Warm Care trotted slowly up the dirt road, heading deeper into the orchard. He couldn't help the smile that touched his lips as he gazed around at the rows and rows of apple trees. They were in bloom, pink blossoms covering the foliage. Every so often, a gentle breeze would stir the branches, causing some of the petals to flutter to the ground. The dirt path was covered in them, and Warm Care took a little childish pleasure kicking up the discarded blossoms.

Rounding a bend in the road, Warm Care perked up as he spied a farm house off in the distance. He wasn't near enough to make out any details, his failing eyesight seeing to that. Nonetheless, it was his destination, and he made his way down the path towards it. His old joints creaked as he walked, protesting on the long walk. It was a fifteen minute hike from the edge of town to the farm, and his old bones were beginning to feel it.

Warm Care had just about reached the farmhouse when he stopped, something off to the side catching his eye. There, a hundred or so yards off of the path, was a large burnt patch of earth. Ash and charred pieces of wood were scattered across the blackened ground, the only remains of the building that had once stood there. The grass around the destroyed area was dry and dead.

The smile had left Warm Care's face as he gazed at the burnt remains. He sighed, his ears pressing against his head as he lowered his head slightly. Casting one last look at the ruins, Care turned and approached the farm house, his good mood dampened.

Climbing the steps to the wooden porch, Warm Care rested for a brief moment before raising a hoof and knocking on the front door. Once that was done, he took a step back and waited.

After a few seconds, the sound of growing hoofsteps reached Warm Care's ears. The door swung open on rusted hinges, revealing a young mare with an orange coat. Her blonde mane hung in front of her eyes and cascaded gently down her shoulders from beneath an aging stetson hat. Freckles covered her muzzle, as well as a splash of yellow fur. A trio of oranges rested upon her flank, several green leaves poking out from between the fruit.

Upon seeing Warm Care, the mare's eyes lit up, and a soft smile touched her lips and she leaned against the door frame.

“Hello, Care. How are you doing?” she asked. Her voice was soft, and held a hint of a Manehattan accent to it.

Unlike her husband, who commanded an air of strength about him, Sanguinelli Orange was best described as motherly. Where Jonagold had been firm, she was graceful. Although, she had an inner fire to her that allowed her to keep up with her husband. It had been this inner fire that had kept them together all these years. When they had first gotten together, many had thought that the relationship would never work. A mare from Manehattan and a stallion from Ponyville? It would never survive. She would be running back, crying, to her parents within a fortnight.

However, Sanguinelli had proven she had what it took, and within a year she had Jonagold wrapped snugly around her hoof. She wasn't as prissy as the ponies of Ponyville had originally thought. She had showed that she was more than willing to get down and dirty, and more often than naught she could be found out in the orchard with her husband, tending to their apple trees. She helped raise barns, cared for the crops, and pulled her weight during harvest season.

Warm Care returned her smile, inclining his head in greetings. “Hello, Sanguinelli. I'm doing quite well, thanks for asking.” His shoulder took that exact moment to pop loudly, and he winced.

Sanguinelli covered her mouth with a hoof, stifling her laughter.

“Although, my body tends to disagree occasionally,” Warm Care continued, chuckling weakly.

“I can see that,” Sanguinelli said, lowering her hoof. Her smile waned slightly, and she gave Warm Care a curious look. “What are you doing this far out of town, Care? Not that I don't like talking with you,” she added quickly, “but, if you're looking to buy some apples, it would be easier on you to visit Macintosh at the stall in town. Especially at your age.”

“I'm not that old,” Care muttered, pouting. Sighing heavily, he became serious. “I've actually come to check on how you and your family is doing.”

The smile left Sanguinelli's face, replaced instead by a pained look.

“We... we're doing okay,” she said softly, lowering her gaze. Her ears splayed backwards, and she grimaced. “We're not doing great, but we're getting by.” She trailed off, her eyes glazing over. They slowly drifted over towards the charred earth in the distance, and she swallowed thickly.

“Nelli,” Warm Care said softly, snapping her out of her daze. He gave her a tender look, shaking his head. “You don't need to be strong. Not for me.”

Sanguinelli swallowed again, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

“It's hard, sometimes,” she whispered, “knowing that he's gone for good. There are times I wake up in the morning and half-expect him to be in the kitchen, burning another failed attempt at breakfast. Occasionally, if it gets too quiet, I can swear I can almost hear him calling for me.” She chuckled weakly, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “That darn nickname of his. You know, the first time he called me that, I almost gave him a black eye. I was getting out of the shower and he just happened to walk in on me. He shouted out 'Whoa, Nelli!' and that was that.

“It took me years to accept it. Did you know that?” she asked, glancing up at Warm Care. “I was brought up with the belief that the name makes the pony. I am Sanguinelli, and that's how I should introduce myself. My parents were positively shocked when they came to visit and Jonagold referred to me as Nelli. I thought they both were going to die of a heart attack, or a stroke.”

As she spoke, Sanguinelli's hoof slowly went to the hat on her head, and she tugged on it absentmindedly, almost in a comforting manner.

Warm Care allowed her to talk, a sad smile on his face as he listened to her ramblings. She was hurting; the whole town was, at the loss of one of the ponies that had made it home. Jonagold Apple had been well known and liked, and his death had hit Ponyville hard. When young Macintosh had come sprinting into town, hollering about a fire in the barn, nearly everypony had answered the call for help. Pegasi gathered rainclouds and raced towards the farm, while earth ponies and unicorns sprinted along the ground. It was all for naught, however, and the barn had burned to the ground in a blazing inferno, taking Jonagold with it.

That had been nearly a month ago, and yet it still threw Warm Care off to not see the charismatic stallion standing behind the apple stand in town, a lazy smile upon his face.

“His scent finally faded from the bed sheets days ago,” Sanguinelli said in a near whimper, tears slowly beginning to roll down her face.

Warm Care pulled her into a hug, which she returned desperately. He murmured gently into her ear as he rubbed her back with a hoof. She buried her head into his shoulder, and began to cry in earnest.

“I... I miss him s-so much,” she sobbed, clinging to Care like a drowning mare would a life preserver. “It's... it's j-just not the same here without him. It's not home anymore. It's just a house. I try to be strong for Macintosh and Applejack, b-but... I can't. I just want my husband back!”

The pair stayed that way for several minutes, Sanguinelli cry into Warm Care's shoulder as he did his best to comfort her. Eventually, the tears tampered out as Sanguinelli regained her composure. Pulling away from Care, she rubbed at her eyes, sniffling loudly.

“S-sorry, about that,” she muttered weakly. Warm Care shook his head.

“Don't be. Your tears show just how much you loved him,” he said softly, pulling a handkerchief out of his saddlebags and passing it to her. She thanked him as she took it, dabbing at her eyes before using it blow her nose. Once she was done, she folded it carefully before handing it back to Care.

“How are the others holding up?” he asked as he tucked the handkerchief back into his bags. Sanguinelli just laughed weakly.

“You know Abigail,” she said. “She tries to put on a brave face, declining any help that anypony offers, yet I've caught her up late at night, looking through the family album. Macintosh has barely said a word since. I have to try so hard just to get a 'yes' or 'no' out of him. He just buries himself in his chores.”

“And young Miss Applejack?” Warm Care asked, cocking his head to the side. “I haven't seen her around town recently. Is she doing alright?”

“She's in Manehattan, staying with my sister and her husband,” Sanguinelli said. “She said she wanted to get away from it all. I think looking at the burnt remains of the barn everyday on her way to and from school took its toll on her. As did the nightmares.”

“Does she plan on staying up there?” Warm Care asked. Sanguinelli sighed, glancing sideways.

“I don't know,” she said, biting her lip.

“I'm sure she'll come home eventually,” Warm Care said, giving her a small smile. “Just give her some time to adjust and come to terms with what's happened. She was close to Jonagold, after all.”

“Those two were joined at the hip, I swear,” Sanguinelli laughed weakly, her eyes beginning to water again. “They were always running around together, causing such a ruckus that I could barely hear myself think at times. Now, however, with both of them gone, it's uncomfortably quiet.

“Although, it won't be that way for long,” she said, a genuine smile spreading across her muzzle, despite the tears. When Warm Care gave her a questioning look, she placed a hoof on her stomach.

Warm Care's eyes widened when he saw that her belly was distended slightly.

“You're expecting?” he asked, ears perking up. When Sanguinelli nodded, a warm smile touched his lips. “Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Sanguinelli said, rubbing her stomach tenderly. “I found out a couple of days after... well, after the incident. Hopefully the foal will be able to help ease some of the pain.”

“Do you know what you'll be having?” Warm Care asked, trying to stir the conversation into a happier topic.

Sanguinelli shook her head. “It'll be an earth pony, that much we know. Other than that, I'm not sure if it'll be a filly or a colt.”

“So, you won't have a name picked out already then, I take it?” Warm Care asked in a teasing tone of voice, smirking slightly. This earned a laugh from Sanguinelli.

“You know me too well, Care,” she said. “Yes, I already have a name picked out. Appleseed if it's a colt, Applebloom for a filly.”

“Well, I hope that everything goes perfectly for you,” Warm Care said. “Celestia knows, you deserve it after what you've been through.”

“Thanks, Care, that means a lot,” Sanguinelli said, smiling. “So far, everything appears to be fine. The foal is healthy, and there doesn't appear to be any complications. There is only one issue though,” she said, her smile fading slightly. “The doctors were concerned about my heart. I'm sure you're aware, but I don't have the strongest of hearts. I told them, though, that I've survived two foals and the death of my husband, I can sure as sugar survive another foal!”

“Well, good luck, Nelli,” Warm Care said, “and if you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m always free. Don’t be afraid to stop in.”

“I will,” Sanguinelli said, smiling weakly. “Thanks again for checking in on us, Care.”

“Any time, Nelli. Give Abigail my regards.” Giving her one last hug, Warm Care turned and began the long journey back towards town.

Sanguinelli watched him go, a sad smile on her face. Slowly, her eyes drifted back to the charred remains of the barn, and her smile turned into a pained frown. Reaching up a hoof, she tugged the hat lower over her face, before turning and heading back into the farm house, closing the door behind her.

Selena’s ears swiveled around her head quickly. She crouched defensively, her tail tucked between her legs. Her shoulder was sore, but that was to be expected after the kick she had received. Ignoring the pain the best she could, she tried to locate her attacker, but the ambient noises from the outside threw her off. The birds chirping, the wind through the trees, the cries and shouts of the other foals filled her ears, blinding her to anything else.

Heart thundering away in her chest, she sank lower to the ground, trying to make herself as small as possible. She knew that the other foals had surrounded her in a large circle; their cries were coming from all around her, chanting the same thing. She was really regretting this now. What was she thinking, starting a fight with another filly outside of the orphanage? She was in unfamiliar territory. If they had been inside, it would have been a different matter, but right now she didn’t have a clue where anything was.

She should have just stayed in her room, then none of this would be happening.

Her ears perked up, swiveling to the right as they picked up a faint sound beneath the masking noise. She was too slow to react, however, and pain lanced up her side as she felt a pair of hooves connect to her barrel. Tumbling to the side, she yelped in pain. The foals’ cries grew louder, and they cheered happily.

“What’s wrong, No-Eyes?” her attacker taunted. “Couldn’t see that coming?”

Selena staggered to her feet, her side already bruising.

“Come on, Honeysuckle, this isn’t funny,” she whimpered, trying to locate the filly. However, she had already disappeared back into the background noise, leaving Selena with no idea where she was. Even when Honeysuckle spoke, she couldn’t pick out her location.

“I disagree,” Honeysuckle laughed. “This is hilarious!”

Selena was struck again, this time from the other side. Her legs crumbled beneath her and she dropped to the ground like a rock. Spitting dirt and grass from her mouth, she struggled to regain her footing. Disoriented, she turned slowly in a circle, trying desperately to get her bearings.

“What’s the matter, No-Eyes? Not used to being outside of your cave?” Selena whipped around, swinging her hoof out blindly. However, she hit nothing, and laughter filled the air. “Aw, can’t hit what you can’t see?”

Tears slowly began to well up in Selena’s sightless eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” she cried.

“Me?!” Honeysuckle squawked. “You were the one who started the fight, No-Eyes!” Another blow to the side caused Selena to stagger again. Lashing out quickly with her hind leg, she was rewarded this time by a loud yelp as she struck something. However, her pleasure was short lived as she quickly received a blow to the back of her head.

“That hurt, No-Eyes,” Honeysuckle whined as Selena rubbed the back of her head. She could already feel a lump growing beneath the mane.

Why do they have to be so mean? she whimpered as the group of foals gave another cheer. I haven’t done anything to them. Why do they hate me? She was so caught up in her own sorrow that she didn’t hear Honeysuckle running at her. The only warning she received was the sound of a hoof whistling through the air it impacted the side of her muzzle, sending her to the ground for the umpteenth time.

The taste of copper immediately filled her mouth as she felt a warm liquid begin to run down the back of her throat. It oozed from her nostrils, staining her lips and teeth with the foul tasting substance. Tears began to stream down her face as her nose throbbed in pain. A cheer went up from the surrounding foals, and she could her Honeysuckle laughing.

As Selena pushed herself to her hooves, the world around her went eerily quiet. The chirp of birds, the laughter of foals, it all fell away to silence. Her mind was surprisingly calm, her inner turmoil dispersed. Not complete silence, though. She could still hear Honeysuckle. Months of trying to avoid her had allowed Selena to memorize the unique sound of the filly’s breathing.

Selena’s ears swiveled around, locating Honeysuckle’s position. With a snarl, she launched herself through the air, hooves outstretched. She collided with Honeysuckle and wrapped her hooves around the larger filly. With a yelp, the pair toppled over onto the ground, with Selena on top. Before Honeysuckle had a chance to recover, Selena began hit her again and again and again, tears streaming down her face.

She felt Honeysuckle squirm beneath her, throwing up her forehooves to try and protect herself, but Selena continued her assault regardless. She finally had her. She was going to teach Honeysuckle not to make fun of her. She was going to teach her a lesson, and nothing was going to stop her. Not the Honeysuckle, not the other foals. Not even—

“SELENA!”

Selena was snapped out of her daze as somepony grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and yanked her off of Honeysuckle. She yelped, struggling to free herself from the grip as it lifted her into the air. Her struggling ceased, however, when pony holding her spoke.

“What in the name of Celestia do you think you’re doing?!” Warm Care asked, his tone of voice causing her ears to press against her head. He was usually very laid back. She had never heard him sound this upset before. Hanging limply in his grasp, she tucked her tail firmly between her legs. From somewhere below her on the ground, she heard Honeysuckle groaning, her cries sounding nasally.

“Merriweather, if you would be so kind as to see to Honeysuckle’s injuries, I need to have a word with Selena,” Warm Care said. Selena’s ear twitched once as she heard hoofsteps draw near, followed by the gentle murmur of Merriweather whispering to Honeysuckle. Honeysuckle moaned, muttering something back, and Merriweather cooed sympathetically.

Selena squeaked in surprise as she shifted slightly and a set of teeth clamped down on the scruff of her neck. She felt a slight vibration run through her body as Warm Care grunted around her fur. Swinging as he turned his head, Selena could only whimper softly as he carried her back towards the orphanage.

She could hear the foals part to allow Care through, muttering softly to themselves as he passed. Their whispering just caused her to scowl. That’s all they ever did around her: laugh or whisper.

Her sulking grew worse as Care paraded her around. Though she couldn’t see them, she could feel the eyes of everypony on her as they passed. Luckily, they weren’t that far from the orphanage, so she didn’t have to deal with it for long.

As Care carried her up the front steps of the building, she felt him pause at the front door. She frown, confused. Why wasn’t Care opening the door and going in? It wasn’t locked; the front door was always open during the day, in case one of the foals wanted to go inside for any reason.

It wasn’t until he began to shift from hoof to hoof did Selena realize what the problem was. With a sigh, she reached out and felt along the door in front of her until she found the handle. Giving it a twist, she pushed the door open for Care, who couldn’t do it without tipping forward, due to her added weight.

He grunted something that could have been thanks before walking through the door, kicking it closed behind him.

“Care, I can walk from here,” Selena muttered. Warm Care just snorted, keeping the filly clamped in his teeth. This just caused her to sigh as he carried her down the hall. Since her room was at the very end of the hall, it was bit of a walk to get there. The door was luckily left ajar, allowing Care to push it open with little trouble. Walking in, he deposited Selena onto the disheveled bed before reaching for the light switch.

Selena sat upright as Care searched for the switch, pulling her blankets over her head in a familiar, protective manner. She burrowed herself deeper into the embrace of her sheets until only her face was visible.

Finally locating the light switch, Warm Care switched it on, allowing light to fill the room. Selena flinched back, blinking once in surprise before settling back down. Turning to face the filly, Warm Care sighed heavily, rubbing at his grizzled muzzle with a hoof.

“Selena, I’m disappointed in you,” he finally said.

Selena lowered her head, her bangs falling in front of her lifeless eyes, yet she remained quiet.

This just caused Warm Care to frown, his brow furrowing. “I know you can’t see it, but you hurt Honeysuckle real bad. I think you may have even broken her nose, as well as cracked some teeth. She’s probably going to have to go to the hospital. Is that what you wanted to do?” he asked, trying to sound cross. Yet, inside, he was shocked.

Earth ponies—like Honeysuckle—were typically, on average, taller than pegasi and unicorns. They were sturdier as well. Built tougher, their strength was nearly double that of the other pony races when in their prime. Yet, Selena, a unicorn runt, was able to not only overpower Honeysuckle, but left her with several severe injuries, including a broken muzzle.

Selena sniffed once, frowning as she realized that one of her nostrils was sealed shut with dried blood. Lifting a hoof to her nose, she rubbed it gently, only to yelp in pain a second later. Her muzzle was still tender.

Warm Care blinked in surprise at Selena’s actions before a look of concern crossed his face. Reaching into his saddlebags, which he hadn't had a chance to remove yet, he pulled a clean handkerchief out. He approached Selena, damping the cloth with his tongue before dabbing at her nose. She recoiled, but recovered quickly.

Saying nothing, she allowed him to clean her, but refused to acknowledge him further.

“You know fighting is against the rules, Selena,” Warm Care said, softly this time, while he cleaned around her nostril. “Why’d you do it?”

“It wasn't my fault,” Selena huffed, pulling her head out of Care’s grasp and looking away.

“From what I heard, you were the one that started the fight,” Care said, gently pulling her head back around so he could finish cleaning her muzzle.

“Yeah, well… she was picking on me again,” Selena muttered, pouting. Despite the blood, and the serious trouble she was in, Warm Care couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. To him, she was so cute, even when she was upset.

“I told you, don’t let them get to you, hun. That’s how they win,” he tsked, double checking to make sure that he had gotten all of the blood. Satisfied with his work, he placed the stained handkerchief on the bedside table.

“It was different this time, Care,” Selena murmured, her ears splaying backwards beneath the blanket.

“How so?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Selena swallowed thickly, staring at a point just to the right of his shoulder. Her eyes were beginning to water, and she tried to blink back the tears.

“Honeysuckle came into my room and told me that there was a couple here that wanted to see me,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “She led me outside, but there was nopony there. I tried to go back inside, but she disoriented me. Then, she and the others just laughed at me as I wandered around, trying to find my way back. It was when she tried to trip me that I hit her, and then she just attacked me! And the other foals just stood there, cheering her on!” Tears flowed freely down her face now, matting the fur on her cheeks.

Warm Care frowned and pulled Selena into a hug, rubbing the filly’s back beneath the blanket.

“I’m sorry, hun. I didn't know,” he said. “I’ll have a long talk with Honeysuckle about this, and get her to apologize—Oof!” Warm Care fell backwards on the bed as Selena shoved him away.

“No!” she shouted, her face scrunching up in anger. “No more apologies, no more talks! It doesn't work, Care!”

“Selena—”

“No, it doesn't work, Care. Why can’t you see that?” she cried. “No matter what you do, what you say, they just continue to tease me behind your back! They hide my books from me, put bugs in my food, tie string across the hall to trip me, and move furniture around to confuse me.

“It’s not fair!” she screamed, hitting the mattress with her hooves. “What did I ever do to them? What did I do to deserve this?!”

Selena, enough,” Warm Care said, reaching out a hoof towards the distressed filly. “Just calm down—”

“Don’t touch me!” she shriek, lashing out blindly. Her hoof struck the side of Warm Care’s face with a loud crack. Immediately, he fell backwards off of the bed.

Lying on the floor in a daze, a loud ringing filled Care’s ears. He could feel blood beginning to trickle down his cheek from a small cut on his face.

Selena just sat, frozen on the bed, her hoof outstretched. Her eyes were wide in shock, and she opened and closed her mouth wordlessly. Slowly, her brain processed what had just happened. I… I just hit Care. Hoof trembling, she lowered it quickly to the mattress, backing up until her flank bumped into the wall.

From his spot on the ground, Warm Care groaned.

I just hit Care! Panic setting in, Selena began to hyperventilate. She had just struck the only pony to ever show her any kindness. He was only trying to help, and she had hit him. I’m a bad pony. There was no way that she wouldn't be punished for this. Warm Care would hate her now, there was no way he wouldn't. And if he hated her too, then that meant that there wouldn't be a single pony in the orphanage that still liked her.

There was only one thing she could do now, her panic-stricken mind concluded. She had to run, get away before bad things happened to her. If she left fast enough, she could escape before Care caught her.

Thrashing about, she struggled to extract herself from within her blankets. Sheets that had once held comfort were now hindering her escape. Finally managing to free herself from the bedspread, she kicked it aside before launching herself off of the bed. She landed on the floor with a thud, staggering slightly. Moving quickly, she pressed her shoulder against the wall of her room, using it to guide herself to the open door. Once she had located the opening, she dashed out of the room.

“Selena, wait!” Warm Care cried from her room, but she ignored him, hurrying down the hall. He just wanted her to come back so he could punish her. She couldn't go back. Not now, not ever.

Using the wall of the hallway to guide her, she counted the bedroom doors as they rushed past. Heart hammering in her chest, breaths coming in short gasps, she had to get out. From behind her, she could hear Care calling to her, begging her to come back. The sound of hoofsteps told her that he was back on his hooves. His old bones prevented him from running, however, and she was able to put some distance between them.

Reaching the main hall, she slipped on the rug, but managed to recover. She could hear Care coming down the hall after her, and she whimpered. With desperation born of panic, she began to feel along the wall, trying to locate the front door. In her frenzied state, she was unable to correctly remember its position within the room. In her hurry, she knocked over a coat rack and several chairs before managing to find the door.

Flinging it open, she sprinted out the door and down the steps just as Care entered the entrance hall. She took off down the road, unsure of where she was going. If memory served, this path would take her towards the market. At this point though, she didn't care where it took her, as long as it was away from the orphanage. Away from the foals.

Away from the pain.

Warm Care sagged against the door frame, breathing heavily. He could only watch as Selena raced down the road, weaving slightly from side-to-side as she attempted to avoid crashing into anything she couldn't see. It didn't work, though, as multiple times she tripped upon a rock or root that protruded from the ground.

He winced as she reached the end of the lane, and immediately crashed into a picket fence. She staggered backwards, temporarily dazed by the collision. Recovering, she tentatively ran a hoof over the wooden posts. Upon realizing what it was she had hit, she quickly put the fence to use, using it as a makeshift guide. Running along the fence line, she was quickly lost to view, disappearing between the buildings.

Warm Care watched her go, lifting a hoof to his cheek. Tentatively, he touched the cut Selena had given him, wincing as the contact caused it to sting. A flutter of wings caused him to glance up. Merriweather landed beside him, a bewildered look on her face.

“What happened?” she asked, glancing towards the path Selena had just disappeared down.

I’m… I’m not entirely sure,” Warm Care muttered, blinking dazedly. Shaking his head, he pointed a hoof down the road. “Could you possibly go after her and see if you can catch her?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” With that, Merriweather took to the air, soaring off to search for the fleeing filly.

Celestia sighed heavily as the throne room doors closed behind the last of the petitioners. Slipping a hoof out of its golden shoe-cover, she rubbed at her scar, trying to alleviate her growing headache. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as the headache she got when dealing with the nobles. It was on those days that her brain felt like it was trying to burst out of her skull and escape.

The sound of movement beside her caused her to open her eye. Standing beside the throne, a tray with a large bottle and several small glasses held in her magic, was her aide, Raven. She smiled, levitating the tray higher as she offered its contents to the Solar Princess.

Celestia gave Raven a blank look before her eye drifted to the bottle.

“Raven,” she said slowly, her voice devoid of emotion. Slowly, a small smile spread across her muzzle, “I don’t pay you enough.” Grasping the full bottle of Fireweed Whiskey in her magic, Celestia lifted it off of the tray and over to herself.

“You say that every time I bring you a pick-me-up,” Raven snickered.

Removing the cork with her teeth, Celestia placed the bottle to her lips and took a large gulp. It burned going down, but had a pleasant aftertaste and left her feeling a little better. Taking another, more chastised sip, she placed the bottle back on the tray.

“What’s next on the agenda, Raven?” she asked.

“Well,” Raven hummed, levitating a scroll in front of her and unrolling it. “You finished with the petitioners early, so you now have a half hour break before the entrance exams start.”

Celestia perked up. “Oh, I do enjoy those. Do you have a list of participants?”

“As I matter of fact, I made one this morning,” Raven chirped, handing Celestia a small piece of paper.

Running her eye over it, Celestia hummed softly.

Twinkleshine
Fireburst
Shining Star
Twilight Sparkle
Beatrix Lulamoon Dropped out
Bright Eyes
Starlight Glimmer
Frosted Glass
Moondancer

“Hmmm, a smaller number than usual, but it should still make for an interesting afternoon,” Celestia said idly, handing the list back to Raven.

“That it should,” agreed Raven, proffering the bottle of Fireweed Whiskey to Celestia, but she just shook her head, smiling softly.

“No more, thank you. But, if you would be so kind, please distribute some to the guards in the room,” she said, standing up from the throne. Wincing, she adjusted the special harness that was designed to keep her bad wing folded firmly against her side. While usually comfortable, if worn for a long period of time, the wires started to dig into her flesh.

Raven cocked her head to the side, giving her a confused look. “Ma’am?”

“They were put through the same trauma as I was, only they had to stand there and say nothing all day,” Celestia said, smirking. “I think that’s earned them all a drink, no?”

The guards posted around the room shifted, their ears perking up.

“I’ll do that,” Raven chuckled, causing several of the nearby guards to smile. As she moved about to distribute the drink, Celestia descended the steps leading up to her throne. Crossing the room, she headed towards one of the side doors.

“Remember,” Raven called after her, “the entrance exams start in half an hour!”

Celestia flicked her ear once to indicate that she had heard, before pushing the doors open and exiting the throne room.