Vector was alone in her lab sitting at her desk reading through a pile of papers. On them were years of research on genetic codes and how it worked. Through extensive study and research she unlocked its secrets, not all but enough to get what she wanted. Beside her was the tank from a week ago now there was a second one with a small black and green pulsating mass in the center of it.

Around the two tubes was more equipment than there was before.

She scribbled a few notes down and placed the paper in her hoof on top of the growing pile. She then reached over her head stretching backwards pulling out a voice recorder and held it with her wing close to her mouth. Pressing the record button she inhaled deeply before saying, "Log date August 21, 2202. Subject P-8ANU7 is growing at a steady rate. The prototype will be done in less than a week and ready for shipment."

She took a moment to go over her notes once more before continuing, "Thanks to the changeling prisoners I have applied them with questions and they with humility and grace have given me greater insight to how changelings and thresher mauls work. That being said my previous analysis on changelings is in need of an update. Changelings can survive off only base emotion but solid foods can sustain them for short periods of time. Threshers however, are... more attuned to consume love and positive emotions." she paused to collect her thoughts.

"Threshers however need constant love to maintain themselves but can survive of solid foods unlike the common changeling brethren. However, large consumption of love without purging it from a thresher leads to abnormal growth and turns the changeling hostile towards all living things, as evidenced by subject P-8ANU7, during the invasion of Canterlot."

"I have perfected a means drain the changelings of their love rendering them helpless, but I refuse to share this with the Royals of Canterlot due to the potential weaponization of such knowledge. And last side note to self thank the changeling medic on her insight to their anatomy."

She ended the recording placing the device on the table.

She stood up and walked over to the large capsule and looked over the large changeling container. She gently ran her hoof over the glass feeling the coolness of it under her hoof. It was so odd to her. Despite knowing why this strange phenomenon occurred it still seemed strange to her. Over the course of the years she made several discoveries with her colleges, one ground breaking discovery was the innate magical sources in all living things. It's what allowed pegasi to manipulate clouds/weather, supplied unicorns with magic, and allowed changelings to shapeshift and live. This raw magical force is also what allowed ponies to feel with their hooves.

It was a hard road but in the end it would all be worth it. Helping ponies and the changelings everyone would get a piece of the pie. The world had suffered enough, it was time to make peace with old enemies and bring a brighter future. This tank filled with liquid was the start of that journey. However the second one was a deterrent in case war was inevitable but she'd worry about that if the time ever come.

She eyed the larger changeling and wondered what he was thinking right now. Suddenly a small red light on the tube turned green and the changeling began to sturr. Slowly it opened its eyes revealing the softest green eyes Vector had ever seen in her life. This wasn't some monster. Not with that look.

He glanced over to her, his breathing mask still on his muzzle, as he reached touching the glass where her hoof was.

"Momma?"

The blue pegasus felt a tightness in her chest at the word. It was so innocent. A child looking for his mother. Perhaps it was a side effect to the tanks regeneration? Was he hallucinating? Was she imagining this? It was so surreal to her and that was a word she almost never used to describe anything. She rubbed her hoof in small circular motions when an idea hit her.

She checked the gauges and saw he was in peek condition, considering he was dead for over a week. She then started to run a simulation test making the tank glow slightly as it began to hum quietly. The changeling scrunched his face clearly feeling slight discomfort. He struggled but the small size of the chamber when was in made it impossible for him to accuse of his hulking size. He slowly began to twitch as his body was drained of his magical energy.

He began to whimper as the pain increased and he felt himself becoming drained. Slowly he began to shrink in size while his body made unnatural cracking sounds. Vector winced at the sounds hearing them clear as day. She watched from her console as the changeling struggled and cried in pain. It was hurting her inside to see him suffering but it would all be worth it. If she was correct in her hunch he could return to normal but it was going to be a painful transition.

"Hang in there kid it's almost over." she said walking back over to the tank tapping it a few times to get his attention.

The changeling placed his hoof against the glass were hers was as he continued to twitch eventually turning into full blown spasms.

"Momma, it hurts! It hurts!"

"Hang on kid just a bit more." Vector replied monotonously.

She listened to him as he continued to cry. The poor child. Had she known this would be the outcome she would have planned for something different. Admittedly him dying wasn't part of her original plan bu this would work out. Hopefully.

After ten agonizing minutes he was finally back to his normal size. A small black and green changeling colt slightly pudgy curled up into a ball not moving. The pegasus mare check the monitors, he was alive. She thanked the heavens for that. She gripped her chest with her left hoof and sat down in her chair taking a good minute to steady her breathing and relax.

After allowing herself to relax she reset the tank draining it completely of all its contents except for the tiny changeling who dangled from the few tubes holding him up. Once the monitors red green she opened the tube and took hold of the little changeling separating him from the IVs and the mask that was wrapped around his body, now too big for him. He looked like he was asleep his back leg kicked occasionally like he was dreaming of something. She smiled holding him in his arms like this. In an odd way she felt like she was his mother. She revived him and carrier her in a mechanical womb of sorts. In a way she felt like he was her own child.

Her train of thought was interrupted when he began to shiver in her arms.

"Aw, I'm sorry kid." she took off her coat and dried him wrapping him in it like a baby bundle. "There we are all better."

She then nuzzled him making him squirm in her arms. He turned to bury himself into the coat hiding hos face within the white cloth.

She placed him under her wing and after closing up her work area she opened the doors to the hall and closed it behind her heading for home. Hours later she arrived late in the evening to the sounds of two mares fighting, again.

She sighed opening the door, careful not to drop the bundle in her wings grasp. She closed the door just in time to catch the major point of the argument.

"I can't believe you snuck out and joined their rally! You're so lucky young lady! Had you been part of any raid you'd be in prison right now- don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Spitfire's voice roared making Link cower under Vector.

She rubbed the little timberwolfs ear making him relax. Ever since Spitfire and Buttercup started fighting it became common for the cub to cower from them and seek comfort with the crippled pegasus. She was more than happy to offer herself to him as a friend. Heavens know they both needed it now. She walked into the living room to see Buttercup storming off into the hallway, no doubt going to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Spitfire didn't even flinch or hesitate to follow the young mare into the room. Fearing the worst Vector followed them not bothering to close the doors behind her.

She saw Spitfire round the corner to Buttercup's room and heard yelling followed by a loud slap followed by a loud banging noise. Fear gripped her heart as she ran in the bedroom to see Buttercup on the floor clutching her cheek with a trail of blood on her forehead as well as on the nearby desk. While the batpony looked up at her mother in fear Spitfire looked down at her with rage. Putting the bundle on the bed next to her, Vector rushed over to the downed batpony helping her up. She took a small cloth from nearby and wiped the blood off Buttercup's head glaring at Spitfire.

"What is with you Spitfire? You could have seriously hurt her or worse." Vector strained to keep herself calm.

The brown pony scowled at her pushing the pegasus away. "I can take care of myself." she sniffed trying not to cry and appear to be tough.

That hurt Vector deep down but she did understand why. Despite knowing the batpony had no idea of her involvement in her mothers so called demise, she still felt a pang of fear everytime the young mare accused her of trying to replace Trixie. But tonight would be different.

But Spitfire wasn't done yet.

"I've had it young lady you are grounded."

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

"For one thing, you snuck out after hours," she tapped her hoof as if counting. "Two I told you to stay away from those Night Raiders and you still went to their rally! Had Shining Armor not taken extensive notes on his operatives and sympathizers you could easily be on a prison cell like the rest of his lot! And three you keep disobeying me and I've had it with your defiance!"

"I don't see why you care-"

"I DO CARE! I CARE ABOUT YOU ALOT! Ever since your mother and brother died it's been tough. Not just for you but me as well." she spoke the last part quickly to silence her daughters protest. "I don't want you to grow up into a monster and killer Buttercup."

"I'm not a killer." the threshal snapped back at her mother.

The older mare sighed massaging her head. She then wen tot sit beside her daughter and wrapped her wing around her body. She pulled her in but was first met with resistance, but eventually she gave in leaning into her mothers side.

Neither said anything after that and what followed was one of the most awkward silences Vector was ever part of. But then she looked over at the bundle she brought and it moved slightly making he remember her plan. She walked up to Spitfire and rubbed her nose under her chin making her purr like a kitten, and made Buttercup scowl in disgust.

Vector then walked over to Buttercup and pulled her up leading her and Spitfire over to the bed where the bundle lay. It moved again making both Spitfire and Buttercup rear back in surprise. At first they thought it was Link but seeing him by their side quickly dispelled that. Vector smiled holding the bundle in her arms and slowly unwrapped it.

"I've been working on this for a while now. Took a while for me to put the pieces together but now I'm able to bring a part of your family back> she declared with pride.

Buttercup scoffed at her. "You? Hah, don't make me laugh you can't bring back the dead."

"Well I think this will brighten both your moods tonight." she said holding the bundle in her arms and offered it to Spitfire.

The yellow mare took it and unwrapped it, gasping at what she saw. A familiar black face with the softest green eyes she knew well poked itself out with a loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes as a sleep tear slid down his face. Buttercup looked over to see and held up her hooves over her mouth in surprise.

"PEANUT!"

"Hmm? Momma?" the changeling colt asked looking up to Spitfire. "MOMMA! SIS!"

"PEANUT!" they cried together huddling together.

The pegasus and threshal both hugged him between themselves making him squeak in fear. He struggled to break from their grasp flailing his tiny hooves.

"Can't... GASP!... Breath..." he wheezed out making Vector giggle.

Seeing the family together brought her great joy. Deep down however, she was also afraid. She knew if the truth aver got out about her involvement with Trixie's death and the Starfall clan, she knew Spitfire would be out for blood. Her blood specifically. But she'd deal with that when it came, but for now she was in the moment watching the fruits of her labor at work.

Feeling left out she quietly snuck out the door closing slowly as to glance one last time at the happy family hoping that one day it would be her turn to join in among them.

Author's Notes:

Another day another update.

Sorry my dedicated readers and writers but I have a bit of homework for you. I know you all will probably hate me for it but I am at an impasse. What do you want me to do next?

A. Focus on Trixie and Solarflare for a while?

Or

B. Focus on Spitfire, Vector, and Buttercup/Peanut for a few chapters?

I leave it to you guys to decide, otherwise I'll decide with a coin toss. Either way the deadline will be by the end of the weekend so let me hear not only your answers but thoughts as well!

R.R.L.T.!