He found a bit of strength left in him. He used it to get up from the bed and leave the house. He did not look back to the room or the house. He went through town and saw his brother bullying another kid. He could not stand watching him be like that, so Storm interfered. He got thrown to the ground by his brother. Storm got up and flew away, the child that his brother was bullying flew after him. He pushed her away and flew off crying.

An hour later he grew tired and set down in a field where he saw the same kid with her mom and another colt. The mom approached Storm.

"So my daughter tells me that you pushed her down. Is that true young colt?"

Storm was tired,"Yes."

"Can you apologize to her?"

Storm saw the child behind her mom peeking over to him,"I'm sorry."

"Good. What's your name?" no answer,"Where are your parents?" still no response. She look at him and saw that he was not doing well. He was dirty and bruised, his eyes drooped down, and his ears were hanging low.

"Athen I think this child is Storm." said the colt."His father has been arrested a few times for domestic violence. The father is still with them because apparently the courts see it as discipline and nothing more. Only if we ran the system we can prevent this." The colt was around the same age range as Athen.

"Holt are you sure?"

"Look at him. He has her eyes. I used to go on fine dates with Ayla."

"You're right." Athen knelt down in front of Storm,"How's your mother Storm? Is she well?" He cried some more and dived onto Athen's shoulder,"Holt go check his house. Make sure Ayla is okay. With her abusive piece of garbage she calls 'love' I don't think she is."

"Of course. Soul stay here with your mother." He ran off for he had no wings for flight, nor magic for teleportation.

"Okay uncle." Soul watched as her mother tended to this complete stranger who had pushed her down earlier.

Holt left for two hours and then returned with a sad facial expression. He called Athen over because he did not Soul hearing about this,"Athen. Mend is at the house."

"Why, what's going on?" she was worried.

Holt sighed,"Ayla was found dead."

"She's what?" Athen gasped for air,"She can't be dead."

"They removed her sheets and saw internal bleeding coming from her stomach. They estimate she died around a day ago."

"Who killed her?"

"You and I should know the answer to that. What do you want to do?"

"Let's take him back to my place, we will discuss it more there. Soul grab him will you." she said.

Soul replied,"Okay mom." Soul turned around and looked down at Storm,"Hey, do you still want to be friends?" She reached out to him to hoist him up,"Come on. I don't bite."

"Okay." Storm wiped a tear from his face,"Friends?"

"Friends." Soul helped Storm get up and it was the beginning of a bright friendship.

"Look he's already doing better than you were with he ladies Holt." Athen laughed.

"Hey don't forget that lady is your daughter."

"Oh yeah I forgot. Soul! we're heading back for lunch. Hurry up!" Holt and Athen were already leaving.

"Okay hold on! Come on then." Soul exclaimed.

Back at Athen's home in the center of the port town, Soul and Storm had already eaten and were playing in the corner. Holt and Athen were discussing Storm's future at the other end of the house not too far from them. If Athen looked around the corner of the room she could see the two.

"This system is just messed up. Their basically ran by ponies like Quake." Holt's eyes said that he was angry."Brought to keep order, protect the citizens. Yeah right. Onlyif they gave the peacekeepers more authority but that won't happen. Just a system to let ponies like Quake walk around freely."

Athen replied,"If you think we can control the system then maybe we can prevent this sort of thing from happening again. Who is in control now? Ex-convicts?"

"Yeah. They said that the first was made by ex-cons to prevent horrible things from happening again, I think we can both see that's complete crap."

"They're letting him slide. How do you think we can replace them?"

"The only way we can is by.... Please tell me you're not going to."

A smirk was made on Athen's face,"This is going to take a long time but it will be worth it."

"If Mend finds out what you did he won't let you stay in the peacekeepers." Holt tried to get his sister's mind off of her sinister plans. He didn't want her to put herself or Soul in danger.

"Hold on one second." Athen looked around the corner and saw the two lying on the ground, sleeping. "Come help me with them Holt." Soul was put in her bed by Holt. Athen gave her bed to Storm. She tucked him in as if he were her own. He coughed a bit,"He coming down with a cold." she thought. He was uneasy in the bed, he seemed to not find a comfortable way to sleep. He was facing toward the wall and Athen saw his eyes open. He was crying softly."Hey." she said quietly,"don't cry. You did enough of that." She sat next by him and said,"I'm not leaving until you stop." He didn't stop. How could he? His mother had just passed on to the next world. If anything, Athen's presence there made it worse.

Since Storm wasn't looking at her, her weight shifted more to her side reminding him of his mother's presence. The more he thought about it the more tears came out. In the living Holt was waiting outside, Soul came to him. She was curious in why her mom was with a child that's not her own.

"Uncle Holt, why is my mom in there?"

Holt sighed,"He needs a shoulder to cry on, Soul. Storm needs somepony that he can express his feelings to. Your mother is the closest thing he has now to a mother."

"Why does he cry so much? What happened to his family?"

Holt didn't know how to explain death, nopony could. He tried his best,"Soul, when you lose someone you love dear,like Storm has, it...it hurts. Gives you great pain."

"Like getting cut?"

"Sort of. What do you need for a cut?"

"Bandages."

"Yes. How can I say this? Ummm...your mother is like a bandage for Storm. She is going to help him heal. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so." she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Go to bed Soul. Go get some rest."

"Okay."

In Athen's room, Athen was still trying to get Storm to stop crying. She did not like looking at him cry, it broke her heart. She felt like crying too bu she didn't. She needed to stay strong for Storm.

"Storm, can you tell me what happened? Sometimes these things are easier to handle if you talk about it."

"I don't want to." he sobbed.

"Alright, when you stop crying then? You keep your feelings bottled up inside, that's why you stop. Come on, if you're going to live with me you're going to have to obey me."

"Wh-what? I can stay?"

"Of course you can but only if you tell me what happened. Deal?"

"Okay." he wiped his eyes and muzzle."She sang....me a song." He sat up straight next by Athen. Holt was by he door just listening.

"What song was it?" Athen put her hoof around him.

"I don't remember but I know she made it." he responded. His crying stopped.

"When you do remember it I would sure like to hear it."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"There is another thing I remember. When...when I woke up. I called for her and when she didn't move...I....I cried. " Athen knew he was about to sob, so she wrapped her hooves around him tighter.

"You can stop if you want to."

"I don't want to. I just wanted to see her eyes again. I slept with her for a whole day and did not move for anything. I left and that's when I met her."

"My daughter and then here we are."

A tear appeared from Storm's right eye,"I....I miss her."

Athen held him as tight as she could."We all do." She shed only a single tear. Holt was by the door hearing everything. He looked outside the window and saw him, Quake. Anger took over. He marched quietly outside and tailed Quake. Quake entered a brothel or a type of tavern. Holt stopped and returned back to Athen's house where all three had fallen asleep. He paced around the house looking at the same places over and over again. He heard steps outside and looked through a window to see who it was. It was Mend and Delta. Holt met them outside in front of the house. He didn't want none of them to wake up.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Holt this may be a bad time to say this but, as one of the senior members of the peacekeepers you are ordered to go to Fort Reiner to oversee security." Mend scolded.

"I'm not going. I am needed here, my sister needs me more than Fort Reiner."

"There is one thing I forgot to mention. A dragon was seen not to far from Fort Reiner. They believe it can be hostile and are too afraid to leave. They need somepony, like you, to guide them."

Holt still didn't want to leave,"Look, I feel bad for them but I can't leave. Not now. And makes you think I can fight a dragon even if I do go?"

"Not fight it, negotiate with it. Tell it to go somewhere else."

"If you know what they want how come you won't go?"

"Apparently I am too cowardly."

"I can see why. I will not go."

"Fine. Just think about it." Mend walked away but Delta stayed behind. It looked like he wanted Holt to go too.

"Holt please you have to go or else-"

"Or else what? Tell me. What's so important?"

Delta took in a deep breath of air,"Nothing." Delta turned his back to Holt and said to himself,"You're more valuable than others."

Holt didn't hear what he said."Fort Reiner." he scoffed.

The peacekeeper headquarters was located at the edge of Green Fawn. It was a large white building with white pillars to support the roof. Mend went into his office and knocked some documents down in anger. He was shouting at himself. He was frustrated and the others heard him from outside. Delta ran inside,"Officer Mend, stop!"

"Shut the door." Mend scolded."Hurry."

"Holt will come around. Just give it time."

"Maybe but if he does he can not find out what we planned." Mend was breathing heavily."He can't."

"Be quiet, the others might hear. Only the both of us know we don't need anypony else finding out." Delta went to Mend,"Look after the attack we will tell Holt what happened as if we never knew. Alright?"

"He can't find out." Mend kept on repeating,"He can't. If he does, he'll kill us."

"He won't. We'll take it our graves." Blossom barged in.

"What's going on? They told me that Mend was screaming and that-"

"Its nothing. Resume your station, Blossom." When Blossom left Mend again spoke to Delta,"Are they ready?"

"Yes, they will be sent in the evening."

"Did you tell them to wait until night?"

"Yes I did sir. After their 'ambush' we will have to evacuate the peacekeepers from here before they arrive the next week. What excuse should we come up with?"

"We're going to accompany Holt to Fort Reiner."

Athen woke up and left the bed for Storm. Storm was sound asleep, quiet and calm. His tears stopped flowing. Athen went outside and saw Holt kicking up dirt. She went outside to ask him what was going on. He told her about his summon to Fort Reiner, she told him that she can handle two fillies herself. Holt agreed to leave the next night. It slipped out of Holt's mouth that he spotted Quake and that he knew where he was. Athen interrogated him to find out. She told Holt to watch over the two so she can handle Quake herself. When Athen spotted him toying with some mares, she called him out."Quake!"

"Ah, Athen!" he got up,"Excuse me ladies." He approached Athen,"Did you change your mind yet?"

"Do you want to know what happened to Ayla today?"

"I don't care about that bitch."

Athen knocked him down and shouted,"She's dead! Want to know who killed her?!"

"Her weakness." he was catching his breath then chuckled.

"You!" Athen threw him at a table. The ones drinking were scattering and screaming. The tavern cleared out leaving it to Athen and Quake."I can't believe she didn't leave you!" She took a glass bottles and broke it on his face then threw him on the ground. He was bleeding but still had a smirk.

"Maybe she was too stupid to." he laughed again.

"Get up, you sack of shit." she scolded. Athen broke a leg off of a chair and was using her magic to hold it up. One end of it was splintered and sharp."Get up!"

"Are you going to kill me?" he chuckled, He hoisted himself slowly. Blood was leaving trails down his face."You're no different from Ayla, filthy wretches." he laughed some more."Give me one difference between you two."

"I'm not scared of you." she lunged to him.

"Enough!" Mend was at the doorway,"Athen drop it. He is not worth your trouble."

Athen turned to Mend with the stake still in her possession,"He's not worth anything." she turned back at pulled the stake back.

"Athen, think about what you are doing.."

"Yeah, Athen. Killing me won't bring Ayla back."

"No it wouldn't but, it will give me pleasure to kill you."

"Alright Athen. You know very well you can kill him but, you need to set an example for Storm. Show him that no matter the situation you can hold yourself back." Mend said.

"Damn." as Athen was beginning to walk out Quake smack his lips imitating a kissing sound. Athe stopped in her tracks. She still had the stake.

"I wish I could have seen her die." Athen turned around and hit Quake with the side of the stake with no sharp edges. She hit him so hard with it he was knocked out cold and the stake broke. She dropped the remaining piece she had. She turned and said to Mend,"Next time, I will use my spear. Don't let me see him again." and walked out. Mend went to Quake and kicked his head.

When Athen returned home she spotted Holt getting ready to depart He was packing a bag in the living room, when he saw his sister walk into the house he said."Athen, ummm the whole peacekeeper regiment is going to Fort Reiner. I don't know why, neither Mend nor Delta will tell me. You should come too, get those two away from this place. Could be fun."

Athen was breathing heavily but, she caught her breath and spoke normally,"I would prefer to stay. Did they say how long you were going to be gone?" Holt shook his head,"Well, I hope you have a safe journey."

"We'll be leaving tonight. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, nothing is going to happen as long as I'm here."

"If you say so. I'm about finished after I'll head to the headquarters. Plan our journey then wait till nightfall. Those two are still sleeping, they are very deep sleepers." he chuckled,"If I'm not here when they wake can you say 'bye' to them for me?"

"I don't think I will. Look behind you." When Holt did he saw Black Soul behind him."Hello there, come out. Holt is going to leave." Athen was looking to her right into her room. Storm trotted out,"Come say 'bye'."

"Bye Uncle Holt." Soul hugged him, he hugged back.

"Bye Soul. Be good for my sister."

"Okay."

"Storm, what about you? You're in the family and you're not going to say 'bye'?" said Athen.

Storm blushed and looked to her,"I'm part of the...family?" he was nervous.

"Of course. Why wouldn't you be? Go on." replied Athen nudging him to Holt.

Holt said,"Its okay Athen. He doesn't have to." As he was putting his bag's strap on Storm hugged him and then ran off back into Athen's room. "Wow. Progress already." Holt picked up his bag and again put the strap on,"I'll be back as soon as I can sis." He left.

"Let's check on Storm, Soul." They both went inside the room,"Storm, are you okay?" He was facing the wall again. Athen turned his head to her,"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm part of the f-family." he stuttered.

"Yes, you are. We are your new family."

Author's Notes:

The next chapter will be back in their present time.