Espirit shivered as she was brought into the dining hall of their great company house. Dragons, diamond dogs, ponies of all kinds, minotaurs and griffons all seemed to make their home here. They were running around, yelling, talking, joking. They barely gave them a second look as Steelhorn led her inside.

“You hungry? You don't look like you've eaten in days. Well, okay. You look like you haven't eaten much in days.”

“I've been eating a lot of grass,” Espirit said softly.

“That's nothing for a growing young mare to be eating. Come on, I'll get you some real food.” The changeling pushed her into a chair before trotting off. She soon returned with haymuffins, dropping them in front of her. “So, tell me a bit about yourself. Namely, what were you doing there? With that elemental?”

The zebra sighed. “I felt it. The snap. When the aether gets pulled too much and the land strikes back. I was going to ignore it but... then I heard the screams. I had to do something...” She slowly took a muffin and stuffed it in her mouth. It was delicious.

The mare nodded. “Got it. You aren't a changeling, are you?”

The zebra shook her head.

“Oh, I see. Then how long have you been a mare? A few weeks?”

The zebra's eyes went wide and she shot some of the muffin across the table, choking on the rest. A moment later the changeling was behind her, pounding on her back. “Easy, easy! It's going to be okay, just calm down.”

Espirit coughed, trying to clear her throat. Once she did, she looked up. “H-how?”

“Well, a few things. One, you walk like a guy. Well, actually, every movement you make is very... male like. Most wouldn't notice, but I'm a changeling. Little movements like that are things we learn to view and mimic quickly. Two, you said you don't have a home anymore. I'm guessing not everypony agreed with your... transformation. Did it make you younger, too?”

She shook her head. “No. It was... only supposed to last a month. Fantasia.”

The mare cringed. “I... I see. No, that wouldn't change your age. You're a little... young to be taking that though. How did you find it?”

“It was given to me by... some ponies...”

“And it turned you into a female zebra. Yeah, some ponies just aren't responsible. Bad enough having to go through puberty once, having to switch genders mid way through is just... no. So many times no.” She then glanced down. “Is that why you don't want to go home? Because... of what you're afraid your parents will say?”

He lowered his eyes. “No. I had to run away because-- eep!” He let out a shriek as she was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by the changeling.

“Oh, you poor, poor dear! Well, don't you worry one little, tiny bit. You're going to be okay and safe here now, alright? Besides, there are a lot of perks to being a mare.” The changeling paused. “And a lot of horrible things too, but you get used to them.”

“W-what? But... I... errr... F-fantasia wears off, right? I was told it would in a month. When...”

“No. I'm afraid fantasia is permanent,” Steelhorn said with a gentle pat. “In theory, another bottle could change you back. But you'd have to become... well, who you were on the inside as well. Most who take a bottle never turn back into themselves. Most usually don't want to, either.”

Espirit nodded and closed her eyes. Despite the fact her shell looked hard and cold, she was finding the changeling to be quite soft and warm. “I... don't want to change back anyway. I'm... I'm happier like this.”

The changeling nodded. “Uh huh. Of course you are.” She softly put a wing over her. “These ponies who... helped you. Who gave you this bottle of fantasia. Did... they want you to do anything? Did they want you to keep it from your parents?”

The zebra nodded as she nibbled a muffin.

“I see. Have... you seen your parents since this?”

Espirit shook her head.

“I... I see,” the changeling said before giving her another hug. “You're a conjurer, right?”

“Yes?” the zebra said in confusion.

Steelhorn let go. “I'll see if we can find a place for you here, okay? Just... enjoy the muffins and you can get some sleep soon.”

“Okay...” Espirit said, watching the changeling walk away. She wondered what that was about.

------

“Bandits killed her family and forced her to drink Fantasia,” Steelhorn said the moment Ganry walked in the door.

“W-what?” the griffon asked, his eyes widening. “Are... are you sure?”

“Of course. Talking to her, it's pretty obvious. No wonder she was running away and trying to get a way out of here,” Steelhorn said with an emphatic nod. “And she said she has no home. She--”

“Are you sure you're not just letting your imagination run away with you, again?” Swipe asked as he walked in the door.

“I'm one hundred percent sure. There's no--”

“You were a hundred percent sure about that diplomat secretly being a centaur spy. And one hundred percent sure that the pink unicorn dating Ironweight was secretly an incarnation of Cadence, or that the chocolate milk delivered a few months back was really--”

“Fine, I've leaped at a few shadows in the past, but this time I'm a hundred percent sure, even more than normal.” She looked to the griffon. “You believe me, don't you?”

Ganry nodded. “If you think so, I believe it. Why else would a little filly like--”

“Actually, she's technically a colt. She's imbibed Fantasia, that's why he looks like a mare. Well, is a mare. Filly. Somewhere between those.”

“So she's basically a teenager. Joy. So what do you plan to do with her? Toss her in an orphanage?” Swipe asked with annoyance. “Adopt her? Toss her on the side of the road?”

“Well, she made it all the way here, she's not a bad healer. Conjurers can be useful and I think Clearpond might like her.”

“Clearpond is a full white mage,” Swipe said, tapping his claw. “She's not going to--”

“I'm not going to what?” a voice said from above. The three looked up and saw a black coated pegasus with a golden mane standing on the second floor. She wore thin white garments that melded to her legs, torso and under her wings. She leaped from the second floor and glided down, landing besides the group. “Am I correct in thinking this has to do with the zebra currently sleeping in Steelhorn's bed?”

“Yes, she's an orphan,” the changeling said quickly. “And a conjurer. I think we should help--”

“For all we know she's a runaway,” Swipe said firmly. “We should get her to--”

“Stop,” the pegasus said gently. Both did obediently. “So she's a conjurer? She is a little young to be practicing those arts, but I have seen younger. Now, Steelhorn, what do you know about her?”

“Her parents were--”

“I said know. Not believe.”

The changeling sighed. “She said she had no home, she's admitted to taking fantasia, she was a colt before. She's a conjurer.”

“She risked her life to save a couple of colts from an elemental,” Ganry added.

“That too. If she doesn't have a home, then she's alone and she needs somepony to help her.”

The pegasus nodded. “I see. Swipe, what do you know?”

“I... don't really know anything about her. But she might be another runaway. She's not our responsibility. She'll just get hurt around here.”

The pegasus nodded. “Perhaps. I will speak to her once she awakens. Once I have spoken with her, I will decide what we do.” She paused and looked them over. “And what is it you desire for us to do?”

“We should take her in. Another conjurer could be useful, I'm sure she could pay her way in work,” Steelhorn said quickly. “Ganry and I could take her on, show her the ropes.”

Swipes snorted. “I say we take her home. She's practically a filly, she'll just cause us trouble. She--” His eyes widened and he took a step back, raising his claws defensively. He barely caught the wing blades coming down. The force still knocked him to his knees as he held his claws in an X over his head. “H-hello sensei.”

“You've gotten slower,” the black coated negasi said before pulling her wing blades back. She then twisted about and drove her hooves into the dragon's stomach. He fell back with a pained groan, his claws holding his chest. “You should have dodged that, not parried.”

“S-sorry,” the dragon said weakly, clutching his chest.

“No, you aren't yet. But you will be.” The negasi stretched out her bat-like wings and grinned, the wing blades glimmering in the light. The dragon let out a yelp and quickly rolled back to his claws, parrying another blow as the negasi slashed at him.

“Why didn't you warn him that Silverwing was back?” Steelhorn asked the pegasus.

“And miss out on this entertainment? Besides, she would have been furious if I'd given her student warning. Go and get something to eat or rest. I'll speak with this young mare when she awakens. I will make my decision after.”

“Okay,” Steelhorn said softly, before glancing back towards the resting rooms. “If she does need us though, we've--”

“I will make my decision then. Not before.” The pegasus turned and walked off, leaving the changeling and griffon behind.

------

Espirit groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She was still tired, but she felt like she'd slept for days. For once, she didn't have a bunch of aches and pains to remind her that she had slept on the hard floor. Instead she felt comfortable and relaxed, a bed under her to soften her sleep.

“Are you awake? I'm sorry if I disturbed you,” a gentle voice said.

Espirit looked up and gasped. A pegasus mare was sitting by a small table in the corner of the room, holding a small cup. A steaming tea kettle stood in the center of the table. “Would you like to join me for tea?”

“O-okay,” Espirit said before slowly sliding out of bed. “Where's the changeling? I thought this was her room.”

“It is,” the pegasus said. “I am the leader of Torrential. My name is Clearpond, a pleasure to meet you.”

Espirit nodded as she slowly walked closer. Her eyes widened when she saw the white garments. “My name is Espirit. Are... you a conjurer?”

“No, I am no longer considered one,” the mare said before sipping her tea. “I am now amongst the ranks of the white mages.”

Espirit shrieked. “You are? You're a white mage? You're one of the sun healers?”

That gave the pegasus pause before looking back to the zebra. “My my. It has been quite a while since anypony has used that term to describe us. But yes, I suppose I do still fall under Celestia's domain. I mean you no harm, you need not fear me.”

The zebra nodded as she stepped forward, sitting across from the pegasus. The elder mare poured her a cup of tea, before watching her. “Tell me, where are you from?”

Espirit opened her mouth to lie, before stopping. Lying to the changeling was one thing. But this was a white mage. Lying to one of them was the greatest treason she could think of as a conjurer. “Canterlot.”

“Do you wish to return there?”

That made the young mare lower her eyes. Did she? Even if she wanted, could she? “I can't...”

“I didn't ask if you could. I asked if you wished to.”

“No, I don't,” Espirit slowly sipped her tea, trying her best not to sink slowly into the ground. The other mare somehow seemed more... adult than the other adults. An actual white mage. It was as if she was being scolded be her own father, or the very earth itself.

“Are you frightened of me?”

“You are very intimidating,” she said pitifully.

“I see. I do mean you no harm, child. I can understand the intimidation. Now, tell me. What do you want to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“You are here, away from home. You don't want to go home. What is it here that you want to do?”

Espirit glanced down and stared into her tea. She knew what she wanted to do, but it was stupid to say out loud. “I... don't know.”

“Are you sure? There's nothing you want to do? Nothing you want to be? I won't laugh, child.”

The zebra chewed on her lower lip. “I... I want... I want to be a hero,” she finally said softly. “Like in the books. Like... Celestia and Luna and Twilight and her friends were. Like they were supposed to be.”

The mare nodded. “I see. Like they were. But that's not an easy thing to do. How many times have these 'heroes' arisen as villains? How many lives have been thrown away to fight them off? Do you really wish to become like them so you may one day become the same villain?”

“No!” Espirit said, shaking her head. “I... I want to be like the other them. The ones from stories. The ones who once protected Equestria and kept everypony safe. I want to be a hero, somepony everypony trusts. I... I want to help everypony. I want to set everything right.”

Clearpond nodded before she stood up and walked besides the young mare. Her wing gently reached out to pull her close. “I see. I understand. You... are still young. But not so young that you cannot make your own decisions. Plenty of ponies have left their homes and set out on their own at your age. Your conjury will be useful as well. If you truly wish to stay here, we can offer you a place to belong.”

“W-what?” Espirit asked, staring at her. “What do you mean?”

Clearpond pulled back and gently held out a hoof. “Well, Espirit, child. If you wish to, you may join our company. Steelhorn has already accepted you into her group and will be working along side you if you do. But in the end, the choice is, of course, yours.”

Espirit nodded slowly. “Okay.” She stared at the white mage, her eyes slightly wide. The last adventuring group she'd joined tried to sell her to the centaurs. Who knew how many others they'd hurt and tricked. How was this any different?

Her eyes focused again on Clearpond. It was different because her. An actual white mage. She could never imagine a white mage doing such deeds. Even back home such mages were viewed with respect, no matter what species they were. Even a centaur white mage would have been allowed safe passage through their lands. She couldn't begin to imagine one trying to trick her like they did.

“What... would I have to do? What would be expected of me?”

“You'd pay your way, eventually. I believe Steelhorn will sponsor you. That means getting you gear to fight with, lodging, meals. You'll take jobs from those who hire us and help on them. Once you've done a few jobs, your sponsorship would end and you'd be choosing your own jobs. Until then, you'll be working with Steelhorn on her jobs. It can be dangerous, however. Not every member survives. We've lost a few a year. It's the sad, but brutal truth. If you accept, nopony can guarantee your safety.”

Espirit nodded. “Okay. I... I think I can do it. I think... I think I can do that,” she whispered softly. “It's not so bad. I don't think anypony can guarantee my safety no matter where I go. At least this way I'll be doing what I want.” She smiled up at the mare. “I accept.”

“Very well, child,” Clearpond said before getting to her hooves. She paused for a second. “Do... you remember your family?”

“Yes, of course? Why wouldn't I?”

“No reason. When you feel up to it, seek out Steelhorn. She'll help you get equipped. I hope you've made a decision you can be happy with.” The pegasus glanced back and gave her a strange look, before turning to trot out of the room.

Espirit nodded and watched the mare go. She then glanced back to her tea. She couldn't believe it, she'd be working with a real white mage. Her father would be so proud. If not for every other way she'd failed. She sighed again.