“W…” R’yotta barely spoke as he stared down at Axel.

“But enough about me, tell me about you.” Axel smiled gently, placing his hands on R’yotta. The two of them tensed slightly for a few moments before relaxing. R’yotta seemed slightly drained.

“What the…” R’yotta muttered.

“Oh, you have a lovely family.” Axel complimented. “Troubled past, but lovely nonetheless.”

“How did you… just…” R’yotta started to say. “What… did you just do?”

“Well, you know about me and my family, it’s only right I learned about yours… right?” Axel added.

“That… doesn’t explain what you just did…” R’yotta said.

“What did I do to you earlier? You people really are slow.” Axel groaned, shoving R’yotta off forcefully and sending him against the wall. R’yotta grunted and stumbled forward a little bit. Axel stood up and brushed himself off. “Memory exchanging is a two way street.”

R’yotta despite his weakened state still attempted to move back to Axel. “Nnng…” He groaned quietly, having a slight difficulty with movement.

“Interesting… such a troubled past you have.” Axel mused.

R’yotta grunted quietly once more and slowly tried to push off the wall to stand on his own. Axel approached R’yotta and gripped his shirt. “Why don’t we talk?” Axel offered. Before R’yotta had a chance to say anything, he was thrown across the room and into the wall, knocking a small painting from it and on top of him. R’yotta groaned quietly and remained motionless on the ground. Axel snickered to himself.

“My apologies, It has just been long since I have had a body this… thrilling. Sometimes I get carried away.” Axel lifted R’yotta up and carried him to the couch, setting the weak pony down.

R’yotta gave no more resistance. Axel huffed in annoyance, slapping him across the face. “You speak when spoken to.” Axel stated.

R’yotta grunted quietly at the hit, “A...ah... “ He mumbled quietly, struggling to remain conscious. Axel let out a lengthy sigh before sitting down beside him.

“Oh, alright. Again, forgive me. Sometimes I get out of line like that. So, how are you this fine day?”

R’yotta’s head fell down against the couch. There was a green and purple flash as Twilight and Sam appeared in the living room along with Alex.

Alex looked at the Axel and R’yotta, “Wh… what the h…” He muttered.

“Oh, he was like that when you left. I’m positive.” Axel assured.

“No, he wasn’t!” Alex said in a low growl. “He wasn’t unconscious!”

“He’s not unconscious.” Axel started, moving his hand behind R’yotta’s head and moving it around. “See, he’s happy to see you!”

Alex’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Axel. “Now, don’t give me that look, I was just…” Axel trailed off as two jet black tendrils wrapped around his feet. “Oh…” He mumbled as Sam’s tentacles quite literally threw him into the ceiling and started smashing Axel around the room. Moments later, Axel’s limp body dropped to the floor, twitching randomly.

“Is he okay?” Sam asked, turning his attention back to R’yotta.

Alex rushed over to R’yotta, “He’s still breathing…” He said quietly. “We should get him to the hospital.”

“Twilight, can you get him there?” Sam asked. Twilight nodded, her violet magic gently lifting him towards her. The two disappeared moments later, leaving Sam, Alex, and Axel alone.

“Nn...ah…” Axel mumbled in a beat, pained tone.

“What are we going to do with him?” Alex asked, staring down at Axel.

“I’ll give you carte blanche.” Sam said, more of his tendrils binding Axel to the ground.

Alex went quiet as he thought about what to do. “Are y-ou ssu… supposed to read me… my rights?” Axel’s cocky attitude didn’t seem to fade with the beating he received.

Alex scratched his chin for a moment before speaking, “I feel we should keep him bound up somewhere until we find someway to get everyone back.”

Sam’s magic flared to life. Before Alex could even ask what he was doing, he saw Axel covered in metal binding and chains. The closet door flew open and Axel was thrown violently inside before it locked shut. “There.” Sam smiled.

“You… didn’t have to hurt him further… that is still Axel’s body.” Alex said quietly.

“That is NOT Axel, that is a parasite.” Sam snapped angrily, a side Alex had yet to see of the changeling king.

Alex stepped back from Sam and held his hands up in a defensive manner. Sam paused for a moment before breathing in. “I’m sorry.” Sam sighed.

Alex remained silent and slowly lowered his arms. “He is just a reminder of everything that is happening. Elizabeth is the cause of all of this, holding Dash’s children hostage… it makes me sick.” Sam said, his eyes flashing green momentarily. The coffee table exploded into fiery cinders, the flame slowly dying down. Alex continued to distance himself from Sam, a small bit of fear he hadn’t felt in a long time overcoming him. Sam huffed, trying to calm himself as much as possible. “I’ve never been angry before…” He admitted almost reluctantly.

“I-I’ve n… noticed.” Alex mumbled quietly, pressing himself back against a wall. There was a soft knock at the door. The sound made Alex choke on his own voice, startling him immensely. Alex ran over to the door and opened it up. In front of him was Rainbow Dash, and in her arms were two, tiny ponies.

“Hi.” Dash said, her face absolutely beaming with joy.

“Oh my gosh!” Alex almost screamed as he saw the two foals. Star blinked a few times, seeming to have just woken up by Alex’s voice. He looked quizzically up at him, as if observing an unfamiliar pony. Alex smiled down at Star. Dusk was more interested in her mother, clinging tightly to her arm.

“I found them at home in their crib. Dusk was out the moment she saw me, don’t even know why they have bars anymore.” Dash giggled absurdly as she cuddled the baby unicorn. Dusk squealed happily, grabbing Rainbow’s nose and chewing on it.

“That’s gr-” Alex paused for a moment.

“What’s wrong?”

“This… is a little strange.” Alex said bluntly. “You… just found them in their crib?” He looked back up at Dash.

“Uh huh.” Dash nodded, stepping in and kicking the door shut. She set the foals down and let them explore the room.

“That… doesn’t strike you as odd, considering that Elizabeth stole them in the first place?” He questioned. Alex noticed Star staring up at him. Alex glanced down at the foal for a moment. “I’m not going to go so far as to say it’s bad… just this doesn’t sit well with me, at all. Considering her current track record…” He added, “It just doesn’t seem like she’d return them after everything else she’s done so far.”

“Well, what do you suggest we do? Give them back?” Dash asked. Her face grew very stern the next instant, as if challenging him to suggest that.

“No. We still need to bring her down… after what she did to… well…” Alex motioned to the four unconscious ponies that were still in the room. “All of them. One good thing doesn’t outweigh all the bad does it?”

“When they’re my kids, yes.” Dash stated, crossing her arms defiantly.

“Oh, I see now.” Alex muttered. He glanced over to Scootaloo’s unconscious body. “Fine.” He stated. “So… what you’re saying is that’s alright then? Since… you’re babies are back.” He continued pointing to Scootaloo. Dash’s shoulders seemed to droop, her arms losing the strength to continue being crossed. Alex sighed quietly, “I guess I can see it from your perspective… you went through so much for your two babies… and it’s really great that they’re back…” He said quietly. What he saw next made him want to panic. He saw tears in Dash’s eyes, one of the toughest mares he knows. Alex choked up slightly and he looked right at Dash. “Tell me… something… does it really make up for it?” He said shakily.

“Does… what?” Dash sniffed, wiping a tear away in response.

“Having your kids back…”

Dash looked down at her two little foals, seeming to think for a moment. “It’s like you said. It’s good, but it’s just a bandaid… We still have a ways to go.”

Alex smiled and hugged Dash tightly. Dash hugged Alex tightly and chuckled. “You’re still my kid too, don’t forget that.” She added, making a wave of happiness wash over him.

“Why would I want to?” Alex smiled up at her.