Ultimately, the next week of my life would be horribly uneventful. Not that I simply walked around in a daze, my days rife with boredom or activities of no interest, but mainly there was nothing to link Thunderfall’s death with the beginning of the next phase of my life.

But this week was still an important one in my life, and without it I would not have been able to face the challenges that lay ahead of me. It was a week of growth. Of bonding. Of refocusing. And, most importantly, of rest.

I slept like a foal. When I awoke there was a smile on my face. No nightmares. A small miracle. But when I opened my door, I noticed a note: “Free bath, courtesy of DJPon3,” signed Ironbright. A big miracle.

Sure enough, the stallion guarding the baths nodded to me and let me pass. The bathhouse was arranged into separate porcelain tubs divided by blocks of tiled stone. Hot water came from the pipes that ran through the walls and ceilings, and there was a section of a bar of soap waiting as well. No wonder it was so expensive. I hadn’t been able to afford soap since I attempted independence with my watchpony job at Junction Town. I had plenty of hot water and scrubbing, but no real soap. I could have cried.

The soak and scrub relieved my aching body of the pains that still plagued it from yesterday’s battle. I had been shot and battered, and small wounds still remained on my body, but they were manageable. Some gauze pads would be more than sufficient.

Somepony pulled aside the curtain and I jumped in surprise. Cloud Chaser. I exhaled, but I still wanted her out. How hard was it for a stallion to get a little privacy after a massive life-changing battle?

“Hey, I know you’re busy, but I was kind of hoping we could have that talk now,” she told me.

“Now?” I asked.

“I didn’t think I would get another chance. You’re kind of hard to approach…”

I sighed. “Alright. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Well, there’s nothing wrong, but there’s some things that are wrong but not wrong, you know?”

I had no idea. “Just say what you’re trying to say.” I sank into the water, prepared to listen.

She asked me a question. “How do you feel?”

“About us?” I asked. “Good, actually.” And I did feel good. Cloud Chaser was still beautiful and fun, but I knew I would only ruin the good relationship I already had with her if things became romantic. I mean, there would be other mares, right? I continued. “I’m sorry I kissed you, but I’m fine with just this.”

She shook her head. “I shouldn’t have led you on like that. That was a bitchy move.”

“You weren’t leading me on. You were flirting. I mean, it seemed like you were thinking about being a couple, right?”

“I was, but I was still being a bitch.” She seemed to think, but shook her head again. “Never mind that. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You are okay, right?”

“Yes,” I reassured her, turning to her with a smile. “Honestly. It was just a kiss, it’s not the end of the world.” But there was still a question I needed answered. “What even happened with the kiss?”

“Oh,” she replied. “I really don’t know. It wasn’t bad, really. I mean, it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t, like, your technique or anything.” Well, I least I had that. She looked away from me and lowered her voice. “I still don’t know what happened. When you did it, I just felt… weird. Like I wasn’t ready to be doing any of this.” She gave a tired sigh. “Maybe Rosemary was right. It was a bad idea.”

“I don’t think I was ready, either,” I told her. “Honestly, I felt things I wasn’t ready for too.”

“Like what?” she asked.

Shit. “Like…” I searched for a way to explain myself.

“Like you totally wanted to fuck me?”

I choked on my own breath. Celestia help me if I had a drink. “Uh…”

“It’s okay,” she gave me that wry smile. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.” She turned her head. “It’s not like you can help yourself, right?”

“I’m not sure I could have…” I said quietly.

Cloud Chaser just shook her head. “I think that’s normal. Hell, you should hear half the shit Rosemary and I say. We’d put the whores in Mareheat to shame.”

I couldn’t hold her gaze. I was smiling, trying to suppress a blush. But I did feel better. “So this is okay?”

“Of course,” she said. “I think I was just confused. I mean… I’ve never had a stallion as a friend before. So when we started to get close…”

“You thought it was love,” I finished for her. “I understand. But now that I’ve gotten some time, I think we’d be better as friends.”

“Really?” she sounded relieved.

I nodded. “I mean, do you even want foals?”

“Oh Celestia, no,” she answered instantly.

“There you go.”

“Does that really mean we’d be terrible?” she asked.

I thought for a moment. “Maybe not. But it wouldn’t work in the end. And I’m in it for the long haul. I said so in my hearing.”

She smiled. “That’s sweet, by the way.” Then she sighed, content. Free. “You’re my best friend, do you know that?”

“What about Rosemary?” I asked.

“She and I are something else,” she said. “Maybe like sisters. But you? You’re not a brother. But I hope I get to see you after we leave.”

“Me too,” I agreed.

She hugged me. The moment was right. But once it was over, she let me get back to my bath. She looked a lot happier, and my heart felt lighter as well. It hadn’t occurred to me before I said it, but Cloud Chaser and I wouldn’t work as a couple. We wanted completely different things out of life and love. But as a friend? I couldn’t have asked for a better one. She was so easy to be around, so quick and perceptive that I knew I could tell her anything. Whenever the mare of my dreams did show herself, I know Cloud Chaser would help me plan my every move. And I felt like she would compare whatever stallions she met to me first. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I couldn’t stay for much longer, though. The baths were in demand, and I only had an hour. After I got out and toweled off, I headed down to breakfast. I found my friends gathered around the fountain in the marketplace. I sat down with my breakfast to a chorus of “Good morning.” I smiled warmly.

“Morning,” I replied.

“Sleep well? You seem to be in a good mood,” Ironbright said.

I nodded. “I’m just glad we’re all alive. We’re all okay.”

“A miracle,” Rosemary nodded in agreement.

“Or maybe we’re just that badass,” Cloud Chaser said. We all rolled our eyes.

“Where are you going now, Ebonmane?” Rosemary asked.

I looked at Ironbright. “I was thinking about checking in with my brother in New Appleloosa.”

“What about your parents?” Ironbright asked.

I lowered my head with a smile. “I think they’d kill me. I’ll let Seacliff cool them off first.”

Ironbright nodded. “I’d like to go with you. I owe Rosemary my business after all the help she’s given me.” She smiled.
“So we’ll still have a few more days until you go back to Stable Two?” Cloud Chaser asked.

“A few more,” I told her. “You can show me around the city.”

“You’ve seen the most of it,” she told me. “You should just spend time at the inn. Rosemary has to give you a free room now.”

“I won’t take up space,” I declined. “I’ll stay with my brother. But I’ll be around. Promise.” The two smiled.

After breakfast, we gathered our supplies into our saddlebags. As loathe as I was to get back into my armor again, the road hadn’t gotten any less dangerous since yesterday, and it would be the ultimate shame if I were to die on my way home after all of this. Ironbright also packed extra food into our bags and hung canteens around our necks.

“Where did these come from?” I asked.

“Gift. From DJPon3,” Ironbright answered.

“Wow. He must have really liked us,” Rosemary remarked.

“Or she,” Cloud Chaser added. “You can never tell.”

“So you spoke to DJPon3?” I asked Ironbright. “What did they say?”

She was quiet for a bit. “They were grateful. They agreed that it needed to be done.”

We all sensed that Ironbright wasn’t saying as much as she could, but we knew prying would get us nowhere. So we didn’t even bother.

But we would get some clues. By the time we left Manehattan, wandering outside of the grey, rusty ruins into the open wastes, we deemed it safe to turn on the radio.

“Hey now,” DJPon3 said to us. “Got a very special news report for you today. Big things went down in Manehattan yesterday, and I’ve got the word straight from the ranger’s mouth. Little miss Ironbright with the Stable Two Rangers led a small group, four ponies total, including New Appleloosa mares Rosemary and Cloud Chaser as well as Knight Ebonmane of Stable Two into the manticore’s nest to take out a major sex slaver named Thunderfall. Long story short, he’s dead now. By the numbers, we also have nearly twenty dead raiders and just as many rescued mares. When asked about the daredevil mission and how in the world they made it out without casualties, Paladin Ironbright said that it would have never been possible if it weren’t for the brand-new Knight Ebonmane. Also, fun fact, you may remember those mares that got saved out by New Appleloosa a few weeks ago. Well, turns out that our young alicorn knight spearheaded that, too. Sounds to me like somepony’s trying to give Littlepip a run for her money, at least in attempted suicide. But let me be the first to say that we’re glad you’re out there. Good luck to ya, Ebonmane. Ironbright said you liked Velvet, so you’re getting Velvet.”

We all smiled. We knew that we didn’t go after Thunderfall for the fame, but it was nice to be recognized. To have our moments of glory. I knew Rosemary was especially glad for the business her fame would bring her. And if Cloud Chaser worked for her, then the profits would come to her as well. They would have security. A deal of freedom that they never had before. And I knew publicity had an effect on Ironbright as well. She was a bit of a hero now. Civillians would know her. And that influence couldn’t be fully utilized as a simple paladin. A promotion was natural.

But the effect of my own publicity couldn’t have been predicted by anypony.

Our trip back to New Appleloosa was easier than our journey from. Not that we didn’t have trouble, but the band of raiders that we spotted were picked off by Cloud Chaser’s sniper before they could even get close enough to shoot. I remembered from Littlepip’s first trip outside of the stable to look before you shoot, but the band was definitely dangerous and definitely headed toward us. We checked the bodies. Talismans made from pony body parts were around their necks. Cloud Chaser was disgusted by the variety of removed extremities, but we were satisfied that we had done the right thing.

Aside from that, things went well. The four of us talked. We joked and agreed on how much better things would be once life returned to normal. We had our apprehensions, sure. I was nervous about being a soldier full-time, and Cloud Chaser and Rosemary were nervous about their fame, and they agreed that they would miss us a lot, but the two of them were ready for a life without guns. I may not get that luxury, but at least things wouldn’t be quite as risky with a Ranger contingent at my back.

I nearly cried to see New Appleloosa’s rusty walls on the horizon. I could see ponies look at us, whispering. Only once we were well within the city did they come up and talk to us.

“Good to see you back, you two.”

“I can’t believe you, Rosemary, of all ponies… I’m just happy you’re safe.”

“What in Celestia’s name were you thinking?”

“We always knew you were meant for bigger things, Cloud Chaser.”

“Heroes.”

“Stupid.”

“Lucky.”

We heard it all. Rosemary and Cloud Chaser smiled and nodded at the compliments and pushed past the insults. I could see them sting. Even though the vast majority of ponies were happy to see my friends, the few who weren’t were the ones who made lasting impressions. Rosemary and Cloud Chaser looked like they were in need of rest.

“What do you all want for dinner?” Rosemary asked as we walked through the door of “The Jade Dragon.” When she saw her precious inn covered in a fine layer of dust, she frowned. It wasn’t that bad, though. It had only been a week or so.

“Something easy,” I answered.

“And fast. I’m starving,” Cloud Chaser added.

Rosemary took her position in front of her stovetop, her horn igniting the plates, and began to dig spices out of her bag. It was like she never left. The only clue was when she sat her gun in the kitchen corner, out of the way but still within view, a reminder of what was beyond these walls, of what she had just returned from. The frown disappeared from her face, replaced by an expression of half-focus. She began to dust absent-mindedly while she waited for a pot of water to boil.

Ironbright went upstairs to unpack her things. Cloud Chaser called dibs on the bath. I stood awkwardly. Rosemary threw me glances, but looked away when we made eye contact. It was awkward, and I wasn’t sure why. I guess coming home was strange for her when she had to bring me, the core reason for her departure in the first place, back home with her.

She didn’t ask me to help. I learned my lesson from the last time I tried to help. So I sat in a chair near the dining table and waited. Normally I would have gotten a bath and washed the filth of travel off of me, and I was still eager to do that, but Cloud Chaser was likely to take forever, and after that I just decided to let the mares have their turn. It would be easier than fighting Ironbright or Rosemary for a bath. Rosemary dusted and put pasta into the pot. I fiddled with my PipBuck. Silence prevailed. And while it was a rather awkward silence, once we both accepted it, it was a calm silence.

Until the door flew open. A young unicorn, Cloud Chaser’s age, almost a mare, rushed in. She was a cornflower blue color with a golden mane done in a long braid and icy blue eyes. A fleur-de-lis adorned with calligraphy strokes emblazoned her flank. “Sis!” she shouted and ran to Rosemary.

I didn’t know Rosemary had a sister.

“Flourish?” Rosemary confirmed, turning from her stove. She ran to her sister and wrapped her up in a big hug. If it weren’t for that, I would have never guessed they were sisters. They looked nothing alike. Flourish was taller, thinner, and younger in more ways than one. Her voice especially betrayed her youth and innocence.

Tears were in Flourish’s eyes. “We didn’t know what happened to you!”

“It’s okay,” Rosemary comforted her. “I’m safe. We’re all safe.” They hugged for a moment. I could only watch, an outsider witnessing this personal moment in Rosemary’s life. I could see tears in the red unicorn’s eyes, too. I felt like I should leave. But I didn’t know where to go.

“How are Mom and Dad?” Rosemary asked.

Flourish nodded. “They’re okay. They’ve been worried about you.”

“Really?” Rosemary asked. “I’m surprised.”

“I know. I was, too,” Flourish added. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. “I heard you had come back, so I wanted to make sure that you were okay.” Then she turned to me.

“That’s Ebonmane,” Rosemary said. “He’s a friend.” The two looked at each other in silence for a couple moments, and I had no idea what was passing between them, but I knew it was about me. Rosemary simply turned back to her cooking. “You should stay for dinner. Cloud Chaser’s here. She’ll tell you all about what happened.”

“Oh. Okay,” was all Flourish said.

Cloud Chaser came downstairs, her wet mane undone and falling around her shoulders. “Hey Rosemary, can you do my mane again?” Then she noticed Flourish. “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while.” They hugged briefly. “How are things around town?”

Flourish just shrugged. Rosemary turned to me. “Tell Ironbright that dinner will be ready soon.” I nodded and went upstairs. No use being a fifth wheel to them.

Mounting the stairs, I felt a cloud pass over me. How could I not have known that Rosemary had a sister? But it wasn’t my ignorance that bothered me. I suppose a part of me wondered what Flourish would think of me. But another part wondered what my own family would think of me. If I knew them, they weren’t likely to be too proud of me.

Ironbright bumped into me on the way down and interrupted my thoughts. “Dinner’s ready,” I told her.

She flipped her wet mane around her neck. “Oh. Good.” She then proceeded downstairs without saying anything more.

As I followed her down, I heard Rosemary say, “Oh, Ironbright, meet my sister, Flourish.”

“Charmed,” Ironbright returned cordially.

“Yeah. You’re the paladin on the radio?” Flourish asked.

Ironbright chuckled. “Yeah, that’s me.” It would seem that Flourish was impressed.

“Oh, okay, so after we killed the sea monster, Rosemary was looking totally dead,” Cloud Chaser continued.

I hoped to enter without drawing much attention to myself, but Flourish looked up at me as soon as I appeared from the staircase. And everypony else’s eyes followed her. Something had been said about me, but I had no idea what. I didn’t like it.

Nevertheless, I took my seat at Rosemary’s table as Cloud Chaser recapped our story in gory detail, embellishing often. Ironbright attempted to correct Cloud Chaser or at least slow the excitable pegasus down, and Rosemary and I didn’t say much. Flourish simply listened, avoiding eye contact with anypony, but me especially.

I ate my pasta quickly. After my plate had sat empty for a while, I rose from my seat.

“Hey, where are you going? This is the best part!” Cloud Chaser interrupted herself. Rosemary was just about to zap Thunderfall and save my life.

“It’s getting late, and my brother’s probably worried sick about me,” I excused myself.

“Are you sure you have to go?” Rosemary asked.

I looked at her and nodded. “I’ve put it off for too long. But I’ll be around tomorrow.”

“Oh, okay,” Rosemary said. I got my saddlebags and headed out with their eyes on my back.

I exhaled as I climbed down the rickety catwalks. I wished they would just be honest with me about whatever unspoken thing had passed between all of them. Secrets definitely did not make friends, and staying in that atmosphere was just too uncomfortable. Maybe it would blow over tomorrow.

But as eager as I was to leave the tension in Rosemary’s inn, I wasn’t exactly raring to reach my brother’s house, either. My relationship with him was… complicated. Not bad. But there were a lot of things between us that were mutually understood and never spoken of.

I would have to face him, and the rest of my family sooner or later, though. And aside from my little brother, Seacliff would be the easiest. So I wound my way through the rust and dirt as the sun sank behind me to a series of huge boxcars stacked next to and on top of one another to form an apartment complex. A shack at the base of it all served as the receptionist’s office, and I asked the mare inside which apartment my brother lived in. With directions, I headed up the fire escape-style stairs to his home.

It had been half a year since he’d moved out for good, but I still had yet to see his apartment. I wondered how his work had been going. Seacliff was a pony of many talents, but his passion was the water, and he had a scientist’s mind. While most of the water had been pure for the last twenty years, it was still a resource in high demand, and Equestria’s marine life hadn’t yet seen a full recovery since Gardens of Equestria. Last I knew, that’s what Seacliff had been working on, studying the very river near New Appleloosa that we had fought the sea monster in.

I hesitated a moment before knocking on his door, the shrill metallic sound echoing within. I was surprised to see it wasn’t Seacliff who answered, but Silver Bell.

Oh.

“Ebonmane? Is that you?” she asked.

“Yeah. Is Seacliff here?” I was very confused.

“He’s in the bathroom, but come inside. Have a seat.”

I was led into my brother’s apartment. It was messy, but not overly so, which was not like Seacliff at all. If that fact alone wasn’t enough writing on the wall, I didn’t know what was. Silver Bell lived here, too, or at least visited often. Often enough to be sleeping with my brother.

My first reaction was a general awkwardness rather than jealousy. My feelings for the purple unicorn had only really been a crush, and I was aware of that even when I was crushing on her. It was just strange how things were staying in the family. I couldn’t be upset with my brother, though. He had romanced plenty more mares than I had, despite the fact that you could barely call my encounter with Cloud Chaser a romance, and it was strange to see Silver Bell with him, almost a notch on his bedpost. But I knew my brother wasn’t like that, so I tried to see him as a loving, caring stallion instead. It wasn’t easy.

I set down my things and took a seat on a lumpy couch while Silver Bell poked her head into the bathroom to tell Seacliff the news. Apparently he was in the bath. Could I have come at a more awkward time? At least it seemed that I hadn’t interrupted anything. Silver Bell was dry.

Seacliff came out quickly. I’ve mentioned that I was a pretty tall stallion, but Seacliff was noticeably taller and much broader. He was more comparable to the big sheriff, Caboose, than he was to me. He was an oak brown unicorn with a deep blue mane and a black star on his forehead, one thing each of us brothers shared, but like me, his messy mane covered it. He stood before me, and I had to tilt my head up for the first time in a long time. I had forgotten what it was like to look up to another pony.

“It’s a good thing you’re here,” he said in a serious tone as we wrapped our arms around each other’s necks in a tight hug. “What have you been doing? Mom and Dad were about ready to arrange a funeral when your name came on the radio.”

“Are they pissed?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to them in a few weeks, since you disappeared. What happened?”

Silver Bell interrupted us. “I’ll let you boys talk,” she said as she walked toward the door. “It’s good to see you again, Ebonmane.”

“Yeah,” I acknowledged.

“Good night, Seacliff,” she called.

“’Night,” he responded. With a small smile, she closed the door.

I took my seat on the sofa as Seacliff sat across from me in an armchair. Seacliff stared at me, and I took a deep breath before I began my explanation. “You wouldn’t happen to know Rosemary and Cloud Chaser, would you? They live around here.”

He shook his head. “I spend a lot of time at the river. I’m still getting to know everypony.”

“Well, when I went out to escort Silver Bell, they were sent from here to help. They were there for the rescue mission.”

“She told me about that,” Seacliff said. “It was crazy for you to go in like that.”

“It gets worse,” I admitted. “We found some logs on a terminal at the old outpost. They pointed to a pony named Thunderfall who was buying mares captured by raiders and selling them to private buyers. I figured I could take him out.”

“You must have been really lucky,” Seacliff said, shaking his head. “You’ve never been a fighter, Ebonmane. How the hell did you pull that off?”

“I had help from the Rangers at Stable Two. I helped them recover some artifact from Canterlot and they helped me in Manehattan.”

“Wait, you went to Canterlot, too?” he seemed shocked. He sat back in his chair, looking at me like he didn’t recognize me. “Wow,” was all he said.

“Yeah,” I replied. “It’s been pretty crazy.”

“Why, though?” he asked.

“Somepony had to stop him, and when I looked, no pony noticed he was even there. He almost got Silver Bell. And there are plenty of mares out there who aren’t as lucky as she was. They’re safe now.”

“But that wasn’t your fight,” Seacliff said. “You should have just let the Rangers take care of it.”

“They’re stretched thin enough as it is,” I repeated Elder Hibiscus Tea’s words. “They only sent one paladin with me. That’s all they could spare.”

“Still,” my brother argued. “What about Mom and Dad? You can’t just run off like that without telling anypony.”

“I didn’t have any time to leave a message. Everything happened too fast.” I knew that was a lame excuse and Seacliff was likely to rake me over the coals for it, but he just sat back again, silent, shaking his head at me. I decided to come clean. “It gets worse,” I said with a sheepish smile.

“How?” he asked, his gaze boring into me.

I sighed. “In order for me to receive the Rangers’ help, I had to join them. I’m a knight now.”

“What?” Seacliff spluttered. “You- you’re- what?” He stood, pacing now. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I did what I had to,” I answered strongly.

“No, you did what you thought would make you seem like a hero!” he accused. “You’d never even been outside of Junction Town before this, and now you think you can be a soldier? What about Mom and Dad? You can’t just run off and die on them so you can have your shining armor!”

“I’m not going to die. They’re going to train me.”

“You have no experience. You’re immature. You’re not even that strong. What makes you think you can be a soldier?”

I stood quickly, and he backed up. “Because I am one! News flash, Seacliff, but I’ve done a lot of fighting recently, more than you by a long shot. So what the hell makes you think you can tell me I can’t be a soldier?” I was shouting now, shaking.

“Because I know you.”

“No,” I said in a low voice, “you don’t.”

“Oh, grow up, Ebonmane. You’re not that hard to figure out.”

“But you still don’t get it,” I said to him. “This is my choice. I made it. I’m sticking with it.”

“Whatever,” he waved his hoof as he turned away. I simply stood, shaking uncontrollably. I sat again, trying to calm down. I never lost my temper like that. Not for anything. I hated it. But my brother always had a way of bringing my rage out. I was so close to hitting him…

“Where are you staying tonight?” he asked.

“Rosemary owns ‘The Jade Dragon.’ It’s an inn across town.”

He shook his head. “It’s late. You shouldn’t walk that far after dark. You can stay here.”

“Fine.”

I had a feeling that Seacliff wouldn’t react well to what I had done. As he showed me to my room, I still felt a fiery conviction burning in my chest. It didn’t matter what my family thought. I had done the right thing. But as I felt asleep, playing the argument over and over again in my head, thinking about all the things I could have said but didn’t, I felt incredibly immature. Maybe I still had a lot of growing up to do. But it didn’t matter now, did it? I would just have to grow up very fast.

The bed was pretty good, but I didn’t sleep too well. Not nightmares. Just troubled thoughts. That, and the bed smelled like a mare, probably Silver Bell.

Seacliff slept in pretty late the next day, so I just wrote a note telling him I would be back tonight as I left the next morning. I had gotten used to waking up with the sun, and New Appleloosa was pretty sleepy as I headed toward “The Jade Dragon.” The streets were essentially empty, save a few ponies headed to their own early-morning jobs. I was just happy to be walking without any saddlebags again. My sword was still across my back, though. But that had been a habit back in Junction Town.

Ironbright was the only pony up at the inn, and I found her making coffee in Rosemary’s kitchen. I wondered if she would be yelled at when Rosemary knew what she was doing.

“Morning,” she greeted me.

“Morning,” I returned. “Sleep well?”

Ironbright nodded. “Rosemary has quite the place here.”

“Yeah,” I agreed.
Ironbright didn’t let the natural pause last long. “Did you talk to your brother?”
“Yeah. I told him everything. It… didn’t go over so well.”

Ironbright lowered her head understandingly. “That happens a lot. Some ponies don’t like the thought of their loved ones going off to fight. They get angry instead of giving you the support you deserve for being so courageous.”

“I don’t think it was like that,” I said. “I think he was mad because he thinks I can’t do it.”

“You don’t think your brother’s worried about you?” Ironbright asked. “It doesn’t matter what he says. Of course they’re worried. But in time, they’ll see that you’re going to be just fine.”

Although I didn’t say it, I still thought Ironbright was wrong. Seacliff was angry because he thought I was being foalish. But was I being cold by believing that Seacliff’s emotions didn’t rise out of love for me? Or was our relationship really that distant, that broken? And what about the rest of my family? I can’t imagine how my parents were going to react.

“When do we leave?” I asked her.

“You’re not so eager to get out already, are you? Just because you got into a little fight with your brother doesn’t mean you need to disappear on them again.”

Why was she being so insistent about my family? It wasn’t like she cared much for hers. But I didn’t say that. “I’m just wondering, is all.”

“Probably tomorrow morning. I still have to give my report to the Elder about Manehattan. But she probably heard DJPon3’s radio announcement, so we might be able to put it off for a little longer if you want to go to Junction Town and see your family.”

I shook my head, against my better judgment. “I’m not ready to get into another fight with them. I’ll send a message or something. We’ll work it out later.”

Ironbright sipped her coffee and went over to Rosemary’s desk wordlessly. She fished out a scrap of paper and a pen. “Get writing.” It was an order.

I sighed. But I knew I had to or I would put it off. Ironbright went back to her room to give me some privacy. For the longest time, I sat at the dining table staring at a blank page, but soon I had a letter.

It wasn’t a fun letter to write. I knew my mother would be in tears for days, and my father would be preparing words for me the moment he read it. But at least time would help soften the blow once I met them face-to-face. Maybe there wouldn’t be an argument like there was with Seacliff.

Writing about Silver Bell in the letter made me think of her and Seacliff again. I couldn’t imagine her being with my brother; she didn’t seem like the type of mare. But then again, I guess I never really knew her in the first place. I wondered if Seacliff had told her about the fight. What would she say to him about my actions? Would she defend me? I hoped so. It was the least she could do for me.

Rosemary came down as I was rolling up the letter. She seemed a little surprised to see me, inhaling sharply, but smiled at me. “Morning,” she said, heading toward her kitchen.

“Morning,” I said to her.

“What are you doing?”

I held up the letter with a pained smile. “Writing to my parents.”

“Ah,” she said. “Have you eaten?” I shook my head. She began to make my breakfast as well.

“How’s your sister?” I asked.

“Better, now that she knows I’m safe,” Rosemary answered. “She doesn’t believe I did all those things.”

“You must not be very scary at home,” I told her.

She shook her head. “I’m pretty quiet around my family, actually. Flourish, too. But my parents don’t really talk to me.” The way she said it clued me in a little. I knew a thing or two about siblings. Her parents played favorites. Hard.

I didn’t want to just come out and ask what her sister thought of me, so I just said, “Where’s Cloud Chaser?”

“You know how she sleeps in,” Rosemary answered.

“Right,” I replied. At least I managed to change subjects.

“Ironbright says you’ll be leaving tomorrow,” Rosemary said quietly.

“I’m not sure we should have even come to New Appleloosa before going to Stable Two first,” I gave my impression. “It can’t be helped.” Rosemary cooked silently. I felt a pit in my stomach. Despite everything, I suppose I wasn’t quite ready to begin my life as a full-time soldier. To leave my friends. “What about you?” I asked.

“Actually,” Rosemary admitted, “I was thinking about joining the Church of Harmony as a missionary.”

“Really?” I was surprised. Working for the Church required a lifetime’s worth of dedication. It was a full-time job, and not an easy one. Church members weren’t just charity workers. They were community builders. Leaders. Their ultimate goal was to restore the very Elements of the Ministry Mares to the lives of Equestrians, to return life to the way it was before. And they had a long way to go. “Why?” I asked her.

“I’ll miss travelling, and I’ll get to help ponies. Plus, Cloud Chaser wants to get out, too. I’ve…” she took a deep breath. “I’ve been stuck in this town for so long…”

“You want out?” I finished. She nodded her head. “Good for you.”

She looked up at me and smiled. “You think I should?”

“If it’s what you want, yeah. If I can be a soldier, you can be a missionary,” I answered.
There was a pause, and I was itching for a bath. Rosemary’s bath was much better than Seacliff’s, so I told her I was going to take advantage of the situation while I could. By the time I got out, Rosemary was enticing Cloud Chaser out of bed with a stack of pancakes.

We ate breakfast. We spent the day together. Rosemary and Cloud Chaser gave us the official tour of New Appleloosa, but by now I had seen a lot of it. Cloud Chaser and I got into a little bit of a flying contest, which she won. We went shopping in the marketplace, but after the massive haul we had looted from Thunderfall, everything sold here was scraps. Rosemary got some customers, and Ironbright and I offered our help, which she couldn’t refuse at this point. But once the travelers had settled in and went about their own business, Ironbright bought a keg of ale and we just sat around Rosemary’s dining table after nightfall, laughing, talking, and telling stories from our hometowns. I didn’t know how cold Ironbright’s upbringing had been, how lonely Rosemary’s was, and how dangerous Cloud Chaser’s was. But for the last night, we felt like friends. When I said goodbye, there were almost tears on all sides.

But as promised, I retreated to my brother’s apartment. He was up drinking, too, he and Silver Bell. I ended up sitting a little with them. I asked him about his work, and the river was doing well. I asked Silver Bell about “Absolutely Everything,” and business was good. After that, I retired, yearning only for sleep, knowing I had a long walk ahead of me. I said nothing as Silver Bell and Seacliff went into his bedroom together.

The ale helped me get to sleep quickly. But I had stayed up too late. Before I knew it, Ironbright was knocking at my bedroom door in my brother’s apartment. I can’t imagine that introduction went cordially. But attitudes aside, my brother was awake to say goodbye to. Our parting wasn’t quite as emotional, but family was meant to be left, in my opinion. Not permanently, but we knew that someday we wouldn’t see each other as often as we did growing up. Today was one of those days.

I was still yawning by the time Ironbright had us on the road. The sun rose ahead of us, and I kept my head down. I didn’t even bother to play my radio. Without Cloud Chaser’s obnoxious singing or Rosemary’s not-so-secret dancing, it didn’t feel right. When I poked my head up to look around, nothing felt right. Half our group was missing. But this was what things would be like from now on.

We stopped for breaks less often. Ironbright and I had far more physical endurance than the other mares. But when we did, we didn’t talk much. The only exchange we had, which occurred during our first of two breaks, said it all.

“How are you holding up?” she asked me.

“Alright,” I replied. Sweat, exhaustion, inner turmoil. This was travel for me.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “I miss ‘em too.”

What else was there to say?

Our fewer numbers and better physical condition allowed us to reach Stable Two in one very long day’s hike. Ironbright and I parted ways wordlessly, with me heading for the shower and her going to give her official report. I knew I wouldn’t see her for a long time. The more combat, the more paperwork, she had said, and there had been a lot of combat.

I happened to run into Cobalt, the older stallion from the party, when I walked into the shower. He smiled at me and asked me how I was, so I took a spot next to him, even though I kind of wanted to be alone. He was just so genuinely happy to see me that I couldn’t refuse him. I told him about Thunderfall.

“Wow. Your first mission?” he asked. “Are you gunning for Star Paladin or something?”

“It’s why I came here in the first place,” I told him. He whistled. “What about you?” I asked.

“Not nearly as exciting. Took Sand Sprint out to secure Greave’s, a little outpost out by New Appleloosa.”

“I know about it,” I said.

“Some raiders have been trying to reoccupy it. Some Church folk went with us and they’re using it as an outpost to watch the road between Appleloosa and Juction Town.”

“That’s good,” I said.

He turned off the water. “Sand Sprint actually took a bullet to the knee, so I’m going to go see him. But it was nice to see you, Ebonmane. Good luck out there.”

“Good luck,” I replied, nodding. Again, I felt his sincerity, but now I understood why. It was a reunion, and when you were a soldier, you couldn’t count on seeing the ponies you knew every day. Even though Rangers rarely died by virtue of being so ridiculously well-armed, survival was not a guarantee. I might never see Cobalt again, and I made sure to tell him good luck. I spent the rest of my shower thinking about reunions, and how I had left my loved ones. My parents had a letter. I had promised to see Rosemary and Cloud Chaser soon. My brother… we had hardly spoken. I felt guilty.

But after my shower, I went to lie down. It had been a long day. But it would be a little longer. I had hardly fallen asleep, it felt, when Ironbright was waking me up. “The Elder wants to see you,” she told me.

“What time is it?” was all I asked.

“Early morning. It shouldn’t be too long. You’re not in trouble.”

I didn’t think I was, but I dragged my sleepy ass out of bed anyway and headed to her office. When I entered, she looked more tired than I felt. “Morning, Elder,” I addressed her.

She nodded sarcastically. “Morning, indeed.” I sat down across from her. She brushed her cherry mane out of her face with a hoof. She didn’t look quite like a mess, but I got the feeling that Elders rarely slept. “Ironbright gave me her report about Manehattan. I was impressed.”

“I hope you haven’t been up all night reading it,” I said to her.

“No. I’ve been asking Ironbright questions. Which brings us to you.”

“What do you need?” I asked. I had no reason to be suspicious. Ironbright said I wasn’t in trouble, and I was glad she did, or else I would be very nervous right now.

“Our acolytes have been studying the Blackheart and its magic properties. It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before. We still think it’s a weapon, but there’s a lot of magic tied up in there that can’t be explained. I’m not a unicorn, but from what I’m hearing, I’d call it dark magic.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“The acolytes don’t like that term, but they can dance around it all they like. It’s evil. And you know it, don’t you?”

Did she know about the nightmares? How? “Yeah. But why does it matter?”

“Ironbright told me about your vision. She said you used it like a memory orb. But none of our other unicorns have been able to. And I don’t think she lied. She told me what you saw. The report was… detailed. But I’ve been waiting to address it until we learned more.” She stood and began to pace. “While you were in Manehattan, we were studying. We found that it’s not a weapon like a bomb. It’s not something you use. It’s something you activate.”

Oh shit. “You think I activated it?”

“We know you did. There’s magic flowing out of it. Very strange magic. The fact that it corrupts radio signals points to taint, but there’s something more. You wouldn’t happen to have any clues as to what, would you?”

I had to tell her about the dreams. My own comfort wasn’t worth keeping secrets. “I’ve been having nightmares ever since I looked into it. They’re very vivid, way more than any dream I’ve ever had. I know they’re coming from the Blackheart because they tie into my thoughts sometimes. When I’m not feeling so great, I have nightmares about what’s on my mind.”

“It’s toying with you?” she seemed very interested in this.

“That’s one way of putting it,” I told her. “I don’t know why though. Probably because I’m the first pony who looked into it.”

She sighed. “We won’t be able to know because no other pony can. Maybe because you were the first, or maybe because of something else…” she trailed off, looking directly at me. There was something she wasn’t saying. But I wasn’t the one asking questions.

“What should I do?” I asked her.

She shook her head. “I just needed to know about any magic it might have been using. But for whatever reason, it’s linked to you. You might continue to have nightmares, even though you’re away from it. But as long as they stay nightmares, I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”

“But you don’t think they’re going to stay nightmares, do you?” I asked.

“You don’t either, it seems,” she replied. “No, I think it’ll get worse. But we won’t know what to do until it does.” I had nothing to say to that. I felt very unsafe. “I don’t think it can hurt you. It would have if it could. And it’s been a long time now. If the Blackheart had more destructive powers, it would have activated those by now, or else it wouldn’t be a very potent weapon. We’re still developing theories. All you need to do is keep an eye on yourself. If anything changes, your mood, your dreams, your thoughts, I need you to tell me.”

“Alright,” I said. “But what’s the use? I told you about my nightmares, and we still don’t know any more than before I came in here.”

“No,” she answered. “It tells us about the nature of the magic. It’s corruptive.”

“Corruptive?” I asked quietly.

“It’s in your head. It’s messing with you. It’ll do anything it can to break you down. But it’s weak now.”

“So what happens when it gets stronger?” I asked.

She looked at me. “You’ll be alright, Ebonmane. Don’t worry about that.” She sighed again. “I told Ironbright to head to the showers, and that you’d be fetching her when you and I were done. There’s something else I need to talk to you two about. And it can’t wait.”

Something else? Couldn’t we at least have a few hours’ rest? But I didn’t object. I went to find Ironbright. She was just as tired as the Elder and I were. But duty called, I guess. She turned the faucet and within minutes we were back in the Elder’s office. I could see how things piled up for Hibiscus Tea.

“You’re not going to like this,” the Elder said as we closed the door.

“You’re sending us out again?” Ironbright asked.

The Elder nodded. “We got a message from DJPon3. You’re heading to Tenpony Tower to go talk to him.”

Ironbright looked so pissed. “I already talked to him before we left. What could he have to say that’s so urgent?”

The Elder shook her head with a smile. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you. But it’s imperative that you leave right away.” I could tell Ironbright wanted to object so strongly, but we had our orders. “What was it you always say to the knights?” the Elder said to Ironbright with a slight smile. “You can sleep when you’re dead?”

I thought Ironbright might kill her. But she sighed, turned, and left.

Within an hour, I was back in my armor, the morning sun rising as we tried to fight off exhaustion. I was getting stronger, but Ironbright and I were both feeling it. We slept often, but never for a full night. With only two ponies and no sniper rifle, the danger of raiders was greater than ever and we had to sleep in shifts.

My thoughts turned in circles. What was going on that was so unbelievable the Elder couldn’t tell us? I asked Ironbright. “Do you have any idea what this is about?”

“No,” she said bitterly. “Not a damn clue.”

“What did DJPon3 say the first time you talked to him?” I asked.

“I told him about Thunderfall, and he interviewed me for his little radio broadcast. That was it.”

“Any guesses?” I kept up conversation.

“The world is ending,” Ironbright answered dryly. I understood her caustic tone all too well. It was too early for this shit.

The trip took two days. By the second day, we were seeing the familiar scraps of metal lying by the road that I had just left behind. Travelling to new places was exciting, but I decided that revisiting new places was unsettling. The mood of our travel was different without Cloud Chaser and Rosemary. Normally Ironbright and I minded our manners with Rosemary around, and Cloud Chaser being so young. But at this point, neither of us cared. We didn’t walk as far off as we normally would have to pee. We didn’t change out of our armor because there was no need. When the heat turned up on the second day, she began to complain in detail. “I weep for the poor soul that’s going to wash my armor when we get back to base.”

“Why not wash it at Tenpony Tower?” I suggested.

“It costs too damn much. But now that you mention it, it’s only going to ferment while we’re at the Tower. And who knows where else we’ll be whisked off to before we can get back to Stable Two?”

“That’s disgusting,” I remarked.

“At least my armor won’t smell like nut-sweat,” she came back. It was like she was trying to be gross. But two could play at that game.

“What happens when you go into heat in armor?” I asked. “You can wash sweat off.”

“Don’t remind me. Should be any day now.” I shut up. She won.

The whole time, I expected Rosemary to yell at us or Cloud Chaser to make an even more inappropriate remark, but it didn’t happen. While it was nice that we didn’t have to put up an act around each other, it was nicer having friends.

Manehattan couldn’t come quickly enough. On my first trip here, I was so nervous about Thunderfall. Now, I was just apprehensive. I wondered why we were here in the first place, but it didn’t cause me any anxiety. I wasn’t expecting any danger. Sure, we might encounter raiders or more manticores on our way to the Tower, but it shouldn’t be anything that Ironbright or I couldn’t handle.

The buildings rose above us as the sun set. But now that we were heading directly for the Tower, we were able to reach it once the moon rose. It was just as well. I would hate to be out in that deadly maze of a city after dark.

The guards knew to let us pass, and I sensed that Ironbright wished she had the opportunity to make a smart remark. Coming back here so soon had put her in a bad mood again. She didn’t bother looking around and got straight down to business. We took the elevator up to the top floor.

We came out to be greeted by an orange and purple earth pony stallion dressed in a fine suit. He greeted us with a smile and a kind voice. “Hi. I’m Glissando. You must be Ebonmane and Ironbright.”

“Who are you?” Ironbright asked.

“DJPon3’s assistant,” he answered. I would have immediately suspected him to be DJPon3, but Ironbright didn’t recognize him. I was burning with curiosity. “DJPon3 said to get you two baths before you went in to see him. Said you’d probably want it.”

“We want to talk,” Ironbright answered. “We walked two days straight to get here. Might as well get it over with.” She tried to push past him.

He blocked her off. “Actually, he’s waiting for a few more ponies to arrive. We can’t talk unless everypony’s here.”

“Who are they?” I asked.

“Don’t want to ruin the surprise,” he answered.

Ironbright grumbled, but I wasn’t going to turn down their luxurious baths. Our armor was taken to be washed as well. We were told to take our time, but my eyelids began to droop as soon as I was in the water. I heard Ironbright sigh from the area next to me, but she didn’t move much. A conversation would require speech loud enough for the whole bathhouse to hear, so I tried to stay awake while I soaked. It wasn’t a bad problem to have.

Glissando directed us toward dinner after our baths, still waiting. It was free, but even as expensive as I knew it was, it wasn’t Rosemary’s cooking. It wasn’t even my mother’s cooking. But the fruit salad was fresh enough, so I would survive.

After dinner, DJPon3’s assistant informed us that he was ready to speak to us. We headed up the elevator again. When the doors opened, I lost my breath. Cloud Chaser and Rosemary stood before us, looking well-traveled and tired.

“What are you doing here?” Cloud Chaser asked us.

“What are you doing here?” I returned. We all exchanged hugs, but they didn’t have to answer us. DJPon3 had called all of us. Ironbright and I had been waiting for them to arrive. As happy as I was to see them again, I wondered what the hell was going on.

It was late, though, and Glissando wasted no time in ushering us toward DJPon3’s room, cutting off our chance to talk. We stood before the tall wooden door, a mixture of excitement and overwhelming curiosity churning in our bellies.

A unicorn mare opened the door, and I knew it was DJPon3. But she was more than that. The white coat, showing slight signs of age. The azure and lightning-blue mane, spiked at the tips, with a few strands of grey. The crimson eyes, crow’s feet at the edges. The vinyl record cutie mark. Homage.

“Sorry to keep you up so late,” Littlepip’s lover greeted us. “Come on inside. We got a lot to talk about. I’m Homage, by the way,” she introduced herself.

It was then that Cloud Chaser realized who she was. “Wait, you’re DJPon3? How? You retired.”

“Yeah, that’s what we told them, didn’t we? After Littlepip published that book, everypony knew who I was, but I couldn’t stop what I was doing. So I lied a little bit. Got an assistant, for real, and most everypony thinks he’s DJPon3, and I’m just giving him advice. He does the broadcasts sometimes, but I’m still writing the material and making the playlists. Gliss will take over at some point, anyways.”

Her suite was nice. The best Tenpony Tower had to offer. Luxurious furniture, soft chairs, and all sorts of interesting ornaments decorated the main room, with others behind sturdy wooden doors. She led us to a sitting area, and I took my seat gingerly. Velvet Remedy had once mused as to how many pieces of furniture Littlepip and Homage had done it on. I know it had been twenty years, but still. It felt weird thinking of the middle-aged mare before me doing that.

I had a million questions for her about the Book of Littlepip and the Lightbringer herself, but Ironbright had been through our shock before and got straight down to business. “What’s going on?”

Homage sat down and gave a tired sigh. It was a late night for everypony, it seemed. “Okay, so I’m sorry to drag you all back here after you just left, but I’ve been getting some interesting reports on the vines.”

“About what?” I asked.

“You,” she answered quickly. She didn’t waste time in explaining. “It’s partially my fault. After I mentioned you were an alicorn in my report about Thunderfall, everything just exploded.”

“What are you talking about?” Rosemary asked.

She sighed again. “Okay, listen. After my report, my sources in each town, the ponies that send me rumors and things like that, started telling me that ponies were talking. It’s only been a few days, so it hasn’t spread far, but soon it’ll be all over the wasteland.”

“What will?” Ironbright asked.

“You don’t see it?” Homage asked. “Once I said ‘alicorn,’ ponies got interested. It started in Junction Town, because they know there that you’re a natural-born alicorn, Ebomane. Once that word got out, it spread like wildfire.”

“What did?” I asked. But I had a heavy, dead pit in my gut that told me what before she even answered.

She hung her head, and shook it a little, as if she couldn’t believe the words she was about to say herself. But finally, she looked me dead in the eye. “They think you’re the new Prince of Equestria, Ebonmane.”

None of us knew what to say. “What?” Rosemary asked after an endless, dazed pause.

“There hasn’t been an alicorn, a real one, in Equestria since the Princesses themselves,” Homage explained. “It’s kind of a funny coincidence, don’t you think? The Elements reform, the Gardens are activated, and not even a year later a real alicorn is born. The only one. In over two hundred years of recorded history, only one.”

“So you think he is too?” Ironbright, practically unfazed, asked.

“I don’t know what to think,” Homage admitted.

Finally, I found my voice. “Well, I hate to ruin everything, but I’m not a Prince,” I said.

“It doesn’t matter if you are or aren’t,” Homage said. “What matters is what they all think. And a lot of them think you are.”

“That’s crazy,” Cloud Chaser said.

“We live in crazy times,” Homage replied. “Ponies want Equestria to be whole again. They’re tired of raiders. They’re tired of using caps. They’re tired of living in shacks. They want a king to lead them to a better land.”

“I can’t do that,” I said.

She shook her head again. “It’s not the point. I called you here to warn you.”

“Warn me?” I asked.

“You’ve read the Book of Littlepip, and after your last adventure in Manehattan, you should know that the wasteland isn’t just a bunch of towns and bands of raiders. No, there are groups, only two or three, maybe, that really control this swath of dirt we live in. They’re powerful, and more importantly, hidden. I don’t even know who they are, but they’re out there. You’d have to be stupid to think they aren’t.”

“And they don’t like hearing that somepony’s going to get a crown and take over,” Ironbright finished for her.

Homage nodded. “You’re in danger, Ebonmane.”

I felt like my head was spinning. What the hell was going on? “How?”

“It’s just like Ironbright said. Those ponies are going to want you dead. And they have the resources to do it.” Then she smiled. “But we’re going to be one step ahead.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

She stood and walked to her fireplace, looking at the painting of Maripony on the mantle. “Listen, one of the ponies who tipped me off about this was Littlepip herself. In that big machine up there, she sees and hears a lot. She was the one who told me to call you here. I’m just the messenger.”

“So what’s going to happen?” Rosemary asked.

“Littlepip wants to talk to you. She says she has a plan.”

Wow. That did it. It was all too much. I hung my head. “A plan?” I asked.

“Yeah. And if you know anything about Littlepip’s plans, you know it’s going to be a doozy. But it’ll probably work. And if it does, we just might get to find out who these ponies are that are pulling the strings of our home.”

“Aren’t you one of them?” Cloud Chaser asked.

“Yeah, but I’m not trying to assassinate what might be our first Prince in over two hundred years.”

I broke. “I’m not a Prince!” I shouted. “I’m not trying to get assassinated!”

Homage drew closer to me, speaking in a more personal space. “Look, I know you didn’t ask for this. No pony asks for this. I mean… shit. Sounds like some bad luck to me.” She smiled. “But we can use this to our advantage. Prince or no Prince, the ponies who want you dead are ponies like Thunderfall. They’re greedy, evil, and powerful. But if we play our cards right, we can take them down. And once they’re all gone, who knows what will happen next? But without them, Equestria will be a lot better off, that much is certain. Didn’t you say you wanted to help ponies?” Homage asked me. And she was right. I just didn’t expect things to turn out like this.

“I guess that’s it. We’ll sleep for tonight. We’ll head out tomorrow morning,” Ironbright gave the orders.

“Just one thing,” Rosemary said before we left for bed. “Why did you call us here?”

Homage turned back and smiled at her. “If Ebonmane’s going to get through this, he’s going to need his friends. Should I have left you alone in New Appleloosa?”

“No,” Rosemary nodded. “I’m glad you called us.” I was glad she did, too.

My mind was numb as we headed down the elevator. Nothing was said on the walk to our rooms. What was there to say? The circumstances and implications were too much to process all at once. I just hoped Littlepip could make some sense of it.

I thought about talking to her before I went to bed. I looked out the big window. But I didn’t. I would see her soon enough. But I couldn’t even be excited about that. My mind was racing and dead simultaneously. This was all happening too fast.

A week. I had gotten one week as a break. But morning came too quickly, as it always did, and I was strapping on my armor, heading back out into the wasteland, feeling the weight of the guns at my side and the sword at my back. A new mission. But I knew this one had much more meaning than simply stopping a pimp. Much, much more. And the worst part was that my mind couldn’t even begin to image how much more this journey would mean. For me. For my friends. For all of Equestria.