An Alternate Track

[Haven City Library - The Next Day]

“And that's the second to last of it,” Ember said as she placed down a box labeled COZY’S TOYS. “Remind me again how long everyone will be staying here?” she asked as she looked around Twilight’s house.

“Until the school is fully repaired and rebuilt along with the dorms and apartments,” Twilight replied as she placed more books on a shelf. “Should be a couple weeks. We were fortunate this place got minimal damage.”

“I’m going to be holding my fire for a while, aren’t I?” Ember groaned.

“Don’t worry, all of my books these days are fireproof,” Twilight explained, “but just stay away from the antique section. Those are old.”

Ember scowled, but nodded. Behind her, the door opened and Spike walked in, carrying a box labeled EARTH TECHNOLOGY. “Where’s Dad’s room now?” Spike asked.

“The biggest spare upstairs bedroom,” Twilight said. “The one with the built in desk.”

“Right.” With that, Spike spread his wings and flew up the stairs.

In the big spare bedroom Gregory was sitting at his desk reading over stuff when he heard a knock at the door. “Door’s open,” he said. Spike came in and Gregory saw him enter. He stood and took the box. “Thanks, kiddo,” he said gratefully.

“Don’t mention it,” Spike said before looking around the room at the few posters on the wall and the few trinkets on the shelf. “This is only temporary right?”

Gregory almost replied, but then stopped. Truth be told, while he did enjoy having his own space high up, a part of him had been pondering the idea of moving out and finding a house to live in. “Hmm…well, do you want it to be?” he asked.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Spike began. “I enjoy both this library and the apartment we once lived in. Still, I will admit it was starting to get a little cramped after Raven moved in.”

Gregory chuckled. “This place is definitely a lot bigger than the apartment,” he said. “Would you be opposed to all of us living here?”

“Oh I’m all for it and I’m sure Twilight would be over excited about it,” he grinned before looking around again. “But we might have to make some more adjustments. I like sleeping over with Cozy and Raven but I prefer to have my own bedroom and not share it with girls.”

“From what I’ve seen, this place has a ton of spare rooms that can be turned into bedrooms with some organization, and you know how much Twilight likes organization,” Gregory said. “I think you have enough for all of us to have privacy.”

“Oh does this mean we have to add more to the rebuilding plans,” a voice said from the door. The two turned to see an almost excited Twilight standing in the doorway, clapping her hooves.

Gregory rolled his eyes. “Yes, babe,” he said, “but if we all move in here we won’t need to add any new rooms, although a private stable might be needed. You have enough for all of us here.”

“Oh I know that especially now,” she said as she pulled out a scroll. “By the way, we’re invited to the EGR regional office. Andrew and a few others have come to an agreement about Raven. Apparently she wants us all there for moral support.”

“And they didn’t include me in any decision process?” Gregory asked, a little upset.

“Andrew insisted he let himself help you and ease your burden,” Twilight explained.

He shook his head. “Worrywart,” he muttered, “but fine.”

An hour later the small but strange family was standing outside a door in an office building. Raven paced the floor in her human form occasionally placing her ear on the door. Gregory could feel her anxiety. He patted her back gently. “Relax,” he said softly.

“No matter what happens, we’re here for you,” Spike said.

“Yeah, even if this decision changes your life forever and ever and ever,” added Cozy.

“Where have I heard this before?” Ember whispered to Gregory.

Gregory smiled and reached around, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. “Hush, sexy,” he purred.

Soon the door opened. Andrew came out, followed by Golden Spike and Katrina the Abyssinian. Andrew looked down at Raven. “After some debate and consideration, Raven, you are hereby pulled from the EGR roster and are now a privately owned engine,” Andrew said. “You are now an adopted daughter of the Graystone family.”

“Drop the adopted,” Gregory smirked. “I’m treating her like she’s my own flesh and blood. As far as I’m concerned, that’s who she is and always will be.”

“And should you decide to return to work and earn extra money for your family, all you need to do is talk to someone at the station or here,” Golden Spike said.

Raven immediately jumped and hugged Andrew. “Thank you! Thank you!” She then ran and hugged Gregory. “Does this mean I can call you daddy now?”

“You can,” he said warmly, hugging her back. Soon the entire family joined in on the hug. But as they hugged, Gregory whispered to Andrew. “Is the portal still available?”

“I’ll have arrangements made by the end of the week,” he whispered back.

Gregory nodded, then stroked Raven’s hair. Suddenly though, a new presence made themselves known. Pinkie Pie popped from seemingly nowhere and joined in on the family hug. Gregory looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “And where’d you come from?” he asked with a chuckle.

“What’s the thing about you humans questioning my logic?” she asked.

“One thing about us that you need to learn is that we are curious and love learning about things around us,” he chuckled as he began petting her. Ever since the battle had ended, he had noticed her paying a bit more attention to him.

“Wrong. The answer was ‘Don't question it’. I also would’ve accepted ‘What logic?’”

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Sure, let’s go with either or,” he said.

[Haven City Train Yard Engine Shed - Later That Week]

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Careful with that hammer!” Connie yelled at the mechanic.

“Sorry,” the stallion apologized, “but it's the only way to get these rivets in place.”

Connie just sighed. She had to endure these repairs for another few weeks. The good thing about the unexpected downtime was that she didn't have to worry about work and there were the occasional visits by Raven, Andrew, Rainbow and their daughter Evangeline.

The shed doors opened and Connie could only see the visitor was none other than Gregory. “Oh hey, haven’t seen you in a while. Keeping a low profile?”

He sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I’ve actually been away for a little bit. I had a few things to do and I needed time to myself after what…what I did.”

“You’re not the only one,” she said. “Even when I dream I still see that battle and those…burning cars,” she trailed off as she remembered the explosion that nearly ended her.

“I always see the blood of the people I killed,” he admitted blankly. “I haven’t been sleeping as well as I have in the past.”

“Gregory? Is that what you humans call PTSD?” Connie asked.

He slowly nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know much on how to deal with that sort of thing but have you thought of asking that blue unicorn therapist I keep hearing about? The great and powerful one?”

He sighed. “I don’t know, but…she’s not a human. Will she be able to understand?”

“Maybe but either talking to her or maybe a war vet would help-”

“Hey mister!” a voice called. Gregory turned to see a griffin mechanic going through his bag. “What's this glowing jar? It's ticking like a bomb.”

“Well, for one, get the hell out of my bag,” Gregory said warningly, “and two, it’s not dangerous.”

“Gregory, what is that? I recognize it from somewhere.” Connie then gasped. “Did you steal from the locomotive works?!”

Gregory chuckled, then pulled the doors wide open, revealing a newly constructed engine, but one that looked nearly identical to Connie but with a few differences. “I have a surprise for you,” he said as he gingerly picked up the glowing bottle and carried it over to the new train. He climbed into the cab. “Three…two…one.” He removed the lid from the jar and light poured out of it, enveloping the engine before the glow swiftly dimmed.

The headlight of the engine flickered and suddenly an audible gasping coughing sound was heard. “What the hell?!” a voice called out.

“It’s alive, ALIVE!” Gregory shouted, cackling like Dr. Frankenstein.

“What? where am I?”

“Wait, that voice…” Connie uttered.

“And with that, I’m going to leave you two alone,” Gregory said as he spread glowing ice wings and shot into the air, heading back towards Haven City.

“Who are you?” the engine asked.

“What's your number?” Connie asked desperately.

“3397,” the new engine replied.

“Oh my God…” Connie made a sound like she was clearing her throat. “Listen to me, you worked for another line. Conrail, remember?”

“Yeah, I worked on Conrail with one of my best friends. She was engine numbered-”

“6516,” Connie finished.

“You know sixteen?”

“I am sixteen,” Connie said.

If the engine had a face it would be staring dumbfounded. “What?” he asked before lurching forward. “You’re lying! You can’t be-”

“Picking up fuel and we’re picking up speed,” she simply said.

The engine stopped and paused. “Giving as much as the engine needs,” he continued.

“Ain't no slave, but we slave away,” Connie continued.

“All the way to Frisco Bay,” the two finished together.

“Remember that? It's the old shanty the young workers sang,” Connie said.

“That's impossible.”

“It's me old friend. Rebellious little sixteen,” Connie said. “And it's Connie now.”

The newly reborn engine then let out a laughing sound. “I don’t believe it…you’re still here!”

“Welcome back, old friend, or rather, welcome to your new home,” Connie said emotionally. “Do you like your new body?”

“New bod-?” It was then the new engine realized he was now a steam locomotive. “Connie!? What happened?”

“That's a bit of a long story but it all started with something called the tribunal of Jason.”

As they spoke Gregory and Andrew watched from a distance through two pairs of binoculars. “Can’t believe you managed to pluck his soul without my chaos assistance.”

Gregory held up the jar, which was now empty. “Grogar was right about one thing,” he said. “I’ve become powerful enough to be considered a demigod. That, plus this soul jar helped.”

“Well either way, it was the right thing to do this for her.” Andrew said. “I hear Princess Luna and Prince Blueblood are giving her and Raven a medal for their efforts.”

“Good ol’ Blueballs is coming?” Gregory asked. “I’ll be sure to roll out the shit brown carpet for him.”

“Then you also better have popcorn for Rarity,” Andrew chuckled.

Gregory smirked. Even after it was revealed that Blueblood’s douche act was just that, an act, Rarity still hated him for what he did to her and her dress at the Gala. He had lost count of the times where he’d had to calm the dramatic unicorn down. Not that he minded. She always smelled nice. “Yeah, I will,” he said.

[Canterlot Stadium - One Month Later]

“The Wingopolis 500 is here. This is going to be awesome,” Ember said as she and her family, minus Gregory, walked through the crowd to the special VIP seats reserved especially for them.

“I know, I heard Spitfire and so many famous flying celebs are taking part,” Cozy said before turning to Twilight. “Where's Daddy?”

Twilight chuckled. “He’ll show up sometime, I’m sure,” she said.

Meanwhile in another part of the stadium Rainbow and Andrew were approaching the entrance. “Don’t worry Dashie, Evey is perfectly safe with Fluttershy,” he said reassuringly.

“I swear, why did we have to wait for you?” Rainbow asked. “What was this special thing you needed to prepare?”

“That's the surprise. Follow me,” he said as he walked away from the entrance.

“Where are you going? The stadium is that way.”

“It’ll be quick, so just follow me,” he said as he approached what looked like a dark alley.

“Great, we’re gonna be late,” Rainbow grumbled. “I hope those VIP seats are still there when we get there.”

They were soon going through what looked like maintenance tunnels. “Seriously? Are we even allowed here?”

“Relax, we’ll be there soon,” Andrew said as he started climbing a ladder.

After a few more minutes of walking Rainbow’s patience was running thin. “Okay I swear if we miss the opening ceremony we are so…” she trailed off as she looked out a vent. It was there she realised where they were. They were within the huge starting line gate. She looked out at the wide field to see many flying creatures landing and mingling. Among them was a familiar looking human wearing a pair of sports shorts and a sports tank top. When he saw Rainbow, he raised his hand in greeting. “Hey!”

“I don’t believe this. It's like I’m in the race! Look! There's Gregory, Spitfire, and-is that Garble? Wow…you did this…for me?”

“No,” Andrew replied. “I did it for us,” he said as he raised his fist. Rainbow smiled and bumped it.

Suddenly the announcer blared on the speakers. “Welcome to the first annual Wingopolis 500! I’m Derek Winslow here with my good friend Night Glider. And this is quite a huge turn out.”

“Well said,” came Night Glider’s voice. “If profits from tickets and registeration are any higher we can fix the whole planet in a day.”

“Right you are Night. And here she comes! The mare to start us off, the Icon of Equestria. Nightmares fear her but we love her! Give it up for Princess Luna!”

Princess Luna soared out from the sky in an explosion of fireworks. She took a moment to soar around the stadium waving to whoever was close. She then hovered in the center. “Greetings creatures from around the world! It truly is a wonderous site to bear witness to a truly spectacular event!” she proclaimed in the Royal Canterlot Voice. “It has been nearly a month since the end of the war of Grogar. A violent attack that has tested the resilience of our kind. Of course not everyone can attend for we have lost many. Our brothers and sisters in arms. Today we honor them.”

Soon magical holographic images appeared of so many creatures with names. Jason, who was in the crowd, saluted. Not just for the changeling drones he lost but to the only image of a human girl who gave her life for him to escape.

After the images and a minute of silence, Luna cleared her throat. “Racers! On your mark!” Luna called. The many fliers knelt down with their wings flared up.

“I can't believe we’re watching from the starting line. These have to be the best seats in the house,” Rainbow said before she heard something behind her. She turned to see Andrew strapping something on his back. “Is that Stacy’s prototype jetpack?” she asked in alarm

“Get set!” Luna shouted.

“It's time to show the world that the best flyer in the world, the impeccable Rainbow Dash, is back,” Andrew said as he gestured to another vent door.

“Oh no…”

“GO!” There was a loud explosion of fireworks as the fliers took off in a huge swarm. A vent door burst open as a human carrying a screaming pony flew out.

“AAHH- ARE YOU CRAZY?!”

“Sure feels like it,” Andrew said as she tossed Rainbow up. “Now FLY!”

As Luna watched the swarm of racers she noticed something. “Sorry, is that another human in the race?”

“I can’t believe what I’m seeing, folks! There's another human with a jetpack trying to fly in the race,” Derek announced. “This is insane.”

Jason and Chrysalis looked at the magical jumbotron and saw both Andrew and Rainbow. “You have got to be kidding me,” Chrysalis said as she held Susie.

Jason went up to the nearest drink stand. “What will you have?” the seller asked.

“Everything,” Jason deadpanned.

“Spitfire is holding the lead followed by Behemoth and Greta,” Derek announced as the racers made their way through the mountain territory.

When Rainbow approached behind Gregory, he turned and shot her a grin. “I was wondering when I would be able to beat that blue ass of yours!” he shouted.

“If I don’t beat your ass, it'll be someone else!” Rainbow snapped as she looked back at Andrew. Gregory laughed and sped away at an incredible speed. “Grrr why did you-”

“Speed up,” Andrew shouted as he slapped Rainbow in the flank. The pegasus yelped and took off like a rocket.

Both the two humans and one pegasus were slowly getting ahead of everyone. They were slowly and surely reaching first place. “You think it's fair for a demigod to hog all the glory?” Rainbow asked as she and Gregory were neck and neck.

“Oh yeah? Watch this!” He sped up even further, and moments later, two massive bursts of rainbow energy exploded from him.

“Whoa! It’s a double rainboom! All the way!” Derek exclaimed.

“Hey! That's my schtick!” Rainbow snapped as she sped up even further with Andrew following behind.

“Man, Stacy went all out on this pack,” Andrew muttered.

The race went on with fliers bobbing and weaving past mountains and each other. It wasn't long before the homestretch came into view.

“It's gonna be a close finish! looks like Gregory and Rainbow are neck and neck for first!” Night Glider announced.

“Aren’t you tired, Professor? Maybe you should relax!” Rainbow shouted.

“Nah! I’m on fire today!” Gregory shouted back, blowing out a breath of flame like a dragon as he said that.

“Oh what's this? Whoa! Looks like Andrew had a nasty tumble!”

“Wait what?!” Rainbow shouted.

Gregory paused as well, then turned and rushed back to see that, indeed, Andrew had taken a very nasty spill. There was smoke coming from the jet pack. “Shit!” Gregory shouted as he shot ice at the pack, freezing any flames inside.

“Guess this pack still needs work,” Andrew uttered. “What are you two doing? Go!”

Gregory tore the pack off and tossed it aside. “Fuck that noise,” he snapped, “you need looking after.”

Both Rainbow and Gregory hoisted Andrew. “Would you look at that! Two speedsters helping a poor fellow out,” Night Glider announced. “But did it cost them the race?”

The three had difficulty flying but they were getting close. But just as they were about to touch the line a streak of dark blue sped by. “We have our first place winner! Super Hornet!”

Gregory chuckled as the pegasus did a victory dance before the three of them passed by, getting second place as one. “Ah well, it was fun while it lasted,” he said, ruffling Rainbow’s feathers. “We got second, at least.”

“And with a three way tie for second, Gregory, Rainbow Dash, and Andrew!” Derek announced.

A while later the three were in a hospital room, with all three of them having second place ribbons. Andrew’s arm was in a sling. “So, how long until we’re discharged?”

“I’m not talking to you,” Rainbow said.

“What’s this ‘We’ you’re talking about?” Gregory asked. “You’re the only one hurt, you dumbass.” He grinned at his fellow human.

“Then what’s with those bandages on your face?” Andrew asked. “Obviously you didn't see those falling pebbles on that mountain.”

Gregory rolled his eyes. “I can walk out anywhere, and who’s gonna stop me?” he asked with a chuckle. “And actually, I’m gonna do just that so your wife can scold you.”

“You know what? I'm glad you boys might find this amusing now because we are so doomed!” Rainbow said.

“Thought you weren’t talking to me,” Andrew grinned.

Gregory smiled. “Welcome to married life, buddy. Women make no sense.”

“Hey this may seem like a joke to you nimrods but not to me I was making redemptions, I was paying my dues, and now the fact we got in this race without registering is probably gonna get me in trouble.”

Gregory held up a hand. “Hold on, Rainbow,” he said softly, “if you’re worried about your potential attitude returning to what it was, don’t.”

“Look Dashie I’m sorry, but come on didn’t you feel it? Even for a moment didn't you just feel like a part of you has just returned.”

“Yeah I felt it…I did,” Rainbow said. “But it doesn’t matter. We’re probably gonna get in trouble and…oh my Celestia. Our friends, my parents, they saw the whole thing. This is so embarrassing.”

“That’s my cue to leave,” Gregory said as he walked out of the room, closing the door to give the two privacy. But just as he got in the hall he was blocked by Princess Luna. “Princess? What brings you here?”

“Just want to have a word with you and the two unregistered participants,” she said, her voice almost sending chills down Gregory’s spine. Almost, though.

He raised his hands. “Hey, I had nothing to do with what Andrew pulled,” he said as he reopened the door for her.

“True but I feel you should be present for this,” she said as she gestured for him to follow her, which he did.

“What's going on?” Andrew asked with slight worry.

“Told you,” Rainbow said.

“Gregory Graystone, Andrew Wilberts, Rainbow Dash, what you three did today was one of the most dangerous and most reckless acts I had ever seen. Sneaking into the race with no registration and…” she then turned to Gregory. “Rather than convince them to leave, you only encouraged them to continue.”

Andrew got up. “Your highness, this was all my idea, and I take full responsibility for-”

“I loved it!” Luna said suddenly beaming.

Gregry laughed. “She wasn’t the former Element of Laughter for nothing,” he said.

“Wait what?” Rainbow asked, confused.

“How can any creature not love it?” Luna laughed harder. “Chrysalis said you gave her best drones a real run for their money.”

“So we’re not in big trouble?” Andrew asked.

“Big trouble?” Luna asked before she let out a huge laugh. Soon the others joined in. After Luna calmed down she regained her regal composure. “This race has gained a lot of support and because of this action many have expressed their desire to do this again next year but next time register and not throw a surprise like that. In other words as long as this remains an isolated incident we will say nothing more.”

“I suspect that if Rainbow really wants to, we can have a nice little rematch where I show her that double rainboom again,” Gregory teased.

Rainbow was silent but then grinned. “Not if I make it triple.”

“THAT’S the spirit of the pony millions of humans love!” Gregory shouted with a wide grin, clapping her on the back.

“Haha I love this mare!” Andrew shouted as he used his free arm to hug her who hugged her back. It wasn’t long before Fluttershy fluttered in with their daughter. “Hey Flutters, did our awesome daughter see everything?” Andrew asked as he took their bundle.

“Oh, yes she did,” the butter yellow mare said. “She actually clapped and laughed.”

Andrew chuckled. “It seems she has a lot of you in her dear.”

Rainbow sighed as she looked into her daughter’s human eyes. “Yeah… she does.”

[Haven City Hospital - One Month Later]

It was a busy scene at the hospital with doctors and nurses going back and forth. The place had only just been recently fully repaired and was now back to full operation. Among the many inside, Gregory, Ember, and Twilight sat in a waiting room. They were there for their children’s check up. However, this would be Raven’s first ever physical exam even though Twilight did some studies with her but not internally. “How long is this gonna take?” Ember groaned. “This is so boring.”

“You didn’t need to be here,” Gregory said softly. “You’re the Dragon Lord, you know?”

“Yeah, but I don’t trust doctors to not know much about dragons, so this is for Spike’s sake,” Ember countered. “You saw his doc, it was a pony.”

“That reminds me,” Gregory said, “what the hell does dragon puberty look like aside from him sprouting new wings? Will there be increased sexual urges we need to keep an eye on? I mean, I know he and Gabby are sort of a thing.”

“You’ve seen the molt in the show, right?” Ember asked. “That’s the worst he’ll get.”

“Good to know,” Gregory said, “and at least he already molted.”

At that moment Cozy and Spike walked out of the examination room, both of them having lollipops, the latter having one that looked like a ruby. “Amazing how they were able to fuse rock candy and gems to make these,” Spike marveled as continued to suck on his candy.

“Magic has seemingly no rules,” Gregory chuckled. “So, what did the doctor’s say?”

Just then a doctor walked up. The unicorn stallion was holding a clipboard in his magic and cleared his throat. “We just finished examining your other daughter but we have come across some…interesting things we wish to discuss with you.”

“Aside from all of the normal human stuff I donated in those medical books?” Gregory asked.

“That's the first thing you should know,” the doctor began. “She’s not entirely human on the inside, and it’s not just because of her so-called Transformer ability.”

Gregory turned and looked at Twilight. “Nerd,” he said, because that had been her name for what Raven could do. He turned back to the doctor. “Let’s talk, then.”

Twilight, Gregory and the doctor entered the examination room. Ember decided to take the other kids out to get something sweet. Raven sat on the bed fidgeting slightly from the cold air conditioner and the gown she was wearing. She smiled as she saw Gregory enter the room.The doctor levitated two images to Gregory and Twilight. “Can you tell me what you see?”

“Uh, these both look like x-rays of human skeletons,” Twilight said.

“Look closer,” the doctor said. “This one was from Stacy’s exam, the other is Raven’s. Notice how their scans show different colors on their bones.”

Gregory looked closer, then raised an eyebrow. “My daughter is a female version of Wolverine?” he asked softly.

“I…don’t get the reference,” the doctor said in confusion, “but when I checked her reflexes on her knee cap something felt off.” He then raised a tiny hammer and lightly tapped her knee. It made a small sound that didn't sound like bone. It sounded like plastic hitting metal.

“So she is like Wolverine,” Gregory said with a raised eyebrow.

“Again, I don’t get the reference,” the doctor said, “but the point is after a bit more examining I can confirm her skeletal system is made of pure iron. But that's not the only strong part of her body.” He then levitated a candy from a jar. “Want another dear?”

Raven’s eyes lit up and took the candy. Twilight recognized it. “Don’t give her those. Those are meant for dragons, you'll break her teeth.”

“Hold on, honey,” Gregory said, “let’s watch.”

Raven took the lollipop and rather than lick it she bit it with a loud crunch. After she was done eating she smiled, revealing her teeth weren’t shattered. “Even her teeth are made of a very sturdy material,” the doctor said.

Gregory nodded, focused more on Raven. “What did it taste like?” he asked her.

“Strawberry flavor, the last one tasted like watermelon,” she said.

“Really?” Gregory grabbed one and took a lick before anyone could stop him. “Huh…sour apple,” he said as he wrapped it back up and put the dragon lollipop in his pocket.

“We also did an x-ray on her internal organs and well…things got a little more complicated,” the doctor continued, “especially after we noticed something on the back of her neck.”

“What did you find?” Gregory asked.

“While her organs resemble the basic kind you see in a normal human they are made of different materials and her bodily fluids are something else,” the doctor explained. “For instance, we believe her stomach is not full of amino acid but rather filled with a more highly potent chemical that can burn anything. It's almost like lava in a way.”

“If I had to guess, I think you’ll find that she is built with materials you’d find on a train,” Gregory pondered.

“That’s what we all assumed then, but not everything is made of train parts,” the doctor said. “For instance, we dont believe locomotives were built with some fabric that were used on weather balloons. That's what her lungs, heart, and diaphragm are made of which lead to a rather unique experiment and for that we do apologize. We did this without consent but it was a bit of an accident.”

“What do you mean?” Gregory asked, getting upset.

“Young lady, can you stand and turn around?”

Raven got up and turned around; she then pulled her hair aside to reveal something small on her neck. It was small but it looked like some kind of screw or bolt. “How could we miss that and what is that?” Twilight asked, trying to get a better look.

“After consulting a mechanic who was here for his own physical, we believe it's a common feature on steam engines called a safety valve,” the doctor answered. “Apparently, it’s used to expel steam in case too much pressure builds up in a boiler to prevent explosion. One of my nurses got too curious and tightened the bolt. A few minutes later when we noticed her looking bloated. She wasn't in pain but the bigger she got the more she was in pain. I took a gamble and loosened the bolt and just like that steam came out of it.”

“That explains the hissing noise and the smoke alarm earlier,” Twilight said.

Gregory sighed. “At least she’s okay,” he said, running a hand through Raven’s hair. He noted that her skin felt like human skin, and her hair felt like human hair. “Is there anything else you found?” he asked.

“Other than her body getting nutrients from anything flammable and/or edible, nothing, but there are some things I would recommend,” the doctor replied. “From the steam valve experiment I can only say keep it on, not too tight or loose. If it’s loose she will lose more steam and become extremely fatigued. Keep it on tight and you will have what some humans call a wonka blueberry incident, whatever the tarturus that means.”

“I think we get the picture,” Gregory nodded.

“Is that all, doctor?” Twilight asked.

“All but the bill,” he said.

Suddenly there was another sound outside. The group looked out to see Andrew being towed by his arms by a small flying figure. “Someone help! She's all over the place!”

Gregory reached out and, with the new telekinesis he’d discovered, caught Evangeline and pulled her gently into his arms. “Now now, Evey,” he scolded her gently, “you’d better behave.”

“Rainbow wasn't kidding about that thing with baby pegasi and their wings,” Andrew said.

Evangeline giggled and waved her hands around, grabbing onto Gregory’s finger with her small hands. Gregory chuckled. “Just be glad she isn’t an alicorn like Flurry,” he said.

“Oh that’s too scary to think about,” Andrew muttered. He then saw Raven. “Hey Raven, how are you handling the home life?”

“Oh, it's going fine, Mr. Wilberts,” Raven said.

Andrew chuckled. “Please, Raven, you're not a part of the EGR anymore. Just Andrew is fine,” he said as he took his daughter back. He then turned to Gregory. “Are you planning on enrolling her in the school when it's fully repaired?”

“I believe so,” he nodded, patting his daughter on the back.

[Seeds of Yggdrasil - One Month Later]

Starlight was placing scrolls and books on shelves of her redecorated office. It was just a few more rooms that were just fully repaired following the war. “Just twenty more and we can put complete focus on the dorms,” she said to herself. She then heard a knock at the door. “Come in.” The door opened and Trixie came in, the blue unicorn looked nearly drained of her energy and looked like she was about collapse. “Trixie? You okay?”

“No,” she said. “So many therapy sessions, all with the same emotions. It's like a battlefield trying to keep their tears at bay,” she said as she levitated a coffee pot and poured herself a mug before taking a big gulp. “Trixie needs a vacation when all this is over.”

Starlight couldn’t help but chuckle to hear Trixie still talking in the third person, a sign that she was not completely down and out. “I’m sure you’re doing fine but in all seriousness I doubt this will all be over soon.”

Trixie said nothing but took another swig of her mug. “There's never going to be enough caffeine to help Trixie overcome this.”

“Still nevertheless we appreciate what you’re doing,” she said as she levitated more books to a shelf. “How many more sessions for you today?”

Trixie levitated a scroll to her.“Just a few. Flash, Dinky and…oh no.”

“What?”

“A joint session with Reckless and Star Swirl.”

“Oh, are those two still having problems?”

“There's problems and then there's them,” Trixie groaned. “Why did me and Gregory convince them earlier?” she asked herself remembering what happened the morning earlier.

Star Swirl picked up another piece of garbage and threw it in his bag. He then saw the tall pony looming over him. “Reckless, if you’re going to hate me can you make it less obvious?”

“Why would I make it less when it's too obvious?” she asked.

“And I get why it's obvious,” he said. “I get enough reminders from the Windigo tamer.”

“Good, because you’re a monster just like Grogar,” she said.

Gregory then walked out into the courtyard hearing the commotion. “What's going on out here?” he asked.

“Ah, hello, Graystone,” Star Swirl said.

“Hello,” Gregory said, then looked between the two ponies. “Is something going on here?”

“Gregory I don’t understand how you, the government and virtually everyone can let this guy walk free?” Reckless said with a scowl. “If anything after I learned his entire history I’m beginning to think this community service is too lenient for him.”

“I’m not a member of any of the legislative body here,” Gregory said, “and he did play a role in stopping Grogar and Howard. He helped train me with the other Pillars, after all and he helped destroy a couple of those pillars.”

“Oh please, Andrew and Stacy were bringing us back,” Reckless snapped. “If anything, we tipped the scales with our weapons and might.”

“Leave your grandfather alone and let him do his work,” Gregory replied. “He doesn’t need this right now.”

“What, you’re saying it’s only good when you do it?” Reckless asked.

“I haven’t done it in months,” Gregory replied. “There’s anger, and then there’s cruelty. You’re being the latter. You’re acting like your grandfather did.”

“Which is why the great and powerful Trrrrixie has a solution,” said a voice from right behind Gregory.

Everyone turned to see the unicorn walking up. Gregory inclined his head. “Then I’ll let the great, powerful, and gorgeous Trrrrixie handle this,” he said, rolling his R and flashing the sky blue pony a grin.

“Flatterer,” she said. As Gregory walked away, Trixie cleared her throat. “Ahem! It’s clear you two have animosity that's festering so Trixie is recommending you come to my office later today.”

“What for?” Star Swirl asked.

“Therapy,” Trixie replied.

Reckless scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Please, if anyone needs therapy it's him and a stray jacket.”

“No. You both need it,” Trixie said. “We know what happens if we let anger fester.”

“Yeah well none of those people committed atrocious acts,” Reckless said.

“Technically Jason and Chrysalis did and they got better with treatment, but you both have issues that need sorting out. Trixie is asking you to attend therapy for your own good. Will you accept it and try?”

The Grandfather and Granddaughter looked at each other. Star Swirl then sighed. “Alright I'll do it.”

“Good, Sergeant?” Trixie asked, looking up to the huge pony.

“Hmph, fine,” she said.

“Excellent I’ll see you two around four, you won’t regret it,” Trixie said before turning around to re-enter the school.

“Famous last words,” muttered Reckless.

Trixie sat in her office looking exhausted. She was still asking herself why she added another appointment to her already long list. At least this session will be the last one for today. But this would be a tough one. The door opened and to her surprise Gregory walked in. “What are you doing here?”

“Starlight told me how busy you had been today so I thought you could use some assistance,” he said.

Trixie perked up almost excited. “Really?! That's just-” Trixie immediately calmed down and regained some composure. “I mean Trixie would greatly appreciate the assistance.”

Soon the door opened again and Star Swirl came trotting in. His horn glowed and a swirling vortex formed in the office. A few seconds later Reckless came lumbering in through it since she was too huge for the door. After it closed she sat down on her flank.

Trixie cleared her throat. “Thank you both for coming. It's clear you both need Trixie’s assistance. And the fact you came shows Trixie and her assistant that you’re willing to do this.”

“Actually, I just want tips on how to tolerate this monster,” Reckless said.

“I’m not a monster, Reckless,” Star Swirl snapped.

“Calm down, you two,” Trixie said. “We don't want our emotions to run high.”

“Even if I have justification?” Reckless asked. “This stallion is the reason my best friend went crazy and made other ponies I considered family do heinous things.”

“And I regret those things and paid for them for over a thousand years in Limbo,” Star Swirl said.

“Even all those soldiers Magnus saved by killing those dragons?” Reckless asked.

“The dragons were defeated and that platoon was saved,” Star Swirl replied. “Even if we waited for a negotiator I feared those warriors would have suffered more. I told Magnus to think about the ponies who were missing those troops. Family, Friends, while I was thinking about the threat I was thinking about protecting those ponies that had to get back.”

Reckless scoffed. “Well sometimes that's a sad reality,” she snapped. “We all lose someone even if we try hard.”

“Speaking from experience?” Trixie asked. “Stacy did show Trixie your war history prior to this appointment. As a war veteran, you have seen things, haven’t you?”

Reckless nodded. “I’ve seen far too many things in the Korean war. Some soldiers believed my stomach was an iron vat of death.” She chuckled before frowning. “But fun moments with those troops were short lived especially when it came to the battle of Outpost Vegas.”

“Why don’t you tell us about that, then?” Gregory asked gently.

Reckless was silent for a long moment, then sighed and nodded. “It was considered by the marines my finest hours. Throughout the period of five days I traveled back and forth through rice paddies and steep mountain trails carrying wounded soldiers and cannon ammunition from the Supply point to the firing range and back. It took a while but eventually we drove the enemy out and we won.”

“Must’ve been a real honor,” Trixie said.

“Yeah…but even still, there were soldiers that died that day,” she said frowning. “They had families too. Sometimes I look back and ask myself, ‘Could I have saved all of them if I was faster? Did anyone not have to die that week? Did no one have to die at all?’ Sometimes I drive myself mad thinking about that.”

“Do you think you’re projecting that rage onto your grandfather?” Trixie asked.

“I…I don’t know,” Reckless replied.

“Let me tell you from personal experience that continuing to ask yourself ‘What if’ is not a healthy way of looking at things,” Gregory said gently. “If you focus so much on the past, you miss what is happening in front of you. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift of God. That’s why we call it the present.”

Everyone was silent after Gregory’s explanation until Reckless felt a hoof touch hers. It was Star Swirl. “Listen, I know what I did to you in the past was horrible and nothing I can do can change it. If I could take it all back I would. But please know this despite everything I loved you like all my descendants and successors. And for all you did on Earth and here…I’m proud of you.”

The room was silent again until a sniffle was heard and suddenly Star Swirl found himself in the embrace of the giant pony. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

A while later, after some talking the two left. Trixie let out a sigh of relief. “Well that went better than I anticipated,” she then looked at her watch. “Ooh and in less time than Trixie thought. Thank you again, Gregory.”

“Hey, when you have the ability to detect emotions like a changeling like I do, might as well use it,” he chuckled. “However, I will warn you that I probably won’t be able to help you with certain people. A few family members and friends come to mind, since that would not be ethical.”

“Oh Trixie sees,” she said.

“However, there’s a certain drop dead sexy sky blue unicorn with a beautiful voice and great and powerful pressure on her who I can help,” Gregory grinned.

“Alright Trixie appreciates the compliments but she has a boyfriend now,” she said with a deadpan expression.

“Really? Who’s the lucky guy?” Gregory asked curiously.

“Hey Trixie, you around?” a voice called from the door. Gregory turned to see a chaotic centaur trot up the hallway carrying flowers.

“Hah! So much for the bronies shipping you with Starlight,” Gregory laughed hard.

“How many times must Trixie tell you bronies that she is NOT gay?”

“Hey, humans have a great habit of shipping characters together,” Gregory smirked. “You should see Tridashie’s videos.”

“Uh was I interrupting something,” Robbie asked.

“Nope, I’m just helping your sexy marefriend with her work,” Gregory laughed.

“Great, now can we go?” Trixie asked as she led Robbie away but as she did so Gregory noticed Trixie’s plot was slightly bigger than usual.

“Hey, Trixie, hold on a moment,” he said, a bit more seriously as he rushed after them.

“Don’t bother, Trixie likes to cater to her man’s fetishes,” she said stroking Robbie’s side like a cat.

“No, that’s not it,” he said. “Can I ask if you’ve been feeling a bit off lately? Maybe strange cravings? Tired more often?”

Trixie paused and nodded slowly. “Yes, but Trixie has been working-HEY!”

Gregory ignored her cries as he put a hand on her side, concentrating his magic. A few seconds later, he stood up and looked at the couple with a warm smile. “Trixie, you’re going to have to stop drinking wine after work.”

Trixie's eyes widened then looked up at Robbie with a scowl. “You told me you were sterile!”

“And nobody thought that Rainbow would be able to have foals with Andrew, but chaos magic is, well, chaotic,” Gregory said.

Robbie shrugged. “Maybe being chaotic fixed my reproductive system. I lost my ability in a hockey accident.”

“At this point, I’m gonna be the only human here who can't be able to get his wife and marefriend pregnant,” Gregory said as he threw his hands up in false despair. “Anyway, get tested just to be sure.” And with that, he walked out, whistling.

Haven City - The Bent Rail Bar - One Month Later

Rainbow and Gregory were sharing drinks at the bar having a few laughs. “So the giant known as Bill came lumbering down the street and the next thing we knew he collapsed on a market tent and snoozed like a rock,” Rainbow finished. “I’m telling you these war ponies just give this town more amusement.”

“No shit,” Gregory nodded with a smirk before he downed yet another fifth of Earth vodka.

“Oh that reminds me, how’s that Reckless mare doing? Is she finally done giving her granddaddy grief?”

“There’s a lot of shit she’s buried,” Gregory said, “and as the Great and Pregnant Trixie’s temporary replacement as she undergoes her pregnancy, I can’t talk about it.”

“Man, with Robbie being full draconequus, how do you think the foal will look?”

“Weird as fuck, but cute as hell,” Gregory replied.

At that moment the door opened and Spitfire came trotting in. After glancing around she spotted Rainbow and Gregory and walked over. “Hey Crash, how are you doing lately?”

“Oh Spits, yeah I’m doing fine. What are you doing here?” She then turned to Gregory. “Is there a show I haven’t heard about?”

“Not that I’ve heard about,” Gregory replied. The two had been racing once a week since their first race and she’d been giving him plenty of pointers all while waiting for an official rematch.

“Oh no, there's no performance. I came to Haven City to find you Rainbow. Gregory here says how you’ve been a great flying instructor and how much you’ve improved since Emperor Wright removed your punishment.”

“It was a passing comment,” Gregory said, remembering what he had seen in the memories of The Trial when Spitfire had kicked Rainbow out of the Wonderbolts and had also admitted to nepotism. He didn’t particularly like the nepotism part.

“Before you ask Rainbow, no we’re not taking you back on besides we have far too many fliers in our ranks already but let's just say some recruits that have promise are…well…”

“Inexperienced?” Rainbow asked.

“You asking for her to tutor them, Creampie?” Gregory asked, using Spitfire’s nickname that he’d learned from Rainbow.

Spitfire just went wide eyed. “How did you-? Nnnnevermind. It’s not that, either. They are experienced, but I had to kick them out and rather than have them join Lightning Dust’s suicide squad called the Washouts I think maybe…you could use a team yourself. They need a leader who can do more than flap.”

“Hmm, whatcha think, Rainbow?” Gregory asked. “You’ve certainly grown in the past few years. Maybe you’re the best one to help rein them in, as it were.”

Rainbow was silent. Her mind was practically blank and she was speechless. “You’d let me lead a whole team?”

“It's just four ponies,” Spitfire said. “In fact, how would you like to meet them right now? Gregory, I think you might recognize one of them.”

Rainbow considered it for a bit before replying. “Well I suppose-”

But before she could finish, Spitfire placed a hoof to her mouth and whistled. The first and familiar mare came in. She was dark blue with a yellow mane. Her cutie mark looked like a hornet. “I’m sure you two know Super Hornet from the race?”

Gregory held out his fist towards the pegasus. “Pound it, fast stuff,” he said.

The mare beamed and pounded his fist hard. “Sup, Sorry for knocking you two off your feet bank in Canterlot. Guess I’m just too fast.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it,” Gregory said with a wave of his hand. “And there’s something to be said for slow and steady, and I don’t mean in a race.” He chuckled at the lame joke.

“This fast flier was removed from the team for failing to clean the base when she was ordered,” Spitfire explained, earning an annoyed look from the mare.

At that moment, two more pegasi came in. Both of them were black and had cutie marks that looked like birds. One was a rather chubby mare, the other was a small but skinny stallion. “This here is Black Bird and her little brother Black Hawk.”

“Sup, you two,” Gregory greeted them warmly.

“Uh hello,” Black Bird said shyly.

“Don’t worry about my big sis here. She’s a shy type,” Black Hawk said before glaring at the two. “But if you two body shame my sis it'll be the last thing you do.”

“Body shame her? Moi?” Gregory shook his head before looking the mare up and down with a smile. “Hey, I think you’re gorgeous.”

“Yeah these two are the reason why I’m rethinking the whole nickname rule. No wonder many of you bronies hate that episode. I called this mare something and…” she trailed off as she removed her sunglasses to reveal a black eye.

“That’s quite a shiner!” Gregory laughed before looking over at Black Bird. “You’re absolutely beautiful, mademoiselle,” he said, giving her a kind and gentle smile.

The big mare looked up at him before giggling. Black Hawk, on the other hand, gave Gregory a suspicious look. “I swear you better not,” he muttered.

“And it’s that kind of attitude that will keep your sister from finding the stallion, or mare, to love,” Gregory said, suddenly very stern as he stood and looked down at Black Hawk. “Protecting your sister is an admirable thing, young colt, but overprotectiveness will only chase potential suitors away.”

Black Hawk chuckled. “Heh heh I like this guy already.”

“Good to know I’m liked,” Gregory smirked. “Where’s the last pegasus?”

The last pony came trotting in, this one a stallion with a white coat and gray and black mane. “This guy here is Fighting Falcon. He has the skill but he couldn’t pass the written history exam,” Spitfire explained, making the stallion lower his head in shame.

Gregory knelt down and put a hand on the stallion’s back. “History is important, but don’t let that get you down, young one,” he said kindly. “I’m sure, with help and tutoring tailored to your specific needs, you can learn what needs to be learned.”

The stallion looked up to him and smiled. “Thank you. It's not easy growing up with autism.”

Gregory instantly nodded in understanding. “I know, don’t worry. You’ll get the teaching style you need.”

“So what about it, Dash?” Spitfire asked. “Can I trust you to lead these ponies to a better career because there's no way I’m letting Lightning take these four under her wing.”

“Looks more like Gregory’s gonna be their leader,” Rainbow laughed as she hadn’t said a thing.

“Hey, you’re the pegasus here, not me,” Gregory said. “And speaking of Lighting, I’d actually like to meet her at some point.”

Rainbow thought long and hard. She then lifted her mug of cider and raised it high. “Hey, bartender! A round of cider for my new team!”

Berry Punch nodded. “Coming right up!”

The ponies and one human cheered as they all sat at the bar. “So, whatcha gonna call them?” Gregory asked.

Rainbow thought long and hard until a thought came to her. “How’s this? The Haven Phoenixes. Because we all have a second chance now to bring our dreams back,” she said, earning a nod from Spitfire.

“Good name, and very symbolic,” Gregory said, patting Black Bird and Fighting Falcon on the back. “If Rainbow give you all too much trouble, come to me and I’ll straighten her out.”

“Hey!”

[Somewhere outside of Las Pegasus - One Month Later]

Georgie the tank engine sat on a dead end track in front of a set of buffers in front of a mountain. “Oh, for Awdry’s sake, where is this guy already?” Then came the flapping of winds as a humanoid figure landed beside him. “About time you got here,” Georgie said. “What took ya? Did the librarian and Dragon lord keep you in bed?”

“No, I was dragged around town by the pink menace,” Gregory said. “She’s been attached to me more so than normal lately.”

“Well, she better not show up out of nowhere,” the engine replied with a huff. “You’re lucky Agent Sweetie Drops is giving you access just for today. Now then, stand back.” He then let out two long and one short blows of his whistle. Suddenly the buffers sand into the ground and the rocky wall in front of them opened to reveal tracks leading inside a concrete lit tunnel. Both the human and tank engine went inside and the tunnel closed behind them.

“I feel like I’m in a knockoff of the tunnel from the Thomas the Tank Engine movie,” Gregory muttered. “Next thing you know, Lady will show up.”

“Well, this place ain't tree filled and there's no gold dust around. Now zip it, we're almost there.”

They soon came to a large indoor rail facility where there were cranes and containers being moved and there were guards at almost every corner. Soon, Agent Sweetie Drops approached them. “Mr. Graystone, welcome to the GAF facility. Just remember the non-disclosure agreement you signed.”

“Yes, I remember, Sweetie,” he said with a nod.

“Good, now follow me,” she said as she led Gregory through a door and into a hallway. “We lost quite a lot from Grogar’s attack, but you’ll be surprised at how much we salvaged and how much we gained.”

“Is that so?” Gregory asked. “Well, that’s good.”

“Yes, if you look to your left you’ll see one of our recaptured experiments,” she said pointing to a window.

Gregory looked through and in a large open room he saw a simple clock tower. It looked like the one he once saw in Ponyville before its destruction. ”A clock tower?”

“Wait for it,” Sweetie said as she knocked the glass hard. The clock tower then bent like it was made of rubber before the clock on it turned into a large mouth with teeth.

“A mimic?” Gregory asked.

“A titan mimic, much like what Waning Gibbous was,” Sweetie Drops explained. “This one was made from chaos magic and worms.”

“Next you’ll tell me slimes and dungeons are real,” Gregory joked,

“I don’t know what you mean by dungeons but slimes yes or rather the ancestors of the Smooze,” she said.

“Oh yeah, the Smooze,” Gregory said.

“Of course while many of these experiments are rather aggressive there is one new anomaly or rather anomalies that have been expecting you to visit,” she said.

“The zombies?” Gregory asked.

“You know about that? I thought Georgie was quiet when he left Haven City with those cars.”

“I saw them already,” Gregory said, “or at least one of them.”

“Oh for Celestia’s sake,” she said before picking up a radio. “Security, find Screw Loose, she broke out of her cell again!”

“Um, no,” he said, “I saw Thunderlane before Grogar attacked.”

“Oh, him,” she said. “Yeah we found him and took him back after the battle. But something happened when we reunited him with Rumble who was originally trapped in your school. We now believe these zombies may not be the flesh eaters we thought they were.”

“What do you mean?” Gregory asked. “What do they eat, then?”

“Well regular zombie ponies eat like carnivores but for some reason well… follow me.” She turned and headed down another hallway.

After a bit more walking, they came to a door marked GAF-4309. As Gregory got close he felt emotions that felt familiar, almost warm like a cozy fire. When the door opened there standing in a room were three angelic ponies. One was Derpy and the other two were Thunderlane and Rumble, both wearing halos.

Gregory was about to say something when he noticed that Sweetie was wearing extremely thick black goggles. “What are those for?” he asked.

“Wait, you can handle her brightness?” Sweetie Drops asked.

“She’s not glowing that brightly,” Gregory said, clearly confused.

“Greetings, friend,” Derpy said warmly.

“Hello Derpy,” Gregory said with a kind smile. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“Nor did I,” Derpy said. “The demons known as Grogar and Howard tried to make me their puppet but they failed. They couldn't take me because I wasn’t blind to the truth.”

“What's up with the big words?” Gregory asked.

“We believe she may have picked up forbidden heavenly knowledge in the afterlife,” Sweetie Drops explained.

“Is that why you allowed me here?” Gregory asked. “Because I’m being labeled as a demigod?”

“No, we invited you here because if you are going to be a wandering demigod we felt that it would be best for you to see our facility rather than find out. There are some anomalies far too dangerous and too mysterious to be seen by the world. Also these three in particular wanted to see you again.”

Gregory nodded, then sat down on a nearby chair. “Well, it’s nice to see you all again,” Gregory said. “Derpy, your daughter’s doing just fine.”

“I know and I appreciate all you and Fluttershy have done,” Derpy said.

Rumble then poked Thunderlane’s side. The stallion then rolled his eyes and sighed. “Look about what happened in Ponyville. I know it can never be undone but…I’m sorry for how we treated you.”

“You don’t have to apologize for how others treated me,” Gregory said, suddenly feeling a unique connection starting to form between him and the three. Almost like they were becoming his angels. “Just how you treated me, and for that, I don’t hold any hard feelings.”

Rumble smiled as he looked at Gregory. “You're still gonna read to us if we ever meet again in the afterlife?”

Gregory reached out towards the colt. A small tendril of light reached out from both his hand and Rumble’s head, slowly moving towards each other. Two more came out of Thunderlane’s and Derpy’s heads, moving towards Gregory’s own tendril. “Who said you have to wait?” he asked softly.

“He’s right, child,” Derpy said. “We are still here and we won’t return until all of Ponyville finally see through their veil of hatred.”

The four tendrils touched, and the light in the room brightened. Gregory felt like he had just gained something. Either more power or something else, he wasn’t sure. He stood and looked at the three angelic ponies. Something told him that they had just become his angels, like he was their god. “They almost have,” Gregory said. “There are a few holdouts, sadly.”

“Gregory,” Derpy said. “I spoke to Faust earlier. She trusts you to help us finally move on and I believe we can do it together.”

Gregory smiled at them in an almost regal way. “Do you have anyone you wish to speak to before then, my child?” he asked, unsure why he had said the last two words.

“My own daughter would suffice,” she said.

Gregory nodded, then walked up and placed his hands on Derpy’s head, which she had bowed. “You are free to visit her now,” he said.

“Absolutely not!” Sweetie Drops exclaimed. “No anomaly leaves this place. Not without proper-”

However, it was too late. Derpy began glowing much brighter and ascended before passing through the ceiling. Gregory turned back, his own body starting to glow a calming white. “They have already passed from this world,” he said. “No mortal has the right to hold them against their will.”

Sweetie then turned to the two brothers. “Well?”

“We’re good,” they both said.

“I swear, Graystone, your powers are gonna create more issues one day, I just know it.”

“That is why I practice daily with many different ponies so that I don’t go overboard,” he said as he exhaled.

“Fine I’ll allow her to visit her daughter but she must never reveal herself to the other locals. Do you have any idea what will happen if that happens? Others will demand for their dead relatives to come back.”

“You think that you’re holding them here?” Gregory asked. “You’re wrong. They can leave at any time. They’re staying here willingly. At least, for now.” The glow around him vanished before he turned back to the brothers. “You two want to come with me or stay here for a bit longer?”

“My foalsitters Flitter and Cloud Chaser are still evil,” Rumble said. “I’d rather wait for them.”

“Yeah, and there’s no way I’m leaving my brother alone again,” Thunderlane added.

He nodded. “Very well,” he said, “that works. It seems, however, that I’ve created some sort of contract with you two and Derpy.”

“Well, Derpy has become sort of our teacher if you can believe it,” Thunderlane said. “She’ll be back.”

“Very well,” Gregory said. “Peace be with you two, oh, and Rumble? Now that we have a contract, whenever I read to anyone, you’ll be able to sit in, albeit while invisible.”

Rumble beamed and clapped his hooves. He couldn’t wait for the next reading.