REPAIR-PONY FAST TIMES -

FIX ME...

I stared dumbfounded at the glowing text, even surrounded by hundreds of tiny fairy breezies and a city modeled on old Canterlot built at their scale all around me, in the middle of the Ministry of Peace Hub, still separated from half my friends and with a large green alicorn listening in on my mind that was ....p-pregnant... at my hoof... the advanced maneframe apparently talking to me was the strangest thing.

Not that thinking about Ivy didn't make everything get all woozy again... My breathing started quickening at the thought and the color drained out of everything, brought back by a sigh and a nip to the neck by the mare in question, smiling to herself and soothing me telepathically where no one else could hear my distress.

(Ponies shooting at me tends to only involve ME ok?! It's not a little thing! It's a BIG DEAL Ivy! Y-You're going to... to... tooooooo....) This time I managed to cut the thought short and slap myself, hard... Grumbling at Ivy tittering to herself in amusement before continuing. (Ha ha ha... I know, hilarious... No, I don't think I could deal with doing what your sisters wanted alright, a whole tower full of ALL you becoming... t-the same way on top of each other.... I-I'll just focus on the weird computer thing and not think about it for now, ok?)

The beautiful alicorn's fluttery thoughts of 'celebrate' helped me relax and focus again, turning back to the screen waiting on me and trying to take in a surprise I could handle better with a pout. The brochures back in the Stable I had read from Stable-Tec talked up their fabulous Crusader Maneframes once upon a time, computers so powerful they could think on their own, even copy a pony's mind and personality...

The Institute had taken their work and improved on it over the centuries, up to fully sentient synthetic ponies, but before the end they had been experimenting already. According to Mayor Shamrock in Goodneighbor and his research into the Ministry Hubs in Trotson, each had an advanced maneframe that C.I.A.T. had a hoof in, it wasn't much of a stretch to assume they could match or even exceed Stable-Tec's breakthrough technology.

The one in the Ministry of Morale was bizarrely wired into a rubber chicken, but basically functioned like computers I was used to for the most part, it thought... but it was less self aware and had no real personality. This one used ME to refer to itself though... it thought of itself, was self aware? Considering I was surrounded by a throng of breezies watching me closely as I spoke to their Great Tree they viewed as a guardian diety, I wasn't quite sure how to answer.

Best to not treat it like a machine in front of the strange fairy breezies, it might be an insult to them. I cleared my throat and looked up to the Queen peering over the balcony above the glowing screen, tilting her head to read and looking back up at me secretively. "Er... Ok! The umm Great Tree asked for my help to fix it, I'm just going to... er... t-talk to it in its language for a little while, I'll let you know what I can do as soon as we figure it out, alright?"

Was that a grateful, knowing look on Queen Ether's little face in front of me? It sure looked like it... She smiled and tapped her golden spoon scepter in response, chattering out to her subjects in their own language before returning to slightly accented pony as they swarmed about and cheered. "Is good Shroud Fast, ve let you talk to Great Tree, make feast, bring friends. You commune with Tree, tell us vhen you know."

Glad that I had stumbled into an acceptable course of action, I sat down and started tapping on the keyboard display brought up by my pip-buck, relaxing when Jade shifted carefully to curl around me and look over my head as she nibbled my ears, still drunk on breezie nectar and perfectly happy to watch me tap out silent responses.

'Fix you? Who are you, how do you want me to help? __

MINISTRY OF PEACE TROTSON HUB, EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGICAL-TECHNOLOGICAL INTERFACE MANEFRAME. I AM INCORPORATED INTO THE ARBOREAL BUILDING OF THE HUB. MY CHARGE'S BELIEF IS SIMPLE BUT ESSENTIALLY CORRECT, I AM THE GREAT TREE. FIX ME...

'I'm not a tree doctor! What do you want me to do about it?! __

FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME

'Ok! Calm down! Is there even regular stuff to repair in here?' __

WATER TALISMANS OPERATING AT 12% EFFICIENCY, STANDARD TECHNOLOGICAL INSTALLATION. WATER REQUIRED FOR REMEDIATION EFFORTS AND POWER, SWITCHING TO SOLAR INEFFICIENT WITHOUT PROPER WATER LEVELS. SECONDARY WATER SOURCE UNAVAILBLE - 7.8 YEARS, PRIMARY RAINBOW SUPPLY UNAVAILABLE 198.4 YEARS. REPAIR OF TALISMAN ARRAY MINIMAL REQUIREMENT, RESTORATION OF PRIMARY RAINBOW SUPPLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH TALISMAN ARRAY PREFERABLE.

I had to think on that a minute... A maneframe completely incorporated into the weird crystalline tree that made up the MoP Hub building... It needed water to function and had been running out, the talismans were probably on their last legs and the secondary source it talked about... The dry creekbed... the meandering course we had followed through the woods outside from Rainbow Brook, it must have been full of water until recently, then dried up? But why?

(The Lightbringer Fast... Before she cleared the skies, it rained... often.... Since then the weather has returned to something approaching normal again, barring the strange barrier storms around the Commonwealth. Without the steady deluge produced by the Grand Pegasus Enclave, it must have been exhausted.) Ivy sipped her tea beside me and filled in the blanks, the hub had been relying on the Enclave closing the skies and raining down on the wasteland, now that was gone and it had been running out of water steadily for the past 8 years.

'I can't do anything about making it rain enough, so what's this primary supply you're talking about? Rainbows?' __

RAINBOW BROOK PRODUCTION ENDED 198.4 YEARS AGO. INVESTIGATE, REPAIR FONT, RESTORE PRIMARY SUPPLY.

'Rainbow Brook? We were just there, it was all dried up and I didn't see anything to account for what should be supplying it, how do I fix it?' __

RAINBOW FONT LOCATED IN CLOUD PORTION OF CITY, PRODUCTION CONTINUED SEVERAL YEARS AFTER LUNA TIER ATTACK SCENARIO, HIGH PROBABILITY OF RESTORING FUNCTION VIA REPAIR-PONY FAST TIMES. RESTORATION OF PRIMARY SUPPLY SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN PONEOSTASIS.

REPAIRS REQUIRED IN ROOT SECTOR AS WELL, INFESTATION AND BLIGHT MUST BE PURGED, STABLE 95.5 MUST BE SEALED OR REPAIRED. PRIMARY CHARGES UNABLE TO PERFORM THESE FUNCTIONS, REPAIR-PONY FAST TIME'S SAMPLE AND LOCAL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS RELATE IMMUNITY TO RADIATION IN ROOT SECTOR AND COMBAT CAPABILITY REQUIRED.

FIX ME...

Mission Updated: Lifegiver

Objectives------
---Find the Ministry of Peace Hub
---Follow the minotaurs to the MoP Hub
---Gain entry to the MoP Hub
---Repair Water Talisman Array
---Repair Rainbow Brook Supply
---Explore Root Sector - Purge Infestation and Blight

My pip-buck added to the text in my vision and I sighed wearily, I figured the fairy breezies would be the ones who made the weird mission system pipe up again, instead it was the hub maneframe itself. My grousing was cut short by the images and diagrams the system was throwing up in my eyes though, among them was a picture of the city of Rainbow Brook we had passed through, but more of it than I had known was there... Seeing the whole thing brought a twinge of pain between my eyes as that nagging memory I had tried to trace down at the time was confirmed.

Rainbows... I kept thinking the ruins on the ground should have rainbows filling the pools and dry creekbed winding through it, now I knew why. We had only seen half the town, the other half was hidden above the bright fall colors of the forest canopy that covered the ruins we explored, a cloud town...

The prewar photo displayed on the screen showed the whole thing, the cloudy islands above the town had several ribbons of liquid rainbow cascading from cloud to cloud, finally pooling and falling down to the basins and creek down on the ground we had explored. Why was it so familiar though?

Well... If it had continued functioning for a few years after the balefire bombs fell, maybe it could be repaired like the hub was asking. Not that I knew anything about fixing pegasus technology... but I could try anyway. It would require leaving the hub and flying all the way back however, better to focus on the problems here first then.

'Alright, I'll try. By 'combat capability required' I'm guessing this Root Sector is infested with breezidores? I need my friends, and my weapons. What about the water talismans? Are they down there too?' __

AFFIRMATIVE, ROOT SECTOR INFESTED WITH MUTANT BREEZIE POPULATION. AUTHORIZATION TO USE LETHAL FORCE GRANTED. ADDING NON-MILITARY PATIENTS TO MOUSE LEVEL ACCESS LIST... AUTHORIZATION GRANTED. WATER TALISMAN ARRAY LOCATED IN WILLOWHEART SERVICE AREA, OPENING MAINTENANCE ENTRANCE, PLEASE STAND BY....

At that, there was a slight rumble and the breezies in the miniature city around me fluttered up curiously, all turning to the statue of Ministry Mare Fluttershy behind the model Canterlot in front of me. Something slid open that way with a grinding noise and I had to struggle to get loose from Jade's over affectionate grip to take a look.

The large stump of a pedestal the well cared for stone statue stood on had a gaping door in it now, steps leading down to flickering lights and familiar smells of a maintenance area just like in the Stable, grease, water dripping, metal pipes... just like home. The breezies all looked surprised and turned to me as one, chirping to each other in whispers as I flapped over the onion shaped domes of the palace and looked back to speak nervously.

"I-It's ok! The umm... Great Tree wants me to go down there and fix something! If that's ok? You can watch I guess... Er... Jade? I'll be right back ok? You guys just wait up here for the others while I get to work."

That seemed to soothe the breezies, the little mare I rescued from Summerset Plantation chattered with Queen Ether fluttering at the top of her palace, going back and forth a moment before the breezie dressed as a Ministry of Peace nurse landed on my hat and peered over the brim, her upside down face smiling and nodding. "I go watch, ve never see dat room before, Great Tree open so ve trust Shroud pony."

"Do hurry back Fast, I wish to snuggle more! We will wait for Valkyrie and the others, I hope they arrive soon, the food smells quite delicious your highness!" Jade giggled and continued sitting serenely where she was, sipping tea and not moving her comparatively gigantic body in the model city, clearly worried about clumsily smashing something else.

"Ok Daddy! Have fun with your boring stuff!" Glitter yelped happily, carefully leaning up to peek over a three story breezie building and squealing her delight at her new little friends, at least she wouldn't be bored.

Before I could take the first step down into the dark access passage, one of the Queen's Cybreezie royal guards flitted over and darted to my pip-buck, clamping on to it and folding around my foreleg to connect to the arcano-tech device, more text filling my vision after the chattering hoofshake between the two pieces of technology;

REMOTE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED.... PROCEED.

I shrugged and walked down into the gloom cautiously, whispering down to the strange little robot on my leg once we were far enough down to not be overheard by the breezies outside, trusting Spring Gale if she overheard from my hat. "You control the Cybreezies here?"

AFFIRMATIVE, CYBREEZIES MK. 1.3 CONNECTED TO LOCAL NETWORK. REMAINING UNITS REPRESENT 7% OF INITIAL COMPLEMENT.

I'd run into the robots before... Earlier models than this had destroyed the Trotson Division of Steel Rangers shortly after the war with devastating effectiveness. Then another had actually helped me escape the Institute for some reason, performing the same weird trick of connecting to my pip-buck and identifying itself as 'Patriot', being run by somepony remotely. At least these were only under the control of the hub apparently, I still had a lot of questions about them... Maybe the hub knew?

"Where do Cybreezies come from? Why do you have them here at all? Why doesn't the Institute use them all over for that matter, do you know?"

CYBREEZIES CREATED BY PROFESSOR MOBIUS OF C.I.A.T. AS GUARDIANS OF BREEZIE POPULATION BEFORE ADAPTATION MANIFESTATION POTION. MK. 1.3 DESIGNED PRIMARILY TO ASSIST WEAKER BREEZIES. ONLY THOSE ON LOCAL NETWORK KNOWN, OUTSIDE USAGE OF TECHNOLOGY UNKNOWN. MUTANT BREEZIE POPULATION HAS RENDERED MOST INOPERABLE, ONLY ABLE TO FULFILL PROTECTION FUNCTION AT 17% EFFICIENCY.

Mobius again... The weirdest of all the Institute division heads being responsible for the advanced robots did make sense though. From what little I had gathered, he didn't get along with the rest of the Institute and his colleagues even acted scared of him. If he made Cybreezies, the idea that he didn't share the technology wasn't that far fetched.

Probably a good thing for the Commonwealth, the miniature robots were a lot more subtle than the raw firepower of something like an Ultra Sentinel, but I had seen just how deadly they could be. The fact they weren't all over the Commonwealth tended to support my theory, though it left me with more questions.

"Yu talk tu Great Tree thru Guardian Fast? No vunder it vant talk to yu, yu special pony huh?" Spring Gale seemed to be enjoying her ride on my hat, peeking down and watching me murmur to the odd gold and ruby robot clamped to my hoof with wide eyes as we continued down the winding stairs.

"Er... not really Gale, I just have something they can talk to on my hoof already. It's just arcane technology, not magic... well, alright, some magic involved... So, let's see what we got down here..." I replied cautiously, I didn't want to mess with the breezie's beliefs in their guardian spirit, but it was a machine, a very fancy, interesting machine incorporated into the entire hub, but a machine.

The technology filled room at the bottom of our winding trek just reinforced that idea. Most of the hub looked naturally grown and the weird crystalline tree appeared natural, but parts of it were still standard technology I understood, just hidden away out of sight. The chamber we had entered would look mostly at home in the depths of Stable 111 actually, banks of monitors, blinking consoles, rusty pipes dripping water to the floor that appeared to be absorbed by the tree itself.

Some systems seemed to be redundancy back ups, there was an air purification and handling system, but it was mostly inactive... the tree must handle that function well on its own. There were some sparking and blown power relays on one wall, but the wires led into the sparkling, grainy wood surface of the tree as well. This service room seemed to mostly be focused on the sealed panel marked with the blue water drop icon the same as in the Stable, the water talisman housing...

I hissed when I opened the panel with a creak of rusty hinges, taking in the damage as Gale fluttered down to stand in the open panel and look up curiously. Two talismans, just like the Stable too, primary and backup. The primary was nearly ruined... a blackened and cracked jewel dimly glowing with the water creation spell rune on the surface, still held in the mounting field of glowing magic from the corroded connections in a circle around it.

The backup wasn't quite so fried at least, the diamond talisman still put off a cool field of magic and was only a little cloudy. Most likely even that was just because of the sputtering field of magic trying to hold it in place, the connections there were almost totally corroded and ruined, the poor arcane connection was corrupting the talisman as it tried to force it to function.

"Wooooo.... Tinker-Tribe like dis place... it look like stuff dey steal all da time. Yu can fix Fast?" Gale goggled up at the frazzled system with wonder, they'd never been in this part of the tree before at all?

I took a shaky breath and shut down the system, really hoping the blackened talisman didn't just turn to dust when I did, but forced to do so to get to work. To my relief it merely sagged in its housing as the magic dissipated, letting me carefully float it out along with the backup and start testing my magic. I was still no wizard pony, but thanks to all my practice with the books we bought from Corona in Diamond City, along with those we found in the wasteland, I was able to use a few tricks I never had before.

Thankfully, the spell slinging needed to reinforce an already existing spell rune wasn't nearly as difficult as actually knowing and casting the water creation spell itself, all I had to do was as my spellbooks advised, reach out to the established spell matrix and pour magic into it, a bit like going over a badly faded book with a pen to copy over the illegible letters one by one.

Cleansing and restoring an advanced talisman like this was still delicate work, requiring a lot of magic that made me sweat and concentrate with all I had. Very slowly, the gem seemed to grow a little lighter, a few cracks shrinking just a bit and the water spell rune glowing a bit brighter. If I had a week... and a lot of radiation to keep supplying me with power... maybe I could fix it completely.

As it was I'd have to be happy with what I could do for now and move on, several alarms and glowing yellow lights had come up in the maintenance room when I shut the system down, if the tree needed water to function then I couldn't leave it disconnected long without an alternative source.

Moving on, I brought out my wire brush and calipers, carefully cleaning the connectors meant to supply the field of magic to hold and access the talisman. This would take some tedious maintenance work, restoring as much of the system as possible, then swapping the primary and backup talismans around, but it should be a significant improvement.

"I can fix Gale... I think. While I do why don't you tell me all about your home here, the Tinker-Tribe for example, why don't they fix this? Er.. other than requiring magic I guess. They're the gremlins right? The ones who mess with all the technology in the forest?" I answered my observer softly while I worked, glancing around at the rest of the maintenance issues waiting in here and starting a list of what I could help.

The lilac breezie beamed and shrugged at me in answer, "Dey no fix tings much, just break und steal shiny parts for collection."

"Collection? Tell me more..."

"Dis part Shroud pony?" One of the higher ups among the Tinker-Tribe, a rusty colored fairy stallion with a spiky red mane hovered just outside the panel I was currently crammed into, waiting for me to peek out and take a look at the jeweled circuit board held in his hooves that probably weighed twice as much as he did.

Grabbing the part in my telekinesis, I nodded gratefully and brought it back into the panel with me as I replied, taking stock of the veritable flock of Tinker breezies who had joined me down here and were busily working with me. "Yeah Tingle, thanks a lot. Your crew nearly finished with all those spark regulators?"

The breezie supervisor zipped around the room and chattered angrily at some of his workers a moment, bobbing back down and nodding proudly as I slotted the replacement part into the last console on my list. "Almost! Is nice fixing tings unstead of breaking! Dis help Great Tree yes? Yu need more parts?"

"I think we're good for now, I really want to see your collection now though, I didn't think there'd be any way you had some of the stuff I asked for. If it's ok for me to visit, umm... Motool Town? Right?"

A high pitched chatter rose up from all of Tingle Smoke's fellow Tinker-Tribe breezies at that, so I was guessing I was welcome to visit after even before he answered positively. Navigating the breezie's varying thickness of accent and limited number of pony speakers would be rougher if they all didn't understand pony at least, one of a few interesting aspects of dealing with the 'Breezie Nation' here in the hub I had gleaned working down here over the last hour or more.

Based on Ivy's occasional telepathic reports from upstairs, the others were learning tidbits here and there that were getting added to the jigsaw puzzle of fairy breezie culture too. Though I was happier tinkering down here with the so named tribe helping me than I would be up there. So far I liked the fairy breezies and we were getting used to each other, but a party with a bunch of strangers was still daunting for me, no matter how big or small they were. The Tinker-Tribe were fellow repair-ponies.... repair-breezies rather, putting me at ease after I asked for their assistance and put them to work with me.

I was hopeful the feeling was mutual too, many seemed skittish being around ponies, but had been warming up to the maintenance work and gradually getting more comfortable. Telling them how impressed I was at their 'gremlin' activities got us off to the right hoof too, though I had a hard time seeing how they could be so brilliant at wrecking technology, but have so little experience fixing it. Their pale yellow jumpsuits and tiny toolbelts all made me think of a proper maintenance crew like back home, but they honestly seemed unused to doing repair work.

After we had gotten to know each other well enough, the eventual explanation made some sense, but not entirely. According to Gale and Tingle, the tribes were descended from different jobs the breezies used to do here in the Ministry of Peace hub before the end. Tingle proudly said his ancestors were part of hub maintenance and passed the customs down over the ages, forming their own tribe and establishing Motool Town when they returned to the surface, but a lot of knowledge had been lost over that time.

Thinking back to how much trouble I got into as a foal for taking apart a lamp to see how it worked, I had to admit they were right, taking things apart was a lot easier than putting them back together. They knew enough to know what was important and how things worked basically, but lacked the training and information for doing complicated repairs. The Maneframe running their Great Tree had a lot of information in its databases, but it was geared around medical information, so it couldn't really offer much for the Tinkers.

A shame given how good they were at it, and I thought I could squeeze in to tight spots to make repairs... these guys could literally walk around inside the machines and get to places I could only attempt to send my magic in, if I knew what I was doing inside and out without seeing it.

I wasn't just being polite asking to see their part of the Breezie Nation either, according to Tingle, all the parts and components they stole from those invading their forest were added to a vast collection in their home, one I really wanted to go digging through considering how many high class replacements they had already brought me down here.

With the last fixes finished up, I called all my little helpers back and moved to reboot the water talisman array, bringing the systems out of standby and ending the annoying yellow alarm lights still circling. The consoles and machinery crammed into this small area all hummed back to life, a bright field of cool blue magic chilling the air appreciably near the talisman housing to the breezie's cheers.

Mission Updated: Lifegiver

Objectives------
---Repair Water Talisman Array

The cheer rising up from the crowd of breezies with me was heartening, all the Tinker-Tribe beamed and fluttered around happily, most held at bay by Spring Gale still at my side, flying in front of me and puffing her chest out in pride. Apparently I was her ‘beeg pony’, since we met outside the hub and all, she had claimed what honor there was to be had acting as my loyal little guide and translator, and she was very protective of the pony who rescued her.

My success was hers as far as Gale was concerned, she shooed all but Tingle away as I trudged back up the stairs, letting the supervisor Tinker fairy hold a tentative hoof out to celebrate our repair job done well. “Fix tings pretty fun tu Shroud Fast, ve like doing, yu teech more?”

I slowly returned the shaky hoofbump and smiled wearily, nodding to my little compatriot while making sure not to move too quickly. He had gotten up to being willing to come close and make contact with a big pony, not that I really qualified... but I didn’t want to scare him off from trying. A hoof half as tall as he was had to be nervewracking to see coming at you... actually I knew for a fact it was after run ins with a couple of giant sized alicorn fillies...

I hadn’t gotten many clear answers as to why the breezies didn’t have anything to do with regular ponies, but in a way they were like Jade’s sisters, I wanted to encourage them to be friends with normal ponies, not hide here alone like the alicorns had in Trinity Tower. “Happy to share anything I know Tingle, I’ve got a copy of TLC Squared you guys could read too. You’re really good at being repair-breezies, I wish I had some of you working with me back in the Stable, I think your ancestors would be proud.”

That got more cheers and a flush of pride from Tingle, along with a thread of contemplative chattering from his workers. I didn’t need to be able to understand their lyrical language to get the gist, they liked fixing something, especially their Great Tree. Their talents were wasted just acting as gremlins to discourage the few wasteland travelers foolish enough to intrude on their territory, and they seemed to realize it now that they had a taste.

Thinking on that and basking in the warm feeling of a job well done was soured by the obnoxious tree itself, displaying more text in my vision and... whining... I’d swear this computer knew how to whine and demand well enough to match the stories of Ministry Mare Rarity, but couched it all in more standard computer-ese;

WATER TALISMAN ARRAY OPERATING AT 68% EFFICIENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS OPERATING AT 77% EFFICIENCY
POWER SYSTEM IMPROVED BY 29% EFFICIENCY

MINIMUM REQUIREMENT MET FOR PONEOSTASIS...

PURGE OF INFESTATION AND BLIGHT CONTAMINATION STILL REQUIRED....
RAINBOW BROOK SUPPLY REPAIRS STILL NEEDED....

FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME FIX ME

"Yeah I know, I know... Gimme a break ok? We got one thing down and it took a lot of my magic and time, we're not all machines." I answered the text in my vision wearily as I climbed the stairs with a train of breezies following happily.

The light and noise above led me along with delicious smells, what repairs we had managed down here had drained me, though it gave me some time to get to know the weird computer running the hub and talk to the Tinker Tribe, along with Spring Gale riding the brim of my hat.

As we reached the top of the service passage and exited under the grand statue of Ministry Mare Fluttershy, a high pitched steam whistle sounded out and was met by a cheer from the miniature city in front of me. I blinked under the brighter lights in the large chamber, scanning around and spotting the cloud of breezies moving slowly with Jade around the edges of the round chamber, fluttering on her wingtips with Glitter in her grasp, following something entering the room from a small side passage.

A glance at the focus of all their interest found.... a train? Yes... a breezie sized, brightly painted, pink locomotive was chugging its way around the circumference of the room on little tracks hidden against the walls. Several pastel roofed cars followed the engine puffing little rings of colored smoke, passenger cars, pastel cargo cars, wide flat-cars big enough to seat a pony, liquid tanker cars and even a small, red caboose at the end.

The breezies all seemed pretty happy about the spectacle, the ones up here were following it along with Jade and Glitter as it pulled into a well cared for, dollhouse sized train station with a hiss, faded purple shingles still intact and a little clock still ticking away between the two wings of the building, a small sign on top said simply; 'Willowheart Station'.

My Tinker-Tribe friends zipped around me in a whooping cloud to join them as I stared dumbly, though Spring Gale stuck with me and beamed from overhead. “Flutter Express not run in loooooong time Fast! Yu make verk again!”

"Daddy! Lookit! It's like a toy of all those broken things outside! But it works! They moved like this?!" Glitter squealed from her mother's embrace overhead, delighted watching a toy train pull up and making me realize she'd never seen such a thing.

Jade nuzzled her cheek happily and replied for me, still sounding a little spacey, but a bit more sober. "Yes dear, this is a train and this is how they are meant to function. Isn't it wonderful, is this your doing Fast? It just came in and our hosts were quite surprised!"

"Er..." I hated to disappoint those glowing faces, but all I had really messed with were vital systems, I was as surprised as they were. Before I could answer, the maneframe piped up again in my vision, still connected through the Cybreezie on my pip-buck and showing no signs of abandoning the communication line.

RESTORING POWER TO SUBSYSTEMS SHUT DOWN UNDER EMERGENCY CONSERVATION PROTOCOLS. DELIVERY OF WEAPONS REQUIRED FOR REPAIRS COMPLETED VIA HUB TRANSPORT.

PROCEED TO PURGE OF ROOT SECTOR.

FIX ME.

"Calm down already, I'm working on it! If you've been in this state so long, a little longer won't kill you, I'm not going to just go barging in down there and-" I griped at the small robot wound around my foreleg, cut short by a heavy bundle of fiery feathers smashing into me.

“BOSS!! Frrrrigggnn finally! Tells dese lil twerps ta gimme back mah guns! Then lemme swat a few of em! Blue won’t let me! Yous know they lockeded me up in a fargle bargle paddeded room!?!” Val’s tail lashed angrily above her rump stuck up in the air as she pinned me, her claws holding my forelegs stretched out so she could nip my neck with her beak affectionately, while drunkenly glaring at the nervous looking breezies keeping their distance from the griffon.

The high pitched giggling nearby let me crane my neck from her embrace and spot Witchy not far away too, a light blush lit her cheeks as she frolicked in a channel now filling with water winding its way through the breezie city, being fed by sparkling fountains out of the statute of Fluttershy, allowing half a dozen breezies to crawl over her silky lilac-grey fur to wash the grime and blood off. “Fast! There thou art! Nevermind thine loyal bodyguard, she threw quite the fit and frightened our adorable new friends. Help them celebrate thine excellent repairs with me instead! This is fun but it will take them sooooo long, play with me and tell me I’m pretty again! I like thine sweet words!”

I noticed more than a few breezie stallions who looked like they were happy to keep working at it as long as it took with her already, blinking between the naked griffon and batpony and their matching, mismatched eyes with wide, dialated pupils, I groaned under Val. So far the breezies go to position when dealing with others seemed to be ‘get them so fucked up they have no interest in being violent’, I couldn’t really blame them for wanting to make outsiders who were so much bigger than they were cooperative and friendly, but it made getting to work laughable.

"You're very, very pretty Witchy, gorgeous, stunning, beautiful... want me to keep going?" Considering she gave a little whinny at each compliment and turned a little redder, I didn't need to see her bobbing her head rapidly to know the answer. Very distracting as she didn't have her heavy steel armor on at the moment, letting me take in every curvy inch the breezies were attentively scrubbing. “Let me guess... they gave you both something to calm down...”

After hearing how she had been treated and what she thought of herself back home, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to praise her and make it sink in, but we did have other things to do at the moment. Zed chortling from the second floor mezzanine under the banner for the Flora-Tribe breezies sounded sober and he was wearing his armor at least, though I’d almost hoped he was stoned on nectar too, very curious what the reserved zebra would be like.

“I’m afraid so Fast, Miss Hour took right to letting them help her ‘relax’ while we waited together, Valkyrie did not... They had to lock her up until they received word it was alright to bring us here, they even managed to put her in a straightjacket before she could resist, most impressive actually. Their sedative concoction didn’t work well enough on her, I had to suggest they augment it by putting it in something she’d enjoy more to get her here, so I would be careful with her...” Zed rolled his grey eyes at the thought, returning to his conversation above us.

Reminded by the zebra, Val shook her head and looked up with a loopy scowl. “Hey! Zat’s right! Where’s my boozy woozy dammit! Goes gets me more boozy ya lil bug bastiches! Fergot ‘bout dat damn jacket too, they put me in a Gawd damned dress with attitude boss! Lemme thump around alone in some musty padded room! Tells me we’re killin’ somethin’ soon! I am still royally pissed off ya lil buggers! More booze!!”

A very harried looking breezie was actually carrying a bottle of Wild Pegasus through the air at her screech, dutifully bringing it to the inebriated griffon and dumping a generous pile of golden nectar down the bottleneck after she unscrewed the cap and waited. Val sloshed the bottle around to mix up her powerful cocktail and took a slug with a happy gasp, flopping down on top of me and getting a yelp when her sharp claws groped my flank as she returned to being overly affectionate.

Was this how griffons did things? Or just her? I was glad to see all my friends together again and that they were ...happy... but also relieved I was safely in the blue end of my radiation meter and not rising to her flirting automatically, though my mane started itching anyway... Moondancer’s annoying ‘breeding stud’ additions to her version of the I.M.P. wouldn’t ignore certain cues, forcing me to struggle free and ignore Val’s pouting.

At least she had her bottle of whiskey to occupy herself, reluctantly letting me retreat to Jade and Glitter puzzling over the toy train with interest. Their delighted hugs gave me a second to check on Ivy too, finding the big green mare still sitting at the central park beneath the breezie palace, picking at all the food and drink her throng of attendants kept offering her first as the rest continued making a pony sized feast.

She arched an eyebrow at me and nickered to herself when she caught me staring, tossing her mane to show off all the care the breezies had been lavishing on her and the flowers braided in it. (I’m still fine Fast... I’m not going to break while you’re gone for an hour, certainly not here. Our new friends treat a mare in my condition with almost as much caution as what’s in your mind. Not that I’m above accepting such attention from either of you... they are excellent cooks and you... are you. Go on, speak with the Queen and attend your ‘mission’, I’ll keep listening in if you need me.)

I still felt woozy thinking about her ‘condition’ as she so blithely thought of it, but gulped and nodded to her, returning my attention to Jade, Glitter and the curious little train the breezies were swarming. One of the cargo cars was already opened and the sight of my weapons gleaming in the pinkie-space enchanted container filled me with relief anyway, I felt naked without something more substantial to defend myself, even in this mostly friendly environment. And to think, I went most of my life without ever thinking of touching a deadly weapon...

Jade nuzzled my cheek excitedly and trotted over to one of the liquid tanker cars, beaming back at the open cap on top and sniffing at it, the sharp, medicinal smell of healing potions drifting over to my enhanced senses from here. “Isn’t this darling Fast?! Look! Potions! Just as we hoped, our hosts maintain the ability to brew large quantities of healing potions! They have promised me a tour of their labs even!”

Seeing me floating my weapons out of the cargo car and strapping the harness of Blue Moon back to my side got Val’s loopy attention, staggering up to find the car where her own gear was stashed in a rush. I had to ask Glitter to help her out after watching her puzzle over how to get back into her armor and what weapons to start with, leaving Witchy to her breezie assisted bath and looking for Queen Ether.

Tracking down Queen Ether among all her subjects wasn't that difficult, besides practically sparkling in her regalia and being paler than most breezies, she was a bit bigger and had brilliant pink wings, hovering beside Jade's cloudy mane and smiling softly, waving out to the fountain feeding the filling streams of clear water running through her city. “Is good work Fast, thank you for helping the Great Tree. Ve bring all friends here, just like ve say yes? You have more work to do now? Vhat else does Great Tree need?”

"The Great Tree needs a Pest Control Pony... since I'm not one, I need help and some rest. Helping is going to take awhile too, we'll need somewhere to sleep where we won't destroy half your city rolling over in the night, We need to tell the minotaurs outside we're ok too, they're waiting on us, or were anyway. I don’t see all my friends either, where are the Brotherhood ponies?"

The look on her pretty little face soured at 'Brotherhood' and talking to the minotaur hunters waiting on us. Sledge and his hunting pack had brought us all the way through the western woods and promised to wait away from Willowville where it was safe, but they just expected us to be hunkering down at the entrance to wait out the swarm of breezidores outside, not to actually make it in the hub.

Both the Queen and the hub maneframe replied on top of each other, one more political than the other, but both basically agreeing. "Bad soldiers still vhere Tree send them for treatment. You can see Brotherhood ponies, but no let out, they stay put. Ve no talk to minotaurs, they wait for you anyway right? It be fine. Ve make up rooms for guests while you go get, then help Great Tree in morning!"

MILITARY PERSONNEL CONFINED TO VETERANS WARD. OUTSIDE CONTACT PROHIBITED. FIX ME.

So they were on the same page... Most of the breezies seemed to regard the maneframe as their spiritual protector, but the knowing looks I had caught on the Queen's face seemed to indicate she knew better. We needed to get a couple things straight before I did anything else now that Jade was sober...

I leaned close to the tiny mare and held my pip-buck and her robotic royal guard up nearby, whispering under the noise and chatter of her subjects still celebrating the train working again. "You want our help Ether, we want to be friends, but give and take. There are only three Brotherhood here, we'll keep them under control, locking them up isn't right. They are soldiers... if they think they've been captured by an enemy, they'll do whatever they can to escape, you don't want that. We need to have a little chat about a few things before I get them, but I do need to get them. As for not wanting to talk to the minotaurs, I'll write a note. You guys are so good at slipping in and stealing parts and stuff, you can leave it where our friends can find it, that's fine right?"

The Queen gave a long, dubious look, finally huffing in a pout and waving her scepter magnanimously. "Very well, soldier ponies your responsibility. Write note, ve take. But no say anyting about Breezie Nation, keep secret."

VISITOR PASSES ISSUED, ACCESS GRANTED.

Sighing relief from the momentary standoff, I pulled a bit of scrap paper and a stub of pencil from my packs, scribbling quickly and giving the Queen a significant nod to her subjects fluttering about. “Thank you. Now, before I do anything else the ‘Great Tree’ wants, we need to have a little chat. Princess to Queen, discuss our two kingdoms new relationship and stuff. You probably want to talk privately too....”

Jade looked up and tilted her head curiously when I mentioned her, pulled from her elation at fellow followers of Fluttershy and all the wonders of the Ministry of Peace hub. She gave a pouting sigh at the reminder of her royal status, but nodded and trotted over, still a little loopy and lovey dovey, distractedly kissing my horn as she agreed.

“Yes, Fast is right I suppose... we should uphold our roles and discuss our new friendship your highness. I am afraid I won’t be able to fit inside your lovely palace to hold our talks, though Fast might.” Jade giggled at my huff over her lighthearted joke, eyeing the grand entrance to the model of Canterlot Palace and forced to admit that yes... I might actually be able to fit in the main gate.

Only my princess got to make short jokes... at least Queen Ether hid her demure smile behind her hoof and waved up to the upper levels of the large chamber. “Of course Princess Jade, ve take to pony rooms you can stay in. Ve talk there, Vice-Director’s office be good. Dis way.”

I ruffled Glitter’s mane before flying after the Queen up to the third level with Jade, our daughter was perfectly happy where she was and this wouldn’t be a money type stuff kind of talk, so no reason to interrupt her play. When we crested the balcony overlooking the room from the top floor, we passed a large, ornate door reading ‘Trotson Hub Director’ on the way to a smaller one nearby for ‘Trotson Hub Vice-Director’.

“Why don’t we go in the head honcho’s office?” I asked the Queen as we trotted past the fancy door, intensely curious about whoever was in charge and what might be in their office still.

Surprisingly, the hub maneframe answered first. Flashing dismissive text in my vision before the Queen could reply;

TROTSON HUB DIRECTOR WAS A USELESS FIGUREHEAD PUT IN PLACE VIA NEPOTISM. PRIMARY CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF FACILITY CONDUCTED BY VICE-DIRECTOR.

It was a pretty terse answer for an emotionless computer... more signs of an actual personality buried in the code, one that didn’t seem to like the pony in charge before the end. It only made me more curious about that office, but I was willing to go along for now, if the Vice-Director was really the pony in charge, that was a good place to start.

“Dis office better, ve find beds for friends and move here, can take other offices nearby, but beeg door locked anyway. Here ve go, ve talk now Princess. Private talky Spring Gale, you vait vith others.” Queen Ether gave a more diplomatic answer, hovering in front of the Vice-Director’s door patiently.

“Actually I want her with us, Gale’s my little native guide buddy, I’d like her input too.”

Making demands of the ruler of the breezies didn’t look like something she was used to, blanching a moment as Gale popped down from my hat again with a wide smile. “Really? I get tu help vith beeg important talky?”

“Really, you trust me, I trust you Gale.” I replied evenly and pushed the door open, not waiting for approval from Ether and trotting into the waiting office.

The dusty office inside smacked me in the face with a wave of nostalgia and familiarity. It was large and cluttered with strange decorations, wooden zebra masks, carefully arranged crystals and gems, rotting bean bags for chairs instead of normal office furnishing. A very low desk sat at the back, probably half the height of a regular wooden desk, all the better to allow for the pony behind it to sit on the ornate meditation rug that rested where a cushy office chair would normal be.

The carved nameplate sitting beside the glowing terminal on top of it made me sit with a thump, goggling between it and the strange office full of knick knacks and pictures that felt so familiar. No wonder I felt like I had been here before, it forcibly reminded me of how the Shift 4 Head Medic decorated her office, the gaps in the decor must be the things she took with her.... There on her desk sat the same name, the non Stable-Tec issued nameplate here read ‘Vice-Director Tree Hugger’.

There she was.... younger than I remembered, but there was the mare that took over Dad’s duties every Shift Change, staring back at me next to Ministry Mare Fluttershy from a faded old photo I held in my hooves. Her light green coat and braided rose colored mane might be different, especially with a wreath of flowers on her brow and wearing a flowing dress instead of Stable barding, but that mellow, spacey look on her face reminded me of the blue Periwinkle even more than my memories of her soft voice, making me smile thinking of the odd mare.

Of course the thought also gave me another moment of panic, thinking of the blonde alicorn and the possibility she was pregnant like Ivy. If she was, she was back at Castle Equinox... in the line of fire as the Gunners prepared for their assault, maybe even in danger already, still doing her work for the Minutemares proudly... I had to get back, Ivy might not be willing to go to Sanctuary where it was safe, but Peri expressed interest in doing so. I had to protect her...

Jade and Queen Ether seemed to sense my distress and gave me a minute to cope on finding out the Stable 111 medic was once in charge of the MoP hub, but I was getting off on faint inducing tangents... had to focus. I shook it off and shrugged to their concerned stares, sinking into one of the ratty bean bags in front of Tree Hugger’s odd desk with a tired sigh and inviting the Queen to the desk before me. Probably one reason it was so low, it let the little breezie monarch land on the dusty surface and stand close to eye level as Jade furled a wing around me supportively, questioning my reaction silently with her bright blue eyes.

“Sorry... I er... I knew the mare who used to work here, it took me by surprise. So.... let’s talk your highness. I’m guessing you know more about the ‘Great Tree’ than your subjects, so I’ll be straight with you if you’ll do the same from now on. I fixed the water talisman and several sub-systems with the Tinker-Tribe’s help, but I’m not doing anything else until we sort out a few things.”

Queen Ether stuck her nose up and huffed regally, “Ve ‘be straight’ vith beeg ponies since come here. Vhat you vant to help fix hub?”

Jade gasped at the mildly combative tone I used, but I wanted answers. “You threatened to kill the Brotherhood members to get my help, but I’m thinking that was a lie wasn’t it? No follower of Fluttershy would murder innocent ponies, would they your highness?”

That reminded Jade and elicited an annoyed whinny from her, nodding rapidly and leaning down to address the Queen with disappointment. “Yes, that’s right! I do not like the Brotherhood either, but they do not deserve to be killed simply because they were dragged inside the hub with us. Fluttershy would be very disappointed Ether!”

My Princess’ narrowed blue gaze made her royal counterpart wilt and shuffle sheepishly as she answered in a quiet voice. “Ve fib a leetle... ve make forget, but not kill... Holy Fluttershy understand if ve do though, sometimes have to put down rabid animals to save others. Have to be cruel to be kind if needed. No vant to, but ve no know vhat you do! My subjects scared beeg soldiers come and take home!”

Gale maintained her comfy seat on my head, hanging off the brim of my hat and nodding worriedly. “She right Fast, Securi-Tribe especially vorried, dey protect Breezie Nation, no like security risk. Bad soldiers blew up whole vorld! You even say dese vant to take Great Tree.”

If these two knew I had the surprisingly loud voice of ‘Be Kind...’ forcefully disagreeing in my head, they might change their tune there... They might have a point, but the fragment of Fluttershy I carried had gotten stronger since we had entered the hub and met the breezies, the echo of her soul radiated disapproval in line with Jade’s reaction. Though it also lent me patience and kept the other voices up there quiet, especially ‘Be Dark...’ to my relief.

“I don’t want that either, but making threats isn’t a nice way to ask for help, so let’s not do that again huh? I won’t lie, the Brotherhood probably will want to take the hub if they find a way in and think they can. Even if you make them forget about you... you can do that? Er... anyway, even if you did, they’ll just send more to try again. They wouldn’t be happy with you about messing with their armor and weapons either, a lot of them died on the way here because of that...”

The tiny queen paced the desk in front of us briskly, getting a frustrated and frightened look before yelping up in desperation. “Ve just vant to be alone! Hub say outside dangerous, beeg ponies all crazy! Umm... not you of course... but ve survive by staying hidden, how ve keep bad soldiers away Princess?”

At Ether’s obvious distress, Jade stood to her full, impressive height and flared her wings, stamping a hoof down and exuding an aura of nobility that made her a princess worth following. “They will not take your home. I promise! We will protect you! Er... S-Somehow...”

Jade shrank into her wings a bit after her firm declaration, looking to me for all the pesky details of how we’d do so, just completely sure that we would do something. Luckily, my time spent talking with Gale and the Tinker-Tribe had filled in a few details I could work with, scratching my head and nodding along with Jade to the Queen.

“Princess Jade is right, if our kingdoms are friends and allies, then we’ll protect you. But that means taking a chance on us your highness, not all ponies outside are crazy and bad, not even the Brotherhood really... We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure your home stays yours, but I don’t think you can keep hiding here anymore.”

“Vhat you mean Shroud Fast? Ve be friends vith Princess and help Followers stuff, but ve just make supplies and give, vhy ve need let others in?” Queen Ether looked dubious at the suggestion, lining up with what Gale had told me.

MAINTAINING ISOLATION HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF ENSURING SAFETY OF BREEZIE POPULATION. UNACCEPTABLE SECURITY RISK TO DO OTHERWISE. PRIMARY DIRECTIVE TAKES PRIORITY.

Neither the Queen nor the Hub itself liked that idea... Apparently, the breezies had built their entire society safely behind the shields of the MoP hub, removed from the wasteland and able to hide and disregard it. With the Brotherhood snooping around now, I couldn’t see a way for the status quo to continue though.

I didn’t think it was bad to change things either, Spring Gale had been just one of many breezies interested in the outside, even after her captivity and abuse, she was still curious and wanted to explore beyond the constrains of her safe home, piping up nervously to speak on our side. “Not all of beeg pony vorld bad your highness! Vas scary und got caught by bad ponies... but saved by good ones! Fast und Princess is good, ve should see other good ponies too!”

“If the Breezie Nation is an ally of Sanctuary and we have good soldiers here, the Brotherhood or anyone else couldn’t just come in and push you around. Plus there’s all the problems you have here, like the water talismans, all you need is a little help from good ponies. We can help you fight back against the breezidores, fix things you can’t and teach you how to do it yourself, protect you from threats from the outside and help you deal with others. You could even trade for things you don’t have here, you have lots of stuff ponies outside would want to buy. I think you need to let others in so you can work together with ponies, like you used to here in the hub.”

Ether’s long, graceful antenna perked up at that, she squinted at me and looked to Jade hopefully. “Like long, long ago? Ponies and Breezies together? There is many breezies like Gale that vant that... can we trust beeg ponies though? Vhat you vant to do this? How we do?”

“The Followers of the Apocalypse are fellow disciples of your Holy Fluttershy your highness, quite a few of them would be delighted to live here with you and help. Many are medically trained, you could use the resources you have here to heal and help alleviate a lot of suffering. I believe my Fast is right, my own sisters wished to remain isolated and apart from the rest of the world, but they learned it is better to rejoin the wasteland, we are stronger together after all.” Jade smiled kindly to the anxious breezie mare, speaking in her best soothing voice that put me at ease just hearing it.

“And the Minutemares are soldiers, but they’re good soldiers, on your side. I admire your belief in Fluttershy, but sometimes life isn't so simple, sometimes you have to fight. Look at me and Jade, she’s a pacifist like you guys, while I end up killing... a lot... but we need each other, the Followers and the Minutemares need each other, the other Ministries needed Fluttershy and the Ministry of Peace, I think breezies and ponies need each other too. If we work together, we can be better together, but I need to know before I talk to the Brotherhood. Are we allies your highness? Are you willing to trust us?”

There was a long pause while the Queen thought, furrowing her brow and glancing up at Gale on my hat holding her forelegs up to beg. Finally she sighed and looked up uncertainly, “Ve trust Princess and Shroud... but go slow. Ve is allies vhen you talk to bad soldiers though, is ok. I hope you sure Fast pony...”

Looking into the Queen’s clear blue eyes, I could practically feel the heavy weight of responsibility settle between my wings. I just had to go meddling everywhere I went, now a whole miniature society was counting on us. I answered in a quiet whisper under Gale’s whoop of joy as she flitted around the room and grabbed her queen to dance with her excitedly, gasping in horror as she realized she was slinging her own monarch around in her elation.

“I hope I’m sure too...”

After continuing our discussion of an alliance between the Kingdom of Sanctuary and the Breezie Nation long enough to get some things straight, I felt armed enough to go deal with the Brotherhood, leaving the rest to Jade as we went back out to the city outside.

The smells that wafted up to us even up here on the third level of the main chamber made my stomach gurgle in anticipation, it took the breezie cooks awhile to make enough food for a pony feast, but they were getting close, added incentive to get this done quickly.

I glided down and landed beside the toy train station, noticing as the flickering sign reading ‘Departures’ changed to ‘Veteran’s Station’, now that the inter-hub transport was working, it promised a faster way to get to the wing where the Brotherhood had been teleported and held.

Craning my neck to look over the cluster of buildings for my daughter, I spotted her towards the edges of the large round chamber, swinging her hoof down and yelling ‘GO!” to signal the start of a race consisting of breezies dressed in the furs and bones of the Fauna-Tribe, riding... bunnies?

Yes, they were riding bunnies... engaged in a display of skill as their speedy mounts zoomed around the room to her squeals and the cheers of breezie spectators. Val was drunkenly flopped over beside the foal, raising her half empty bottle of nectar-whiskey high and taking bets on the outcome with a small crowd near her.

At least the griffon had calmed down with her weapons returned and was making friends... I saw Witchy near Ivy at the central park, digging out her collection of musical instruments and talking with a small group of breezies who had their own toy sized instruments, making toots and twangs as they tuned up together. Zed was still wandering the upper levels, talking with the Fauna-Tribe now, the reserved zebra wasn’t big on parties, but he was finding those he wanted to talk to and seemed satisfied. Good... the more breezies we made friends with, the easier getting them used to the idea of opening up to the outside would be.

Once the bunny racers crossed the finish line and Glitter declared a pale pink breezie riding a chocolate brown rabbit the winner, I caught her attention and gave my delighted daughter an indulgent look. "Hey Glitter, you wanna ride on a train with me? It's not quite as comfy as real ones, but it looks neat huh?"

My little filly's pink eyes got as wide as dinner plates and she gave an earsplitting squeal, laying my ears back as she joined me and cantered around in rapid circles, before dashing for one of the flat-cars that seemed made to hold a pony. "We can ride it!? Really! Yes! Let's go daddy!!"

Jade immediately galloped up as well, coming to a halt before the car next to Glitter and giving a crestfallen pout. Those flat-cars did look like they could hold a pony and were used for such, but a normal pony... Plenty of space for a young filly, fairly comfortable for me as a smaller pony, maybe a little cramped for somepony of more standard stature, but for the huge alicorn blinking between the small seat and her prodigious rump that dwarfed it? Nooooo....

"This is most unfair... I wish to ride as well Fast! I do not like this at all, I feel too big and clumsy normally... here it is worse... Maybe if I simply... squeeze... in... like... so..." Watching my Princess stick her tongue out the side of her muzzle and wobble her gorgeous flanks ominously over one of the cars was both amusing and enticing, but I hoped to use this train to speed up getting the others, I couldn't let her crush it under all that soft, blue deliciousness.

At least with her head down to line up her rear behind her, I didn't have to lean up to give a long kiss she purred and leaned into, breaking it off to pat her cheek consolingly. "Umm... I don't think it's gonna work hon, sorry... Maybe I can take one apart and reinforce it ok? Make sure you get a ride too, for now maybe it's best if you and the Queen keep talking about our alliance with her subjects, you’ll help them give the idea a chance I think. Besides, y-you should stay with I-Ivy... I'd feel better with a doctor close to her huh, w-with her... h-her... hurrrrrr...."

Jade's tinkling giggle stopped the blood draining from my face as she furled her wings around me and cooed, forgetting her disappointment at the entertaining sight of me turning grey and swaying before she did so. "Sister Ivy is perfectly fine Fast, she needs no care from me silly, it is far too early to be so worried, but I will relent. You must promise to let me ride however... it looks so darling and I so want to... E-Everything is far too small, even in the rest of the wasteland, but especially here. If I just fit in a bit better..."

With her wings hiding us, I could let my hooves roam and reassure her to some happy nickers, nuzzling her cheek and licking at her favorite spot on her neck. "I love my big beautiful Princess just the way she is. If you break something, I'll fix it. If things around you make you feel like you don't fit in, I'll fix those too. You'll get a ride, just like anypony else, promise. And I know I'm being silly about Ivy but... c-could you humor me?"

"I believe we must accept Fast is going to be rather overprotective sister... His thoughts are very firm on the subject, when they don't start fading away towards unconsciousness anyway. Stay with me please, let's continue our interesting talks with our hosts while we wait hmm?" Ivy gave a soft smile from her seat in the shadow of the breezie palace, her blue mane and tail now groomed and braided by throngs of breezie attendants crawling over her to her ticklish giggles, while more were engaged in the arduous looking task of using the restored water to start on her lustrous green coat.

She raised an eyebrow and thought at me silently as well, reassuring me psychically before I left her. (I will keep her here, though I do hope you can do as you promised, even I'm not above wanting a ride on that little toy or feeling the same way sometimes. A normal pony sized world can be difficult enough to cope with, this place is very disorienting and makes us feel a bit self conscious, honestly I don't know how Swan does it. Though knowing just how much you like us as we are does help... I'll try to guide our conversation while you're gone as well, continue the progress the two of you have made.)

Nodding to the p-pregnant green mare, I reluctantly pulled away from Jade and joined Glitter on the next car down. Jade curled in on herself and crossed her forelegs in a pout, watching wistfully as the little locomotive gave a high pitched whistle and lurched into motion again. She did finally break down at Glitter hopping up and down on her seat, waving frantically as we wound around the circular chamber, smiling to our daughter and waving back as tracks ahead switched over with a click and we were lost down one of the side passages.

Once this thing got moving, it actually made good progress at a steady clip. Not much faster than a gallop on hoof, but better than walking and surreal watching tiny breezie ruins passing by along with the dusty halls of the outer wings of the MoP hub. I only had a few vague memories of riding trains before the war, this was more like riding on the roof of one of those than looking out the windows, but seeing the scenery glide by was familiar.

This branch of the hub looked geared primarily towards dealing with caring for those injured in the war and veterans, signs for; Physical Therapy, Prosthetics, Long Term Care, Intensive Care and more passed by as we chugged along.

Before long we pulled into 'Veteran's Station' with a hiss, across the hall from a nurses station and only a few doors away from the others, disembarking and trotting down the dirty tiles on the floors, weaving around rusty wheelchairs and gurneys lining the halls.

"Yu sure it ok let out bad soldier ponies Fast? Yu und Princess Jade pony both no sound like yu tink dey very gud..." As I approached the door Spring Gale directed me towards, the breezie mare on my hat still sounded pretty wary about the Brotherhood ahead.

"I don't think they're bad either really... I just disagree with them in some areas. It'll be alright, I'll take responsibility for them. Leaving them locked up isn't very nice and I would like to find a way to be friends. You guys should try giving them a chance before talking about putting them to sleep..."

At my grousing, Gale's head popped over the brim of my hat again and she tittered to herself, shaking her little face in front of mine. "Queen Ether say she sorry for fib Fast. Ve no kill soldiers, dat be bad."

"The Securi-tribe really did want to put them to sleep though, right?"

"Dey always wanna go too far tu protect Breezie Nation, Queen und Great Tree no let dem kill if no haf tu, ve just make forget! Securi-Tribe happy hearing her pretend tu tink about it, but she not. Doh bad beeg ponies like scary place I vas... d-dey deserved... N-No, Holy Fluttershy be sad, even for dem." Gale's tinkling giggles tapered off as she remembered her captivity.

Killing sounded like it had been laughably abstract to her, but now her exposure to the wasteland outside was already changing her view, corrupting everything it touched, breezie or pony. At least she shook it off and returned to Ministry Mare Fluttershy as her touchstone, Jade was right, the breezies were practically Followers of the Apocalypse already, they both worshiped the same ideals.

So the Queen had been playing politics... I was glad to hear Gale's certainty they wouldn't have killed the Brotherhood ponies, but a little concerned that some of them wanted to, and that their leader felt the need to let them and us believe she might. "Yeah, you're right Gale, Fluttershy would be sad for them... So the Securi-Tribe are the ones you told me about that want to fight the Breezidores too right? They don't agree with your Queen? Your brother Blowing Storm is one of them isn’t he?"

Gale's wavy mane hanging down in my vision cut off most of my view as she shook her head, but so far this wing had been empty and safe, letting me continue our chat and keep digging for information about how things worked here as she answered. "Securi-Tribe is umm... is like pony army I guess, dey protect Breezie Nation, keep secret und safe. Dey go out into beeg pony world most, say is all bad und ve can no let come here. I no understand vhy brother agree vith dem und join, until I go out too. Some of yu ponies is scary Fast... Yu und Princess und friends is nice, but no vant soldiers here. Ve always just make ponies dat find out aboot us forget doh, no kill, killing is always bad. You reeeeeally sure ve no can just make forget again?"

“I think it’s better if they remember actually. After all the trouble they had just getting here, those Brotherhood troops aren’t going to be in any mood to try again and they’ll tell their superiors if they remember. I know it’s a risk, but we’re allies now too, we want them to remember so they can take back the word that you guys are off limits. Sometimes it's better to be brave and go out to talk with others, instead of hiding and isolating yourselves. Trust me, I know all about wanting to hide and stay alone.”

Glitter paused ahead of us, putting down a rusty prosthetic hindleg and looking to Gale curiously. “What were you doing out there anyway Miss Gale? How'd you get caught by those bad guys?"

"Some of us vant go out into beeg pony world und make friends, I get chance to try, but get caught.... Thought ponies vhat grow plantys not be so bad, but vas. Wish I find you first instead, Brother Blowy now get beeg head, keep saying 'told yu so!'" Gale stuck her tongue out to mock her absent brother, putting on a gruff tone that still sounded comically squeaky and not very intimidating at all.

Glitter laughed at the teasing imitation and nodded up to her, a frown crossing her face at the thought of the ponies at Summerset Plantation that had captured her. “I wish you found us instead too Miss Gale! Those slaver ponies were mean and dumb! I really wanted ta meet you there, but you ran away when daddy saved you! I’m really happy I got ta see you all here though! I love you fairies!”

As usual, just a few words from Glitter brightened up who she was directing them towards, getting a warm smile from Spring Gale that banished the shadows of her traumatic experience as I agreed with my daughter. "I wish you found us first too Gale, I'm sorry that happened to you, but I'm glad you want to try to being friends with us big ponies. You need our help for the Great Tree, but we sure could use your help too. Alright, ready to meet the soldiers?"

Spring Gale gulped and ducked behind my hat after giving a shaky nod, giving me the go ahead to open the door for 'Group Counseling Room #2' we had reached and stick my head in. I did not expect to be greeted by the sound of a deep bass voiced Steel Ranger bawling however...

I hadn't spent much time speaking with the last remaining Ranger from Lt. Dawn's group on our way here, being totally enclosed in heavy power armor made friendly conversation a little daunting, so this was the first time I had seen the burly stallion's face. The streams of tears spewing up like twin fountains kind of took away some of his intimidating mystique here.

"....j-just cause they found some old Ministry shipment of tech! W-Whole caravan wiped out and... and some of those ponies were just youngsters! I... I lied and tried to save one, s-said he was dead and got us to leave, but I still left him there bleedin' and... I never knew what happened to him! P-Probably died anyway!" The muscular earth pony Knight named Grinder sobbed, sitting on a folding chair arranged with several more in a circle around the dusty room, my quiet entrance let me goggle at the sight of the tough military pony crying so openly.

Group therapy? That's what this looked like... Lt. Dawn sat a few chairs over, a hard, stoic look on her face marred by her lip quivering and glistening eyes. Both of them were stripped of their armor, the dingy yellow Grinder sniffling at one of several breezies hovering around them flitting off to grab a tissue and wipe his eyes for him. There were half a dozen or more breezies in the room, most in the circle of chairs making supportive noises, some flying up to give the weeping buck a hug.

One wearing a little lab coat sat apart on an empty chair across the circle, nodding patiently and humming to herself, refering to a battered book propped open on the seat beside her titled; ‘Wartime Stress Disorder - Diagnosis and Treatment Manual’. "Und yu feel bad yu no help more? But yu no could do more, could you? Is not your fault, yu try Meester Grinder, yu no forget, yu be better, yes?"

"Y-Yeah... I guess... W-When Elder Steelhooves stepped up, reminded us what we were supposed to be about... I k-knew where I belonged, that he was right. H-Had to fight my own brothers and sisters to join him, b-but I never forgot that buck's face w-when things got tough. D-Do you think he'd forgive me little fairy doc?" Grinder wiped his eyes and looked up hopefully, wincing at Lt. Dawn's huff nearby.

"No know, is important yu forgive yu doh. Yu try be better, yu feel remorse und make change vhen yu could do something. It ok Meester Grinder, I tink he forgive, I tink yu should tu." The silvery and pale green maned breezie running this bizarre therapy session referred to the dusty book in the seat beside her and nodded at her treatment, giving the snotty stallion a kind look.

All her fellows fluttering over to give a supportive hug wherever they could grab the big stallion made him start up again, but it sounded like a weight had been lifted. I spotted one hovering up to his muzzle to plant a little kiss between his dripping nostrils, then reach into her baskets of nectar and slip a dusted hoof into his mouth consolingly. I could see how using the psychoactive substance as part of therapy could be helpful, beyond just making ponies affectionate, it made them emotional, probably pretty handy for this kind of thing.

"Knight pull yourself together! We've all done... d-done things we r-regret but... w-we have to.. to..." Lt. Dawn tried to be stern, her quivering lip just increasing and breaking apart her gruff command as she dissolved into tears as well.

Wow... breezies were reeeeally good at being therapists apparently... I could tell Dawn had been dosed with nectar too, I couldn't see her sitting calmly like this if she wasn't, but she wasn't completely wasted either. When she flapped up from her seat to join the breezies in the supportive hug, she finally caught me staring from the door though, forcefully wiping her blue eyes and trying to put on a scowl with little success.

Her embarassed frown softened at Glitter dashing forward now that we were noticed, her wide pink eyes shimmering with sympathetic tears as she launched herself at the earth pony stallion and joined the breezies hug. “It’s ok Mister Grinder! Don’t cry! I forgive you for that other pony!”

"There you are!! Mr. Times! Tell these... k-kind little creatures... to let us go! We don't have time for all this t-touchy-feely nonsense! W-We have a mission to focus on and... W-We have orders to be diplomatic with natives, but I demand we be allowed to leave! I-In just a moment..." Dawn grumbled and snatched a tissue a breezie was bobbing in her face, blowing her nose with a long honk and trying to resume her normal, sour appearance. Not very successfully as she patted Glitter’s silver mane gratefully as her Knight hugged her back, taking comfort in a foal big enough to return the gesture, instead of the tiny breezies he couldn’t risk crushing.

This was two of the Brotherhood, but I didn't see their Scribe anywhere nearby... "Nice to see you too Lieutenant, Knight. Sorry to interrupt, we got them to allow you to come with me when you're ready though. Umm... where's Scribe Blossom? Isn't she joining in group therapy too?"

Knight Grinder looked a little sheepish when I trotted in to pat his broad back, but grateful for the support too. Everypony had their own sad stories in the wasteland, talking to someone about them always helped and I wasn't going to make him feel bad for displaying some normal pony emotion.

By Dawn's annoyed snort and unsteady hoof pointing to a door to the side for 'Private Sessions', I gathered their Scribe was here too, just not with the others. "Scribe Blossom is the only one perfectly happy where she is... Now report, what's going on? Where are we going? How do we get out and report back to the Brotherhood, we need to send for reinforcements and secure this hub from..."

"Later! We'll talk later Dawn! You're not just running out to get backup though, calm down, you need to have a sitdown with the leader here and learn some things. They’re making food if you’re hungry, we’ll talk then. Er.... you guys get ready and I'll get Sakura."

I had to put up with Dawn's glare, but cutting her off from casually stating her intentions to secure this Ministry Hub for the Brotherhood was important. I didn't want to put the breezies on guard or agitate them further and that was the worst thing she could say. The crimson pegasus pouted and wiped her eyes as I passed, but thankfully stayed quiet and returned her attention to Knight Grinder and Glitter still soothing the emotional soldier, letting me duck into the smaller room bearing a low, long, lounge chair I associated with typical psychiatry visits to find Sakura Blossom.

Of course the pale pink Scribe wasn't sprawled on the couch and pouring out her soul... Instead I caught her in the middle of gleefully poking at a pair of breezies sitting there in her place, taking quick measurements with a tape measure and furiously tapping notes into her own pip-buck as she jabbered questions to the breezie mare and stallion under her curious purple gaze.

"Truly fascinating Miss Draft! My notes on prewar members of your species are spotty, but I'd estimate you're 75% larger easily! Amazing you're not only able to activate your magic without a breeze now, but it has increased as well! Do you know any other spells by chance? Do you learn them as arcane skill like we do, or is it more of a natural magical ability? How quickly would you suppose you produce this amazing nectar substance of yours? Does output increase in response to external stimuli? Do you make more if you eat more? Does it require pollen or is it entirely made by your own biology? You mentioned different varieties as well, what other effects can you induce? Is it only through artificial refinement in your labs? When do you think I can take a look at those by the way? Is there any way I could perform exploratory surgery? Do you have any recently dead to autopsy? What distinguishes you from those awful breezidores? When did the branching of species occur to the best of your knowledge? How many generations ago did..." I immediately empathized with the overwhelmed looking breezies looking to the open door gratefully, Scribe Blossom was hitting them with a nonstop barrage of questions, at least she had been happy waiting, barely noticing me until the subjects of her curiosity flitted over to hide on my hat with Gale.

"Er... Ready to leave Scribe Blossom? There's lots more breezies to ask questions of I'd like you to meet if you want..."

Blossom blinked back at me holding the door open for her in surprise a moment, her bright purple eyes getting wide and sparkly at the temptation as she cantered forward. "Oh! Mr. Times! Wonderful! I had been reaching the limit of my new friend's knowledge and was hoping to speak with more. I assume everything is fine? Where's the Princess? I'd very much like to consult with her about our delightful hosts, can you believe it? A whole society of what was believed to be an extinct species! Their own culture, language, biology, all of it practically unknown to ponykind! I could write books on the subject and break new ground! I can't wait to..."

Her manic excitement forced me to shush her gently with a hoof pressed lightly to her soft, flapping lips, whispering to her and nodding back the way I came. "They don't like being in the spotlight Scribe Blossom... if you could just come with me, I'm sure Jade would like talking to you too. Try to chill out for now, alright?"

Now that she had been forcibly stopped, the Brotherhood Scribe seemed to realize she might have been making the breezies uncomfortable, gasping to herself and nodding up apologetically at my hat. "Oh! Of course! So sorry you two, you're all just so interesting I forget myself! Happy to come along Mr. Times, I'm very excited to see more of our surroundings, I understand our hosts desire to keep us confined for now, but a whole Ministry of Peace hub just waiting... let's go!"

I watched Scribe Blossom prance her way out happily, totally unconcerned and her flicking tail putting her pert rump on display as she wandered right out to join her commander and Knight Grinder. The brief chatter of breezie language followed by Gale coming out of hiding summed up my thoughts on the odd mare pretty well, "Dey say dat soldier is ok, but is crazy... too many questions."

"You get used to her... she's harmless though, and I've got questions of my own too. I think she's a soldier pony you guys might like though, she's almost a follow of Fluttershy already. It’s worth giving strangers a chance."

Now that I had all of the surviving Brotherhood ponies in tow, I led the way back once they had located their uniforms and gotten dressed. The hub wasn't going to let Lt. Dawn or Knight Grinder have their power armor back, but had provided their clothes in bins near the door just like the others. I still wanted the Brotherhood's help, now I was hopeful that I could convince the breezies and the Brotherhood to compromise and maybe get back in the Brotherhood’s good graces.

Of course Lt. Dawn was going to be an obstacle, even mildly stoned on breezie nectar, the military mare immediately went back to her orders once we boarded the train and started chugging our way back to Willowheart. "How did you get into the hub Mr. Times? I need to report to my superiors and they'll want to know what weakness you exploited to gain entry to a sealed Ministry facility like this. Once I have reinforcements we can secure this place and..."

"This is the breezie's home Dawn, not an objective for you to take over. The Breezie Nation is now an ally of the Kingdom of Sanctuary, if you try to take over here, you’re attacking Sanctuary and all our other allies. I'm not telling you how I got in, I'm taking you to see the breezie in charge and we can all have a little chat, maybe work something out that benefits you, but I need to know what you actually need from this place, not what you want."

Dawn glared back from the flatcar behind me, furrowing her brow furiously and grumbling back as the hallways glided by. "You are going to fuck this up for me again, aren't you Mr. Times? You got them on your side and started playing politics while we were locked up! We're not going to simply take over and run the native population out if they're friendly, but this is a Ministry facility, it needs to be in the proper hooves!"

"I think it is already Dawn. The Brotherhood isn't always the proper hooves for everything you want. You need to start adjusting your mission or you won't get anything, now what do you need?"

"You are becoming quite the nuisance to the Brotherhood Mr. Times... Data, at the very least my superiors may be satisfied with a similar arrangement as with the MoM hub, though very unhappy... We need access to the data on the maneframe at minimum, the ARC project and all sample records. Preferably we'd like the equipment and resources available here, from what little I've seen so far, this hub seems in excellent condition and I doubt the fairy population would even miss some of the medical equipment going to waste here." Dawn crossed her forelegs and pouted back, about what I hoped anyway. Knowing what they'd settle for was a step in the right direction.

"Ok, I'll try to help you out then, we can compromise, even if I'm a nuisance. They're really nervous about you military ponies though, so let me do the talking please? For now just be nice, they're throwing us a little feast and want to be friends, so just be friendly, got it?"

"I don't take orders from you Mr. Times..." By her grumbling answer, Dawn didn't seem to like the creeping realization she wasn't going to get what she wanted, but at least she was willing to listen after going through Bunker Hill together. “My superiors aren’t going to like this, I was ordered to secure the hub, now I have to tell them you swooped in a stole another one!”

“I didn’t steal it, I made friends with who it belongs to, not you, not me, the breezies. I’m trying to get them to let others in, but they’re nervous even about us, they really don’t like soldiers in power armor tromping around acting like they own the place. I’d stop talking like that if you want anything good to report. Helping them with their problems is probably your best bet now, keep that in mind.”

“Yeah beeg pony! Dis Breezie Nation, ve friends vith Shrouded Stallion und Princess Jade, not soldiers. Yu be good guests und ve tink aboot being friends vith yu too, but Sanctuary friends first!” Gale squeaked from my hat bravely, telling off the angry pegasus mare as we neared Willowheart.

“I hate you sooooo much Mr. Times... I really do. It’s like you were born to be a thorn in my flank, is your cutie mark a picture of me annoyed? Or maybe a big fat monkey wrench you seem to enjoy throwing into the works instead? Alright Miss breezie, we’ll deal with your allies and you together, try to help in return for your hospitality. What do you need?” Dawn grumbled back to Gale, but there was a bit of playful resignation in her voice instead of hate like some of her kind felt about me. I actually liked my Brotherhood frenemy and hoped the feeling was mutual, especially since I was pretty sure I’d actually need her help.

“They need an exterminator, something the Brotherhood is pretty good at right? I’ll explain over dinner, here we are, now don’t freak out over...”

We exited the passage leading back to Willowheart and the gasps from the Brotherhood cut me off, entering the bright chamber full of hundreds of breezies and a miniature Canterlot was a shock after all. Dawn and Knight Grinder just gawked, but Scribe Blossom instantly leapt off the moving train and charged directly into the model city, squealing ecstatically and already launching into fresh questions.

And I thought Glitter had been excited... “A model city! Canterlot of old! Is it a perfect match? No, no cliffs... still the design seems remarkably similar, how wonderful! AH! Societal variations in the populace! Two... three... four varieties! Tribal distinctions in apparel and appearance! Do you have different abilities or biological distinctions? Or is it all merely cosmetic? Is this all prewar? Or built afterwards? Ah, no I see... this is part of the original hub! How fascinating, the breezie population must have worked closely with the residents! Princess Jade! There you are! I wish to confer on my findings so far, isn’t this wonderful!?”

Dawn watched her scribe dash around the room and jabber, facehoofing and dragging her hoof slowly down her grimace as she groaned over her antics. “Knight Grinder... would you please get her under control....”

The burly stallion grinned over the scribe, scratching his mane and hopping off the train as we pulled into the station, blushing a bit as he nodded and ran after Scribe Blossom, carefully dodging the breezies and buildings underhoof. I chuckled over the show as the Knight turned even brighter red when forced to resort to dragging the scribe back by her curly tail.

Stepping off my own car and watching Glitter run off after them, I held a hoof out to Lieutenant Dawn like a proper gentlecolt. “I’d let her go, the breezies will probably like her. Come on Lieutenant, I’ll introduce you, let’s be friends huh?”

She stuck her nose up with a huff, but did take my offered hoof and stepped down with a sigh. “Friends... right... Let’s go meet the natives then.”

With everyone together in Willowheart, the breezies were able to put on their feast with pride, throwing a regular party as night fell outside. They were standoffish with the Brotherhood as expected, but Scribe Blossom’s antics actually helped put them at ease with them, according to Gale, any group with such a silly pony couldn’t be all that bad.

Lt. Dawn stayed close by, maintaining a Brotherhood-Ambassador presence near the Queen at all times. My sharper hearing caught her attempting to cajole and tempt her into siding with the Brotherhood instead of us, but Ether turned her away each time she tried, leaving the crimson mare in with a sour look on her face while her troops relaxed and enjoyed the party.

Witching Hour had set up a miniature band of breezies seated around her, playing a variety of instruments and learning to match the breezie’s upbeat songs to everyone’s delight. The batpony mare was still pretty goofy and regularly nibbling at nectar laced treats, but looked as happy as I had ever seen her. Apparently the breezies that had taken such care helping her clean up and braiding her mane and tail had reassured her even they thought she was pretty, boosting her confidence enough to put herself on display playing for everyone. Watching her playing with an untroubled smile and a lustrous, clean coat shining under the brighter lights of the hub, I had to agree and made a point of saying so.

Zed was keeping an eye on the Brotherhood with me, making sure none of them slipped off or got into mischief. So far it seemed an easy enough job for both of us, leaving us plenty of time to enjoy ourselves as well. Dawn stayed right where I could watch her and was the biggest threat, Scribe Blossom showed no sign of wanting to go anywhere else with hundreds of breezies to pepper with questions, and Knight Grinder had his hooves full trying to keep her out of trouble.

Glitter was still so happy at being in a city full of fairies she was almost as manic as Scribe Blossom, running down the miniature city streets, joining breezie games and sampling all the nectar free treats at my insistence. I believed the breezies when they said the stuff was safe, but I still didn’t want my little filly imbibing anything like that. Sugar was more than enough for her and she had plenty of that to occupy herself, the occasional sleepy blink already warning signs she was getting tuckered out.

I was perfectly content to stay where I was, in the shadow of the model Canterlot Palace with Jade and Ivy, having a regular picnic in the park, just a park that was barely big enough for the three of us and the delicious meal spread before us. Our slightly cramped position did let me stay wonderfully close to the two alicorn mares, wiggling against one or the other as we ate and spoke with the Queen and Dawn, while Spring Gale took her meal on the brim of my hat.

Everyone was having a grand time and enjoying a welcome break from the wasteland, but the fiery griffon sauntering her way carefully down the main street to the park with a mischievous glint in her eye looked to be having too much fun. Val prowled her way to us with a wide grin and pounced once she was clear of all the breezie buildings her folded wings kept brushing.

“Boss! You ol’ so an’ so! Ya didn’t tell me the good news! Good job knockin’ up Ives here buddy! Congrats on tha lil’ boss on the way!!” Val yanked me up into a headlock and started giving friendly noogies, pulling me away from the mare in question and the first fresh daisy sandwich I had gotten a taste of in 200 years.

“Ow! Ow! Ow! Alright Val! Q-Quit it! My sandwich!” I yelped and mourned the poor delicious treat that now lay splatted on the grassy field of the park, feeling my face heat up in the griffon’s manic grip as Ivy nickered.

“Don’t remind him too much Valkyrie... he will pass out again...” The green alicorn giggled at my predicament, her warning sounding more like an invitation to mess with me that Val happily took up.

She did let me go, but tossed me to Ivy’s chest, letting the seated alicorn wrap her forelegs around me and nibble at my ears while Val dove in, slightly more sober but still slugging back her half full whiskey bottle occasionally, enjoying the party going on around us now that she had warmed up to the breezies in my absence.

She leaned forward with a grin, poking my chest with her dark claw as her tail flicked back and forth playfully. “Oh? You a big wimp boss? Get all fainty? Over what? Ought’a be happy right? Big Green here’s gonna have a baaaaaby! YOUR baby boss! Won’t that be great! A lil’ bitty baby boss! Think it’ll be a filly or a colt? What’re you hopin’ for boss? Think of any names yet? Where’s they gonna stay? Gonna hafta find baby stuff somewheres, keep an eye out scavengin’ when we leave I guess, need a crip, a playpen, a highchair, a stroller maybe...”

Despite the celebration going on around us and the festive atmosphere, every question and poke of her claw made the room fade a little more, I could distantly feel Ivy squeezing me tight and nuzzling my cheek, but even her welcome contact was difficult to focus on as I hyperventilated.

I hadn’t thought of any of those things! What would Ivy’s baby be? Did I want another little girl? Or a son? What if she did have a baby boy? He’d be another male alicorn, when he grew up he’d have to deal with all this too! And where would I get baby stuff in the ruins of the old world!? I had to find all that stuff and more! I had to... had tooooo....

THUMP!

..........

..........

“Oh dear... Valkyrie! Do not tease Fast like that! He is still coming to terms with sister Ivy’s condition! It is not funny!” Jade’s voice sounded slow and warped as feeling started coming back, speaking primly over a certain griffon’s cackling laughter.

“HAHAHA! Oh my Gawd! He really does pass out like a big wuss! C’mon Blue, that’s hilarious! Here, I’ll wake him up for ya!” Val’s roar of laughter sounded more in focus, punctuated by a swift claw slapping my muzzle and bringing the world back into vibrant color.

“S’not funny Val... don’t do that...” I grumbled and shook my head, pouting at the griffon rolling on the ground in gales of laughter, wiping tears away gleefully.

Spring Gale had been dislodged from her perch during all that, fluttering up to my face and tugging my eyelids up to look me in the eye curiously. “Vhy you fainty Fast? Baby is always good ting! Is you not happy?”

I felt Ivy’s grip on me tighten a bit at the question and caught Jade’s intense blue stare watching, a cool flutter in my head of Ivy listening intently with some trepidation, she was worried? Were both of them? At that thought I straightened up and thunked my head with my hoof, fluffing my wings against Ivy’s broad chest to reassure her. “Of course I’m happy! R-Really, really happy! Honest! J-Just scared... sorry, I’ll get used to it, I promise!”

Pulling free of the crushing hug that earned me, I turned to return the gesture and caught Ivy wiping her cheek with a sniffle, a soft smile coming with her silent reply in my head. (Thank you Fast... so much... If it makes you feel better, I am frightened for o-our foal as well, but we will face the future together yes? I have faith in you. Our child will be fine, be happy!)

(FAST!)

Another slap to my face made me stop swaying and straighten up sheepishly, ignoring Ivy’s giggle and turning back to Val still snickering and picking at my sandwich on the ground beside her. “Can’t blame me fer makin’ fun, these lil’ guys know how ta party, but I ain’t killed nothin’ since we got here, need a little action or I don’t feel right. You said we gots stuff ta do here right boss? When we gettin’ back to it? Playin’ around here’s fun an all, but we still got problems ta deal with back outside...”

Val’s lighthearted teasing turned serious and I nodded back, getting this short reprieve from the world outside was nice and I could empathize with the breezies desire to stay here and ignore the world beyond their shield. The threat of the Gunners, the Institute, the wasteland at large, even the search for my family... it all felt like a heavy weight just outside, waiting for me to pick it up and carry it again, or for it to crush me under the burden when I tried.

I was a little disappointed with myself actually, learning that Ivy was pregnant threatened to reorder all my priorities. I was even tempted to forget my family, forget finding them, forget anything but staying with her and keeping her safe here. Did Mom and Dad and my brother Better mean so little to me? Did I not care about seeing Sunset and Grizz ever again? Was I getting so wrapped up in my new life out of the Stable, that I was forgetting my old one?

I felt ashamed trying to honestly consider it, here I was having fun, surrounded by my new family while my old one was... was just gone... What kind of pony was I to be having a kid, when I was so selfish and lazy? All this time out of the Stable and I wasn’t any closer to finding them or stopping the Institute, instead I was blithely wandering around, picking fights and building a harem of pretty fillies, one of whom I had now made... maaaade....

(Fast... stop. You are not selfish, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are a good pony Fast Times, I am proud you will be the father of our foal. Stop beating yourself up and worrying or I will tell sister Jade about these thoughts of yours.) Ivy’s confident mental voice interrupted me working myself up again, giving me an excuse to awkwardly flap up and give her a long, grateful kiss.

Lt. Dawn missed out on the non-verbal portions of our conversation, snorting at what she had heard with a smirk at my discomfort. “Yes, yes, congratulations Mr. Times, Miss Ivy. How wonderful for you, making more of your kind... I’m sure nopony will have any objections when they find out... Back to less frivolous conversation now if you please, how is it we can help here your highness? The Brotherhood of Friendship is at your service.”

“Great Tree say Root Sector needs help, full of many, many bad breezies and radiation. Princess and Shroud say you can help too, vhat you vant to help?” Queen Ether addressed her pony petitioner from her balcony above us, glancing our way as she answered.

Dawn at least understood it was best to answer the same way the Queen had, couching her reply in the breezies terminology and going slow. “We would like to talk to your Great Tree like Mr. Times, ask it questions about things before the war. The Princess also mentioned her hopes to run this hub as it was before the end? A medical facility like this... we need supplies, and a place to receive treatment would be welcome when you’re ready. I have to admit, your subjects are v-very good at caring for stressed out soldiers. With Brotherhood support, we could clear not only your hub, but the town outside! Then we could stay nearby and leave your home to your care, if you were to ally yourselves with us instead, we could...”

“No. Ve allies of Sanctuary and Princess Jade, not soldiers. You help do fighting, we see about helping soldiers and healing, but Princess is our friend first.” Ether shut down Dawn’s fresh attempt at winning their support, waving her scepter to us and stamping it down with finality.

“Sorry Dawn, you heard the Queen. That’s a good idea about clearing out Willowville though, I thought the same thing on the way here, with all that salvage just sitting out there because of the breezidores and all. I think you Brotherhood ponies are stretched thin here in the Commonwealth, but if you and the Minutemares worked together, I bet we could clear the town out like you said. That would give normal ponies a place nearby to stay and interact with the Breezie Nation, plus lots of loot from the town outside.”

“I’ll take your suggestion under advisement and report it to my superiors Mr. Times... For now I suppose we’ll focus on our goals here, if I can take back the data we want, it will smooth things over I’m sure. So, breezidore extermination and you said something about radiation? More your area of speciality now isn’t it? And what’s this about a Stable and a pegasus town you needed help with?” Lt. Dawn huffed back, she was a determined mare, I had to give her that.

Using the remote connection still clamped on my hoof, I could ask the hub maneframe directly for more information concerning what it kept whining about. Though there was a long pause after my request for more information, was it pouting over being ignored? I’d almost swear the eventual reply sounded ...petulant...

MUTANT BREEZIE POPULATION IN ROOT SECTOR AT CRITICAL SATURATION POINT, DAMAGE TO HUB BORDERING ON IRREPARABLE. RADIATION CONTAMINATION CONCENTRATED FOR PURGE. STABLE 95.5 REQUIRES REACTOR SHUT DOWN OR SEALING OF MAIN ENTRANCE.

PROVIDED REPAIR-PONY FAST TIMES ATTENDS EMERGENCY ISSUES IN ROOT SECTOR AND REPAIRS RAINBOW BROOK SUPPLY THIS YEAR... ABLE TO RESTORE HUB TO 97% WITHIN 7.5 MONTHS. PROVIDING AVAILABLE DATA ON SERVICE ISSUES....

PLEASE STAND BY....

After the whiny reply, images started appearing in my vision, downloaded to my pip-buck for me to go over along with a map of the sprawling, underground root sector that made me wince. Video feeds still working down there showed a warren of damp passages absolutely filled with vicious breezidores... their muddy nests clogged the halls, covering over numerous cameras and limiting the view.

Oddly, there were also pictures of nests built around strange, crystalline... fruit? That’s what the pictures reminded me of, like glowing green gems the size of a hoofball or bigger, sprouting off the web of roots running through the underground passages. That was the radiation contamination the hub wanted me to purge?

I’d have to ask more about those later, for now the breezidores were the biggest problem and an obstacle to dealing with anything else. My ears drooped as I turned to Dawn and shrugged, glad she was willing to help here. “Ok, there are a looooot of breezidores... like a lot a lot... This won’t be easy, but if we work together, maybe we can figure something out, ok Dawn?”

It took her a long time to meet my outstretched hoof, but eventually she did return the hoofbump and took a bite of a delicious looking carrot dog, mumbling around a mouthfull before fluttering up to join her comrades. “Fine, mutant pests shouldn’t be a problem for the Brotherhood, so long as our equipment is eventually returned.... I’ll discuss it with my troops and see if we can come up with anything.”

“Thanks Lieutenant, I’ll tell all my friends what we’re dealing with too, maybe one of us will come up with an idea. I’m glad it was you who was sent on this mission, you’re a good pony Dawn.”

Her red cheeks darkened a bit and Dawn gave a weary chuckle, pausing in mid-air to turn back and bow. “I’m not glad I was sent on this catastrophe, At least one of us is though. You’re not so bad yourself Mr. Times, despite your habit of messing with Brotherhood objectives, I have to agree with Star Paladin Dance’s assessment, you’d be a real asset if you joined the Brotherhood. Congratulations again Fast, Ivy... you er... you may not hear it from many of my comrades, but a baby is a blessing, no matter what kind of pony is having it. I am happy for you, truly.”

At that the Brotherhood mare turned and flew off to Knight Grinder and Scribe Blossom, pulling them away from a breezie sized game of horseshoes to confer with them at the edges of the party. Watching her go, I felt a little better, I really did like my Brotherhood frenemy, we could all get along, sometimes...

Spotting Glitter’s head bobbing down to her chest and jerking back up sleepily, I excused myself as well and flew off to the flower topped tower she was leaning against, picking her up over her protests to take her to our bedding for the night. The little filly managed to shake herself more fully awake and struggled in my grip, whining with a pout and pulling out her best puppy eyes as she cornered me.

“Nnnnno! Don’t wanna go ta bed daddy! Story! You gotta tell me a story! You didn’t last night OR the night before!” Glitter’s valid complaint made me pause with her wriggling in my hooves, I did keep missing her bedtime story with all our running around lately...

“Story?!” Spring Gale peeked over my hat and joined the filly’s wide eyed look, beaming down hopefully as I groaned.

“I usually tell Glitter a bedtime story... We found a book of old Shrouded Stallion myths. You’re right sweetie, I have been slacking... I’ll tell you one when you’re in your bed upstairs, you still got to go and...”

My inevitable crumbling under Glitter’s stare was accelerated as a crowd of breezies started fluttering closer, landing all around in the park beneath me and on the nearby buildings, chattering together and sharing the same pony-word once the non-speakers got it. “Story! Story! Story! Story!”

“Ve vant hear story about Shroud Fast too! Tell story! Pleeeeeease!”

Glitter was already smirking in sleepy victory, cuddling against me as I sighed and drifted back down in defeat, digging through my saddlebags and pulling out the heavy bound tome of myths and legends. “Alright, alright, story time here I guess... It’s not about me though, these are about the original Shrouded Stallion, a long, long time ago. Hang on, I think I saw one that even mentioned breezies.... aha, here we go, ready? Everybody comfy?”

I gulped looking up from the story I had skimmed and bookmarked a few days ago, nervous performing in front of the rather large audience that had settled to nearby perches all around us and realizing how quiet everything had gotten. Jade and Ivy were following me with loving eyes, even Queen Ether had landed on Jade’s tiara for a prime seat and was waiting patiently.

A few hundred breezies, all my friends, even the Brotherhood... yay... public speaking... I hated being in the spotlight like this, reading a story wasn’t nearly as impressive as Witchy’s music, but even the batpony filly had stopped playing and was watching closely, her tufted ears perked up to catch every word.

“R-Right... guess so then.... Ahem...”

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria....

The time of the great Breezie migration had come across the kingdom once again and all of Equestria was abuzz with interest. At such times, Princess Luna enjoyed her time in the dream realm, browsing and guiding the dreams of her subjects brightened by something out of the ordinary in their lives.

Among all these happy dreams however, the Night Princess found a cluster of darkness that worried her. Dreams of the small creatures seen much closer than was proper drew her closer to a distant corner of Equestria and the humble ponies that lived there. Most of these were the dreams of good little ponies that didn’t see or ignored the sad looks of the breezies recalled during their slumber, but the source for these visions was a cluster of bad ponies that drew her ire.

A circus was even now traveling the countryside, having set up for another performance in the morning outside a small hamlet far from Canterlot. This circus was not a place of joy and innocent fun however, the dark ringmaster that ran it had found a way to make his show popular, at the cost of the innocent.

His dreams were full of greed and cruelty, of the magical creatures he had captured and put on display for ponies’ amusement. His most recent addition was the cluster of terrified breezies held in birdcages that drew her attention, but broken and sad images of many more came once she investigated. Dragons, minotaurs, manticores, gargoyles, phoenix, jackalopes and more suffered under his imprisonment, part of a traveling ‘Sideshow of Wonders’ that evaded the justice of her sister’s lawkeepers by staying on the move.

Princess Luna could not abide such terrible behavior, the enslavement of other races and profit off their misery too much to allow to continue. At her call, her dark knight the Shrouded Stallion appeared from the shadows and bowed before his princess, waiting her command.

“Thou art my sword and my shield, my royal avenger and defender. This night I call on you to extend thine shield to those who need its protection most, to raise thy sword against ponies foolish enough to believe themselves superior to other species and their masters. Take my word and my will to those who seek to evade my sister’s merciful law, the enslavement of others is not to be tolerated, I would have that edict made abundantly clear my Knight.”

Kneeling before Luna’s furious gaze, the Shrouded Stallion disappeared into the night, flying swiftly to bring down the wrath of his princess. Luna’s defender was a passing shadow in the night, a flicker moving at the speed of dark, over mountains, forests and fields to find the cheerily striped tent and sleeping circus, outside a village eagerly anticipating the show tomorrow.

The creeping shadow passing by the brightly painted wagons of the circus performers brought a chill and troubled dreams as it passed, leaving the sleeping ponies who knew of or supported this injustice for the time being, in favor of the dim glow of candlelight streaming from the biggest wagon and the Ringmaster within.

Inside was a mean old stallion who could put on a smiling face under his shiny top hat, the Ringmaster sat at his small desk and counted stacks and bags of gleaming golden bits, chuckling to himself at his good fortune and brilliant ideas that brought such suffering to fill his coffers.

The golden coins glimmered in the candlelight and clinked one by one as the Ringmaster counted, “1209, 1210, 1211...”

The Ringmaster’s gleeful counting was interrupted when he noticed his breath puffing out into the suddenly chilly air at each number, shivering to himself and gasping as his candle went out and left him in shadowy darkness that seemed to move and ripple around him.

“Thou hath earned the fury of the Night Princess evildoer, you shall profit from your misdeeds no longer...”

The growling voice struck the Ringmaster with an icy shard of fear in his heart, his first greedy thought being for the safety of his treasure, he reached out to scoop the piles of coins before him into his hooves and screamed as they disappeared at his touch.

Each time he frantically reached for more of his ill gotten gains, they disappeared as well, his every clutching grasp causing more chilly gold coins to vanish before his eyes. Eventually he was left with one single bit that had rolled to the floor, his panicked lunge for this final treasure caused it to move of its own accord, standing up on edge and rolling towards the door of his wagon.

So consumed by his greed, the evil stallion thought of nothing else but that final coin and followed in a rush. His trot quickly turned to a gallop and then a run, chasing after the evasive golden coin rolling away, just ahead of his grasp but always out of reach.

The Ringmaster screeched and howled in fury, waking up his conspirators from their slumber with his shouts, forming a strange parade as the entire circus began chasing the magically animated coin around their camp, down the waiting midway set up that very day and finally into the flapping tent entrance.

All the way into the gloomy tent, the coin kept rolling and dodging the leaps and lunges of the ponies chasing it, stopping at center ring and spinning faster and faster until it vanished as well, replaced by the looming dark form of the Shrouded Stallion, wearing the Ringmaster’s top hat that had fallen from his brow during the chase.

Seeing the armored knight flaring his dark wings and scowling at all of them with his burning red eyes, the Ringmaster and circus ponies froze and shrank in fear, unable to move in the face of Luna’s judgement.

Their fear was doubled when the magical lights of the circus tent flickered weakly to life, filling the dark space with shifting shadows that revealed all the empty cages... A frightened trapeze pony turned to run and was stopped short by a very angry gargoyle blocking the way, a manticore bearing numerous whip scars and a young dragon rubbing where his shackles had recently been removed prowled around them, bunching them together to shake in fear at their former captives.

The breezies who had brought Luna’s wrath down on them landed lightly on the Shrouded Stallion’s dark armor, staring back at their captors from the safety of their protector as he pronounced their sentence. “Thou art all guilty... thou hath enslaved others for your profit, benefited from this foul pony’s plans even if they were not your own. Princess Luna is a kind and just ruler however, she offers her mercy to you, only once...”

As one, the group of terrified circus ponies dropped to their knees and begged Luna’s forgiveness, saving their lives thanks to her mercy. Leaving the Ringmaster standing alone and furious at his minions.

“We made a good living together, made ponies happy with our shows! Why should I beg mercy?! They were just monsters!”

The Ringmaster shook and stamped his hooves before Luna’s avenger, his words only stoking the Knight of Shadow’s anger until his eyes burned with the fires of justice. The worn and oft used leather whip at the Ringmaster’s side floated up like a slithering snake, wrapping around his neck and yanking him above the others to join the Shrouded Stallion flapping his mighty wings near the highwire.

“Luna grants her mercy... but not to you. Thou art the true Monster here, not these poor peoples. Princess Luna wishes to make it clear, all people are treated equally under her graces, and slavery is not to be tolerated.... Ever.”

The evil Ringmaster screamed as his own bloody whip pulled him into the shadows above, never to be seen again. Those who had worked for him quivered in fear and looked away, praying for Luna’s mercy as their former captives closed in...

In the light of the next day, the ponies of the small village came to see the circus and spend their bits as they had planned, but were treated to a different kind of show than they expected. Instead of exotic creatures locked behind bars, they found the menagerie of sideshow exhibits in charge of the circus, giving away tickets and ushering interested ponies into the tent to see Luna’s lesson.

Inside they found the circus ponies, locked up in the empty cages or put out on display. The highwire pony was shackled to her act high above, the trapeze artist tied to her swing and swaying back and forth at the manticore swatting her like a cat toy, the Strongpony was pinned under weights too great for him to lift and the clowns were forcible crammed into their toy carriage.

Once Celestia’s guard came to arrest the imprisoned circus ponies at the villager’s call, the remaining victims of their cruelty left where they would, accepting the Shroud’s judgement of their captors and leaving the rest to Celestia’s law. The Ringmaster’s dirty gold was given to the creatures who could use it to return home, while the breezies had been returned to their migration in the night.

With them they carried stories of Luna’s Knight to their homes and cultures, spreading the name of the Shrouded Stallion and the promise of Luna’s equality. Breezies, dragons, minotaurs, gargoyles and more, all came to know their own stories of the Shroud that punished evil no matter what its form. Many of those cultures would meet Luna’s sword and shield again, making new stories and their own myths about the dark pony that served the Night Princess.

But that, is a story for another day....

Thankfully, one story was enough... Glitter nodded off in my hooves on the way up to her room with Val and Witchy right next to the Vice-Director’s office, letting me pass the sealed Director’s office as I took the sleeping filly to bed and stare at it suspiciously. Another mystery for later, for now I had a daughter to take care of and other things to occupy myself.

As I tucked the mumbling filly in to bed and leaned in to an unconscious hug for a long few minutes, I was grateful to have her and this time together, calming down from reading the story that delighted my audience, but left me feeling a little uncomfortable.

A story about slavery... slavery and how the real Shrouded Stallion dealt with it, bringing up disturbing memories of Sapphire Sparkles School and the den of modern day slavers that had been mysteriously wiped out before we got there. Maybe the ghost stories from the ponies in Eclipse were true... maybe the real Shroud was out there somewhere... Maybe he’d be pissed at me for using his name....

I gave a quiet, shaky laugh to myself and nuzzled my sleeping daughter’s cheeks, mentally berating myself for getting spooked by old myths and scary stories from tribal villagers in the shadow of Castle Equinox. I still really hoped somepony back there had found the missing Full Moon Key to let me reach the Shrouded Stallion’s fabled resting place, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t actually running around punishing evil.

Shaking it off and planting a kiss on Glitter’s forehead, I trotted back and rejoined the festivities for awhile longer. Forced to fend off calls for more stories from the breezies who had enjoyed the entertainment, along with a line of breezie fillies that my little guide Spring Gale kept shooing off with a blush.

Her partial answer to my questioning the behavior was muttered shyly into my ear, flicking near her spot on my hat, the clear words of ‘Licky-Licky’ making me turn red down to my hooves and just let her keep up the good work. Quickly cantering away and mingling as much as I was able, the infestation below our hooves was still waiting and I hoped the others could figure out something better than using flamethrowers on a tree, if we even had enough fuel...

Eventually all the activity and crowds got to be too much and I excused myself, heading up to Vice-Director Tree Hugger’s old office for the night and quickly becoming absorbed in her hub networked terminal;

Inter-Hub Email - Hub Wide Notification
To: All
From: Vice-Director Tree Hugger
Re: Adaptation Potion Trials

Heeeey everypony, Vice-Director Tree Hugger here, totally informing everyone of our first run of like, breezie trials of Moby’s potion. I’ve heard all your concerns and am in tune with that vibe, but Fluttershy is behind this project and Moby has a really pure aura, so we’re giving it a shot.

Ok, so like... Moby’s new potion should have most of the kinks we saw in the plant and animal trials worked out, but we still need to watch our first volunteers reeeeeeally careful. The first subjects need to keep doing their jobs and it’s important they’re surrounded by good vibes and support while it’s working, so they can like... harmonize with their environment and junk.

So anyway, everypony just keep up the good work and report any changes you notice like, right away. Moby will be coming every few days and we need detailed notes, so any little thing could be important! Just send everything to me, Director Breeze is busy planning his meditation garden in town for when our friends can visit.

Inter-Hub Email #20231
To: Vice-Director Hugger
From: Dr. Leafy Green - Veteran’s Care
Re: Adaptation Potion Observations

As per guidelines, taking thorough notes on our coworkers who have been innoculted with Mobius' potion, keeping a close eye out for side effects. Wish we'd keep them under tight observation instead of having them work normally while they're going through this... the poor little dears are coping well though.

Little Tinkle Swirl was very proud to have grown a whole inch this week, she's so happy she played down the growing pains bravely, but I see her wincing. She even managed to bring me a Med-X injector without looking exhausted, so she is getting stronger too, as hoped. Her fellow breezies are keeping a close watch for me too, all very interested in the attempt.

Will continue updating, but see no significant issues yet, thank Celestia.

Inter-Hub Email #20248
To: Vice-Director Hugger
From: Supervisor Flat Head - Hub Maintenance
Re: Adaptation Potion Observations

Can't disagree with expanding testing to more subjects after the results so far. Winding Bolt’s friends are all clamoring for their turn after seeing his progress, which I have to admit is amazing. My little helper now stands held and shoulders above his friends and is clearly proud, putting on a full three inches in a month has made him tower over his friends.

Strength and durability have increased to match as well, he can now lift my heaviest pipe wrench and almost everything I regularly need, happy to fetch things that could have crushed him not so long ago. The more he works and tries to help, the better the results too. He’s becoming a real help here in maintenance, getting to places I can’t reach and able to work on his own instead of somepony always hovering nearby.

In private he has admitted to some unforeseen effects I'm referring to the Medical Development team though. A tingle in his antenna seems fairly benign at least, along with a funny taste to the pollen concoction they gather and make. He says it's not bad, just different. I still have my concerns and will diligently report my findings as the next two volunteers start work post-injection this week, any inconsistencies will be sent immediately.

Inter-Hub Email #20308
To: Vice-Director Hugger
From: Dr. Bundle Joy - Pediatrics
Re: Adaptation Potion Observations

Alright, color me impressed... astounded even.... Swirly Gust has adapted so well to her work she's displayed some amazing new abilities now that she's stopped growing. I reported previously as they happened, but I'm covering the most impressive again in more detail now that the excitement has died down.

We had a young colt waiting with his mother get a little too rambunctious. Poor buck tripped and barked his knee on a table, just a nick but it bled and he was crying. Our little helpers have always been wonderful with foals so I sent Swirly to try to work her magic, I just didn't think she'd do so literally...

What she said about the experience lined up with what I observed, she seemed to just act out of instinct, said she didn't know what she was going to do until she did it, just that it 'felt right'. Maybe hanging around all us doctors rubbed off on them or something, but she laid her antenna against the foal's leg and they glowed just like one of our healing spells, fixed the boo-boo right then and there!

Twinkle looked a little woozy afterwards, but every time she's tried it since then has been better, with increasing results and diminishing drain on her. Somehow she's learned healing magic and is beside herself with joy over the new ability.

Inter-Hub Email #20231
To: Vice-Director Hugger
From: Dr. Leafy Green - Veteran’s Care
Re: Adaptation Potion Observations

Something is up with the breezies nectar... Twinkle and now a couple more of them just behind her have reported a change in the production of the substance. They pick up plenty of pollen with all the flowers in the hub, but Twinkle's said she feels like she's making more all the time, even without gathering more pollen to process, and that the taste is off.

That hadn’t been much to worry about really, but when we got a grizzled old stallion in for his regular checkup we had an incident. Nurse Posie dropped a stack of books and the sound must have been too much like the battlefield... The poor old soldier started panicking and getting violent, making me worry we'd have to stick him in the cool down room before Twinkle leapt into action.

Twinkle dove into the fray, she’s been getting bold since the potion has been working on her. The little dear started talking the old buck down, just like she was trained, then she reached back to her nectar basket and offered him a taste. As soon as his tongue touched the golden powder, his eyes glazed and he calmed right down, got downright friendly and goofy actually.

We did thorough bloodwork and toxicology once we got him in to make sure he was ok, but from what I've heard from the R&D ponies who went over it, the substance is entirely benign. Works better than Med-X for pain relief, gives a healthy dose of euphoria and makes the subject very affectionate. That tough old buck was practically a loving little lamb, best visit we've ever had from him.

We want to let R&D investigate this change further, but going ahead with initial authorization for further trials here in Veteran’s Care. We’ve asked Twinkle and the others to use it in therapy to significant results, some of our worst Wartime Stress Disorder cases have made real progress thanks to a little taste before group and private sessions. This may be a real breakthrough in helping deal with some of the worst psychological effects of this awful war.

Inter-Hub Email #20231
To: Vice-Director Hugger
From: Bubbling Vial - Medical Research & Development
Re: Adaptation Potion Observations

Finished the latest round of tests on the nectar substance, it’s a weird development, but totally safe as far as we can tell. Best we can figure after going over the results with Professor Mobius is it’s an adaptation based on their work, we have a lot of sick, hurt and psychologically unsound ponies here, the nectar they produce now seems to act as a balm for all those conditions.

Giving the go ahead to continue use and experimentation with the substance, use as an ingredient in other magical potions is producing interesting results so far. The breezies themselves seem to have a good idea when to use it and how much, but so far we’re getting excellent feedback as a non-addictive alternative to Med-X for pain relief, a mood elevator in psychological treatment and a sedative in ARC sample collection.

I know the higher ups are really excited by this development, but we need to think of our friend's wellfare first. If everypony found out they made what amounts to a high grade drug that could be abused recreationally? This war has made so many things bad... What if ponies tried to kidnap them to make it for them? Sell it on the black market along with all the other wartime drugs, even here at the hub we see stuff go 'missing' regularly. I think we should keep this as quiet as possible, at least they carry the stuff in their baskets, patients just think it's part of their kit, not something they make themselves.

“Fast... stop fiddling with that machine and come to bed. Do you not wish to celebrate with us?” Jade’s sultry voice tore my attention away from the terminal, realizing I had lost more than an hour already going through the system, my interesting reading suddenly unimportant at the sight of her and her sister Ivy sprawled out on several mattresses laid out for us.

Meeting their lidded gaze and taking in the glorious vision of two beautiful alicorns twined together and patting the space between them impatiently, my wings shot straight up, fluttering up on the wingtips and over to the two mares I loved.

I managed to drift over the small space provided and fell with a thump between them, sitting up and scratching my itchy mane nervously as they split up the task of stripping my armor away. Once we were all down to nothing but fur and well on our way to an enjoyable way to end the day, I stopped with one hoof on each mare’s supple flanks in a moment of panic, my roaming magic that was already eliciting a few pleased moans from both of them imploded to their annoyed whinnies.

“W-Wait... s-should we... I mean, Ivy’s p-pregnant... will this hurt the baby? M-Maybe we shouldn’t...”

My moment of concern was pushed aside by two very insistent fillies snorting together and dragging me down, pinning me in place and splitting up the work of planting little kisses down my chest as Jade replied with a sigh. “Do not be ridiculous Fast... there is no reason not to do so, all the way up to when sister Ivy has her child if she wants. You are being silly and we wish to celebrate together, stop thinking...”

Well... I didn’t need more invitation than that. Grateful to do as my princess commanded and just shut my brain off for awhile, I went to my tender task with gusto, glad we had the thick, crystalline walls of the hub to muffle all the noise. As tired and radiation free as I was, I actually got to go slow and enjoy myself for once, instead of operating under frantic passion driven by being overcharged.

I was probably cutting into time we really should be spending asleep to prepare for tomorrow, but taking my time and really showing both of them how much I cared, how happy I really was, how beautiful I thought they both were and how much I loved each... it was worth being a little tired tomorrow.

Given the wails of pleasure as we finished, I was pretty sure I got the message across. For once I was glad for Moondancer’s weird additions to her verison of the I.M.P., along with the more welcome, quiet whispers of ‘Be Unwavering!’ and ‘Be Strong!’ that kept me going.

Afterwards, we lay together in a sweaty, panting pile, sprawled over each other with wings and limbs stretched out luxuriantly and just enjoying being together. Jade tiredly stretched up to crawl over me, planting a little kiss on my muzzle with sleepy, lidded eyes that sparkled with tiny hearts, glancing to her sister before she spoke in a husky voice.

“Fast... do you feel good? Nice and relaxed?”

“Mmmm-hmm.... veeeeery relaxed... I love you Jade.” I mumbled back, blinking up at the most beautiful mare in Equestria over me.

“I have something to tell you Fast, I wanted you to be calm and happy first though. Do you want me to tell you?” Jade traced her wingtips down my chest and kept planting little pecks down my neck tenderly, getting a sleepy nod in return as other parts woke up yet again.

“Tell me what?”

Slowly, Jade nodded to her sister who leaned up on my other side, the two of them pressing close as Jade practically rolled over on top of me, both holding my hooves down and rubbing my coat all over soothingly. At this point they could tell me the zebras were dropping another round of balefire bombs on us and I wouldn’t care, anything she had to say was fine.

Jade leaned close, nuzzling muzzle to muzzle before pressing into a long, deep kiss that lasted a blissful eternity. When she reluctantly pulled away, her wonderful blue eyes stared into mine and she spoke in a sweet whisper in my ear.

“Fast.... I am pregnant as well...”

.....

....

....

THUMP!

New Perk Added!-----------------

Friend of Fluttershy---
---After spending time around the breezies and all their animal friends, you can now commune with the critters! With the first rank, previously hostile animals will no longer attack in the wasteland!

Reputation Change!-----------------

Breezie Nation -- Liked
---The Breezie Nation is now an ally of the Kingdom of Sanctuary! You keep finding allies, just not ones that seem like they can help in a fight much... Still, the more friends the better! You can now come and go as you please from the MoP hub and all breezies view you favorably.