The door to the Tuscanter house opened with the last rays of the twilight, dimly illuminating the atrium as two ponies staggered inside. Iron Rain and Pathfinder entered the house together, wings wrapped around each other’s bare backs and smiles on their faces. They smelled of wine and walked with heavy hooves; Rain’s scarred flank bumped against a table, nearly knocking a lamp onto the tiled floor, but neither pony much noticed. Their eyes were only for each other.

Their merry bantering and laughter led the couple to the kitchen. This time there was no armor to strip off and hang on mannequins, no weapons to polish and sheathe. They’d both been given the day of the parade off by Hurricane himself to simply enjoy themselves. After they’d reported what they’d discovered about Typhoon three days ago, the Cirran triumvir felt the couple deserved some rest. By the smell of their breath and the way they walked, talked, and laughed, it would’ve been clear to anypony present that they’d made the most of it. Pathfinder made a crude joke; Iron Rain tittered at it, a noise she never would have made in her right mind, the mind of a legate. Tonight, however, she was just a mare, a mare like any of the thousands living in Everfree City.

Glasses clinked against each other as Finder withdrew them from a cabinet and set them atop a granite island. Champagne flowed forth from a bottle Rain held in her teeth, and soon both pegasi held the drinks between the feathers of their wings. Both smiled and, with a toast of their glasses, upended them at the same time.

Rain’s hit the island first. Finder raised an eyebrow at her, a mischievous smirk breaking out across his face. Rain wiggled an eyebrow back and licked her lips. Reaching for the bottle, Finder once more filled the two of their glasses, and again, the two pegasi upended them. This time, both glasses touched the island at the same time. The eyes of both pegasi met once more, and they smiled at each other.

Hooves lifted from the ground to settle across shoulders, and mare and stallion craned their necks around one another in a loving embrace. Rain nuzzled Pathfinder’s neck, contentedly sighing into his mane. Pathfinder hummed to himself, and he let one of his hooves drop from Rain’s shoulders to trace the contours of the larger mare’s body. His hoof danced over thin white scars and iron gray fur until it reached her cutie mark, which was, fittingly enough, an enormous greatsword pointed downwards. His hoof lingered there for a moment longer before teasing just inside of her left flank, rubbing a sensitive spot he knew all too well. Rain gasped and shuddered, and her teeth found her way to Finder’s ear, where she gingerly nibbled on it while the two ponies rocked back and forth.

It was precisely at this moment that Marigold entered the kitchen with six children in tow.

With a forced cough, Finder dropped his hoof and gave Rain a quick shove to separate the two of them before the kids could really see what was happening. Rain grunted and accidentally bit hard on Finder’s ear as she separated, making the scout wince and slap a hoof to his head to try and snuff out the pain. Rain spat a few olive hairs on the floor and tried to wipe it away with a hoof, chuckling nervously to herself.

Luckily, Marigold was the only one who seemed to have noticed, even if she stood stock-still with one hoof raised on the threshold of the kitchen. Behind her, Aspen and Lavender darted around Zephyr, holding wooden swords in their mouths, while Shimmer and Gray watched from the sidelines, small smiles on their faces. Lilac was sound asleep on her mother’s back and cooed softly in her dreams.

Finder coughed awkwardly into his hoof. “Ah… H-hey.” The corner of his mouth twitched at some attempt to smile. Rubbing a hoof against his neck, Finder tried to change the subject as quickly as possible. “The, uh, kids… they enjoy the parade?”

Marigold blinked once or twice, then nodded and finally set her hoof down. “Yeah. They had a lot of fun today.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled as Zephyr single-hoofedly fought off both of the mare’s elder children. “We came across a little place that was giving out these toy swords to kids on our way back. After your heroics a few nights ago, Lavender and Aspen have been a bit inspired, to say the least.” She turned back to the two legionaries and finally entered the kitchen proper. “Your filly, Zephyr, has been great with them.”

“Well, Zephyr’s always been good with foals,” Rain said, corking the champagne and sliding it off to the side. “When Gray was born she used to always hover over his cradle and flap her little wings shouting, “Mommy, he’s getting hungry,” Rain said with a chuckle.

“After she’d stolen his pacifier at least,” Finder added with a snicker of his own. “Shimmer was the best though. She would stand guard over him each night when he slept with a toy sword her Gods-mother gave her.” Finder’s head dropped a little, though the ghost of a smile remained on his lips. Rain looked to him, her brows pinching slightly together. “Shimmer would always fall asleep though, and Rain or I would scoop her up and carry her to bed.

Shimmer blushed, her hoof kicking at the floor sheepishly. Gray spared his big sister a little glance and the barest hint of a teasing smile.

Marigold looked around herself and smiled. “Alright kiddos, let’s put the swords away for now. It’s late enough as it is.”

Both Lavender and Aspen dropped their swords and plopped on their haunches. “But Moooooom…”

“No ‘buts’,” Marigold gently insisted. “You two had a busy day today. Just look at your little sister. She’s pooped, and you two should be as well.”

“But I don’t wanna!”

“Yeah! Aspen and I aren’t tired!”

Marigold gave a small shake of her head. “Just you wait until your head hits the pillow… without bedtime snacks.”

Both foals gasped. “You wouldn’t dare…” Aspen whispered, the four year-old’s eyes like saucers.

The yellow mare shifted her weight onto her hip. “One…”

“Aaaaaah!” Lavender and Aspen squealed and sprinted up the staircase as fast as their little hooves could carry them. Marigold’s pink eyes followed them the whole way until they disappeared into their room. Then, sighing, she shook her head, rolling her shoulders to try and center Lilac’s sleeping form.

“Zephyr?” Marigold asked after a moment. “Could you fetch some milk and cookies for those two? They like to have a snack before they go to bed.”

The bouncy blue filly vigorously nodded her head and fluttered over Marigold towards the pantry. “Of course, Miss Marigold!” she warbled excitedly. She blurred past her parents and back with snacks in tow, leaving a few spiraling blue feathers in her wake as she raced up the staircase. Rain watched one twist until it finally hit the floor, then scooped it up and sighed.

“She’s such a good filly,” she murmured to herself.

“Oh, she loves the kids,” Marigold said, helping herself to a glass of champagne. The flower merchant swirled it in the glass for a moment before tossing her head back and emptying the glass like a shot. Both Finder and Rain blinked at her as she set it back down. “I could actually relax and enjoy myself today without worrying about them because Zephyr was keeping such a close eye on them.” She sighed and reached for the champagne again. “It feels good to enjoy life again. Or… well, hell, I don’t know. Maybe truly for the first time.”

Rain nodded and filled her glass after Marigold. Finder, meanwhile, waved his two other kids off with a hoof. Shimmer gave him a curt nod and ascended the steps, with Gray wordlessly following right behind. When they were gone, Finder dragged a stool out from underneath the island and rested his forelegs on the granite countertop. “Really?” he asked, then pursed his lips and held up a hoof. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Marigold shrugged. “No, it’s okay.” Sighing, she turned away and maneuvered Lilac off of her back into her wings. Pulling over a nearby foal cradle that Rain had dragged out of the attic a few days ago, Marigold gently set the sleeping pegasus foal in the blankets and covered her up. “I didn’t have a bad childhood or anything. My parents were real nice, and they did whatever they could for me. My mom was a flower merchant, too; her name was Poinsettia. My dad was an auxiliary who neglected to participate in the battle at Stratopolis, despite Hurricane’s pleas.” She returned to the island and took her glass between her hooves again, gently tapping the outside. “It was something he wasn’t proud of. He lived when his closest friends gave their lives to save Cirra. But he had a wife and a foal on the way, and he couldn’t leave us—just like Commander Hurricane, I suppose.” Her eyes briefly met Finder’s and Rain’s before they darted away in embarrassment, considering the company she was with. “I still think he made the right choice, no matter what anypony says.

“Mom died before Lavender was born… nine or ten years ago. Caught a bad fever, and we couldn’t afford to have a doctor come look at her. Being a flower merchant doesn’t exactly pay well.” Marigold shook her head. “Dad did the best he could mining cinnabar for paint and the like. His vision was too poor to be in the Legion, so he had to take what he could get.”

“What happened to him?” Rain quietly asked, fiddling with the glass in her hooves. “Have you told him where you are now?”

“He… My brother-in-law takes care of him, now,” she said, staring into her glass. “He’s… difficult to handle. Doesn’t remember me or his grandkids anymore. He says things that don’t make any sense and gets confused really easy. We all think it was the cinnabar he used to mine. The unicorns say that it’s toxic to the mind, which is why they don’t bother with the stuff. I’m inclined to believe them, now.”

“I’m sorry,” Finder whispered. “It hurts to see a family member… a friend… get their mind turned inside-out.” His hooves trembled for a minute, searching for a flask concealed in armor he wasn’t wearing. He sighed and reached for the champagne glass, but Rain caught his hoof in hers and gently drew it to her chest. The couple shared a long look into each other’s eyes. Finder’s gaze full of regrets unsaid, Rain’s full of love and concern.

“Yeah… yeah,” Marigold mumbled. “I married a gem artisan from River Rock when I was sixteen. We stuck together for seven years, and he brought in most of the money during that time. Jewelry sells a lot better than flowers do. When he left two years ago, I could hardly support myself and the kids anymore. We had to move into the slums just to find a place to stay. Thankfully, his brother took us in until we could get our hooves under us just enough to eke out some pathetic existence.” She sighed, took another sip of her champagne, and then shook her mane out. “And now, well... Look where we are!” she exclaimed, gesturing around the kitchen. “A nice house. A sturdy house. One that doesn’t leak when it rains or ice up on the inside in the winter. It’s wonderful!” She smiled and Finder and Rain. “I just… thank you. Thank you so much. You and your children have been such a bright light in our lives, such a beacon of hope, we…”

“Oh, shush,” Rain interjected, smiling easily. “It’s not like you haven’t earned it, Marigold. You’ve done some incredible things. Hell, you even saved both our lives by the river,” she said, indicating both herself and Pathfinder. “Keeping you safe from the ponies who tried to kill you and giving you someplace nice to live in is the least we could do. Besides,” she added, raising an eyebrow, “the kids get along great. It works out for everypony.”

Marigold nodded. “Yeah, and I’m really happy for that. The kids have been through so much lately, it’s good to see that they’re getting along with yours.” Her ears flattened against her head as she stifled a yawn. “Oh my! Sorry… I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep lately.” She eyed Lilac, who gave a small kick in her sleep. “Foals. I’m sure you two remember those days all too well.”

“Yeah. Four times,” Rain said. Finder snorted and shook his head.

“Neither of us could sleep for months,” he said, absently tapping his glass with a hoof. “Soldiers wake up at the slightest disturbance. Shimmer used to scream when she cried.”

“Ugh… gods…” Rain mumbled, slapping a hoof to her brow. “Don’t remind me. That was almost as basic.”

Leaning back on her stool, Rain stretched her wings out to their full impressive span and cracked her neck. “Still, thanks for watching the kids for us today,” she said, nodding to Marigold. “It was nice for us to get some time together, just the two of us. We don’t really have much of that anymore whenever we’re not on duty.”

Finder shrugged. “I can’t help it if I like spending time with my children.”

“Please, you still baby them like they’re five. Zephyr especially.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“They’ll be soft,” Rain said, rolling her eyes. “If they were born in Nimbus, we already would’ve dropped them off in the wilderness with a knife and told them to survive the week.”

Marigold blinked. “They did that?”

“Oh yes. And as Lord Winter Rain’s daughter, I was expected to do it, too,” Rain said, a proud smirk on her face. “Of course, my brother thought it would be funny to give me a broken knife hidden by the sheath. I didn’t find the joke funny when I was trying to cut vines with my teeth to build shelter.”

“Oh, jeez. I can’t imagine you were too happy with him when you finally got back.”

“I found some poison ivy when I was down there and wrapped it in a bundle of cloth I made from the ruins of my shirt,” Rain said. “When my dad finally picked me up, I crushed it with a brick and smeared it all over the inside of my brother’s armor. Oh, the look on his face…” She snorted hard and slapped a hoof against the island. “He was on guard duty that day. In front of Dad, too. I’ve never seen a more miserable stallion in my life.”

The three ponies couldn’t help but share a laugh at that. “Oh gods! I can only imagine,” Marigold said, wiping a tear from her eye. “It’s stories like that that make me wish I wasn’t an only child.”

Behind her, Lilac began to fuss, disturbed from her sleep by the laughter. Shaking her head, Marigold immediately slid off the stool and reached into the cradle, hoisting out a bundle of blankets and the foal they ensconced. Shushing and patting the hiccupping foal on the back, Marigold began to slowly pace around the kitchen. “There, there, it’s alright, little filly,” she said, gently rocking the foal back to sleep. She turned towards Finder and Rain and gave them an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I should probably get her to sleep and see how my kids are doing. Then…” she interrupted herself with a loud yawn, “Then I’m going to check out, myself.”

“Fair enough,” Finder said, finishing off the last of his drink. “We probably won’t be too much longer, ourselves.”

Marigold nodded and made her way towards the staircase. “Alrighty then. Have a good night’s sleep, you two. I’ll see you in the morning!”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Rain said, shooting bedroom eyes at Finder. “I don’t think there’ll be much sleeping tonight…”

The flower merchant blinked at them, and then just as quickly her surprised expression turned to a frown. “Think you can keep it down this time? You two are louder than you think, and I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

And with those choice words, Marigold ascended the stairs, leaving the military couple rather speechless.

The world came back to Pan Sea in a searing flash brighter than a funeral pyre; for a brief moment, he thought that was exactly what it was given the burning sensation that accompanied it.

Wheezing, the stallion opened his eyes, trying to make sense of the bright lights in front of him. It took him several agonizing moments to concentrate enough to focus on what he was seeing; he was in terrible agony from head to hooves, like somepony had burnt off his flesh, peeled back the char, and salted what was left. It hurt to move his eyes, it hurt to blink, and it hurt to breathe.

He recognized the castle’s infirmary after a few seconds of pained blinking to try and focus on his surroundings. It must’ve been late in the afternoon, judging by the amber light the setting sun shed on the walls. Tilting his head proved to be an incredibly painful motion, but he could just barely see another pony dozing off in a seat by his bed.

“S… Sah…”

Every motion of his tongue left his mouth feeling like it had been burned with acid. His lungs sucked down another shuddering breath despite the pain it brought to his body. He closed his eyes and wheezed while trying to hold as still as possible. The gentle pressure of the blankets atop him provided some comfort to his agony.

“Pan Sea?”

A wooden chair groaned as it was dragged across the stone floor, and a gentle touch on Pan Sea’s shoulder made him open his eyes. He hissed in pain and clenched his teeth, only to see the worried face of his fiancée inches away from his muzzle. Soft Feather immediately withdrew and clutched her hoof against her chest, as if trying to restrain it from hurting him again.

“I’m so sorry!” she blurted, nervously hovering over Pan Sea’s bed. It was all too apparent that she wanted to bury his face in her fur and hold him tight, but she knew that would only do more harm than good. “It’s just—oh, thank the gods you’re alright!”

With a deep breath, Pan Sea was able to make the pain in his shoulder mostly recede so he could actually look at Soft Feather without contorting his face in agony. Her pearly white coat was matted from sitting in the chair for hours on end, her mane was a frazzled mess, and her eyes were bloodshot and baggy. She grabbed a pitcher of water with her hooves and poured Pan Sea a small glass, glancing at him like she was worried he’d disappear in an instant. The centurion couldn’t help but notice the small bite marks on her hooves, indicative of a night of anxious chewing.

“You…” Pan Sea struggled, trying to let his breaths form words as painlessly as possible, “you didn’t stay up all night… did you?” Every word was a knife he fought to force out between parched and scalding lips.

Soft Feather gave him a tired smile. “Oh, don’t worry about me. You’re the one who almost died! Come on, let’s get you seated upright,” she said, setting the cup of water she had just poured back on the bedside table.

As gently as she could manage, Soft Feather helped Pan Sea inch upwards into a sitting position. Every single motion was pure agony for the veteran soldier, but he endured it in silence for Soft Feather’s sake, despite the anguish that it caused him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of excruciating pain, Pan Sea was sitting up enough that he could open his wings and let them fall to either side of the bed. The simple motion of airing out his feathers seemed to dissipate much of the pain in his wings.

His fiancée offered the glass to him again with a worried expression. “Are you thirsty?” she murmured. “You’ve been asleep for a full day.” Once the pain had subsided a bit, he decided he’d chance a sip, praying to any gods that might be listening it would stay down.

It was probably the greatest thing he had ever tasted, fresher than spring rain and crisper than a summer’s night.

Soft Feather took the cup from him when he was done and set it on the nightstand. With an exhausted sigh, she collapsed into her chair, but didn’t dare take her eyes off of Pan Sea for a moment. She sat there, chin resting in her hooves, with a concerned smile on her face while Pan Sea started to breathe easier.

Eventually, the canary stallion tilted his head towards her and noticed her expression. “What’re you smiling about?” he asked in a raspy voice, paired with the curling of his own lips.

“I love you,” Soft Feather said, imperceptibly leaning closer to him. “I love you so much.”

“Heh… I love you too,” Pan Sea weakly answered. Grunting, he mustered what energy he could to reach his hoof out towards his fiancée, who reached for it with her own—

“Let him rest,” came an authoritative voice from over Soft Feather’s shoulder. The mare jumped and recoiled, bowing her head. “You will only make his condition worse.”

An unfamiliar mare approached Pan Sea’s bed, and the stallion’s heart nearly stopped when he realized she was hardly an ordinary pony. She was a powerfully built mare with an ivory coat of abnormally long fur and a blood red mane crowning equally scarlet eyes. Draconian wings hung folded at her sides, complementing her slitted pupils and the large fangs seemingly holding up her lower lip. Adorning her flank was a serpent coiled around a staff, its mouth open and fangs bared. The creature’s predatory eyes narrowed at Soft Feather for a moment, making the mortal mare shudder, before the thestral walked up to Pan Sea’s side.

“Mistress put me in charge of your health,” the draconian mare said, slitted eyes locked on Pan Sea’s. “She deemed it a matter of particular importance, considering your friendship with Commander Hurricane.”

Pan Sea swallowed hard. “Uh… thanks,” he managed, unable to take his eyes away from the thestral’s glistening fangs. “Just—who are you, again?”

The mare blinked once, then stepped rigidly back. “My name no longer has any meaning, and it wouldn’t interest you anyway. You may call me Second Sister, and I’ve saved dozens of ponies who’ve been worse off than you in my life. Suffice it to say I know more about what I’m doing than many of the ‘doctors’ running around this place.” Her fangs parted enough around her lower lips to show the barest hint of a smile, and the tiniest sliver of the rest of the deadly teeth hidden within her maw.

Soft Feather nodded from where she sat. “It’s okay, honey. She hasn’t left the room since Lūn—er, Luna put her here. Even when I dozed off for a few minutes, she took care of you. She’s nice enough, even if she is a bit…”

“Unsettling?” Second Sister dryly offered. “Frightening? Dead?”

Pan Sea blinked. “Sorry?”

Second Sister shrugged. “It’s not as bad as you’d think, honestly.”

“Not as bad as...” Pan Sea echoed, trying to make sense of the mare’s words. His eyes suddenly widened and he mouthed a little ‘oh’ before putting on a faint smile. “Oh, I get it. I thought it was just the fangs at first, but your accent is Nimban, isn’t it?” He gave a imperceptible shake of his head. “I never understood Nimban humor.”

But instead of the friendly reaction he was expecting, the thestral’s fanged lips downturned. “Don’t mention Nimbus,” she harshly ordered, nostrils flaring just the slightest bit.

Feather flattened her ears. “Yeah… sorry.” Then she brightened a bit. “Luna herself came to see you, though. Her thestrals,” and here she nodded towards Second Sister, “were able to get you to the castle almost as soon as you passed out. Then she came to see you herself and did some weird magic stuff on you.” She shuddered. “It… it was scary.”

“Weird magic stuff?” Pan Sea echoed, looking towards the thestral. “What does that mean?”

“You had a highly concentrated extract of aconite in your blood,” Second Sister said. “Wolfsbane, if you’re more familiar with that name. It is a paralytic poison which was preventing your heart or lungs from functioning properly. The only way to remove it in time to save your life was to purge your bloodstream, so the Mistress used her own magic to hijack your Empatha and burn the poison away from the inside out.” She nodded slightly to Pan Sea’s trembling limbs. “It was not an easy thing to do, and the reason your body feels like it’s been burned is because it was. Since it was your own magic, however, it did not kill you.”

Pan Sea nodded faintly. “So, like what Hurricane did when he was poisoned by Streak Wing…” he said, more to himself than anything. Then he offered the thestral a faint smile. “Please, thank Luna for me. I owe Her my life.”

“You are most certainly welcome.”

From the doorway came Luna, her ethereal mane and tail billowing out around her on some unfelt breeze. Her sharp teal eyes danced from Pan Sea to Second Sister to Soft Feather, and her lengthy strides brought her to the foot of Pan Sea’s bed in seconds. Soft Feather moved to offer the alicorn her seat, but Luna declined with a small wave of her hoof.

“Lūn,” Pan Sea breathed, eyes wide as saucers as he slipped back into her Cirran name. He shifted and groaned as he started to bow, but a cautionary wing from Second Sister held in front of his muzzle forced him back into a reclined position. Head held back the the mare’s draconian wing, he could only avert his eyes at the sight of his goddess.

“Luna,” the dark alicorn corrected him. “Although either is fine by me. My sister is the one who insists on being called Celestia. It particularly bothers her when you mortals praise her as a goddess.”

At the continued stunned silence in the room, Luna blew a breath through flared nostrils and rolled her eyes. “Although, I too have a particular dislike for gawking. Now, how are you feeling?”

Pan Sea blinked. “B-better, my Lady,” he said, in an almost reverent quiet. “Second Sister told me that you helped get the poison out of my veins. I’m just—I’m extremely grateful.” His eyes locked with Soft Feather’s emerald irises. “We both are.”

“It was a simple poison, really,” Luna said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. “An apothecary easily could have procured an antidote, but since all the stores were closed for the holiday, that would have been an impossible measure. Thankfully, I’ve dealt with my fair share of poisons in my life.” A proud smile pulled at her lips. “There is not a one that has been able to best my knowledge—or even more importantly, best me.”

“But she said that you ‘hijacked’ his Empatha or something,” Soft Feather said, gesturing towards Second Sister. “I don’t even get what that means.”

“Oh, that?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s the simple application of a possession spell. I took over your body and triggered your fire Empatha to burn the toxin away. Fairly old necromancy, but I’ve found uses for it from time to time.”

Luna received three different stares for her remarks. One filled with curiosity, marked by a single raised eyebrow, from Second Sister, a continued awestruck one from the injured Pan Sea, and a slightly horrified one from Soft Feather. In the ensuing awkward silence, Luna licked her lips and shrugged. “Ah. Right. I forgot that Tia and I removed those spells from the Grimoire a long time ago.”

It was Second Sister who eventually broke the silence. “Well, you’re better now because of it, so it couldn’t have been too bad. For now, however, it’s best that you get your rest.” Her wings glowed with a strange red light, almost like a unicorn’s magic seen through warped glass, and Pan Sea yelped as he was pulled back down onto his back by an invisible force. Soft Feather opened her mouth in protest, but the thestral silenced her with a look and a slight baring of her fangs. “His body will recover better if he lies down. Trust me. Then you two can get back to joyous ‘I’m glad you’re not dead’ rutting faster than if you ponies ignore me.”

Both Pan Sea’s and Soft Feather’s faces turned bright red. Luna, on the other hoof, snorted and shook her head. “Alright, you heard the doctor’s orders,” the alicorn finally said. Her midnight magic wrapped around Soft Feather’s chair and dragged it away from Pan Sea’s bed. “And you look like you could use some real, honest rest. Sleep easier knowing that your fiancé will live.”

Soft Feather weakly protested, as simply being in Luna’s presence seemed to make her more and more exhausted by the second. “But… but…”

“Hush now, quiet now,” Luna hummed, her voice like a brook under the starlight, “It’s time to lay your sleepy head…”

The white mare’s eyes fought in vain to stay open, but the effort was futile. Within seconds they were shut, and Soft Feather curled up like a foal in Luna’s magic. Nodding to Pan Sea, Luna gently levitated his fiancée through the air. “I will find a room for her. She will rest for now, and will see you on the morrow. When you’re both well-rested.”

“Yeah…” Pan Sea said, feeling a yawn come over him. He stifled it with a hoof. “Thank you, Luna.”

Luna slowly bowed her head. “Rest easy, my little pony.” And, just as swiftly as she had arrived, the alicorn vanished once more into the castle, leaving her thestral to watch after Pan Sea.

Second Sister watched the doorway for a full minute, unblinking and silent, before she finally relaxed and breathed easier. She regarded Pan Sea with her slitted crimson eyes for a moment before going to a table of medical supplies and arranging them with the thumbs on her draconian wings. “I will admit,” she said after a while, without turning her head towards her patient, “it feels good to finally help ponies again.”

Pan Sea blinked. “Pardon?”

The thestral didn’t answer right away. “I used to be a medic. I helped ponies. But that was a lifetime ago.” She looked up to the window, nostrils flaring for a brief moment. “It’s been a quiet five years.”

“Erm… I still don’t follow.”

Second Sister shot him a look over her shoulder, as if she just realized he was lying there. “Don’t worry about it. Focus on resting. We’ll get you back on your hooves in no time.” She gave him one last nod. “Nihil erit post Legionem, soldier.”

Twister hated armor.

She hated everything about it. She hated how heavy it was, always weighing down on her shoulders even when she sat down to rest. She hated how the metal plates chafed her sides and stood as an annoying layer of skysteel keeping her from resting her wings flat against her sides. She hated how it absorbed the summer heat, trapping her sweat against her coat and nearly roasting her alive.

But what she hated the most about it was how outrageous it made her look, sitting in Parliament surrounded by ponies wearing suits and robes. Being Cirra’s Legatus, she wore a skysteel cuirass trimmed with gold and adorned with a scarlet cloak draped over her left shoulder, concealing a sword of pure gold strapped to her side, a holdover from the politics of the pegasi years long since passed.

Honestly, she did find that it added to her presence, but she really would’ve preferred wearing one of her linen stolas hemmed with gold thread over the heavy Legatus armor. She didn’t know how her brother or niece wore it all day, every day, without complaint. Or maybe they did complain, and she just never heard it…

Her mind snapped back to the meeting in front of her. She was in a semi-circular room centered about a large marble speaking area behind which stood three large desks. The room was divided into thirds by race, with the earth pony majority making up the center wedge and the smaller pegasus and unicorn factions on either side. The curved marble benches were all filled with the politicians and representatives of Equestria and the population from all across its limited territory, while at the three desks, the figures of Platinum and Puddinghead sat next to Celestia, who was resting in the seat normally reserved for Hurricane.

Twister blinked lazily. Once again, her brother had skipped an important meeting, but Celestia herself had seized the opportunity to sit in on the Equestrian Parliament by taking his place. Twister had to admire the alicorn’s gumption. She could read Celestia’s body language like an open book, and even though the alicorn didn’t really follow what was being discussed around her, she was doing her best to stay focused and interested. She was even managing to keep pace with Platinum, who wore her usual neutral mask that hid both her boredom and her sharp political wit, and Puddinghead, who only ever showed a mote of brainpower when it came to political meetings. Right now, the three ponies, as well as Parliament as a whole, were listening to Mayor Greenleaf conclude his official report on the state of Everfree after the previous day’s parade.

“…analysts reporting increased business all across the city. I’ve even heard from some of my peers that the arrival of Lunis and Celestis—” and here he paused just long enough to nod at Celestia “—have calmed things down in the frontiers as well. Even the merchants from the Horseatic League slowed down long enough to spend some time in town and forget about bits and baubles for a while.”

“Which is why I said that we should have this holiday every year! And maybe have a big party every month!” Puddinghead exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. “If this thing did so much for Equestria in just one day, imagine what twelve of them would do!”

“Chancellor, please,” came Platinum’s bored voice. Adjusting her crown, she sat up straighter. “It hardly becomes a special event when it happens all the time. Not to mention the costs. My economic advisors could spend days dissecting the logistics alone, but we won’t go into that.” Her sapphire eyes turned towards Twister, and the Legatus perked her ears up. “I’m sure the Legatus has some things to contribute as well.”

Greenleaf looked from Platinum to Twister, where he met the Cirran mare’s eyes. Twister wasn’t sure what she saw in them—the Mayor was as skilled a politician as she was—but it made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. With one last flourish and bow to Celestia, Greenleaf nodded to the crowd and trotted off of the floor just as Twister stepped upon it.

Twister began with a swift salute to the three ponies above her, extending her wings parallel to the ground and snapping her back rigid like a legionary rather than curtsying like a unicorn. Celestia seemed almost surprised at the militant discipline, but both Platinum and Puddinghead were used to it. It was how Swift Spear had told her to address the Senate when she was just starting out, and Twister had carried it over throughout her entire political career. The gesture was a show of confidence and strength, promising harsh reprisal if her authority was undermined, yet it was also one of discipline and fealty, pledging her best to further the goals of her nation.

Turning about so she could face the rest of Parliament, Twister shifted in her armor. She felt a piece of paper hidden within the cuirass cling to her sweaty coat, containing a message she’d already memorized. Clearing her throat, she stepped forward. “I’ve analyzed the debriefings Commander Hurricane sent my way with regards to yesterday’s parades,” she began, eyes watching the earth pony majority and unicorn minority. “The centurions in the city reported an overall decrease in violent crime, especially in the areas neighboring the Choke, for the first time in seven months. There was an increase in petty theft and vandalism, but that was to be expected, given the circumstances. There are other figures I could give you, but frankly, they’re unimportant, and Lady Celestia is already bored enough as it is.”

Behind her, her ears caught the rapid shifting of wings as Celestia quickly sat up as straight as she could manage. Smiling faintly, Twister stared at the ground for a few moments to gather her thoughts before starting again. “Instead, I have a proposal for this chamber to deliberate upon, with Her Majesty’s permission.”

“The Triumvirate acknowledges your proposal,” Platinum droned as neutrally as the expression she wore.

Twister nodded. “Thank you, Your Highness.” Shuffling her feathers into order, Twister began to pace an arc in front of the semicircular seating area. “I think it is clear to all of us that Everfree is not one city, but two. For all our talk about this being a city of the ever-free, half of the ponies who call this place their home suffer unbearable oppression. Slavery, even, to a government that has turned its back on them.”

She stopped pacing, her golden eyes sweeping back and forth over everypony present and her ears picking up on their displeased murmurs. Everywhere she looked, she saw frowns and disgust. Snapping her tail like a whip, she pivoted on her hooves and started walking the opposite direction. “We all know the Choke well enough. A strip of no-pony’s land that separates the good from the bad, the light from the dark, the rich from the poor. It has been manned by a legion for six months like a border with a hostile nation. But why? Why is it so important that we shun and suppress ponies, Equestrians, that came to this land on the promise that things would be better, simply because they’re poorer than those of us that can live in the city proper?

“I will not stand for it any more,” Twister continued. “Therefore, in light of the peace and harmony that was brought to the city with yesterday’s parade, a festivity aptly named Unity Day, we should unify the city once more. Senators, representatives, lords and barons, I propose that the Choke be abolished and the slums rebuilt, once and for all.”

The mutterings increased to a full uproar as ponies reacted to the proposal. Shouting directed at Twister, both for and against her proposal, rose up out of the crowd. Amidst it all, Greenleaf stood up from the crowd, a displeased frown on his face. “The Choke has done a great deal for us, Legatus! You know that the riots were stirred up by malcontents from the slums. We can’t afford to have ponies burning buildings and tearing down storefronts throughout the entire city. Better to keep them contained to someplace less important than ruining our centers of trade, business, and governance!”

Twister abruptly came to a halt and whirled on Greenleaf. “What sort of a mayor are you, Greenleaf? You only care for those who play nice? Who live by your rules? Ponies that don’t cause a stir and don’t dig too deep into your pockets? You—!”

“I am a mayor who cares for the well-being of my citizens!” Greenleaf interrupted, stomping a hoof down on the marble in front of him. “Seventy-nine ponies died in the last riot; just a little more than a week ago, in case you’d forgotten! Over a hundred more were injured! And this even with your brother’s legions keeping the Choke ‘safe’ and protecting the castle! Can you imagine what sort of Tartarus we would bring down upon ourselves if the Choke were suddenly gone?”

“Tartarus?” Twister exclaimed, an angry glare on her face, “Do you think that the Equestrians who live in the slums live in anything but Tartarus?! Life is hell for them because of the policies this Parliament has enacted, the policies my brother has begrudgingly enforced, and the policies that ultimately led to the loss of my niece, heir to the pegasus triumvir! It is time that we stop living as three separate nations and start living as one!”

“Order!!!”

Three heavy stomps of a hoof accompanied the magically-amplified voice, drawing the eyes of everypony present to the centermost seat at the back of the room. There Queen Platinum stood, forehooves resting on opposite corners of her desk and the ghostly illumination of her blue Arcana fading from her horn shadowing her enraged expression. Puddinghead jolted awake, barely keeping his hat on his head, while Celestia leaned away from the smaller mare, eyes wide with surprise.

Parliament hung in silence for several moments. “There will be order in this congress, or there will be no congress at all,” Platinum hissed, her voice low, almost deadly. Her ice-blue eyes darted back and forth across the crowd, and the curls of her royal mane bobbed up and down with each haggard breath. “Am I understood?”

The threat masquerading as a question seemed to echo in the silence for days. Even Twister had to respect its potency; Platinum was a frighteningly shrewd politician, and she knew how to wield her royal authority like a sword sharper than any in the Legion. A show of small nods throughout the building, even from Twister herself, answered the Queen, and Platinum let some of the fire drain from her expression.

Twister rarely ever felt intimidated in Parliament, but when Platinum’s icy blue eyes met hers, she felt a shiver run through her body. “Legatus,” Platinum began, unwavering and unblinking, “Your proposal will be discussed by the Triumvirate. If it is approved, then it will be put to Parliament for them to decide what to do with it. However, it does not have my support, so it is unlikely that it will pass.”

From the crowd, Greenleaf smiled and gave a slight dip of his head in appreciation.

Twister licked her lips and gathered the resolve to match Platinum’s stare. “Your Majesty, if I may,” she said, taking a small step forward. “Perhaps you should abstain from this decision.”

Platinum narrowed her eyes at Twister. “Excuse me?”

“Your Highness, I understand that this is a matter close to your heart. We all mourn the loss of your husband, but none more so than you. The riots that started after his assassination did indeed come from the slums, but the Choke is not the right way to solve this problem. Is it not unreasonable to believe that your judgment may be biased in this decision on account of the circumstances?”

Mayor Greenleaf started to speak up from the sidelines, but Platinum silenced him with an angry glare. Her eyes then turned back to Twister, furious. “If I am biased, then what about your brother, Commander Hurricane?” she began, her voice low. “This is your proposal. A matter of such national importance should not be handled by those closest to the source of the proposal. If I abstain, then he must as well, and who would be left to vote on this decision?”

“Me!” Puddinghead exclaimed from Platinum’s side.

Platinum didn’t take her eyes off Twister. “This decision will not—can not— be handled by one pony alone. There is no other way to handle it, even if it does pass Parliament’s vote.”

“If it please Your Highness, I believe there is,” Twister said, a small smile coming to her face. Her golden eyes broke contact with Platinum’s and traveled towards the Queen’s right, where they settled on Celestia. The alicorn blinked in surprise as Twister continued. “Why not ask our goddesses themselves to help settle this decision?”

Greenleaf stood up once more to object, but under the eyes of Parliament, he lost whatever words he had to say. The politicians began to whisper among themselves. Would the Mayor really speak against two goddesses? Would he possibly doubt their wisdom? Backed into a corner, the stallion’s face twisted into some nameless expression and he shot Twister a smile that barely held back his rage. “Very clever, Legatus.”

Twister returned perhaps the smuggest of smiles ever recorded in history. “Thank you, Mayor.”

From up high, Platinum turned to face Celestia. “This is not for us to demand of them. We can only ask. So, what do you say, Celestis?”

Celestia blinked a few times, and her throat bobbed as she struggled to give an answer in her confusion. It came shortly, however, with a sort of wise conviction only Celestia could give. “My sister and I would be honored to aid the Triumvirate, Your Highness.”

Platinum nodded. “The Triumvirate thanks you.” Turning back to Parliament, she stomped her hoof once on the desk. “We will deliberate the matter in question, and we ask that you do so as well. Voting on this proposal will take place in one week’s time.”

Twister shook her head, and her smile grew a touch wider. “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but I’m afraid we don’t have the time to wait a week.”

The ivory queen blinked. “I’m sorry?”

Twister shifted in her armor so once again she could feel the message scrape against her coat. “I received a missive earlier today,” she said, eyes wandering over the politicians in front of her, “that an envoy from the Crystal Union would be arriving in Everfree in three days’ time to pay their respects to Celestia and Luna.”

Stunned silence gave way to confused murmurs. Platinum herself stood at the top of the proceedings, her mouth agape. With one last upturn of her lips, Twister bowed low to Platinum and Puddinghead. “We should make a decision quickly, Your Highness. First impressions are everything.”

Commander Hurricane felt the dirt crunch beneath his hooves with each fluid step of his body. The hot afternoon sun bathed him in its light, attempting to roast the stallion inside of his own armor. Rivulets of sweat ran down Hurricane’s brow and muzzle before dropping onto the dirt below, paltry offerings to the parched earth. With a frown, the pegasus commander closed his eyes and summoned a burst of ice Empatha to freeze the sweat into frost on his forehead and along his wings. He’d already done it several times while he was out in the courtyard, buying a brief moment of respite from the heat with his channeled sorrow.

It came so easily to him now.

Hurricane’s hooves took him in a slow circle around nothing. He stood alone in an empty courtyard behind the castle, in full armor and with the Gladius Procellarum gripped between his jaws. The taste of copper lingered in his mouth, a reminder that he wasn’t as young as he used to be. A particularly vicious strike into and through the side of a skysteel training dummy had nearly torn his sword, along with two or three of his teeth, from his mouth. After that, he’d decided to spar with the open air.

With a deep breath, Hurricane closed his eyes and launched into a flurry of motions. His sword was no longer a weapon held in his teeth; it was an extension of his body, as natural as a hoof or a wing, and he had perfect control over every inch of skysteel. The slat in the body of the sword howled as it tore through the wind, releasing a shrill whistle that had terrorized many an opponent in its years of service. In the eye of Hurricane’s fantasy, the weapon cleaved through rebel after rebel, cutting a bloody swath to where his daughter lay, bound, bloodied, and beaten, entirely at the mercy of her captors.

The phantoms rushed Hurricane one by one, and Hurricane laid them low with fearsome blows struck at a terrifying speed and fury. Steel, blood, flesh, and bone; all were sundered in mighty swings that left the dark stallion coated in crimson. Some opponents tried to feint or juke, but Hurricane was much too quick for them. Jabs at his shoulders were deflected with slices from his bladed wings; lunges at his flanks were caught on the end of his sword as he nearly bent his neck over his shoulders to block them. A pair of shadowy figures jumped at Hurricane from both sides, and the veteran rolled towards one. His wings swept his opponent’s hooves out from underneath him, allowing Hurricane to catch the rebel on his unshod hooves and kick him into the lunging form of the second rebel. Both collided in midair and hit the ground without a sound; Hurricane’s imagination was already focused elsewhere.

A tall, imposing figure encased in armor stepped forward to meet Hurricane. Not an inch of the pony’s skin was visible; it was more like a skysteel golem, built only to kill and destroy. It approached Hurricane with slow, heavy steps, hefting a greatsword the length of two ponies nose to tail off of one shoulder. The goliath released an unearthly growl and stomped a metal hoof towards Hurricane.

The pegasus was already in the air, corkscrewing out of his vertical jump and lunging directly at the monstrosity. The golem swung its enormous sword in a broad, slow arc; no challenge for the legendary pegasus commander. Twisting his wings skyward and giving them a powerful flap, Hurricane soared over the sword and struck directly at the monstrosity’s helmet. Procellarum flared to life, the Empatha-fueled blade slicing through the helm of the giant pony as if Hurricane was cutting through air. With a last howl of pain, the goliath toppled over, the ground trembling as it slammed to the earth. There was nothing left now between Hurricane and—

“Commander?”

Hurricane opened his eyes, and his fantasy world faded away, swiftly uprooted by reality. The amber light of the setting sun was already slipping behind the harsh stone roofs of the buildings surrounding the courtyard, casting long shadows across the grass and upon Hurricane’s panting body. Two deep breaths followed by one slow and prolonged inhalation steadied the legendary warrior, and with a smooth and practiced motion, Hurricane sheathed his gladius. Turning in place, Hurricane swept a wing across his chest and bowed. “Lady Celestia. What brings you here? Tired of politics?”

Celestia approached with lengthy strides, her mane billowing out behind her with each impressive step. She chuckled at Hurricane’s question and gave a small shake of her head. “Not at all, actually. You may find it hard to believe, but I find politics wonderfully entertaining. Worship... not so much. Parliament just ended a few minutes ago, and I wasn’t in the mood for being mobbed by hundreds of senators.”

A smirk pulled at the corner of Hurricane’s mouth. “You sound just like my sister.”

Finally reaching Hurricane, Celestia pivoted on her hooves and sat down in the grass, gesturing for him to do the same. “You know, your sister caused quite a stir today in Parliament,” she said with a laugh.

Hurricane raised an eyebrow. “Did she?”

“Oh, yes. She seemed like she was quite enjoying herself.”

“Of course she was,” Hurricane muttered, shaking his head. Sighing, he slowly sat down next to Celestia and let his wings fall open at his sides. “She always liked attention, even when she was little. Especially when she was little.” He chuckled. “She was always better at working with other ponies than I was. Handling other ponies… it’s her talent.”

“It sure seemed like it,” Celestia said. “But I thought her mark was a tornado?”

“So?” Hurricane asked, his eyes turning towards the clouds. “Just because it’s a tornado doesn’t mean it has to be about tornadoes. She’s actually one of the worst bad-weather fliers I’ve ever seen; a little wind shear will put her out of the air. No, she has that cutie mark because she’s great at causing a proverbial storm whenever she feels like it.”

“I’d love to hear that story.”

“There’s not much of a story to it,” Hurricane said, shrugging his wings. “She got it at flight drills when she was… seven? Eight?” He shook his head. “Forgive me, it was a long time ago. Anyway, the instructors, mostly ex-legionaries that’d settled down in the countryside, would give whichever team of youth that did the best in the day’s practices a reward. Usually treats or some small baubles from the capital. One day, Twister decided that she didn’t feel like competing for the apple pie that was supposed to be that day’s prize, so she snuck into the little schoolhouse while the rest of the kids were doing flight maneuvers and helped herself to a piece. One of the other kids saw her, and threatened to tell the adults on her, but she offered him a slice to keep quiet and not say a word about it.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I see she had already mastered bribery.”

“That wasn’t the worst of it,” Hurricane continued. “While the kid was helping himself to a slice, Twister went outside and started sending as many kids as she could from her team to grab a slice before it was all gone. Then she told the other team about it, and before anypony knew what was happening, there was a fight in the schoolhouse over the pie. Twister went and told the adults, who stormed the building like it was a griffon longhouse and whipped everypony inside for misbehaving. Except for Twister; she got another piece of pie all to herself for being a good filly and telling the adults what was going on.”

Hurricane scoffed and shook his head. “In the end, Twister left camp that day with two pieces of pie in her belly, all the pride in the world, a cutie mark on her flank, and absolutely no evidence whatsoever that she was the one who started it all.”

Celestia snorted quietly to herself, leaving Hurricane squinting in surprise at the lack of regality of the noise. “Mmmf… Yes, I could definitely see traces of that in her today when she took the floor. She turned Parliament into a madhouse.” She cocked her head. “Twister doesn’t usually get Queen Platinum to snap at the politicians, does she?”

Hurricane’s brow furrowed and his tone became more serious. “No… What did she do?”

“She proposed the removal of this thing called the Choke,” she said with a measured smile.

The stallion’s armor rattled as he shot straight onto his hooves. “No,” he said, forcefully, “Absolutely not. There is no way that—How could she—What is she thinking?”

He began to pace furiously across the courtyard, and little embers of anger fell from his feathers. Celestia looked on in worry, hoof outstretched as if trying to will the pegasus to stop, until Hurricane abruptly turned and opened his wings. “I need to talk to her—”

“Commander,” she said, attempting to press the stallion’s wings back against his sides with a glow of golden Arcana. Hurricane’s enchanted armor cried out in protest as it ate the alicorn’s magic, and only with a second effort did Celestia succeed. Standing up, she approached him once more, taking the anger directed at her for her interference in stride. Silence hung between them until she rested her hoof on Hurricane’s shoulder and looked him in the eyes. “Despite my feigned naivety earlier, I know what the Choke is. It needs to go, Hurricane. It’s been long enough.”

Hurricane scowled. “Those bastards stole her from me. They stole my daughter, split her mind open like a melon and gutted every bit of her from it, turned her against me—!”

“Those ponies living on the other side of the Choke have done nothing to deserve the neglect that you’ve forced on them by isolating them,” Celestia interrupted, her voice never once raising in volume. “They have done nothing wrong, and they’re being punished for it. The strife caused by rebels and revolutionaries—which I’ve not seen hide nor hair of since my sister and I arrived, mind you—cannot be fixed by condemning innocents. To put it simply, Hurricane, you can stop a nosebleed by slitting a pony’s throat, but that doesn’t mean you’re helping them get better.”

Hurricane stood in silence for several seconds. “When is the vote being held?”

“There is no vote,” Celestia said. “It is up to Luna and I to decide, and we have already decided in favor of your sister’s proposal.”

The pegasus took a deep breath. “‘The pegasus that chases the sun will never know where he’s going if he doesn’t know when to stop.’”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“It’s an old Cirran proverb,” Hurricane said. “It means that before you start something, you should know where you want to end it and how you’re going to get there. Getting rid of the Choke is a start, and the unity of Everfree is the end. But how are we going to get there if we haven’t thought this out? Right now, it’ll only end in even more chaos and death before we go back to the old ways, and after that, there won’t be a second chance.”

“Acceptance, love, tolerance,” Celestia said, smiling gently at Hurricane. “Helping those who need help. If you prove to the ponies living in the slums that you only want to help them, and that the rest of Everfree is willing to accept them as family, then there won’t be a reason for the riots anymore. There won’t be any more death.”

“There will always be death,” Hurricane muttered. Sighing, he shook his head, magenta eyes staring forlornly at the grass. “We can only try to limit it as best we can by doing the best we can.” He looked back to Celestia and loosened his wings. “I’m willing to support however I can if you think it’s the right thing to do, but I will not yield the Choke suddenly. It will take time to properly integrate things so we don’t have a disaster on our hooves.”

Celestia bowed her head. “Thank you, Hurricane.”

The stallion nodded. “I trust your judgment. Doubtless the rest of Parliament will, too, but you didn’t come here just to talk politics with me until the sun goes down.” He raised an eyebrow. “Am I right?”

“Don’t worry, I know enough to know that Twister is the mare I should talk to if I’m ever feeling political,” Celestia said. “I mostly wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Hurricane narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m handling things just fine, but thanks for your concern.”

“Hurricane…” Celestia started, slowly shaking her head. “I know you’re suffering. That much was apparent during the parade. But apart from that, I feel like I haven’t spoken to you in the days since we first met. You’ve been very reclusive, and it’s been hard to track you down until now.”

The pegasus took a breath and looked away, staring out into space but not quite seeing anything. “Why does she matter to you?” Hurricane asked, his voice trembling. “Why does my life matter to you?” He turned his eyes towards Celestia, a hint of accusation under a blanket of sorrow. “There are tens of thousands of ponies in Everfree. Many of them have lost a child as well. Some have lost two, or three, or four. Out there are ponies that have seen their families slaughtered and raped by barbarians, their homes burnt to the ground, their lives destroyed… There are so many that have been through worse than me.”

The corners of his eyes shone with restrained tears. “You are a goddess of kindness and peace…” he whispered, gently poking a shaking hoof into Celestia’s chest. “You can make them feel so much better, and they need your kindness so much more than me. So why is my pain more important than theirs?”

“Because of the way you put everyone else before yourself. And because you are my first friend from the outside world in a long time,” Celestia said. The alicorn gently extended a wing over Hurricane’s armored shoulders to steady him. “I didn’t know what to expect of you. Before you walked into that room, all I’d heard was what Luna and her thestrals were saying. I didn’t know who the pony I would be meeting was like, let alone that he was Commander Hurricane.

“But the way you spoke, the way you carried yourself,” Celestia continued, “that told me all that I needed to know about you. Underneath it all, under the armor and blood, there’s a kind pony in there. A pony that really cares. I know life has been hard for you—I’ve heard enough from the souls of those that knew you—but the fact that you’ve continued despite everything, that you still try when it would be so much easier to give up… I admire you, Hurricane. I really do. And I want to try to help you because it hurts me to see somepony that I admire suffer like you are. To see a friend suffer like you are.”

The feathers of her wing curled more around Hurricane’s shoulder. “Typhoon isn’t gone, Hurricane. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

Hurricane, who up until this point had been quiet, sniffled once and nodded. “Thank you, Celestia,” he said. “Thank you. It’s just… I’ve lost so much of my family already. I don’t think I could take it happening again… especially not my daughter.” He shook his head. “Gods, I’ll never see my son again…”

“I’m sorry,” Celestia whispered.

The dark pegasus recovered himself in a few seconds. “Don’t be,” he finally said, gingerly stepping out from under Celestia’s wing. “It’s not your fault. There’s nothing you can do, and nothing you could’ve done, to make it better.” He looked up at her, and Celestia thought she saw pleading in his eyes. “But there are ponies you can help. Ponies that need you now. Tomorrow, you should go to them. Make things better. Then we can finally start removing the Choke and make things right.”

Celestia nodded. “I will. It’s only right.” Then she smiled at him. “Oh, and Commander?”

Hurricane raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“You’re going to come with me,” Celestia said. “I could use somepony with strong character at my side.”

Hurricane nodded. “We’ll leave in the morning.”