Monday April 11th, 11am, The Wonderbolts Arena

Sitting on the edge of her ornately-crafted cloud chair, Luna’s excitement shone brighter than her moon on a clear night. Every emotion that ran through the crowd, even subtly, was magnified tenfold on the reclusive sister’s face. Roaring along with everypony else in the crowd, her balled fist thrust high in the air overhead, she cheered on the last contestant with just as much enthusiasm as she had the very first. Celestia wished she could push away their concerns and enjoy the show, but there was a faint trace of ancient, archaic magic she could sense threading through the air that nagged at her mind. It was unidentifiable - yet oddly familiar - and its presence frustrated her, keeping her from cheering her little ponies on.

The sound of footsteps resonating off the wooden staircase approaching the Princesses’ private box drew the guardsponies to attention, the unannounced visitor making them draw their lances into a defensive posture. But as Winter Harvest rounded the corner, chewing carefully on an apple danish, they relaxed again. An attendant opened the waist-high gate and allowed the pegasus into their presence. When Luna noticed the newcomer, she gave a happy gasp, clapping her hands together. “So!? Is he here? Did you seat him? Was he as surprised as We'd hoped? Tell us everything!”

Savoring the lingering flavor of the danish as she cleaned off her fingers, Winter walked past Summer Orchard, the studious old unicorn deep in one of her books. She stole a handkerchief off the table before turning to face the night princess. “He was shocked, but still very thoughtful. They accepted the seats you'd prepared and were settling in before the first display started. But Dusk was very distracted - he’s maintaining a spell that allows the Elements to cloud walk like pegasi.”

Celestia perked up, turning away from the crowd to look back at her pegasus agent, crossing her hands lightly over one another. “Strange… with Dusk's attention to detail and research, I wonder why he hasn't found one of the cloud walking spells that don't need to be maintained. Perhaps we should review his library again sometime... this is a rare black mark for my dear student. Thank you, Winter.”

Cocking her head, Winter gave Celestia an odd look. “I don’t recall having heard of any cloud-walking spells in recent memory. Why would you think Dusk would know one?”

Looking confused, Celestia went to reply before catching herself. Eyes widening, she laughed. “Oh my, I forgot how old that spell was. A unicorn from a few hundred years ago cobbled together a cloud-walking spell - it’s a hassle for most unicorns to cast even once, but Dusk could easily handle it a dozen or two times… I’ll have to make sure he gets a copy of it later.” Shaking her head, she chuckled again before adding, “As it is, if he’s confident enough to use a spell that he has to maintain on all of them while he’s here, then I’m sure he’s fine for now.”

Turning to look at her sister, who was still beaming at Winter’s news, she couldn't help but tease her younger co-ruler. “Sometimes I think you enjoy spoiling Dusk's surprises a little too much, dear sister…”

Sticking her tongue out at her sister, Luna shook her head emphatically, sitting up tall and crossing her arms over her chest even as she thrust her jaw forward defiantly. “If he plans something that I can discover, predict and spoil, then it's my right to challenge him! Besides! Next time he'll try even harder. If we don't challenge him occasionally, how else will he ever be ready for the Wolf?”

Rolling her eyes, Celestia sipped from her cup of tea, hovering it near her mouth as she paused to comment. “And yet Cadance blames me if Dusk catches even the mildest of colds.”

From her table behind them, Summer Orchard suddenly straightened up in her seat, shivering noticeably before looking around. Hands shaking a little, she reached out, stiff fingers gripping nervously at her teacup, the hot cup warming her old digits. “Did… do you feel that? Some magic touched me... So old, yet still familiar. It tasted like… nothing that belongs here anymore. Celestia, do you think it could be..." The mare's voice trailed off as she shivered again.

Disturbed at how the presence had continued to roam the arena, managing to weave throughout the crowded amphitheater and somehow still evade Celestia’s best attempts to probe its origin. After a long moment, she sighed before answering. “It is possible, but...”

Cocking an eyebrow at her sister, Luna’s horn illuminated as she reached out with her magic. Distantly, Luna felt the whispering of the Rainbow Factory’s song start off again. Giving a mild sigh, she rolled her eyes even as she shrugged off her sister’s concerns. “The factory has been singing to me every time I attempt even the smallest spell. That’s probably all it is. Do you think Dusk’s presence has excited the building into showing off for him? He is the most powerful unicorn that has visited Cloudsdale since the last of Starswirl’s student’s passed away, right?”

Celestia sighed wistfully, a regretful thought creeping in unwanted. "If only she'd stayed... I wonder where she is now." She pushed that train of thought aside roughly, not willing to consider it now. She was gone, and that was that. “I… suppose…” Celestia nodded, regretfully turning to look at the far off Rainbow Factory. “I suppose it's partly my fault. If I knew how lonely she's been, I'd have visited her more often… still… this feels different from the Factory’s song…”

11:00am, The Wonderbolts Arena

For all of Dash’s disappointment when Dusk told her about Applejack and Blitz’s departure, the grin she sported at his suggestion of lunch was priceless. Dusk turned to Rarity, offering her a hand. “Would you care to join us, love? It's not far to one of the canteens and-”

Cocking a playful eyebrow at Dusk, Rarity shook a finger at him, a frightening yet enticingly playful and wolfish grin dancing onto her face. “I would never think of getting in the way of your and Dash’s lunch! Besides, Fluttershy was saying she wanted to visit her sire, and I thought that would be a good time to take Scootaloo for a walk around town. Now hurry off you two, or you'll make Dash late for the next round!”

Rarity’s plan to take Scootaloo off somewhere without him made Dusk pause, and memories of Redheart’s threat flashed back and caused him to stumble mid-step. But Dash was faster than he was, the mare crouching down before Scootaloo, ruffling the filly’s hair. “Don't let Rarity get too distracted by some jewelry store or something else ridiculous like that. I need you here cheering for me when the next round starts!”

Excitedly giggling at Dash’s attention, Scootaloo snapped off another impressive impersonation of the official Wonderbolts salute, giving a chipper reply. “Are you kidding me? If I gotta drag Rarity back here over my shoulder, I sure will Dash!”

Squeezing Rarity’s hand, Dusk looked deep into her eyes, keeping his voice soft. “You'll keep to places with wooden and other solid structures, right? Redheart wasn't very subtle about what she would do if something went wrong with Scootaloo.”

Leaning up and kissing his cheek, Rarity kept her voice low, a velvety whisper. “We’ll walk with Fluttershy to the hospital where her sire stays then go for lunch. Enjoy your date with Dash, I'll care for Scootaloo.”

Before he realized it, Dusk was alone with Dash. Even Pinkie had abandoned the viewing box, without any explanation for her departure except for an excited giggle and cry of, “Bye! Bye Dusk and Dashie Pie!”

Throwing an arm around Dusk’s shoulders, Dash dragged him close so she could lean against him, laughing happily. “C’mon, Dusk! Let's get to the canteen. The faster we get there, the more time you have to tell me how fantastic my flying was!”

Relaxing a little, Dusk put an arm across Dash's tight hips and drew her close as they walked down the hallway to the main staircase. They made idle small talk along the way, Dash’s fingers teasing into Dusk’s tail, even as he admired the way her muscles shifted under the tight suit she wore. When they arrived, nearly all of the tables were occupied, the room filled by pegasi excitedly talking about the competition. As soon as Dash and Dusk joined the queue however, pony after pony stepped aside, insisting they move to the front of the line. Most of them offered Dash soft words of praise and light cheers, the young athlete responding happily, but never taking her arm from around Dusk’s shoulder. After they’d gotten their food, Dash led Dusk to a table, letting go of him only so she could flick her tail against his upper thighs. Once they’d reached a quiet corner of the room, the two sat, each with a plate covered with fresh and steamed vegetables.

Generously slathering butter over a large corn on the cob, Dash dug in with an open display of rabid hunger. Pausing to nudge his leg with hers, Dash grinned wickedly at him. “So? What do you think? Just how awesome was I?”

Taking his time, Dusk grabbed a salt shaker, flavoring his own buttered corn cob and taking a casual bite before answering her. He enjoyed the clearly anxious look she developed as he made her wait. Unable to help himself, he chuckled when he finally replied. “You were clearly in a league all your own, Dash. With the sole exceptions of Thrash and Lightning Dust, nopony else even came close to matching your speed and style. Despite being restricted to following the Wonderbolts’ pattern, you showed off just how good you are.”

As he finished telling Dash how he thought she’d done, he jerked in surprise. Dash’s bare foot stroked teasingly along his calf, the mare grinning innocently at him. Taking another bite of her corn, her grin turned into a smirk when Dusk raised an eyebrow. The mare swallowed her food before speaking, voice full of confidence. “Oh really? So you're saying I've got the freeform flight display in the bag?”

Swallowing hard as he struggled with Dash’s new and risky method of flirting, Dusk tried to stay calm. Dash’s foot continued up his leg, her toes trailing up to knead against the muscles of his inner thigh. Attempting to keep any visible signs of how she teased him suppressed, Dusk tightened his grip on his corn before speaking. “I've been trying to see any suggestions in their flight style if they have something hidden to show off. But alI I can say is they sure don't seem to have your… flair? For pulling off exciting tricks mid-flight.”

Dash’s flirtatious grin spread wider as she began dragging her foot back and forth over Dusk’s thigh and she opened her mouth to speak - then swiftly ducked down as she dropped her head into her hands, her foot retreating from toying with Dusk. “Oh! By the Light. Why is he here!?”

Shocked at the rapid shift in Dash's mood, Dusk twisted around to look back over his shoulder to try and figure out who Dash was talking about. Only one pony in the canteen stood out to him immediately - a towering green-winged stallion dressed in Royal Guard armor, obviously thin and gangly despite the protective gear. The stallion was talking the ear off one of the Wonderbolts cadets standing in line with him. Turning back to Dash, Dusk couldn't help but question her about her reaction. “The really tall stallion with the green feathers? His armor’s emblem says he is a private in the Royal Guard.”

Still covering her face as she moaned in despair, Dash slouched low in her seat to use Dusk as a shield. “That… is Zephyr Breeze… Fluttershy’s little brother and a walking embarrassment to the whole family. Don't tell me he got time off just to try pestering me here!”

Turning his attention back to Fluttershy’s surprisingly tall brother, Dusk sat up to help hide Dash in his shadow. Exceedingly curious at Dash’s reaction to the stallion, Dusk’s horn lit as he attempted to focus his hearing spell on the stallion specifically. After a second of concentration, Zephyr’s voice came into sharp focus. “-Now I'm not saying that I'm the most important guard here. But Fleetfoot’s had me carrying messages back and forth to the Princess’ private box all morning. I nearly missed my old marefriend Rainbow Dash showing off for me in the first round!”

Picturing Dash’s rather brash nature and what he'd already gathered from the way Fluttershy’s brother spoke, Dusk covered his mouth to muffle an amused snicker, whispering to the mare in front of him. “You used to be his marefriend? I didn't know you were showing off for him today, Dash.” Theatrically placing a hand on his chest, Dusk feigned fainting like Rarity sometimes did when she got too carried away. “I'm hurt, I thought we had something special.”

Her chair nearly fell backwards as she shot up to her feet, her cheeks fiery red in indignation, Dash forgot about trying to hide and thumped a hand on the table. “I was never his friend, let alone his marefriend! He's an insufferable, egotistical asshole with no self-awareness!”

When Zephyr suddenly gave a delighted cry, Dash’s eyes went wide before she sank back down into her seat, cradling her head between her hands. It was too little too late, however, as the tall stallion weaved his way through the crowd to Dash’s side, abandoning his place in the line. “Rainbow Dash! You devilish mare! You're here showing off just to get my attention? That's so sweet!”

Groaning loudly in frustration, Dash slammed her hand down on the table, looking up to glare at Zephyr, clenching her jaw as she struggled to stay even remotely civil. “I've never done anything in my life to impress you, Zephyr. Right now I'm just trying to have a nice lunch with Dusk, he's-”

As if shocked to realize that a stallion was sitting with Dash, Zephyr turned to face Dusk. The tall stallion half-crouched down next to Dash so he could throw an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, Dash! You’re volunteering your free time between rounds to show some dull Canterlot unicorn around Cloudsdale? That's so kind of you. But it would be a way better use of your time training to join the Royal Guard. We do so much more than the Wonderbolts anyways! But I suppose if you love the tight uniforms and are looking for an excuse to show off for me, I can hardly complain!”

Shocked at how fast the humor had disappeared from the situation, Dusk straightened up, glaring at the stallion. He had to remind himself that this was Fluttershy’s brother before he spoke. “Now listen, Zephyr-”

Railroading over Dusk, Zephyr stood up, placing a hand tragically on his forehead. “Forgive me, Rainbow Dash. I've wasted too much time talking with other ponies that would have been better used wooing you away from a dull day of escorting around some boring and flightless unicorn absolutely out of his element. I have to return to Fleetfoot’s side, she probably has more work for me.”

And like that, he was gone, out of the door before either pony left at the table could get in another word. Both Dusk and Dash were slack-jawed at the stallion’s rapid retreat. They felt uneasy from Zephyr’s callous words and sudden departure, an uneasy silence hanging between them.

Picking at the mixed veggies left on her plate, Dash drew a heavy breath and let her shoulders sag as she breathed out, searching for something to break the silence with. Finally hitting on an idea, she spoke up softly. “Hey… Dusk? What’d you think about my performance in the first round compared to Thrash’s? They… well, they hadn't posted our scores yet when we left.”

The way Dash refused to look up from her plate and continued to pick at the last dozen pieces left on her plate told Dusk she was more worried than she wanted to admit. Reaching over, he squeezed her free hand gently, offering a smile when she looked up at him through her bangs. “Well, I've only seen Thrash fly once, but he has clearly watched the Wonderbolts perform many times before. The way he reacted so easily to Soarin’s every signal no matter how subtle they were makes that clear. However, your ability to make rapid corrections that kept you neck and neck with the Wonderbolts a split second after they did proves you're able to instantly adapt to a whole new team without any warning. I'd say that you're tied with him, even if you did accidentally bump your partner.”

For a while, Dash hung her head, staring down at her plate. She eventually offered him a quiet chuckle, Dash turned her own hand up in his grip, squeezing his back. “You damn unbiased egghead. You should have just said I was the best you've ever seen.”

Entangling his fingers with hers, Dusk laughed gently, before leaning forward across the table to softly kiss her cheek without making her look out past her heavy bangs. “You were the best I've ever seen. That goes without saying, Dash.”

Cheeks tinting red, Dash finally looked up from her plate. Seeing Dusk’s smile, and the way it seemed to reach his eyes brought out a grin of her own. “Yeah, and don’t you forget it.” She squeezed his hand once more before letting go of it to return to eating.

The two finished off their plates in silence, just enjoying one another’s company. Glancing up at the clock, Dash knew her time was running out before she had to return to the competition. Sighing, she tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, and how she felt her wings tighten up against her back. She looked at the stallion sitting across from her, voice coming out softly. “Hey, Dusk, can I ask you something personal?”

Somewhat surprised at the sudden mood change in the mare, Dusk nodded, leaning on his elbows before speaking. “Sure, Dash. You can always ask me anything.”

Breathing out loudly, Dash looked around at the other patrons before leaning forward and speaking in a soft tone. “On the, uh, application paperwork for the ‘Bolts, they wanted me to list a few ponies that, uh… that they can get in touch with… if something happens, I mean. Ponies that I’m close to. Apart from family, I mean.” Feeling her cheeks heat up, Dash dragged her eyes back to look down at the table. “I already put AJ down, of course, and I wanted to know if I could, um, maybe add you?” She finally forced herself to look up at Dusk, hating the blush she could feel still heating her cheeks.

Dusk was quiet for a moment, before realizing just what she was asking. He’d looked over the application before, and it wasn’t too dissimilar from the paperwork for the Royal Guard that he’d seen his brother sign at one point. Smiling widely, he nodded as he spoke. “Of course, Rainbow Dash. I’m…” Voice welling up, Dusk coughed thickly, trying to clear his throat before trying again. “Thank you. Yeah.”

Wings lifting from her back slightly, Dash found herself grinning like a fool right back at Dusk. “Really? I-I mean, yeah, awesome! Thanks, Dusk.” Looking back up to the clock, Dash sighed again as she realized they were out of time. “Well, guess we need to be getting back. Next round starts soon.”

The pair stood up, taking their trays to the drop-off for the kitchen, before leaving and beginning the walk back to the arena. Dash’s hand found its way to Dusk’s, and she gripped it tightly as they walked.

Thinking about the next few rounds of the competition, Dusk’s curiosity finally got the better of him. “So Dash, you haven’t even really gotten to show off yet. What special move do you have planned for your big finish later?”

Dash excitedly laughed, and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, grinning widely. “I could get their attention with my Super Speed Strut… or maybe mesmerize them all with my Fantastic Filly Flash. But I think my best move for my grand finale might just be the Buccaneer Blaze! That one would make the ponies go wild!”

Laughing, and getting caught up in Dash's energetic mood, Dusk lifted her hand up to kiss the back of it as they walked. “Why not do another Sonic Rainboom? That alone would win you the competition.”

Dusk was surprised when her shoulders slumped. Looking down at her, he saw her sigh and shake her head. “I've never been able to pull that off again, no matter how many times I've tried to do it. Maybe I'm just not good enough to do it anymore.”

Unsure of what to say to that, Dusk chose the safest route and didn’t say anything. Instead, he just turned his head to kiss the top of her mane as they entered the arena.

11:20am, Blitz's garden

As she knelt down in the short-trimmed grass, for the first time since Cherry Berry had taken them from Ponyville, Applejack finally felt the world beneath her stop spinning. She was grounded again, and even though the dirt in Blitz's garden was stale, she could feel the life hiding in it. Almost feeling like she had found a muscle she had never exercised, Applejack couldn't help but wonder to herself. ”I wonder if this is how Big Mac always feels… this life, all this energy. I really never noticed it until it was missing.”

Reaching slowly out to stroke the edge of a pale pink-and-blue flower, Applejack felt the flower rapidly bloom against her fingers. The dull blue and pink petals quickly grew more vivid in hue, with the richest of blue slowly darkening to purple streaks that filled out the rest of the bloom. Behind her, Blitz's gasp of surprise encouraged Applejack, and she tried to push herself, attempting to coax the stale life in the ground to flow around. For one exhilarating moment, Applejack gasped with joy as the flowers and even the grass surged with life.

Then, just as quickly as the joy of spreading life roared beneath her hands, Applejack suddenly felt very faint. She struggled to shift from her knees to rest her weight on a hip. Finding herself gasping for air and fighting back against a sudden wave of exhaustion, for just a moment, she found it a struggle to even hold her head up.

Opening her eyes after a few moments, and shaking off the last twinges of that momentary exhaustion, Applejack met Blitz’s eyes as he knelt, holding her hand and shoulder. “Applejack, are you okay? I’ve never seen an earth pony make things grow that quickly.“

Squeezing his hand gratefully, Applejack shifted to sit more comfortably on her ass, shaking her head as she admired the bed of pink-blue flowers, now filled in with nearly fifty flowering buds and a soft but sweet fragrance. “I think I now know how Dusk feels after doing some damn foalish magic trick. But I’ll be alright. Was just a lil’ dizzy, but it's gone now.”

Watching Applejack worriedly for a moment before taking a seat beside her, Blitz shook his head, pushing a canteen of water he'd fetched from inside the house to her. “That makes two favors I owe you now. At this rate, I'll never be able to pay you back. Which reminds me, Applejack… thanks for the letters.”

Taking the canteen and throwing her head back for a long draft of the cool water, Applejack laughed, lightly slugging him in the shoulder. “Are you kidding? We both know Dash’s as stubborn as the roots of any tree in my field. You'd have more luck beating her in a boxing match than making her put a quill to paper. Just ask Dusk, he's started helping her write her reports for the weather team.”

Groaning in mock despair, Blitz rested his head in his hand as he watched the brilliant flowers. “She was never good at paperwork in school. If her natural aptitude hadn't gotten her into advanced classes, I don't know what I would have done with her. Now though, I think she's ready to join the ‘Bolts. It's … nice to know I didn't mess her up too badly.”

Chuckling softly, Applejack leaned back, taking a moment to drink from the canteen again before passing it back to Blitz. Resting her weight on her hands, her fingers dug deeply into the lush grass. She was surprised to see that it had grown nearly two full inches since her arrival. Applejack took a moment to wonder just how much her brother truly did on the farm. Shaking her head but smiling, she finally replied to Blitz. “Oh that filly’s doin’ just fine. I’ll admit, it was kinda weird when you asked me to keep in touch instead of her, but I guess I get it now. She never really talked about you before the whole Gilda thing. I mean, I know me’n her’ve only been together for about a year, but since she beat Gilda, she’s actually talked about you from time to time. Not much, but more than none. Celestia knows it’d kill her to write a letter, but…” Applejack shrugged before smirking. “She’s really settled into Ponyville - I mean you know she’s Weather Captain’n all, but she does a fantastic job of it. Even if the ‘Bolt thing didn’t work out, she has a job that she loves… even if she acts like it’s a hassle.”

Blitz smiled, one hand reaching out to cup a flower gently as he admired it. “That sounds like her.” Staring at the flower a moment longer, Blitz sighed before looking at Applejack, an oddly resigned and serious look in his eyes. “May I ask a more personal question, Applejack?”

Cocking an eyebrow at the older pegasus, Applejack nodded slowly. “Sure, I guess. Within reason, ‘course.”

Blitz nodded once in reply, before bluntly asking, “Is Dash a part of Dusk’s herd? You never said whether or not she is in your letters, just that they’re spending time together. I figured since you and her are a thing, and you’re already in his herd… Besides, I’ve seen how she acts around him. Still, she denies feeling anything for him. I figure you’d be able to give me a straight answer.”

Applejack looked surprised for a long moment before throwing her head back and letting out a deep guffaw. Blitz was somewhat surprised by the volume of her laughter, but remained silent while the mare took time to compose herself. Wiping a tear away from her eye, Applejack finally managed out a soft, “Oh, that silly little filly. Light, I love her.”

When she’d finally calmed down, Applejack took in a deep breath, making sure she was done giggling at Dash’s antics. Feeling like she could talk without giggling again, she finally spoke. “She’s crushin’ something hard on Dusk, trust me Blitz. I’m honestly surprised they haven’t hooked up yet, but nah, not for now at least.” Applejack sighed, shaking her head. “She won’t talk much about why she doesn’t want to be in Dusk’s herd, but Light knows she’s welcome.”

Her mouth screwing up at one corner, Applejack let out a short huff. “Truth be told, Blitz, right now Dusk’s lookin’ like he’ll have a big herd. Rares, me, Pinkie sooner than later, I bet. Dash, if that silly filly would say something. I’d say Fluttershy, but that mare’d have a panic attack before anything could happen. Bronze too, but you haven’t met her. She’s Dusk’s Vicarius - ‘s like a bodyguard for magistrates.”

Blitz’s eyebrows had gone up at the list of so many mares, before he chuckled, the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Well, that’s good, then. Means I can go off with the ‘Bolts and not have to worry about her, if she’s got that many of you watching out for her.”

Looking at Blitz out of the corner of her eye, Applejack laughed. “Yeah, we’ll keep an eye on your girl, Blitz. Don’t you worry.” Watching as the stallion returned to admiring the flowers, Applejack almost felt compelled to ask him the question that had been bugging her since she’d seen the garden. “Why only one kind of flower, Blitz? Are they special or something? I've never seen them around Ponyville, and Roseluck grows a pretty impressive range of flowers year round.”

The expression that settled on Blitz's face reminded Applejack of Mac’s whenever their parents were brought up. The stallion always grew quiet and thoughtful, his eyes taking on a far-off look. For a while, she was worried she might have crossed some line, but after a minute or so, Blitz took a swig from the half full canteen and smiled, though he was still looking at the flower. “They match Firefly’s hair and feathers. Even the tiny hint of purple on the petals match her eyes. I discovered them once, ages ago it feels like, while in old Pegasopolis on a recon mission for the ‘Bolts. I brought some back, but none of them would take root when I tried planting them as a surprise present for her.”

The stallion gave a sigh, and leaned forward, carefully pouring the rest of his canteen over the small flowerbed as evenly as possible before continuing. “When she... fell ill, I requested a team to help me search for them again. We spent three weeks searching with no success.”

Blitz was looking at the flowers, but Applejack could tell he didn’t see them right now. “When I came home, she'd only gotten worse. She was bedridden, and in the hospital, I couldn’t find it in me to leave her again. Then one day, Firefly’s sister showed up… and we fought. We always fought back then. Now… we just don't talk. It's easier.”

“Finally, one day, I found Princess Celestia waiting in Firefly’s room when I arrived with Dash. Somehow, someone from my team had told her about Firefly and the flowers. She brought the only one she had in her garden. Firefly’s smile was brighter than I’d ever seen it. She was so happy to show it off for Dash.” The old stallion smiled, eyes misting and still far off.

“She died the next morning.”

Combing his fingers through the grass, Blitz sighed heavily, smile still on his face. “When I tried to return the flower to the Princess, she took a single seed from it, and ordered her personal gardener to help me plant this flower bed. So I've kept these flowers alive as best I can, in memory of Dash’s dam.”

Jaw agape at how open the older stallion was being with her, Applejack whistled softly. She leaned forward again to stroke one of the petals thoughtfully. “Dash never mentioned her ma… Or you, really, but you know. She never talked much about her life before Ponyville. She's quiet about personal things, though. I'll be sure to get you some fertilizer, and some fresh, home-grown earth pony soil that's better for your lil’ - hey, what are they called, anyway?”

Looking slightly proud of himself, Blitz shrugged a little. “Princess Celestia told me their name is unpronounceable in modern Equestrian, and that they only grew naturally in the old unicorn empire. Here in Cloudsdale, we call them Fireflies.”

Grinning back at him, Applejack whistled softly again. “Sounds like a good name to me. I'll whip up a better fertilizer for the elevation, but trying to compensate for their native soil will be a lot harder. Nopony alive has tried to grow crops back there since the Exodus.”

Laughing in return, Blitz shook his head. “You'd be surprised what crazy things some of the stubborn old pegasi get up to. Trying to recolonize Pegasopolis is practically an annual tradition. ‘Cept they're too stubborn to ask for earth pony assistance.”

For a while they sat together in the grass, laughing together. A soft but growing breeze blew in the air, staving off the growing warmth of the day. After a few minutes of just enjoying the weather, Blitz finally turned to look at Applejack, his voice soft. “So how… how is the herd holding up? You’re all so young, and from what you’ve said, the herd is probably going to grow quickly. I hope that won’t cause too much trouble.”

Exhaling contently at the light gust that ran over her neck and against her hat, Applejack chuckled softly. “It’s been good, Blitz. We mesh together as friends, first and foremost. The romance is just a sweet bonus. I have to admit though, it was hard at first. Sharing Dusk, I mean. Still is, sometimes. I was struggling not to make a big deal of how much Fluttershy was clinging to Dusk. I think she’s still worked up after everything that happened with the hydra on Saturday...”

Sighing a little, she pulled off her hat, fanning herself a little with it. “I suppose that’s the hardest part. Dusk and Dash are both so reckless, in their own ways. Dusk gets caught up with his research for the Princess, that he doesn’t realize until it’s too late that he’s gotten himself in trouble. Dash’ll train until she can’t fly straight, then do it all over again the next day. Pinkie does the oddest things without any warning, and most of the time it don’t make any sense. I try to help ‘em out, and keep ‘em out of trouble, but... Well, at least Rarity’s a sensible mare most of the time... except for when she gets carried away with her projects or worked up in a tizzy over something or other. Really, only Fluttershy keeps herself out of trouble, except for when she rushes out into the woods to help each and every injured creature she can.”

His grin growing wider as Applejack’s list when on, Blitz began laughing so hard his shoulders shook before standing up. Blitz dusted his hands off against one another before speaking. “Well, once Dash is busy with the Wonderbolts, that’ll keep her out of trouble... mostly. You ready to head back now?”

Shivering, a sudden wave of tension ran up Applejack’s spine. She looked across the great gap to the distant arena before sighing heavily. “I… I’m not. Go ahead, Blitz. I’ll stay here in the grass, where an earth pony belongs. Wish Dash well for me, okay?”

Pausing to inspect her, Blitz fished a set of keys from his pocket, tossing them to her. “If you need a drink or something to eat, feel free to grab whatever you want. I’ll come back and check up on you between rounds, alright?”

Laying down on her back, Applejack stuffed the keys into her tight jeans, nodding at him. “I’ll be fine… But thanks, Blitz. You’ve been a good dad for Dash, however crazy that mare is. See ya soon.”

11am, Long Term Care Ward, Cloudsdale Military Hospital

The soft sound of beeping machines echoed from the open doors as Fluttershy walked down the quiet hallway. Every room was a story, and Fluttershy had seen so many of the faces so often over the years that she knew every single one by heart. Approaching the open door for the last room on the right, Fluttershy paused just outside, taking a deep breath to steady herself before stepping into the doorway and rapidly knocking. “Dad? Are you up? Do you mind if I come in?”

What, or rather who, she saw waiting for her made Fluttershy’s heart soar. Sitting up in his bed, a blanket wrapped around his legs, her dad was smiling brilliantly. From the rosy hue of his grinning cheeks to the bright glimmer of delight in his eyes, Fluttershy’s sire was the picture definition of happy. Folding up a newspaper and settling it into his lap, he leaned forward, laughing joyously. “Fluttershy! You impulsive filly! You should have written! I was thinking about going to the Young Flyer’s Competition, but my old academy buddy, that hardass Alto’s foal Cirro Stratus, you remember her, right? She stopped by to talk, and said she’d gotten a promotion out of nowhere!. So now she's packing, getting ready for some new deployment. Got her new shiny silver stripes and everything already.”

Leaning forward and away from the wall, Fluttershy’s father spread his wings wide, holding them and his arms out for her. “Come over here, little butterfly! Have you seen your brother yet? He's in town too. The Royal Guard loaned him to Fleetfoot, for some reason. Perhaps they'll finally see his real value.”

Walking over and sitting on the edge of his bed by his hip, Fluttershy returned her father's strong hug, wrapping her wings under his and resting her cheek on his shoulder. Squeezing her sire close, Fluttershy worried as always at how lanky he was, but remembered that her father and brother’s wings and builds were nearly the same, and pushed those thoughts aside. She tried to project some happiness of her own into her voice as she replied to news of her brother. “Oh, that’s wonderful for Zephyr, dad!”

After a few moments more, Fluttershy pulled out of the hug and held her dad at arm’s length, looking him other with a critical eye. “Now sit up, dad. Let me get a good look at you.” Fluttershy looked her father up and down, admiring how healthy he managed to look despite his gangly frame. She couldn't help but giggle a little as a wild curl of hair fell over his cheek. The vivid pink lock fell across his eyes, reminding her of Dusk. That grounding reminder of the other reasons she was here made her return to more serious matters… as directly as she could. “Remember when I visited you before Hearth's Warming? I… well… remember how I told you about how Rarity’s been helping me with my anxiety?

Laughing gently and rubbing the back of Fluttershy’s hand with a thumb, her father easily recognized how nervous his daughter was. He grinned at her, trying to soothe her worries. “Yes, you've talked about Rarity before. I remember. She's like your marefriend, right?”

Blushing furiously and mumbling a near-inaudible response, Fluttershy found that she couldn't look into her dad's eyes now. “Yes, her… it's just- you see she- I've- well, I wanted to tell you, dad… I've met a stallion, dad. He's a wonderful unicorn named Dusk Shine.”

Her father had been patiently waiting while she tried to tell him about Dusk, but was overwhelmed by Fluttershy’s surprise. Her sire couldn't help but pull her back into a hug, kissing her cheek. “A good, nice stallion? Who understands how quiet and gentle you are? Why, my little butterfly, that's marvelous! Have you introduced him to your mother yet? Summer Soil will fly higher than the sun with news like that!”

Beyond embarrassed, Fluttershy buried her face in her hands against her father’s shoulder, shaking her head emphatically despite being held close. "Dad! We both know that mom will just end up interrogating him until he runs away! Or she’ll do something like make sure he can ‘take care’ of me or something silly like that!”

"Now, now! Your mother’s not that bad. She only jokingly challenged me to a wrestling match when I asked to marry her. She never really meant any of it."

Fluttershy pulled back out of her father’s arms, raising an eyebrow disbelievingly. She met her father’s eyes, and gave him an incredulous look. “Then why did Uncle Alto tell me you got three weeks of medical leave for bruised ribs?"

Squeezing her hand, the stallion laughed gently before changing subjects abruptly. “Your friends have done you a lot of good, my little butterfly. My therapy’s nearly done for the year. Maybe you should bring this stallion of yours and visit the farm. Your dam’s current tour ends this fall, you know. And your cousins miss you.”

Blushing and unable to look into her father's eyes again, Fluttershy squeezed her father's hand gently in return. Suddenly, a voice spoke up, and she only realized it was her own after she’d finished the question. “Will you- do you want to join us at the show, Daddy? We have a private box, so there’s plenty of room.”

There was a too long pause, and eventually, Fluttershy looked up, the sad but loving gaze of her father's eyes watching her closely. At last, he shook his head slowly, and leaned forward, kissing the top of her head. “You're sweet to offer, little butterfly, but you and your stallion don't need to trundle me around in a crowded place like the Wonderbolts arena.”

Squeezing his hand harder, Fluttershy felt an odd streak of stubbornness hit her, and looked around for the harness he always had nearby. “Don't be silly, it would be no bother, really. I can carry you if places there don't have enough room for you to fly.”

Slowly but seriously shaking his head again, her dad pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. “I know you can, Fluttershy; you take after your mother in more ways than one. But I've got another treatment in an hour or two. Better for your friends to meet me at the farm where I can fly freely, not stuck in a sack on your back. Now go have a fun time, and at least say hello to Zephyr. Please?”

Flushing darkly at her dad’s refusal, Fluttershy stood up. She carefully avoided disturbing the blanket that covered his legs. She could set bones for her animal friends day in and day out, or treat their wounds, be they burn scars, bite marks, or simple torn muscles… but somehow, the sight of her father’s withered legs always disturbed her far more than she liked admitting. Hugging his hand to her cheek, Fluttershy gave a heavy sigh before turning to kiss his palm and release his hand. “I promise, Dad. I'll figure out some time we can all come visit you and Mama properly. I'll… I'll try to talk to Zephyr, I promise.”

11:15am, Wonderbolts Arena

As Dusk stepped out of the tunnel into the box Celestia had reserved for him, Pinkie hopped up from the cloud seats where she had been sprawled out on top of the whole row. With a mouth full of popcorn, her attempts to say hello blended into a wild cacophony of noises and excited arm gestures that ended with more popcorn in his hair than her box. Laughing openly, Dusk slipped his arms around her plush hips before sliding into a seat, pulling her into his lap while hugging her close. He kissed her neck, getting a whiff of her candy-scented hair before finally speaking. “Why hello to you too, Pinkie. I'm glad you found something healthy for lunch.”

Giggling around her mouthful of popcorn, Pinkie leaned against his chest, nuzzling her nose against his neck tenderly. After some vigorous chewing, Pinkie reached up, stealing a piece of the popcorn stuck in his hair. “Want some? It's fresh, and they used the very bestest amount of butter and salt!” When Dusk shook his head, she giggled with delight, tossing the popcorn into her mouth. “Oh well! Just means there's more for meee!~”

Laughing comfortably as he hugged the playful pony close, Dusk turned his eye up to the grand arena, exploring the area closer, searching for Celestia’s private box. Locating it in the highest tier of the boxes turned out to be embarrassingly simple, as the moment the first competitors for the next round entered the arena Princess Luna leapt into the air above the roofless box. The Princess of the Night was screaming with enthusiasm that rivaled Pinkie's. Dusk fancied he could likely make out what she was saying if he tried.

Unable to help himself, Dusk watched the lunar princess closely. She was dressed in silver jewelry set against very dark blue and black silks that clashed with her energetic demeanor. Dusk found himself laughing, admiring the towering, pale goddess and how exuberant she was today, a far cry from how she normally acted.

Excited, Pinkie’s hand slipped deep into his hair, while she distractingly bounced up and down in his lap. “Dusk! Dusk! That's the stallion that beat Dash in the first round! Dumb Bell! And the mare who came in third is there too! Lighting Dust! Ohhh, Dash better knock their socks off this time, she tries way harder than either of them!”

Turning away from the oddly mesmerizing image of Princess Luna to look where Pinkie pointed, Dusk rested his chin on her shoulder as he looked out onto the field. He could easily make out five contestants as they were split up by Wonderbolts. Led to the far side of the field, the one nicknamed Thrash was taken to a wooden weapons rack which held dozens of identical javelins. To Dusk’s shock, Rumble and three other young foals in odd uniforms he didn't recognize waited around the area that had been marked off for the javelin toss.

On the other side of the field, the four remaining contestants were paired off with different Wonderbolts. Excluding the one towering griffon, everypony was armed with lances, with two of the contestants and one of the Wonderbolts carrying small round shields buckled to their forearms. The lone griffon carried a massive iron mace casually in one hand.

In the middle of them, Soarin swept his gaze over them all, clearly giving out orders to the small group. Pulling a small silver whistle from under his uniform, Soarin raised a hand high overhead. For a moment nopony moved, all frozen in a ready position.

All at once Soarin dropped his hand and blew a note on his whistle. In a blur, the young contestants lept into action. Some like Lightning Dust and the griffon went straight on the offensive, while others took flight, trying to gain elevation. The Wonderbolt that had been paired off with the contestants each responded in their own way to their paired challenger.

The griffon’s charge was met in turn by a confident lunge. A Wonderbolt Dusk recognized as Storms Shadow shoved her buckler into the towering griffon’s face, blinding him while she shifted the butt of her lance to rap against his ribs.

A roar of excitement drew Dusk’s attention from the controlled melee to the javelin throw. In the short time Dusk had been distracted, the young stallion Dash had been worried about, Thrash, had hit the target shield three times, piercing the metal shield near the outside edge each time. As he ran forward and hurled his fourth, there was a collective gasp from the crowd, and a metallic song rang out as blade cut into the shield again. On the far side from the first three, even Dusk could see this time the young man had nearly missed, as half the javelin’s head was exposed outside of the shield.

Pinkie’s sudden grasp of Dusk’s collar and her cry was drowned out by the sharp sound of Soarin’s silver whistle. Turning back to the melee, one of the cadets was on her knees, clutching a snapped spear shaft that had shattered in her grip. While all the other fighters halted and medics rushed onto the field to carry her away, the griffon, and the mare Dusk remembered as Lighting Dust, and their Wonderbolt opponents moved higher into the air, continuing to trade blows.

Soarin looked momentarily frustrated at the ongoing fights, but as the wounded mare was taken from the field, the other two contestants turned to walk away with her, and Dusk understood why. The crimson of real blood stained the clouds underfoot, and while it would fade soon enough, some of the contestants would likely bow out after witnessing what could happen, even in mock combat.

The crowd was silent as the song of metal cutting metal echoed again in the arena, and as attention shifted back to Thrash, he was alone in celebrating the impact of his fifth javelin, nearly dead center on the target shield. A few started to cheer, but it was no longer the powerful roar that had come during the first event.

After several more minutes, Soarin again blew his whistle, sharper this time, followed by several notes Dusk couldn’t translate. The contestants seemed to understand, however. As one, the four flew back to Soarin’s side, the griffon short a few feathers and with a cut on his left arm. Lightning Dust had a black eye but a grin so wide it reminded Dusk of Dash when she'd played a particularly big prank.

With the other contestants gone, the mare and griffon switched places with Thrash, and soon a new shield target was in place. Thrash’s round at combat would also go to time, while both Dust and the griffon whiffed a single toss on the javelin throw, scoring four strikes out of five.

It was only as the contestants traded out with new ponies that Dusk realized Scootaloo and Rarity had returned and were sitting behind him. The excitable filly leaned forward, elbows against her knees and chin against her fists as she flashed him a bored grin. “I found a pamphlet on these contests. They say only one in a hundred contestants manage to disarm or force a Wonderbolt to yield before time’s up. But I bet you my allowance Dash’ll do it!”

Laughing at the filly, Dusk lifted three fingers where she could see them, but still watched the field. "I won't take that bet, Scootaloo, for three reasons. First, I've seen Dash practice fighting with Bronze and Applejack. She's good, probably good enough to challenge a Wonderbolt. But we've already seen them pair the better contestants off with harder challenges. I'd put my bits on Dash being up against somepony with experience. Possibly even Soarin himself."

Watching him closely and growing impatient, Scootaloo realized Dusk had no intent to continue as he turned back to watch the new group of recruits enter the arena. Desperate to get him to finish his explanation, she grabbed his hand and started shaking it before blurting out, "So? What's second and third?"

Using the two extended fingers to playfully tweak the filly’s nose, Dusk chuckled. "Two, if I did bet against her, and she found out, she'd probably do a whole lot worse to me than three, what Redheart would do if she knew I was teaching you how to gamble. And that’s if they didn’t team up and do something unthinkably nasty."

Turning back to look up at Rarity, Scootaloo reached down to a bag she had at her feet, and pulled out a caramel apple. Getting ready to take a quick bite, she asked the older mare, “Rarity? Would Dash and Redheart really do something mean to Dusk just for betting with me?”

Her eyes sparkling with amusement, Rarity took a dainty nibble at the red candy coating on her own apple, struggling not to laugh. “Oh yes. Just like I told you about not telling anypony about our less than ladylike lunch. Now watch, here comes the next round.”

11:30am, the bridge from The Cloudsdale Hospital to The Wonderbolts Arena

Rubbing one arm uncomfortably as she left the military hospital, Fluttershy felt her stomach drop at the thought of how hard it would be to comfortably fly at her pace back to the arena. Watching a unicorn in a white doctor’s robe eat a sandwich as he jogged across the massive wooden bridge that connected the medical ward to the Wonderbolts arena, she turned to follow him. She felt more comfortable there rather than joining the busy sky overhead.

As large and carefully reinforced as the bridge was, Fluttershy almost never felt the uncomfortable moment when a breeze picked up while walking beside the railing. The sweet soft song of birds in conversation made her slow, looking around distractedly for where they were... And why they were thanking somepony she couldn't see for lunch. Finally swallowing back her fear of heights, Fluttershy leaned over the railing to look for the source of their birdsong. She gasped with joy at a flock of forty snow white Cloudsdale pigeons crowded around a young bat filly, who sat alone on the thin lip formed from the hidden steel framework that supported the bridge.

One of the larger males, with flecks of grey in his white feathers, greedily snatched a larger chunk of the bread the young filly was handing out to the birds, then leapt away from his rivals to perch in the filly’s white hair. He crouched low in his ‘camouflage’, and it was simply so adorable that Fluttershy couldn't have stopped the “Awww!!~” that she let out if she had wanted to.

While the flock of birds mostly ignored her, only a few turning to watch Fluttershy for a moment, the filly froze up, hanging her head forward, ignoring the protestations of the male perched on her head. Her long bangs covered her face, and she focused on handing out shredded pieces of bread to the birds, seemingly trying to ignore the fact that Fluttershy existed.

Unable to help herself, Fluttershy grinned as she watched the male on the bat’s head finished his bread. He leaned forward and began picking at her hair, preening the young girl. As though she sensed Fluttershy still staring at her, the girl finally looked up, scowling at her sharply despite the first hints of a blush on her cheeks. “What?! Why are you staring? They're birds. They need to eat, too!”

Crossing her hands over one another so she could rest her chin on them as she continued to watch, Fluttershy grinned and nodded excitedly before enthusiastically replying. “Exactly! So many ponies here just see them as nuisances ‘cause they steal seeds or food sometimes. But so few ponies keep farms or gardens these days, so of course they have to hunt for any scraps they can find!”

Before Fluttershy’s eyes, the filly’s expression momentarily softened into an excited grin, then just as quickly she stiffened up again, the smile disappearing. Sitting up a little, scratching her fingers along the male bird’s neck as he continued to preen her hair, she finally looked up at Fluttershy. “How come you care so much about birds? I thought all you pegasi just cared about weather and crops and winter.” The bat filly rolled her eyes and made an exasperated noise. “They won't ever shut up about winter!”

Giggling softly, Fluttershy shook her head and offered a finger out to one of the larger females who had come to investigate her pink hair as it blew in the gentle breeze. “Oh dear. I'm afraid I won't be much better conversation for you then. I'm Fluttershy, by the way, and my special talent is talking to animals. Later in the year it's almost all the birds care about, too. You see, they have to bulk up or fly south or hibernate for winter, and it can be horribly stressful if the harvest is bad.”

The filly watched Fluttershy closely as she lifted the white bird to her cheek, nuzzling it fondly while the bird replied with beautiful singing. Her eyes growing wide, the filly rose, walking casually through the birds on the sliver of thin steel as though it were as wide as the bridge. When she got near Fluttershy, she leaned in close, excitement clear in her eyes and rosy cheeks. “You can talk to them?! What's she saying?! I've always wanted to talk to birds! I can only kinda get an idea about what they’re chirping about… Still, they're better company than most ponies.”

The rush of questions from the foal almost made Fluttershy step back. She caught herself, though, and tried to work through her anxiety now that the batmare was so close to her. ”Come on, Fluttershy… you can do this. Talk to somepony new, and make a new friend. Just calm down, relax, just like Rarity always says…” Doing her best to catch her breath while standing on shaking legs hidden from the foal by the railing between them, Fluttershy held up one very pointed finger, just like her Mistress did when she wanted silence. Lifting the bird on her other hand close, Fluttershy pretended to be comfortable showing off for the younger filly. “Miss Tweeters? My friend here, ummm-”

Catching Fluttershy’s hesitation, the filly moved even closer, eyes wide with fascination at how the bird watched Fluttershy’s every word. “I'm Gentle Breeze, Miss Tweeters. Did you like the bread today? Sorry it was a little stale.”

While her attention had been momentarily diverted from Fluttershy when Breeze talked, the bird turned back to Fluttershy. “Er- Yes. My friend Breeze wants to know-” With a voice full of song, the little white pigeon interrupted Fluttershy. Leaning in closer to the little bird, Fluttershy listened closely, nodding along several times and relaying her answers back to Breeze. “Well, she says she doesn't mind the stale bread, but she liked the browner bread you gave them yesterday. Birds aren't great at describing types of bread, but I'm guessing it was pumpernickel? And she says you need to tell the- oh… my… um…”

A look of worry spread over Breeze’s face, and she stepped closer, grasping both of Fluttershy’s hands over the high barrier. “What? Tell who what? What did she say, Fluttershy?”

Blushing furiously now, Fluttershy looked away and spoke towards her feet, struggling to repeat the bird’s rude words before a near stranger. “She… er- well, she said you should tell ‘that fat peacock’ that he steals too much food from the other birds in the flock... and if he keeps doing it, he’ll end up as fat as a budgie and get left behind when they migrate. I think she means the one that was sitting on your head. And I sorta had to clean up her language, she wasn't very polite, sorry.”

Fighting the urge to laugh, Breeze released Fluttershy’s hands and nearly fell off the thin platform as she danced back across to where the fat male had perched. She poked him playfully in the chest, giggling as she said, “You hear that, ya little chunkster? Better behave or Miss Tweeters will leave you behind this winter!”

Pulling away from Breeze’s accusatory finger and shrilly answering the female’s accusations, the large male lept into the air. Singing out the entire time, he flew in several complex loops and spirals before landing again and standing up tall, pridefully fluffing his chest feathers before the whole flock.

Meeting Breeze’s wide and questioning eyes, Fluttershy lifted her hands, waving them in surrender. “There's no good way of translating that either. Mostly he just declared that he’s the most handsome and strongest flyer in the flock.”

Giggling happily, Breeze reached out and started scratching the pudgy bird on the side of his head, cooing a little at him when he pressed into her fingers.

Across the bridge, a sudden massive roar of voices united as one cried out, and began chanting a single name. “Fleetfoot! FLEETFOOT! FLEETFOOT!!!”

Shooting up straight, Breeze’s eyes went wide as she began searching her tight and clingy black flightsuit, swearing in frustration. Some of the words shocked Fluttershy. “Oh no, oh no oh no! Where in Tartarus did I leave the fucking papers Silk gave me?! She and the guards were both really serious about how important they are!”

Realizing the girl was panicking, Fluttershy ignored her own fear of heights, and climbed onto the railing of the bridge, looking around between the birds now roused up by Breeze’s panicked search. “Like, identification papers? Why do you need that? You're a bat filly, surely the guards at your hotel should recognize you easily enough.”

Stomping a foot in frustration and sending the gathered pigeons into flight, Breeze turned back and grabbed Fluttershy's hands. “Not some hotel. The contest!” Eyes widening further in realization, her dark skin became a shade lighter, almost as if the blood had run out of her cheeks. “Oh, shit! I left them in my locker. Fluttershy, what am I going to do!? Princess Luna said she was looking forward to seeing me compete! And Silk gave me this flight suit and a set of brand new blades of real steel! If I don't make it back for my turn to compete, I’m going to let down the Night Mother so badly!”

Squeezing the filly’s hands in return, Fluttershy felt an odd confidence creep into her, and she squared her shoulders, smiling reassuringly. “Look, Gentle Breeze. Relax and look at me. I'll get you in. Nopony will stop us. I’ll make sure Princess Luna gets to see you on that field.”

Author's Notes:

Decided the current chapter was getting too big and was still only half done, so I break it here and offer to you that start. With so much more to come, I can't wait to hear back from you all.

Also still looking for new editing assistance. On the plus side, I finally heard back from Frankie, who is sadly having personal issues still and has no eta on their return. A real shame, but glad to know they're doing ok.