Change Isn't Easy

High Winds stretched her wings out as she turned a page of her book, occasionally looking up to watch Silver Spoon as the filly walked with Star Hunter, Spitfire, Starburst and Sightseer as they pointed out various medals and posters hanging up.

“How’s she doing?” Wave Chill asked and sat down on his bed a few feet away from hers. It had originally been Spitfire’s idea to have everypony sleep in the same room together. Something about that a team that eats, sleeps and lives together works better together.

High Winds had been a bit wary of sleeping near strangers, especially when she was still new and had just joined, but she had to admit that it grew on her. She couldn’t really go to sleep in her own house mainly because it lacked the others snoring or Surprise waking everypony up at seven am every day.

“She seems to be doing well,” High Winds answered finally as she placed a book mark in her book and closed it. “I’m almost surprised how fast Silverspeed let her come here. It’s only been what, a week?”

“Roughly, yeah. I think Silverspeed and Sunset both trust us a lot. I mean, if it wasn’t for Surprise, Sunset apparently would have killed that one stallion,” Wave Chill answered as he leaned back against his bed with a content sigh. “I think I heard something about a nurse outfit when I left the hospital run Sunset was in? I know I took off fast when it got a bit more graphic when Silver Spoon was sleeping next to them.”

High Winds cheeks turned pink and quickly forced the mental images her brain conjured up away. She really didn’t want to think about that and she definitely didn’t want to know who was wearing said nurse outfit.

Silver Spoon had been met with open arms the moment she had trotted inside earlier in the day with Silverspeed. The three stallions she was with currently had offered her a tour of the building similar to how Spitfire and Surprise gave Wallflower one. That mare had been received fairly well by the others too.

“What’s this?” High Winds ears flicked as she approached a glass case with various badges in it. She and Wave Chill both looked at each other as she licked her lips.

“This is a memorial,” Star Hunter answered as the dark blue stallion read some names in his head. “Every Wonderbolt who dies in service of Equestria gets their badge placed inside. We all got one when we signed up.”

“I didn’t know that. Does Aunt Spitfire and Aunt Blaze have one too?” Silver asked curiously as she stared at the rows of silver and gold badges.

“We do,” Spitfire confirmed and pulled out a black wallet out of her pocket, opening it to show the golden badge inside. “Gold represents superior officers. Everypony under me has silver ones.”

Silver Spoon nodded and sniffed slightly as Spitfire rested a hoof on her back.

“It’s okay to cry here. I have,” Spitfire smiled slightly and rested her hoof on the glass. “I have friends in there. All of us have cried here at some point, either because somepony we knew died or for our fellow Wonderbolts. I’m not sappy often, but there is no greater love than to lay down ones life for another. This badge case stands as a memorial to the fallen Royal Guards and Wonderbolts who lost their lives in service to Equestria.”

“That’s a lot of badges,” Silver Spoon said and they nodded. Spitfire didn’t necessarily like admitting that she cries as she viewed it as ruining her stern and strict image as captain but she supposed there’s a first time for everything.

“Goes all the way back to Commander Easyglider. He started the tradition. Originally, it was for just Wonderbolts but the Royal Guards got added in later years. There’s one in Canterlot and Cloudsdale too. The Canterlot one is bigger,” Starburst added. “My dad is in that one.”

“This got dark,” Sightseer said and shifted on his hooves. “So, Aunt Spitfire and Aunt Blaze, huh?”

“Yeah. Since I started considering, Sunset as Mom, I figured I might as well start calling her sisters Aunt now too,” Silver Spoon explained with a blush and crossed her forelegs before looking at Spitfire. “That’s uh, that’s okay, right?”

“Fine be me as long as I get to be the cool Aunt,” Spitfire grinned down at the filly and winked.

“I was thinking the stern one but cool Aunt works with me.”

“Fine by me,” Spitfire shrugged and patted her on the head. “Have a hat.”

Star Hunter adjusted the blue hat with the Wonderbolt logo on it on Silver Spoons head to fit it better before nodding in satisfaction.

“Now I got to get back to reviewing this applications. Got some promising ponies in here,” Spitfire said and turned to the glass case, offering a quick salute. “Make sure Silver Spoon gets back home safely you three or else I’ll slap you with runway duty.”

High Winds turned back to her book as the three stallions flanked Silver Spoon, the four disappearing quickly from view before she wiped her own eyes.

“I hate crying,” High Winds growled and Wave Chill laughed. “Makes my eyes hurt. I’m gonna bet Surprise and Soarin tease Spitfire about being old once the Aunt Spitfire thing gets out.”

“Oh absolutely,” Wave Chill agreed with a wide smirk.

The two shared a laugh before turning off their bunk lights and going to sleep.

Sunset laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, tossing a bouncy ball up in the air and catching it with her magic. While she was grateful to be home, her body did hurt in some spots still. Or well, Silverspeeds home to be precise but minor details. The pegasus refused to let Sunset go home, something about insisting she was fully healed till heading to her apartment in a week.

“So,” Silverspeed said casually from her closet as Sunset continued sinking into the soft bed. “How’s the head, dear?”

“Getting better. My side still hurts but I’ll be good,” Sunset answered dismissively and adjusted a picture on Silverspeeds side of the bed. While Sunset may not live here, she did spent a unsurprising amount time asleep in the bed or hanging out downstairs.

“I’ll be there shortly. I have advil on the nightstand,” Silverspeed called out and Sunset hummed quickly as she levitated the bottle to her face.

“I’m so stupid,” Sunset muttered to herself and opened the bottle.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Sunset sighed and shook some pills onto her tongue.

“I know you. You’re an awful liar,” Silverspeed commented and stepped out of the closet as Sunset raised an eyebrow slightly at the nurses outfit with a white what the silver pegasus wore. “Well?”

“Wow,” Sunset answered finally and watched the pegasus flutter her wings to lay down next to her. “You look uh very-”

“Hot?” Silverspeed suggested with a grin and Sunset nodded weakly. “Good, that was the goal. Obviously, I changed it a bit to get to places easier. How’s my patient?”

“This is not how I expected my night to go. Anyway, I’m okay. I said I’m so stupid for the record,” Sunset answered as Silverspeed gave her a confused look. Out of everything she could have said, that was what Silverspeed expected least.

Sunset was pretty damn intelligent in her eyes. To Silverspeed, Sunset was far from stupid.

“How?”

“Silver Spoon got kidnapped because of me. I turned down a chance to help Giddilee teach class that day because I wanted Silver Spoon to have some time away from me so I didn’t make her uncomfortable or mad. And yet the day I refuse, she gets kidnapped. I’m stupid,” Sunset explained and wrapped her forelegs around Silverspeed.

“Absolutely not,” Silverspeed frowned at the mare as she hugged her back. “What happened isn’t on you. It was just an accident. You’re a good pony, Sunset. The fact you turned down that opportunity because you didn’t want to make Silver Spoon uncomfortable just proves my point and I love you for that.”

Silverspeed nuzzled Sunset as her coat got wetter from the crying pony and she hugged the unicorn tighter.

“And you helped me find her. You also brought her back home and fought off two ponies with no problem. You’re a damn good marefriend and a mom,” Silverspeed continued as Sunset laid quietly. “And you also got Silver Spoons affection after trying the entire time we’ve been dating. What happened is absolutely not your fault. It’s those idiots who took her. And they are already going to jail Celestia said, remember? She was very angry about it.”

Sunset shuddered slightly at the memory. In the return letter she and Twilight had received, Luna had mentioned something about wanting to behead all involved in taking Silver Spoon and hanging their corpses outside the castle but apparently Twinkleshine and Celestia had hastily intervened before that could happen.

“Are you sure?” Sunset asked and Silverspeed nodded quickly.

“I’m damn sure. No matter what happens, you’ll always have us two on your side. And since she’s getting a tour of the Wonderbolts building right now, we’re home alone,” Silverspeed said casually and ran a hoof on Sunset’s back. “You feeling better now that you’re done crying?”

“Yeah. Thanks Speedy.”

“Anytime. And as promised,” Silverspeed kissed the mare. “Hugs and attention as I said a few days ago.”

Sunset gulped slightly at the look the pegasus gave her before kissing her back.

“Thank Celestia Silver Spoon isn’t here,” Sunset muttered and Silverspeed snickered.

“Agreed. Spitfire is a life saver.”

Sunset felt inclined to agree as Silverspeed kissed her again. She did have two awesome sisters, even if Blaze did seem mad at her.

But that was a problem for future Sunset, not current Sunset.