The mare smiled. "That makes you better than them. I will continue, because I want to. I gathered my friends around me, the real ones, and we schemed against the cultists. We attacked the cultists, and didn't let them run away, not that time." She took a slow breath, despite not needing it. "We threw them before Celestia, where her guards couldn't fail to capture them."

Tempo dropped her head in thought. "But what about us? What can we do for you?"

The studious mare nodded with understanding. "You can raise your foal with love. That is all we have asked, and will ask. This is a large enough task. To raise a child of any species is no small thing. Yours will be the first of its kind, a free doll." She sat up with a hopeful smile. "I hope the first of more, but only you can make that possible, both of you."

Tempo just ran hooves over her head, feeling along the lines there. "Will I be able to do this? Will I be ready?" She rubbed at her cheeks, tucking back against Blueblood, seeking comfort from his presence.

Blueblood nuzzled up against her. "You are an amazing creature, beloved. If you set your heart to it, and with me at your side, I have not a drop of doubt that we will raise a fine child between us. It doesn't matter if they are made of flesh or of clay. We will love them, as parents do." He took her hoof in his own, holding it close to his chest. "Together."

Tempo smiled at his projected warmth. "Of my many doubts, you are never one of them." She touched her nose to his.

This prompted several aws from around the room, the other dolls gently applauding the affection. One, a stallion, chuckled. "It is good to see your bond is true. It will need to be, to perform this task. You are always welcome to come back, if you have questions, but we imagine you will be far away."

Tempo swiveled an ear towards the stallion. "Where am I going?"

The studious mare returned to her seat. "Where you began and where you are needed. You took your chains and moved where they attach, I think. You gave yourself a new mission, and we would be cruel to take you from it. There is somepony you need to protect, is there not?"

Tempo groaned with frustration. "How do you know this? Am I that obvious?"

The mare snickered softly. "I think your fellow dolls may have told me about you." She put a hoof over her heart. "Go back to her, keep her safe, and raise your foal."

Blueblood raised a hoof. "Pardon, ma'am, but we don't yet—" His question was interrupted by a book pushing against his side. "Oh." He took it in his own magic and flipped through it quickly. "Dense, but, mmm, I see. This will take time to decipher into action."

Tempo tilted her head, pressing against him. "Should we look at it here?"

Blueblood lifted it for all to see. "I imagine they are waiting for us to head home and perform the needed steps there. A foal should be born in a safe place, where it can grow. Not immediately spirited away the moment of its creation, given the choice."

The studious mare glanced up at her compatriots before turning back to Tempo and Blueblood. "With this ritual, you will create a new doll. It will need to come from your love and the binding forces in Equestria. No other wills, no other demands. Just the forces any other foal would feel, and those are heavy enough." She wriggled back into her chair and flopped. "I am fatigued. Speaking of my old chains takes it out of me. Travel well, both of you."

Blueblood stepped forward with the book under one hoof. "Pardon my words, but that sounded final."

The studious mare's smile held true as she addressed him. "We've said our piece. There is little more we could add, but to wish you luck."

"Good luck," added one of the other dolls, prompting the others to join, soon a chorus of well-wishes.

Blueblood pointed a hoof at the stairs behind them. "Should we be going?"

Tempo nuzzled against his side. "It was nice to meet you all. Thank you for this book. We will use it, and raise the result." She marched from the room with purpose, and perhaps a bit more speed than one might have thought needed.

Blueblood turned around at the stairs to face them all. "I don't know what sort of ponies made you, but I hope you find more worthy souls to work with in your future."

The doll that looked most like a doll smiled in a thin line, not that they had very pronounced lips to begin. "We have found each other, and I think they are fine friends." Soft noises of agreement drifted up, the various golems pleased with one another's company.

Blueblood nodded back before rushing down the stairs after Tempo. "Hold up, dear!" He reached her side as she strode through the streets of Canterlot. It was night time, and many were turning in for the evening. "Are you alright, sweetest?"

"No." But she offered nothing other than that, marching along. She didn't try to elude Blueblood, but that her mind was occupied was clearly evident.

Blueblood stepped in front of her, stopping her advance. "Talk to me, my love." He put a hoof on her chest. "Do not do this alone. You're stronger with me at your side."

Tempo looked tempted to push past a moment, but it fled her as she sank a little. "I am scared. What if we mess up? We will cost so many ponies to suffer, to speak nothing of the life we created. Am I ready to be a mother? I thought it was impossible just this morning."

Blueblood reached to hold her cheeks. "We can only try. As for how prepared you are? No pony is ever ready for the responsibility of a child, my dear. You will not know until you've been a parent for years." He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. They kissed, timidly at first, but slowly she returned his passion, and they collapsed in the middle of the street in the lock of what could just as easily be called a mutual crying session as any heated exchange.

Tempo wiggled back to her hooves and helped him up. "We'll do this together." She let out a soft laugh. "My heart has raced far more today than it ever has in the past."

Blueblood knew she had no heart to race, but also knew better than to point that out. Feelings were feelings, and his beloved doll had those, heart or not. "Let's retire then." He rolled his eyes. "Auntie, I swear. She called you here just to get this mission. I feel certain of it."

Tempo licked her lips. "Perhaps, but I'm willing to do this task. Perhaps she planned for that." She leaned against him. "Whatever happened, we are here now."

Blueblood chuckled at that, unable to deny her point. "Then we rest, and tomorrow, we head back home, with a very precious gift indeed."

Back at the castle, they ran into Luna patrolling the hallways. The Alicorn was not difficult to miss, given her dark coloration and considerable size.

Luna smiled at the two. "Ah, sister mentioned you were in town." Her eyes darted to the book at Blueblood's side. "What is that?"

Tempo smiled broadly. "You could say it's the beginnings of our foal, Auntie." She patted her chest with a hoof. "We are going to make them."

Luna paused, but slowly she let a smile overtake her face. "I confess, the mechanics of which you speak elude me, but I wish you both luck and joy. Perhaps this can be a new step in our understanding of one another."

Tempo took Luna's hoof between her own. "I think it already has been. These ponies we met are people. They may be dolls, or golems if you prefer, but they have wishes and needs, and they can love and care." She glanced away. "Perhaps easy for me to say, being a doll myself."

Luna put a hoof on Tempo's side. "You're one of my family, so what you think is important to me. I shall look forward to hearing more about this. For now though, you both look quite fatigued. Retire, and know that I will not permit troubles in your slumber."

Tempo drew her knees together. "I would not want you to look into my mind, Auntie."

"Pfah." Luna waved a hoof dismissively. "As if it has been a problem since the very first time you slept here. Besides, I'm not spying. I look for nightmares, and gently shoo them away." She made a shooing motion with both forehooves. "If you sleep peacefully, I will not enter your dream, of this I promise."

Blueblood wrapped an arm around Tempo. "You've never looked at mine, have you?"

Luna sighed gently. "Your mind is easy to find, nephew, and mostly filled with happy memories. But you have had a nightmare or two, and I dealt with them."

Blueblood considered that a moment. "Was one of them when I was talking to myself?"

Luna smiled knowingly. "I dare say you were talking to somepony. That one did make me curious, but I honored my promise and didn't peek in." She waved them onwards. "Go on, get some sleep."

Tempo waited until they'd settled into bed to speak. "If I am to become a mother, you will be a father."

Blueblood pulled her tight against his side. "That only brings an excited terror to me, beloved. We will face this great fear together." He nestled against her.

Tempo smiled a little. "I love you, Blueblood."

"And I love you, Tempo." They shared one last kiss before sinking into sleep.

Author's Note

Did you think we'd be distracted in Canterlot for long? Nope, we have a Cadance to protect.

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