Author's Notes:

THIS IS UNEDITED so there will be many grammars and spelling mistakes, once the edit is done by a good friend of mine, this will be updated.

We stood in front of one of the known blocked exits that shit eating grin still itched into my brain from that damn unicorn. I wasn’t planning on leaving yet without Zoe or Silver of course, but if that was the shortest exits out of this hell hold…this just meant that we still had a higher chance of being caught! The sound of running footsteps caused me to turn with my shovel held high, ready to attack, but sighed a breath of relief when seeing it was Zoe and Silver. Angle rushed over, hugging her colt and making sure he was alright, as the blue earth pony, got ready to attack Zoe. “Hang on,” I yelled getting between him and her. “She’s with us! If she hadn’t helped me escape none of us would’ve been out of here!”

“But she is a Diamond Dog!” he answered with a glare looking at the one behind me.

“Also raised by ponies,” I pointed out as she looked to me with a surprised look. “Look…uh…”

“Boulder,” fit the bill for sure…he is a large pony.

“Boulder,” I spoke his name. “Look, we don’t have time for this; we gotta get out of here, now!”

“He’s right,” she spoke up as we looked to Zoe. “Look like’s the main exit is gone, how did that happen?”

“A unicorn that seems to hate all humans,” I said quickly. “So it’s ether one or the other tunnel we take.”

“Each is equally large,” the dog answered. “These caves had been here for years, it was only when Alpha came did he make that one tunnel that went straight ahead…before that well…they lead to different exits but, it could take us a while.”

“The princesses are on their way anyway,” I said back as the four looked to me. “Princess Luna came to me in my dream last night; they are to be here within the hour, so let’s get out of here and quickly before anymore come out!” I did a quick look around and said “Zoe, you go with the other dogs,”

“W…what?”

“Listen, the moment Alpha finds you with us, trying to escape, what do you think he will do to your sister?” she bit her lip a bit as I knelt down. “I will give word to the princess about your sister, they can help you get her out, I’m sure of it.”
She looked up to me, seeming thinking before nodding her head, her ears twitching a bit before saying. “Go down one of these tunnels, quickly! More are coming!” I nodded, seeing Boulder, Angel, and lastly Silver run down one tunnel, I turn to follow them before hearing Zoe answered. “I’ll cover this doorway and the other, that’s all I can do right now…I hope you all get out safe!”

“We will,” I told her before almost entering the tunnel. ‘And Zoe…thank you,” she looked back to me, a small smile on her face as she took a pickaxe and went to the tunnel I was entering, and started to whack away at it. I followed the slightly dark tunnel, catching up to the others; just as the light from behind was blocked out.

We had been walking for a while, perhaps ten minutes or so, though some of the gems that were seen all about somehow held light within him, Angel with what little magic she had, made a ball of light. The tunnel was wide enough that we could all walk in a line, side to side. I kept looking backwards; making sure no one we didn’t know was following us, Boulder would jump at each shadow that seemed to come by. At times we stopped, hearing echoes of barks throughout the tunnels. My hand gripping the handle of my shovel all the harder as Boulder, kicked the ground like a bull would. Luckily, the echoes passed leaving me with just one thing on my mind…we were not the only ones in these tunnels. Boulder told me that he had been in this tunnel a few times before, and that he knew that there were rooms were some of the workers stayed. Telling me that these tunnels echoed as a way of talking to one group and another. The fact we haven’t heard any barks behind us, I would think they were trying to find out what the little quake was about. “When I was done here, there were I think…three or five Diamond Dogs station here,” he told me as we lead our small group. This is where most of the gems were found at first, as well as an exit a few miles…I think down this way.”

“Why not just mine here then, and not out there?”

“This tunnel…you could call it, the spine of this mountain, this means that if they were not very careful…a trait not found in most of these damn mutts…well, this whole place could cave in on us.”

“Then why keep any dogs in here then?” I heard Angel ask.

“My guess…to keep anyone from mining in that area.” Boulder spoke again. “No doubt, Alpha gave them orders to guard the area, and attack anypony but him.”

“And if there are guards there…and this is the only exit,” I said slowly, knowing what the answer would be.

“We will have a fight on our hooves,” he confirmed as I gripped the shovel a bit harder.

“So what’s your story?” I asked after we walked a bit down the tunnel some more, man, this tunnel felt like it just went on and on, twists and turns, drops and…it was just so damn crazy! At times we had to help one another to climb up a way, because it looked like they just shot right upward when they were digging. I turned to Boulder, after helping Angel up another steep hill. “I mean your Cutie Mark looks like it has to do with something along the lines of building right?”

“Yes,” he answered. “But you see, my families were miners, hence my name being Boulder, my father was not really happy when my calling was building. This is why I know we need to be safe around here, or else we would risk a cave in!” I nodded at this, looking back as Angel stayed close by toward her son, before I spoke up once more.

“Then lets just get out of here quickly then… what about you, Angel?” the pony jerked as she looked up toward me. “What do you do for a living?” she seemed to look away for but a moment, as if not sure how to answer the question, before then looking back and then started her small tale.

“Well,” she spoke, as we kept walking, luckily there wasn’t a part in this stage of the tunnel that required us to climb up a bit. “I am now, working at a shop, helping ponies and other creatures we don’t have the items on hoof, but we can easily order it for them.”

“Makes sense I guess,” I answered once more before then realizing what she said. “Wait, you said I am now working at a shop…where did you work before that?”

At this, she seemed to stop her words for more then a few seconds, before sighing ever so softly and telling her story once more. “I use to be a servant for Celestia, a high honor mind you, to help make the life of one of the princesses even a little better…however, I…left the job after five years.”

“Why?” I asked. “Pay not good, hours too long?”

“Oh no, no, no…” she spoke shaking her head as she gave a small gentle smile. Now that I noticed, I could see the three ponies looking a bit better then when I first met them…however, how long had we been walking for anyway? “The pay was good, the hours even great…the princess seemed to over pay us a lot of the time, for little things and such…it was just…after four years of working for her, she offered me a job as her nephew’s personally maid.” Her nephew never knew she had one, could it be Princess Luna’s kid…but wouldn’t that mean another Alicorn running about? “Prince Blue Blood was…a hard pony to work with, to say the least…it was after a year of working with him…that, I just decided to quit…I couldn’t…” she looked away, was she ashamed? “This was around the time I was with Silver when I just found out I would be having a foal…so it was a stupid idea for me to quit, but Celestia…she offered and easily gave me a job at the shop I am in now. And she even paid for my bill at the hospital, she is very caring…for everyone.” I liked this princess more and more, in fact I liked all four when I met up with them at the Gala…god how long had that been? I couldn’t even remember.

“I heard rumors,” Boulder spoke up. “That she didn’t want the Gate to stay open at all, that she wanted to be kept hush, hush,”

“What?” Angel spoke up. “How can you say that? Celestia and Luna decided at the same time she wanted peace with the humans?”

“You know how it is with history,” he spoke once more, not bothering to look back. “There had always been good light on her, but never anything bad, so far only Luna with her becoming Nightmare Moon…what I heard, is that it was Luna, who first wanted to form peace, and Celestia fought against it…as to why, I don’t know…?” What…if that was true…then why? As I thought of these questions, a small voice peeped up.

“Maybe…because she was scared?”

We all stopped and looked back at Silver, who looked up at me and said. “I’m sorry Brandon…but well…humans are new to this world right? A race nopony had ever seen before…maybe Princess Celestia was just…scared of what you would do?” he then looked about us and went on. “I know its strange when I keep hearing that we ponies hate change…that we don’t take it well…this is a big step, a new world, latterly a step away? Even a princess could’ve been scared! But Luna…she was forced to accepted a lot of things right? Maybe that’s why she said it first, because she understands that change could be a good thing!” damn…the mind of a child...a wonderful thing is it not?

“Could be right kid,” Boulder spoke once more before stopping and holding his hoof up. “Shh…listen…”

I held the shovel a bit tighter, before hearing an echo of a bark, this one was vastly louder…not even maybe a few feet away, and that’s when I saw it; a turn in the tunnel, and a light being seen. The Earth pony moved up ahead rather slowly, moving low to the ground and took small easy steps as he grew closer and closer to the edge, I looked back and held my hand out, telling Angel and Silver to wait back as they nodded, myself, I moved closer; not seeing them but could well hear them. “You’ve been barking for long time now!” I heard a voice say, a diamond dog of course. “What was with shake, that we can’t get answer back?”

“Cave in?” another spoke as Boulder looked back, I held up two fingers and pointed, he shook his head, I added another one and again he shook. Holding four up he nodded; four dogs in that room. “Ponies stupid enough to make a cave in?” he was right about that, that was for damn sure. I moved back after seeing Boulder was backing away as well, before asking him. “What’s going on?”

“They are just sitting there,” he whispered back toward me. “Four of them, wearing abit more armor then the other dogs. Their heads, chest, and legs are covered, not their hind legs for some reasons.”

“Possible better running movement…” I muttered. “Only exit I’m guessing?”

“Yes…I remember this area, there only one exit, them protecting this area is a two way reason, to stop a cave in…and escapes.” Great…just fucking great…and the way they sounded, the armor part I mean, I knew for a fact that my shovel was not going to do a lot of damage ether way. “We could try simply rushing them,” he pointed out as I looked back at him. “If this is only the way out now, that is open I mean…it could allow those two to escape.” I turned back, looking at Silver and Angel. He was right…what if not all of us could make it out… “And if lucky, I can keep them at least off you as well…”

“What?” I asked looking back at the earth pony. He was looking away from me, before going on.

“I had lived a long life Brandon,” he spoke softly as I knelt down on the ground. “Perhaps I can do at least something to keep those four off you…but well…between you and me, im stronger; I can easily buck those dogs!”

“But to take four at once…”

“I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but it can be doable, maybe I can’t beat them, but I can buy at least a little bit of time.”

“I…” I was going to say, that no I couldn’t allow him to do this, to throw his life away for three strangers!”

“It’s fine…I know what you are about to say, why help strangers I barely know,” he then turned once more to look at me, a soft smile on his muzzle. “But…didn’t you do the same for us? By letting us go?” I swallowed hard when he said such words, the look on his face, I could see he was trying to put on a brave face, but he was scared…I could tell.

“You get out of here safe you hear me?” I told him grasping his hoof. “If you do, I’ll take you out for a drink or something!”

“I’ll hold you to that, Brandon,” he smiled softly. “The bit I've seen of you, well, you seem like a good young stallion…now get ready to run, run and don’t even look back you got it!” I nodded as I stood back up and backed away. Looking to my side as Angel no doubt heard what was going on as she had Silver on her back, he holding around her neck tightly.

“Good luck, Boulder,” Angel whispered softly. “And thank you,” he smiled as he gave a bop of his head before taking a deep breath and rushing out.

The sound of a grunt was heard, followed by barking of the dogs. “Pony?!” one voice yelled as the clatter of feet were heard, I waited a few seconds, before hearing a grunt, Boulder before hearing.

“Now!” I turned to the two as I nodded and we rushed out. quickly seeing the other, and only way out as the two ran there quickly, I followed behind, looking over to see four dogs near Bolder, nearly having his back to the wall, I started to slow a bit, the area small but large enough that I could run to get to the other end, I was going to stop, going to fight before he turned and bucked one in the face. “Just go!” he screamed again as the other three covered him. The one that fell to the ground was slowly getting back up, the grunts and yells of pains slowly becoming nothing but echo.

When no one follows you, it means ether one or a few things, one, those dogs were just as stupid as the others. Two, they really didn’t care, three there was something even worst down here waiting for us. Or last, this was a dead end, and we would have to go back ether way. We found a stick later on, Angel, telling me with what little magic she had left, allowed the stick tip to catch on fire with a white glow. All she told me it would light the area, but would not burn; nice. I also learned then, that whatever drink and food, (when they felt nice enough to give them any) could’ve been drugged with some sort of drug that crippled any magic user. The longer they didn’t eat the drug, the more their magic would return. We were lucky enough she was strong enough to even light a stick. Time had little to no hold here…how long had we been walking around in the dark for, truthfully…I couldn’t tell you or anyone. Silver, he had cried a bit at times, worried about Boulder. He kept asking why we left him back there; Angel told him it was his idea; to save us. I didn’t say anything; I couldn’t. You hear stories of people risking their lives for others they barely knew, seen it in movies, on the news. You read it in the papers and books…but when you see it, your heart aches. Even more, when you don’t know what became of them? Is he dead…did he escape and is on his way here now…did he kill them? Could I have done that…could I have risked my life like he did? I just don’t know…and that is what scares me. I always thought in my mind, if something happened that I would do a thing, in a way…but well now, I didn’t know what to do. This was not my mind; this was real life; a matter of life or death now; no doubt on that.

We followed the path a bit more; at times it came down pretty steep I went down first, catching Silver as he slid down, Angel next. Swinging my sit about, seeing the cave all the more, before the sound of soft dripping was heard. Looking up, I felt the drip hit my face and then could see it…light! Too far up for us to climb sure, but there it was, a faint but easy enough to see! “A exit has to be close now!” I exclaimed as the two ponies also looked up. “I mean come on, there a crack there enough to pour in some light, which would mean wherever we are; this part of it is much weaker!”

“But…what about Boulder, we can’t leave him back there,” Silver spoke looking back from where we came from. The echoing clops of my shoes and their hooves heard.

“He will be alright,” his mother spoke ushering him along. “When we get help, the guards will come and put a stop to all of this!” unless the dogs had already packed up and moved by now…

We walked a bit more, no words were exchanged, nothing, just the sounds of our feet on the ground, the crackling of the magical fire, the sounds of rumble all around…wait rumble…? The sound of the rumbling grew louder, and louder, echoing across the hollow like area we were in, the two standing beside me as I had the only sort of light, before the ground started to quack. Large bodies of rocks started to falling, the cracking sound easily heard as Silver screamed out in fear. “Run!” was all I said as the mother and son ran off ahead of me. I followed flow behind, as the ground below us started to split and crack under the weights of everything coming down on it! Why was this happening, was this a normal thing that happened here, these quakes or what? Or could this be the reason no one was following us?! I hate to say it, but I screamed when I felt the air of a rather large stone land so close, I felt the draft of it, my heart pounding deep in my chest! The ground still shaking as the large chunks of stone fell as if from the heavens themselves, even though I knew it was only because we were inside what felt like a large hollowed out area!

The two ran in front of me, myself I was rather slow, but they were indeed faster then myself, I heard Angel call out about something, I didn’t know what, looking up, I then noticed it myself a exit! Just barely seen and it was right there! We all ran quicker, the mother in front, Silver behind her and me behind. We were almost there, until I heard the sound of someone tripping. Angel was still running, and I could see that the colt was the one that fell. Grabbing him, throwing away the troche, and as well as the shovel I picked him up in my arms, nearly falling over myself as I pushed myself harder. Almost there, almost…! “Brandon, Silver!”

Looking toward her, I could see the fear in Angel’s eyes as she was looking up the sky was, or should I say the roof of wherever we were, started to collapse in and one single boulder, coming down on us, rather quickly. You know those stories where people say, things slow down, that you can see everything and yet nothing…that was not true, time didn’t slow down, in fact, it sped up to the point to where, I saw a magical dome come over me and Silver, me hitting the dirt, covering his smaller body with my own. The stone bouncing off the shield followed by the shattering of glass, a pain coming to my back as I felt something dig deep inside of it, luckily to the point where it didn’t hit my spine; before darkness.

“Br…Brandon!” I heard my name being called out, I felt sore all over, even breathing hurt, as my face was pressed down into something hard, and dusty. When I inhaled, I was breathing in dust, and exhaling just caused the dust to fly all about me. “Brandon! Please get up!” I felt someone shaking me, pleading in my ear to move, I wanted to; but couldn’t. A groan was my answer as I opened my eyes, light pouring in as I slowly turned my head, my right cheek pressed to the ground my left face exposed. Where we saw a crack before…well now there was a huge hole now, sunlight, pouring in, as well as the few cracks of smaller less life threatening stones falling from the edges…what the hell…ugh! Pain shot up my back, and I knew my spine wasn’t broken, the fact that I could move my legs and arms, well that was plus, but there was something sticking out of my back, and whenever I moved; oh god did it hurt!

“S…Silver?” I question groaning as I tired to stand but couldn’t without a huge bolt of pain shoot up my body again, which caused me to smash down on the ground.

“P…please you have to help!” I could hear the tears, or chocked up sobs…I couldn’t even think straight much less make sense by this point. I could feel something, blood no doubt dripping down the side of my back, as well as my face. My arms moving under me, groaning as I tried to stand again, this time getting my baring as I reached back, feeling something indeed stuck from my back. It wasn’t long or wide, maybe like a pocket knife deep, or half way…I couldn’t tell. Reaching fully behind, I knew I would rerate this later but…I yanked it out; I howled. Throwing it off to the side without even looking at it, I heard the clanks of it skipping off the ground as I turned over to where I heard the soft sobs of a child…my mind no longer on the pain; for what I saw, could not compare.

Angel was lying under a pile of rocks, her back toward me, as Silver was in front of her, shaking her head trying to move her. All I could see was her upper body and a single arm visible, everything else was covered. I groaned softly, seeing the blood pool from under the pile of stone, the child, shaking her, calling for his mother, but not a noise, or a movement was seen. Looking around again, I could see clearly now indeed there was an exit close by, perhaps not more then five feet away, the light coming from there, dimmed because of the other much brighter sunlight from above being used. So close…so damn close… “B…Brandon!” I looked over, my left arm felt broken, looking down, I groaned and looked away, many cuts were seen coming from it, blood pooling down to my finger tips. I couldn’t see bone, thankfully, but I could see the way my arm was bent…it was bent below the elbow. My right leg, also felt a great pain, looking at it, my pants ripped in some places, my right leg bleeding a bit as well, but it wasn’t broken, but it still hurt like a fucker… limping over slowly, half dragging my leg behind me I fell to my knees holding onto the pile with my good arm so I wouldn’t fall over. Silver looked up to me, his eyes filled with tears as he looked back down to his mother. “Sh…she’s not moving!” he cried shaking her again. “Mom! Mommy please!” I said nothing, as I held my stance on my knees and moved my right hand over toward her neck, my fingers pressed, looking around, trying to find a pulse.

There was none…

My eyes closed, my head bowed down, as I let my hand slip away from her neck, opening my eyes again, to see a crying child before me. My face must’ve told him what he feared; Angel…was gone. He just started to cry loudly, holding onto his mother’s still body. I wanted to hold him, to try and help him through this, and as much as I wanted him to greave…we had to leave now, what if another one of those caves in happened, or shakes…or whatever! Even as I thought of these things within my mind, I slowly felt myself becoming more and more drained; was it because of me losing so much blood? How much blood did I lose? All I know is that as I fell backwards, grunting as the world started to spin; I saw something…something coming down. My eyes slowly closing, as on one side whatever it was, it was blue, the other was white, and as my eyes started to close even more; all that I could hear, was the crying of Silver.

I woke up to the steady sounds of beeps on one side of me, my back, I felt something soft pressed along it, as well along my chest, my body ached still, but not too much…where was I? my first reaction was to bolt up right, did the dogs capture me and Silver again!? The beeping grew faster, more loudly as my breathing increased; I felt something in my arm as I tried to reach to pull it out! “Easy, easy!” I felt a hoof press me on my chest, my eyes snapping out, blinding myself as I groaned. “Mister Casey, please calm down! Everything is alright, you are safe now!” when I gained my eyes back, I looked about quickly, my head still hurting, and looking around like that, made it all the worst. I was in a white room, just pale white, the window covered by a curtain allowing some sunlight to enter. Looking around again this time more slowly, I found myself in what to be a hospital bed, my arm hooked up to a IV I believe, two sets really, one had blood in it, the other some clear stuff that I didn’t know what it was. My arm that wasn’t covered in the tubes I patted my chest, finding myself covered in bandages that ad a bit of red in it. “Cuts may have reopened a bit,” I heard the voice once more, looking over to see a red stallion unicorn. He wore a white coat with a red cross along the chest part…a doctor? Hs mane was that of dirty blond, his eyes a deep brown. When he saw me looking at him, he asked me softly. “How are you feeling?”

“W…water?” my voice was heavy, crackly; it wasn’t my voice that was for sure. He nodded, using his magic to bring a glass over as I took a sip. Groaning as it hurt to go down. “Thanks…” I muttered leaning back on the bed.

“Other then you needing that water…how are you?” he asked again before I responded, at times having to stop to catch my breath.

“Sore…feels like I was hit by a freaking train…”

“Boulders more like it,” the stallion spoke as he went over to the foot of my bed, I was surprised that the bed was large enough to fit me…but I didn’t think too much on it. Could just be they made human like rooms for the humans living here…or was I back on Earth?

“Where…?”

“Canterlot Hospital,” he spoke before I could ask. “Didn’t want to risk sending you over as you were, we never had to send someone through a portal when they were badly hurt, and we didn’t want to test what it would do to you, in such a sate you were.”

“How bad…was I?”

“You could’ve been far worst,” he spoke flipping the pages up and down. “The princesses when they found you, pour a bit…or I mean a lot of magic to heal you on the spot, from what I heard, they had to break your arm again when it didn’t set right. They never did have to heal humans before.”

“What?” I looked down at my arm, seeing that wrapped up as well, not in a case, but bandages as well, a small bit of warmth to it. “W…wait, Silver…?”

“The colt? He is fine, you pretty much took most of the damage when you covered him…however, and it was his mother’s shield that saved both of your lives as well.”

A flash back of what happened in the cave came rushing back, me covering Silver, and me watching a magical shield cover all around us…or what I thought was all of us. I swallowed hard, which caused me to cough.

“She…didn’t make it?” I dare asked as the doctor sighed and shook his head ever so slowly.

“She had been drugged for a long time, whatever the Diamond Dogs were giving them to dim their magic down, well it work…I can only guess what happened to her, was a Emotionally Magical Surge, or EMS for short.” If I was well enough I would’ve said that was kinda how we shorten the name for the Emergency Medical Services, but I didn’t feel much like talking unless I had to. “What that is, well it pretty much what the name says, a high power of emotions, fueling the magic user to make one large magic attack or any type of spell. If she was in full health when she did it, all that would’ve happened, was her being so weak, but well…with her being weak already, and the rocks…” he looked away and sighed. “That poor colt… thank Faust that the princesses were kind enough to give him a room in the castle, until plans are made for him. You know, he and three others guests kept coming in everyday to make sure you were fine,”

“Huh…?”

“Well, one was Princess Luna, she is in fact paying your bill here, Silver Arrow being the second, the first day, he wouldn’t move until he fell asleep, when he was taken to the castle. Your mare friend Nova, and one, Lyra if I got her name right, ether way, everyday those four came to make sure you were alright.”

“How long…have I've been out?”

“Three days,” fuck…didn’t feel like that, really it felt like I just blacked out a moment ago. “Yes, rather shocking yes? Doesn’t feel like that at all?”

“Yeah…god…what happened in there…?”

“I believe I can answer those questions for you,”

We both looked over, my eyes widening a bit as standing in the doorway, was Princess Celestia herself! I had only met her once already; during the Gala…god how many days had passed since that I couldn’t even know anymore, a week? Less? The stallion bowed down at once as the princess raised her hoof telling him to rise. “How is he Doctor?”

“Rather well, better then when he first came here,” he pointed out. “The magic you placed on him on site really helped, and his body is stable, there was that moment when his body went into shock…” the fuck? “But no damage was found, and he seems to remember what happened.”

“I see…does he need your help at the moment?”

“No, do you wish to have some alone time with him?”

“Please, and let nopony enter unless his life is in danger, or I say so.”

“As you wish, just allow me a quick check and I shall be out of your mane.” The princess nodded as she came over, a pillow coming out of the air from her magic, as she sat down on it. Beside my bed as she gazed down at me. Her eyes, they held such kindness, as if a mother would look…I rather not think of mothers right now… After the doctor did his rounds looking over at me and whatever I was hooked up to, he left out the room, the soft click of the door closing, and that was it; I was alone with the Princess of the Sun.

Nether said anything as she looked down at me, my eyes locked on to her for a moment before looking away and looking up, I felt her take a hold of my arm, and look back over. She was holding and checking the bindings, so it seemed. “How is the arm?”

“Warm,” was my answer as she nodded.

“The arm is still healing a small bit; sorry…we had to break it again when the bone grew the wrong…”

“It’s fine…” I took a small pause before then adding. “How is Silver, doing?” talking was becoming easier now. Celestia said nothing at first, ether choosing her words carefully or not sure what to say.

“He didn’t eat for two days, something I can understand why, it was only when Luna asked him, ‘do you think Brandon would want you not to eat?’ did he start again. You seemed to have an impression on him.” She then released a small smile and chuckle. “He kept calling you, Shovel Knight,”

“Oh dear God…” I groaned, but laughed all the same. “They have that game here?”

“Luna was the one that gave him the chance to play it, believe it or not.”

“Still…baffles me how a princess plays video games,”

“And kicks plot, as she puts It.” we shared one more laugh as I groaned.

“Don’t make me laugh…hurts…”

“Yes…sorry, we tried to heal you fully, but we were worried we would do more harm then good, with the little information we had on the human body. Believe me when I say, I have ordered a few medical books on humans, so I may study, so something like this doesn’t happen again.” I said nothing for a small moment before remembering a few things.

“Zoe…the Diamond…”

“Yes,” she stopped me again. “There is a Diamond Dog named Zoe, who claims to have helped you, saying you would ask us about her sister?” I nodded my head as she then said. “Explain,”

So for the next small bit, I told her all I knew, first of Zoe, and the promise I told her if she helped me escape, Celestia, listened, and did not stop me, nor ask any questions until I was fully done. I told her of how it was the True Humans who were behind this, that Alpha was just an underling to their plans, whatever that may have been. That Zoe was raised by ponies and was not like the other mutts at all. I told her of the unicorn that attacked me, and what he did, how Boulder risked his life…now that I think of it… “Boulder…what happened to him?”

“Boulder, the earth pony is fine,” I released a deep sated sigh. “The quake that happened, gave him enough time to escape, in fact, when we came down to find you, Silver, and…his mother, he was rushing up behind.” She closed her eyes and then went on. “He said the same thing about this unicorn as well, and a bit from what he could see of this Zoe character. She has agreed to show us the location, as soon as we agree that we shall pardon her and her sister, and reunite them.”

“Are you…?”

“We shall,” she opened her eyes with a small smile. “You debt is paid Brandon,”

My debt…no it wasn’t, there was still one more, well two; Boulder and Angel Heart. “Silver will be most happy that you are well,” she went on. “However, I still need to speak to him about something…”

“Wait…does he have any family at all? I mean left…?” when I said this, she turned to look at me, her eyes watching mine as she spoke.

“Can you give me your word, that what is said here wont leave this room?” I was confused, but I nodded all the same. “Equestria now has a DNA System, given to us by your race, we can easily match anypony to a family member in case something like what happened to Silver happens. We were worried we would have to go search ever city, town, est., to see if this child has any living family left…well, we found one, his father.”

“But…that is great, isn’t it?” I asked her as Celestia looked back to me. “Or…not?” she sighed again; looking drained or…disappointed really.

“It’s great, at least he has family left…but the thing is, young Brandon…” she looked back to me before saying. “His father is Prince Blue Blood…my nephew.”

It took me a moment for it all to click in, my eyes growing wide, as I remembered what was talked about in the place where we were held captive…that Angel Heart use to work as Celestia servant before going to Blue Blood! “Prince Blue Blood was…a hard pony to work with, to say the least…it was after a year of working with him…that, I just decided to quit…I couldn’t…” I could remember her saying before then remembering another line. “This was around the time I was with Silver when I just found out I would be having a foal…” at that moment, knowing now what she meant…I said only a few words.

“Imma smack a bitch up!”