A week later, the Virtuoso limped into the Everfree, still bearing the proud scars of its battle. It touched down in the castle courtyard with much less grace than it had before. Adjutant stood on the foredeck smiling at the sight of her home, while Ace was napping on a deck chair and Flash Sentry and Silent Knight were finishing up a game of hoofball in the rear.

Comet Chaser strolled out of the cabin and unfurled the boarding ramp. "Thank you for flying Air Blueblood, fillies and gentlecolts. You may now disembark at your final destination. We hope you keep Air Blueblood in mind for your next exciting adventure."

Flash shot her bemused look. "Seriously?"

She grinned and gave a little shrug. "He pays me to say it on every flight."

Adjutant tapped her hooves on the deck to get everyone's attention. "Alright boys, playtime's over. Go unload the cargo of jelly. Ace, you too, and then you can go home and...do whatever it is you do in Ponyville until I need you again."

"No."

"Excuse me?" Adjutant noticed Ace looked quite annoyed and had a slight tremble in one leg.

"Fire me if you want, but I've had it with your attitude. I felt like I was just a tool without a use out there. I'm no soldier, nor an ambassador. I came along because I trust you as this colony's leader, but either you start treating me with a little respect for the talents I do have or you can find another dumb changeling to drag around as your lackey."

Adjutant glared at the others on deck. "What are you all waiting for? Get to work!"

The other three shot Ace a sympathetic glance. For a moment, Silent Knight looked as if he might intercede on Ace's behalf, but Flash cut him off with a firm shake of the head and hurried him below deck. Ace quivered as Adjutant walked up to him, but his hooves held fast. She raised her hoof and he flinched, only to realize that she was cupping his cheek.

"You're right," she whispered. "I brought you along for the wrong reasons, and you did well to help me despite that. You don't have to stay if you don't want to, but I'd be very sorry to see you go. Will you accept my apology?"

Ace sighed a bit and relaxed his posture. "Yeah, I guess so. Just...why did you bring me anyway? It wasn't for my infiltration skills; I'm not even the best choice for that."

"No, but you have a certain..." Adjutant trailed off for a moment. "You have this...this uncanny luck wherever you go and somehow it allows you to befriend others so easily. Perhaps I wanted you to come along in hopes that your luck would rub off on me."

"I don't know that I'm really all that lucky. We did get attacked pretty badly at Mephera."

"True, but in the end things turned out in our favor. We have a future ally in Queen Andrenida and I have all the royal jelly I need. I'd say things worked out pretty well."

Ace gave her a light punch on the shoulder. "Well, we had a good leader who kept things together."

Adjutant blushed and looked away as Ace's admiration warmed her heart. "Thank you. Now, if you could please help bring in the cargo?"

"Sure thing," Ace smiled as he trotted off to help the others.

When Discord had escaped from his stony prison, he claimed that he had been fully conscious of the intervening time. It was an open question what his experience was really like, as he might have been guilting Celestia over his punishment, but it was known that ponies who had been petrified would retain a vague impression of events going around. Specific details were beyond the grasp of most minds, but their hazy consciousness would know that visitors had arrived, or conversations took place. It was much like waking up groggy from a strange dream and weaving in and out of consciousness.

Today was Thunderball's shift at Meriwether's side. He sat next to her petrified form reading from Daring Do and the Scarab of Ra. Beside him lay the other books of the series, easily enough to build a foal–sized fortress. If stacked on top of each other in order, they would be enough to stop a heavy ballista bolt dead in its tracks by Daring Do and the Mists of Marecropolis.

The door swung open without announcement as Adjutant strolled in, with a bouquet of flowers. "Good evening."

Thunderball glanced outside the window and saw that the sun had long since set. "To you as well. Can I assume that your mission was a success?"

"Beyond my wildest dreams," Adjutant grinned. "This is going to be big. I can feel it in my exoskeleton."

A shadow passed over Thunderball's face. Adjutant quietly laid her flowers down at Meriwether's hooves before speaking with him.

"You don't trust me."

Thunderball opened his mouth, but could not respond. He instead chose to look away. Adjutant cupped his cheek and turned his head towards her.

"Don't be ashamed. I'm actually quite flattered." She pecked him lightly on the cheek. "If you're having second thoughts about me becoming a queen, we can always send the royal jelly and Meriwether to Queen Andrenida. I'm sure she'd be happy to do it."

Thunderball looked deep into her blue eyes. "Why?"

"I want to become a powerful queen in my own right, but I also want Meriwether to live, and for you to be happy," Adjutant shrugged. "Two out of three isn't bad, though, and I'm sure I'll go quite far purely by my own efforts. I don't see any particular problem in forgoing an ascension for your sake."

He licked his lips and hesitated before stepping in close.Hot air rushed out of his nostrils as he nuzzled her neck. "Do it. Take the royal jelly and cure Meriwether. I have no objections."

Adjutant hugged him so tightly that he thought he might burst. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Give me a month or two to transform, and we can get started on Meriwether."

"Is there any way you can do it quicker?"

"Hm." Adjutant tapped her chin. "I've heard that a proto-queen could accelerate the transformation if she has established a mating pair. Care to try that one out?"

Adjutant chuckled a Thunderball began sputtering incoherently. "Then I guess I'll see you in a month or two."