At the mere mention of this Velvet Remedy, Jade had been beside herself with glee and terrified worry, forcing me to gallop after her long strides through the hub as she frantically directed the breezies, Preston, True Blue and her own Follower apprentice, the gruff and no nonsense donkey mare Wives Tail who had been allowed to enter the hub.

The minotaurs, hellhounds and ponies from Salt Lick had been directed to stay outside the hub in the admitance building, babysat by Val as they were still bickering. This time the excuse to fight was about dynamite from the mines going missing and everyone accusing each other. Keeping them busy with Knight Grinder driving the buzzing breezidores back and getting the lay of the land seemed the best way to get them to get along for now, or at least distract them.

With everyone set to their tasks for the moment, I managed to get a few minutes to talk to her when she practically dragged Glitter and I to the showers. While I loved any opportunity to spend time with Jade, let alone bathe together, it was a lot less enjoyable with her forcefully scrubbing the two of us and nattering to herself anxiously.

"Glitter, hold still dear, we must clean your ears ! Fast do try to do something with your mane for once, here let me preen those horribly disheveled wings of yours too, get my back if you please. Oh this is so exciting! W-We must all make a good impression, do not go charging off Glitter, we must dress you in your finest school clothes and brush your mane and tail thoroughly! It is a great honor to speak with the Pony Who Helps! I do hope she will be proud!" I was starting to worry Jade would hyperventilate, I really hadn't expected this level of anxiety based off the message from the Great Tree relayed to her.

Glitter helped by asking some of my questions for me, whining blindly from under a lot of suds covering her head, anything to let her fidget and pull away from Jade's frantically scrubbing hooves. "Ow! Mooo-oom! What's the big deal, how come we gotta get all dressed up? Who is this mare anyway, how come you're freakin' out?"

"Velvet Remedy is the leader of the Followers of the Apocalypse dear, the group who sent me here. She is a wise and kind mare I owe a great deal to. The Great Tree has informed me she is waiting for video communication in Manehatten, which is why I insist you both clean up, we must all make a good impression and look our best!" Jade floated the squirming filly up in her magic, attacking her from multiple angles with several scrub brushes as she replied.

Struggling to follow Jade's orders and avoid the same treatment, I busily cleaned all the sweat and filth still staining my coat from all the exercise I got with Swan. "She sounds nice enough from everything you've told me, why so worried? I'm sure she'll think you've done a great job here, you just got hellhounds and minotaurs to get along and play nice for Celestia's sake! You're bringing together a bunch of different groups here today, helping to reopen the Trotson Ministry of Peace, I really doubt she could complain about anything the Commonwealth's Princess has accomplished here."

"D-Do not call me such when we speak with her Fast, I am worried what the great Velvet Remedy would make of me taking the title of Princess here. She sent my sisters and I to spread the Followers, n-not become a monarch..." Jade winced at my casual use of her title, tapping her hooves together nervously.

Gently taking the soap from her busy magic, I nuzzled her favorite spot on her neck and tried to massage the wire taught tension in her trembling back, speaking soothingly until her breathing slowed. "Jade, she sent you to make things better and you have. Personally I just want to thank her for sending the mare of my dreams to me, everything else you've accomplished is icing on the cake. You're a Princess for all of us, that's nothing to be ashamed of, be proud of yourself, I know she will be."

"I only hope you are correct, her message was short, but she is waiting for me to reply. She is aware we are inside the hub thanks to the Great Tree. The Manehatten hub is not in nearly the shape this one is, but the Followers have been trying to restore it and were able to respond. We must not keep her waiting, at least she is comfortable in Tenpony Tower and Miss Homage is aiding in the communication." Deemed sufficiently squeaky clean, Glitter and I both were dunked under the warm spray of the showers as she muttered excitedly.

Floated out of the tiled room and to the staff lockers, waiting towels sprang into action at Jade's direction and attacked us, roughly rubbing us dry before being replaced by a variety of brushes. Once Glitter's bouncy silver mane was brushed to a silky sheen and tied with a fresh bow, those brushes turned on me and tried in vain to tame my shaggy grey mane, making me wince at each tug as Jade kept frowning and cocking her head critically.

In frustration, she licked her hoof and slicked the whole ragged mess back, turning the buck in the mirror behind her into a proper gentlecolt for about ten seconds, until it popped back out into the normal messy bangs falling in my eyes. Thwarted for the moment, Jade snorted and shoved my hat down on my head, worriedly smoothing the at least clean and shiny hair from my face and nodding smartly, turning her attention to my wings.

"T-That will have to do... Can I not convince you to wear the handsome suit from Diamond City though Fast? You look very dashing in it and it will present a better image than... a comic book character..." Jade eyed my freshly cleaned and meticulously inspected Shrouded Stallion armor with a hint of distaste, making me defensively grab it in my magic and hug it to my chest protectively.

"I think it looks cool... Besides, this is the image the Commonwealth knows as your faithful knight, its... ummm... l-like a uniform! That suit chokes my neck and makes me itch anyway... a-and it's not tailored for a pegasus, no wing holes. If you want us to look fancy, how come you're not wearing your sparkly princess dress?"

Trying to turn things around on her didn't work so well by her arched eyebrow, but at least she didn't object to my precious costume too much. Instead she straightened Glitter's cutest and least wasteland worn red dress, turning to peering at her own gleaming white lab coat closely, even after cleaning it repeatedly with her magic.

"I would not report to the leader of the Followers in such an ostentatious garment Fast. I am a Follower of the Apocalypse, if you insist on wearing your 'uniform', surely you understand me wearing my own. What do you think, do I look acceptable?" Shrugging into her labcoat with practiced ease, Jade asked my opinion anxiously as she helped me fight my fluffy, raven dark wings into my own black trenchcoat.

"Acceptable is like the last term I'd use, more like beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, mind blowing, glorious, fantas..."

While I got shushed with a hoof as Jade turned bright red and smiled, Glitter picked up for me and nodded her agreement rapidly. "Yeah mommy, you look reeeeeally pretty! Even without your fancy dress! There's no way this big important pony won't think so, she's not even a Princess!"

Our daughter using her title too just made Jade's pretty blush deepen, but she smiled happily and gave a shaky whinny, standing straight and fluttering her wings in excitement. "T-Thank you both very much, but Velvet Remedy is much more than a Princess to me and the other Followers, she is The Pony Who Helps. N-Now then... l-let us go and speak to her ourselves. This is so exciting!"

Glitter bounded after her mother, leaning up to nuzzle and join her adorable squeals of excitement. Even if she didn't know this Velvet pony from Discord, she knew her mother was happy and that was all she cared about. I followed along behind the two skipping their way down the halls of the Ministry of Peace, stopping to collect a nervous but equally groomed Queen Ether in Willowheart, then up the spiraling ramps and towards the communications room the little cybreezie attached to my pip-buck was guiding us towards.

I didn't know much about 'The Pony Who Helps' either, other than what Jade told me and what I read in the first few chapters of The Book of the Lightbringer, so I wasn't sure what to expect. She had a faithful devotee in my wife anyway, so she had to be something special. Time to find out...

Beyond the third floor we had stayed on, the Ministry of Peace hub branched off and narrowed repeatedly, mostly untouched by breezie and pony alike as out of the way as these areas were. The communications room was straight up the main trunk of the tree, the highest room in the central section, several long flights up that were quite a hike. It was a grimy, cluttered space, full of blinking lights and fancy equipment wired into the sparkling surface of the tree itself.

Dusting a couple rotting chairs from the clutter with a flourish, I let Jade take her seat and hold our struggling filly in her lap. Ether perched on Jade's costume tiara and ducked down in her cloudy mane, even the breezie monarch was anxious and opted to hide in Jade's pale blue locks for the time being. All of them fidgeted in anticipation as I patched my pip-buck into the equipment, piercing the veil that separated the Commonwealth from the rest of Equestria. It went fairly quickly with the hub maneframe aiding the process, plus the cheery voice on the other end sounded like she was waiting for us.

"Hello, hello! If it isn't my favorite couple from the far flung Commonwealth! How's the famous Princess and Shrouded Stallion this evening? Oh! And who's that cutie with you your highness?" I hopped up to my seat beside Jade in time to see the familiar grey unicorn mare toss her short blue mane as she resolved out of the static.

DJ Pon3's assistant Homage loomed in the dusty monitor, creating a fisheye effect as her bright golden eye peered right out at us, blinking at Glitter's over stimulated reply. "Hi! I'm Glitter! This is my mommy and daddy pretty lady! Are you this super important Velvet pony? You don't look so special... I like your neat gold pip-buck though, I gots one too, see!? Are you really somewhere outside?"

When Homage pulled back with a soft smile, I could see Glitter was right, a gleaming, golden pip-buck adorned her foreleg. We'd never communicated with such a clear and sharp color image, so I had missed it up to now. Somehow it looked different than Fancy's gold plated model, the bejeweled megaphone practically sparkled with its own light and the gold glimmered warmly. "Awww, isn't she adorable! Boy, I know your name is Fast, but I didn't expect such quick work starting a family by the newest male alicorn!"

"I didn't!... errr... ok, I did... b-but... Umm, this is my adopted daughter Platinum Glitter Homage, we sorta found each other when I came out of the Stable, but she's my little filly. This is just the first time we were somewhere she could see someone from the outside world."

"E-Excuse our daughter Miss Homage, she is very excited to speak with someone as far away as Manehatten. Platinum Glitter, this is Miss Homage, bearer of the Element of Honesty and quite an important pony herself I assure you dear... Can you see us alright? Do we look presentable? A-Are we early? Or late? Oh dear, Miss Remedy has not been kept waiting, has she?" Jade kept a firm hold on Glitter reaching for the monitor, absently smoothing her immaculate mane as she fretted.

The grinning mare all the way in distant Manehatten giggled and spun in her well preserved and comfy looking chair, waving off Jade's jabbering. "Oooh, flattery will get you everywhere Princess, but I'm no big deal cutie. Don't you worry about Velvet, she's been spending time down in the Tenpony spa, she'll be here in just a minute. She was excited to see communication with the Trotson hub though, you actually managed to get in? What's it like? No crazy experiments or mutant hospital horrors I hope?"

"N-No... It is very pleasant actually, well preserved like many areas of the Commonwealth. I-It is also occupied however, which is one of the things I hope to discuss with Miss Remedy. Thank you very much for facilitating this call Miss Homage, it was very unexpected, but I am most excited." Jade calmed slightly speaking with the funny mare, giving a little whinny of happiness that jostled the breezie ruler hiding behind her crown.

I couldn't blame her and was grateful to Homage, the DJ's assistant was easy to talk to so she must learn a lot under DJ Pon3. The quick smiles and smooth patter of her speech reminded me of the honey voiced buck on the radio already. "So is she! Don't sell yourself short there Princess, I've kept her up to date on everything my spying eyes have spotted in your neck of the woods and she's been impressed. That weird maneframe freaked her Followers cleaning up the Manehatten hub right out though. Gave me a chance to stretch my legs and help them tinker with it, though I prefer answering with all my lovely equipment back home. They've made a lot of progress, but there's a severe shortage of proper toaster repair ponies in the Followers, maybe we can tempt you out this way, huh Fast?"

"Oh... ummm, maybe someday, we've been kinda.... busy... I'd like that though, it would be pretty neat to play with your set up there just from what I can see. Jade tells me Twilight Sparkle herself set it all up and lived there?"

My innocent question was met with a slight frown on the pretty grey unicorn, her eyes flicking to the side in distaste before she brightened again. "That she did Fast, her... legacy is still hanging around even now, poking their noses in... That'll wait for Velvet though, so how have you guys been? You disappeared in that forest and my view can't penetrate all those leaves, there's still nothing like that place outside of the Everfree here. I've been a little worried too, you sure pissed off some really well armed raiders. Those Equestrian Army looking jerks... Gunners or whatever, sound like a big problem from what Miles tells me."

Glitter obviously felt left out of the conversation, crossing her forelegs in stern agreement, before piping up brightly and nodding. "Uh-huh! They're all a bunch of meanies Homage, except Auntie Val, but she's not one anymore. My daddy beats em up all the time though! He even fought a big turtle looking tank thingy an' helped save a town!"

Giggling brightly at me blushing and shrinking in my seat, Homage nodded to the foal and matched her enthusiasm and tone. "I know, I saw! He has a habit of blowing places up, so I can usually spot him. It was pretty cool alright cutie, you must be proud of your old man huh?" Laughing at the foal nodding crazily, Homage arched an eyebrow and turned a bit more stern as she continued. "Seriously Fast, those guys are no joke, that's not the only tank I've seen down there, along with Vertibucks and other prewar military hardware. Some ponies here are already freaking out, they're getting to be a threat for armies out here that don't like being outclassed..."

That ominous warning made me gulp and give a shaky nod back. Before I could think of much of a reply however, a melodic voice spoke up from off camera and suddenly Jade's foreleg curled around my neck, snatching me up and squeezing me against our struggling daughter receiving the same treatment. I couldn't make out words, but I did spot Homage say something and leave the frame for a moment, while Jade wiggled in her seat and squeed to herself, her round eyes getting dark as her pupils dilated into sparkling pools.

"Gak... Jade... air..."

"M-Mooom! Too tight! Leggo... Hey, is that her!? Hi pretty lady! Are you Velvet?" Glitter struggled and squirmed under her own crushing embrace, pausing with her hooves shoved against Jade's chest and her head hanging upside down to stare at the ponies coming into view of the monitor now.

"Oh! S-Sorry you two, but yes! Now be polite, let us make our manners as I have taught Glitter dear. May I introduce you all to The Pony Who Helps, leader of the Followers of the Apocalypse, the great Velvet Remedy!" Jade released her hold as I was starting to turn a blue that matched the trembling breast I was squeezed against, bowing her head and nudging Glitter into copying the gesture with me.

When I caught my breath and raised my head, it was to a new mare filling the view screen with Homage, both of them chuckling at Jade's overenthusiastic and formal greeting. This Velvet Remedy waved a hoof bearing another golden pip-buck coquettishly, this one adorned with a bejeweled songbird I caught a glimpse of.

She smirked as she spoke in a clear, beautiful voice. One that was familiar from her songs on the radio Jade always turned up. "Oh there's no need for all that, just Velvet will do nicely. Hello there, lovely to finally talk to all of you! I've heard a lot about you Blue 1192, or should I call you Princess Jade?"

Jade gave a sharp 'eep!' at her title and hid in her wings, turning a brilliant red and too embarrassed to respond, while I was simply stunned into silence. The mare smiling demurely out at us was gorgeous... Her coat was a silky, dark charcoal color that nearly matched my own, but looked a lot better on her. Her long white mane was streaked with red and gold, recently groomed and styled to fall in a cascade over one warm, blue grey eye and down her slender neck, a shapely horn peeking from her locks. She was older than me by several years, though just how many was hard to pin down, her eyes and demeanor were of a wise adult mare, but that stunning beauty looked ageless, the timeless body of a very attractive filly...

I was actually glad our view was limited to just that much, from the hints I got, seeing much more than the upper half of the body all that was attached to would get me in trouble. As it was, just what I could see did so anyway as I felt my wings slowly stand up as I goggled. While that embarrassing display had gotten annoyingly standard for me and Jade didn't get upset, it was clearly communicated to the pair watching from Manehatten while Homage tittered.

The look Velvet gave was partially surprise and part clinical appraisal, her eyes flicking quickly between my wings and the horn peeking from my hat. She raised an eyebrow and gave a teasing laugh as I copied Jade and tried to hide behind the traitorous appendages. "Oh don't worry about it, I'm married to a pegasus after all. You should have seen my husband before he learned to control his cybernetic wing. Flattering I can still get a rise out of young bucks like you though, even alicorn stallions it seems... It is a good thing Calamity's downstairs rooting around in the shops for old junk though, I doubt he'd appreciate that display nearly so much..."

"So, I finally get to speak to what's left of our Commonwealth expedition. First let me just say... Jade, I am so sorry I sent you on such a dangerous mission, that your sisters didn't make it. If I had known half of what Homage has been able to find out since then, I never would have asked just the three of you to go into that forsaken city."

Jade's ears drooped at her heartfelt apology, thinking of the pair of alicorns that had formed her wing before we met. She wiped her eyes and replied in a thick voice after a moment though, putting on a brave face. "I am saddened by their loss, but I am still glad you sent us Miss Remedy. There was no way you could have known, and Miss Homage would still be unaware had we not come. I have spread the message of the Followers, tried to improve things for the people of the Commonwealth and make a difference, all the things my sisters and I hoped for. I have also even met my special somepony thanks to coming here, so I am glad you sent us regardless. I h-hope I have made you proud?"

Velvet's sad smile warmed considerably and she nodded, though that almost unkind smirk resurfaced too as she replied. "You've done us all very proud Jade. I see you've done well for yourself too 'Princess', I'm not sure how I feel about that you know... You're not getting delusions of grandeur, are you?"

Glitter interrupted her mother's sputtering denials, leaping to her defense with a squirming snort. "My mommy's an awesome Princess lady! My daddy's her knight an' she's gotta castle an everything! Everypony loves her and she's nice to everypony back! Even mean ol' hellhounds!"

"I'm the one that insisted she was a Princess Velvet, she never wanted to claim the throne, it's me and everypony else that see her as one."

Having watched enough of the exchange with strange ponies, Queen Ether fluttered out from behind Jade's tiara, landing on the console and sticking her nose up imperiously as she addressed the shocked audience. "Princess Jade pony iz good, I Queen of Breezie Nation und call her fellow royalty. Far avay pony no call her bad Princess, Kingdom of Sanctuary iz our friends und ve open up hub place to Followers because of her."

Both Velvet and Homage's jaws were hanging open in stunned silence, letting Jade collect herself and beam beautifully at all of her defenders. Her cheeks were still an adorable pink, but she fluttered her wings and answered her leader in a firmer, more confident voice. "I did not seek the role Miss Remedy, but I have been convinced a Princess is what these ponies need and desire, so I reluctantly fill the role. Case in point, it is my honor as Princess of the allied Kingdom of Sanctuary, to introduce you to Queen Ether of the Breezie Nation, inhabitant of the Ministry of Peace Trotson hub, disciple of 'Holy Fluttershy' and friend of the Followers."

Velvet and Homage squeezed together cheek to cheek, filling the monitor in front of the little breezie monarch with their faces wearing matching expressions of foal-like glee. Their eyes got wide and dark, their pupils slowly swelling until they seemed to fill the screen. Having a fairy come flitting out effectively derailed any other thought and magically turned them into a pair of squealing fillies.

Velvet found her voice first, squeeing in delight at the breezie. "Ohmigosh! You're adooooorable!! A tiny little pony! It's a pleasure to meet you, Queen Ether was it? You live in the Trotson hub?"

When Homage collected herself, she surprised me again with her prewar knowledge and intelligence, making me wonder how a wasteland mare had come by such an education. "A breezie? Like a real, non-mutated, honest to goddess breezie? How?! I've seen pictures in books, but nopony's seen a real breezie in ages! There are more of them there?"

"Umm... non-mutated may be a little inaccurate, more of a Fairy Breezie than a prewar one, but yeah. They live in the Trotson hub, it belongs to them, not anypony else. They're just letting us in, if they decide to after today that is, you caught us on a busy day. Just that much is thanks to my Princess too, so you should appreciate all her hard work..."

The annoyed frown forming on Velvet's muzzle was interrupted by a flash of green filling the view screen, a lot of flapping and squawking coming through the speakers made Ether skitter back in surprise, fluttering up to my hat as the commotion resolved into a very strange looking bird and Velvet trying to wrangle it back in a flustered voice. "P-Pyrelight, no! Bad bird, that's not for eating! Oh I'm so sorry er.. your highness! Go on, out the window with you! Go find some mice if you're so hungry silly!"

Glitter scrambled to my lap, leaning up on the console to stare at the odd... phoenix? It looked a bit like one, but phoenixes were gold and orange, not that balefull green... "Wow!! What's that Velvet lady? It's a really pretty bird! Is it yours?"

Homage was giggling in her spinning chair, watching her friend shoo the odd bird out of the tall windows in the distant background and answering the delighted foal. "It's a balefire phoenix cutie, neat isn't it? Old Pyrelight is as big a hero as Velvet. Sorry about that Queen Ether, you must have looked too much like a tasty snack. Pyrelight won't pull that again once she's done scolding him. So, there's a whole kingdom of your kind living in the Trotson MoP hub? That's amazing! Tell me all about it, DJ Pon3 would love to tell a story like this!"

"Tell story? On radio thing? N-No... ve of Breezie Nation villing to talk to Princess Jade friends und open up hub slowly, no vant everybody hear all aboot us... Ve stay hidden long long time, go slow. Trust Princess und Fast Shroud, no trusty you..." Ether stayed on my hat, but answered the curious mare firmly as Velvet returned.

It was Jade's kind voice that smoothed things over, cutting off the look of disapproval Velvet was still wearing. "Miss Homage is merely curious Ether, you could ask for no better ponies than her and the great Velvet Remedy to start with. They are both bearers of the Elements of Harmony and very trustworthy mares. I am sure DJ Pon3 can be discrete, especially after learning of some of your people's abilities that could make you targets of unsavory types..."

"I'm very interested in hearing all about your people as well Queen Ether. To think... real breezies still exist in the wasteland. A friend of mine told me about your ancestors, maybe hearing about you will help her feel better, she's still recovering from a very traumatic experience. If you think of her as 'Holy Fluttershy' I bet you wouldn't mind letting her know about you hmm?" Velvet smiled sweetly from the screen, the honey in her voice making the implication of what she was saying take a minute to sink in.

"H-Holy Fluttershy... you mean... The antidote project worked!? She is...no longer a tree?" Jade gasped beside me, just adding to my confusion. Her brother was the tree... not... Fluttershy?

Velvet held a hoof up to her smiling lips in a hushing gesture and beamed back, a slightly worried look mixed with the otherwise beautiful smile. "Sssh... That's still rather hush hush, but yes. Xenith finally succeeded some time ago, she's been recovering and still horribly scarred from her ordeal, but I'm sure hearing about her little friends would lift her spirits and assist in her recovery, if it's alright of course Queen Ether?"

Both Jade and Ether squealed crazily, Jade's big hooves lightly touching Ether's tiny ones as they fluttered up in a cute little aerial dance, while Glitter and I looked on in confusion. I got the idea the real, actual, factual Fluttershy was alive somehow, and something about her being a tree... but not much more than that.

The Great Tree seemed to get the idea too, Velvet's voice calling for calm and Homage's titters suddenly cut out, muted by the maneframe controlling it all as text scrolled across the screen rapidly. THE MINISTRY MARE? FLUTTERSHY IS... ALIVE?!

Gliding back down with a breathless sigh, Jade nodded happily to the screen and replied in an ecstatic voice. "It would seem so Great Tree! Is that not wonderful!? The Pony Who Helps was determined to find a way to help her too, she has finally succeeded thanks to her friends! Poor Ministry Mare Fluttershy was turned into a tree in the Everfree Forest by killing joke, but the Angels have managed to find a cure! I am sure it will be some time before she recovers, but perhaps someday she can find a way to visit! Would that not be amazing Queen Ether?"

A TREE... FLUTTERSHY WAS... A TREE...? LIKE ME? BUT SHE IS ALIVE AND CURED NOW?

Ether and Jade's continuing celebration dimmed a bit as they turned to the mares now yelling at the screen in confusion, Homage banging away on her equipment to bring back the audio. Jade tilted her head in confusion, blinking at her heroine growing frustrated at being cut off. "Umm... is something wrong? Are we losing the connection? Oh please Great Tree, not so soon! Can you not do something?"

Jade had been so frantic on her return after receiving her message from outside the Commonwealth, I hadn't had a chance to really tell her everything Swan and I had found out during her frenzy of cleaning and grooming. She didn't see any problem, unaware that the Great Tree she was talking to was partly the brother of Ministry Mare Fluttershy. Ether might know, but she was too excited to really put it together either.

"Hey... Great Tree, that's good right? You both know what it's like to be a tree, huh? I bet you'll have lots to talk about when she's up to it. How about you let us keep talking to them while you think about what to say, please?"

I shushed Jade and Ether gently, speaking in a soft voice to the cybreezie at my leg. The quiet whisper of 'Be Kind...' helping me console the strange maneframe, while making me wonder what the mare herself would think about the little statuette radiating the essence of her own soul riding around in my saddlebags all this time, helping me...

The copy of Zephyr Breeze's mind didn't answer, but the audio came back instantly, the loud shouting of Velvet hitting high notes that made my ears flatten. "Hey!! Can you hear us!?! Jade! Don't tell me it's broken!"

"W-We are here! So sorry, a technical malfunction on our end. Ether and I would be honored to tell you both all about her home and people, I can also make my report on the Commonwealth expedition and all our other successes Velvet Remedy." Jade apologized and looked up to Queen Ether landing on her tiara and leaning forward, both of them eager to speak with the leader of the Followers now.

I was glad the two of them were happy and was still stunned by the idea of Ministry Mare Fluttershy being alive somehow, but like Glitter I wasn't quite so caught up in the moment. Seeing Jade so ecstatic was plenty for me to watch contentedly as she reported to her idol.

I didn't like the way Velvet spoke over her sometimes though, and I really didn't like the way she kept eyeing my wings twitching as I watched my beautiful wife. I wasn't sure why, but she put me on edge. She might be Jade's heroine and they may have a lot in common, but I caught glimpses of an almost arrogant attitude that kept flashing out.

By the time my Princess and the Queen of the breezies had finished their long conversation, my impression of Velvet hadn't improved a lot. She was kind, in her own brusque way, living up to the Element of Harmony that was the gleaming pip-buck on her leg. She could also be haughty, condescending, demanding and downright rude occasionally, not to mention either really naive, or willfully blind.

She congratulated Jade profusely at least, making the beautiful blue alicorn puff up with pride and whinny happily each time. As far as I was concerned, that was just to be expected after all she had accomplished here. But for every word of praise Velvet offered, came a slight frown of distaste over things she didn't care for.

Velvet didn't like the Followers being so closely partnered with the Minutemares for one, her charitable group of do-gooders working hoof in hoof with a military organization rankled with her. Lecturing Jade over rules the Followers had for separation and cooperation with the New Canterlot Republic only annoyed me more, making me grumble an interjection that this wasn't the NCR.

She didn't like Jade's more polite and reluctant agreement that I had a point either, that the Minutemares and Followers were like sister groups here. They relied on each other to do more than either could alone and had come into prominence together, both bowing to a single Princess everyone trusted. Velvet made it clear she was experienced enough to know sometimes pretty words just weren't enough, but she didn't seem to like admitting it.

Jade's status as a Princess came up repeatedly too, in snide comments or poor jokes barely masking her disapproval. Velvet seemed to actively dislike the idea of Princesses, bordering on the point of blasphemy or treason for a prewar pony like me. Jade told me the New Canterlot Republic followed the griffon in charge's example and elected their leaders. An odd idea for me to grasp, elections were fine for things like class presidents, all the way up to mayors of big cities of course. Velvet acted like that was the only right and proper way period now, that the time of Princesses had passed and she didn't like being reminded of it.

Apparently some of Jade's sisters had used their goddess based form to set themselves up as Princesses and get up to no good elsewhere in the world, but the idea of the gentle blue alicorn at my side doing any of the things she alluded to... it was not just ridiculous, it was mildly insulting... Besides, Jade wasn't a Princess because she was born to it, or because she wanted the position or power, it had been practically thrust upon her by ponies that wanted something to believe in. The ponies of the Commonwealth did chose their leader, maybe not by counting votes and electing representatives, but with their hearts and hopes.

By the time Jade had finished up and fidgeted nervously while I patched her pip-buck in to download her detailed medical files, recordings, maps and notes she had learned to dictate to the arcano-tech device, I was as ready to leave as the bored little filly absently playing on the floor behind us. We had a lot to handle right here and now, not hundreds of miles away, beyond whatever kept the Commonwealth effectively sealed off from the bossy mare using a limited window to peek in and criticize. A lot of guests were waiting outside the MoP hub's shield for us to get to work, who knew what Val was getting up to being essentially in charge with us holed up in the communications room for the last hour or more.

Glitter looking up hopefully as the sound of our conversation began to wind down drew the arched eyebrow of Velvet, the dark unicorn mare looking up in thought and speaking in a cheery, lyrical voice to the foal. "I think we're almost done borrowing your parents sweetie, thanks for being so patient! We just have a few really boring, grownup things to talk about reeeeally quick, then I'll let them go. Promise! Would you mind letting us have a more private chat to wrap up? Maybe Queen Ether could keep an eye on you for a minute hmm?"

By her narrowed pink eyes and cute little huff, I wondered if Glitter picked up on my growing agitation with Velvet, or if she came by it herself. Either way, I had to hold a hoof to my muzzle to stifle a laugh when she stuck her nose up and trotted off. "I'm not a baby Miss Velvet, I don't need the Queen ta watch me. You're as bad as daddy, talkin' about grown up stuff like I'm dumb or somethin', it's probably about kissy stuff with dad, that's what it always is... I'll go see what Auntie Val and the others are doin' if it makes you feel better though. It was nice meeting you an Miss Homage!"

Ether was more diplomatic, but had to cough away a giggle at the sputtering blush on Velvet's face. "Yes, iz nice meeting Princess Jade's friends frum far avay, Followers sound like good ponies, just like she say. Ve go and let have private talky, Great Tree can talk outside whenever until yu find way to come, we throw big party then. Yu bring Holy Fluttershy, ve have big-big party! Yu tell her ve thank her very much, yes?"

"I promise, anything to brighten her day is welcome and I'm sure hearing about you will do just that Ether." Velvet beamed and bowed her head to the breezie monarch fluttering alongside Glitter, watching them go until the door to the small hub comms room slid shut. Once my filly was out of earshot, she became all business though, making me glad at least a fellow Stable pony like her had a similar sense of propriety. "That's a very smart foal you two, you must be very proud. So then, let's address the dragon in the room. You're a male alicorn Mr. Times..."

"Last I checked... Everypony constantly pointing out what you are instead of who gets kinda old though. So, which side are you on?"

The hard edge to my voice made Jade whimper in embarrassment and move to apologize, but I held a hoof up and glared at the monitor to cut her off. I didn't want to make her look bad or insult her heroine, but this line of questioning was pretty personal and I wanted to get a few things straight right off the bat. Velvet Remedy didn't look at all insulted anyway, tilting her head curiously and asking a one word question in return. "Side?"

"Most ponies since I got changed fall on one of two sides, they either hate me and want to kill me because of what I am, or they want to use me because of what I am. I really like finding ones in the middle that just treat me like a pony, but I somehow doubt you're going to fall in that group."

I hated making Jade cringe and gasp like that, but the offended snort I caught out of Velvet also came with a momentary flash of guilt, so I felt a little vindicated cutting through the bullshit. "I would never hate or kill somepony because of what they were! I was just trying to say you're something we've been trying very hard to help our alicorn friends with Fast. I'm sure Jade has told you how important you are to her sisters."

"Trust me, I'm well aware... I have more than a hundred sex crazed fillies hunting me down to put a baby in them, it hasn't exactly been fun for me. O-Ok... maybe a little... in very small doses, that Jade approves of. Otherwise not so much."

"Not so much? You mean... you're not taking advantage of it? You're running from them!?" Velvet goggled back at me, making me blush at the incredulous look she was giving me.

Homage didn't help, nearly falling out of her chair laughing and lightly touching her friend's shoulder. "H-He's a prewar pony Velvet, a pretty funny one too! Real romantic no less, he's been with that blue of yours since she arrived like a loyal little puppy! I'm not surprised, you remember young love Velvet, you stuck by Calamity right?"

"Y-Yes, but this is hardly the same thing! It's a matter of practicality! Xenith and her Angels have struggled to get the gender changing potion to work and fertility has been an issue, even with our successes. We just came from our third viable birth in Junction City and that one came as a surprise, she was even pink! But this Institute, they really have found a way to make the I.M.P. work?" Velvet stammered back, the concern in her voice cooling some of my dislike.

Hugging me to her side with her wing let Jade pull me away gently, hiding my charcoal coat turning red from the trio of mares blithely discussing my mating habits. "From what my Fast has learned, the Institute has been unable to duplicate their success, so I am glad to hear of the Angel's results, especially of a foal that breaks the mold of the mother's templates. We all thank you for your hard work helping us Miss Remedy."

"Well that's something, even these crazy Institute ponies aren't having an easy time of it anyway. Of all the bucks for them to succeed with though... they had to pick a prude. Is he fertile? Or has he been too stubborn to find out? Most bucks would be jumping at the chance you know." Ok, nevermind... her almost snide response brought my annoyance right back.

In answer Jade gave a blushing, secretive smile, stroking the still smooth blue expanse of her belly and the baby inside. "Yes, Fast is a viable male, I am... p-pregnant as well, so I suppose ours will be the fourth, while sister Ivy's will be the fifth."

Homage's smirk through the screen made me wince, while Velvet's eyes turned to pinpricks as she shouted into the mic. "Two!? He's successfully mated with two of you!? Two actual pregnancies, in how long? A month!?"

"P-Perhaps more than two, four at the most though... It will be some time before we can test the others, but I have high hopes. The mare who did this to my Fast seems to have altered the I.M.P., he has a variety of side effects... most of which seem bent towards making sure he is able to do as the mother wished. He is quite... v-virile. I have sent a full medical report detailing the transformation process and my observations since he ascended." Jade tapped her hooves together nervously, curling her wing around me tighter.

"Four? Well, at least you're willing to act like a stallion for the greater good. Surely you see how selfish you're being though, if these other two mares actually are pregnant too, you've managed to exceed our best results in eight years in just a month! We need to get you out of there and on a proper breeding schedule, not to mention run better tests and provide some security." Velvet answered in a matter of fact tone that really ticked me off, talking around me again...

The worried gasp Jade gave as she nattered on just stoked my displeasure, a hint of fear in my Princess' voice was unacceptable, but clearly there. "Out? O-Of the Commonwealth? Fast cannot, his family..."

At least Velvet's face softened and she did radiate a sad sort of kindness, pausing in her plans and speaking consolingly to me. "I've read your early reports on that, I'm really sorry Fast, everything you've been through, losing everypony like that... but you might have to accept that they're gone. How many times have you nearly died looking now? Is it really fair to take it all on yourself, when you're so important to so many of Jade's sisters? What's more important, the good of the many, or just you?"

"They're not dead. I get what you're saying, but they're not. I'm going to find them. I don't care if it's selfish, I'm going to keep trying. B-Besides, I do understand and want to help Jade's sisters, I risked my life to get the compatibility potion so they can breed with normal ponies, they don't need only me."

Clutching at straws, Jade nodded eagerly and agreed with me. "Y-Yes, I previously sent all the data Fast was able to find and we have two vials of the potion itself to send back to you Velvet Remedy. My sisters here in the Commonwealth are already attempting to put it to use, is that not sufficient?"

This time, Homage answered with a sigh, giving us the truth Velvet was dancing around. "I passed it along, just like I said I would and they're working on it you two. It's not just about that though. Watcher and I tried to keep it quiet, but we're not the only ones who know the Institute made a male alicorn out there. There are groups that don't like that idea at all.. Terrorists keep causing trouble in Glyphmark trying to stop the Angels from making their potion, plus there are huge bounties on confirmed male alicorns. That's why we have to keep the few successes Xenith's had under protection."

"Plus there's all the renewed interest in the Commonwealth period thanks to the lightshow when you changed Fast. I told you we'd see about sending Ditzy that way as a courier to collect that compatibility potion from you, but she was planning a trip that way regardless. Whatever seals the Trotson area away from the rest of Equestria kept the Gardens of Equestria spell out too, meaning you're one of few nearby places it's possible to find radiation."

The somber way she said that gave me pause, why was that a big deal? Why did they both look so worried about it? "Er... ok? That's generally not a good thing, though there are other ways to make radiation if it's important I guess. Who cares?"

I was glad Homage continued in answer, the smart and straight forward mare didn't set me on edge like Velvet. "Well, Ditzy wants to go there for her Aqua Pura, hoping to find a close source. I hate that she keeps going out to dangerous places to find irradiated water, but without it ghouls don't heal and are gonna start dying off. Ditzy can somehow get to the Commonwealth safely at least, though she doesn't know how."

"She's not the only one interested in the Commonwealth for rads though. Making more requires technology that's in short supply out here, unlike in Trotson. It's being downplayed and kept hush hush, but we're facing an energy crisis out here Fast. Most of our power comes from radiation engines, which are running out of fuel... That was one of the things the Brotherhood was sent there to find, alternative power sources, experimental tech that's littered all over the Commonwealth. We fought one war over an energy crisis already, don't think we won't do it again."

Picking up where Homage left off, Velvet tried to be soothing and reasonable again. "You see? Jade, you've done an incredible job there and I'm so, so proud, but it's dangerous there for both of you. Outside groups are going to find a way in, it's possible they'll fight to divide the Commonwealth up like a pie and see who gets the biggest piece. Add to that all those who would try to kill Fast for being what he is... Don't you want that cute little filly to be safe? For your baby to have the best care? I couldn't have asked for more from any Follower Jade, but I'm sending a larger expedition to take over. Thanks to you they'll have a safe base of operations and an amazing start to work with. When they get there, I want you to turn things over to them and for all of you to come back to us."

The conflicted grimace of Jade's face was horrible, looking to me in a panic as the muzzled murmur of 'Be Dark...' managed to struggle free, feeding on the flicker of anger I felt as I growled back. "I'm not leaving... My family's here..."

Velvet's kind, consoling voice held just the barest hint of mostly masked annoyance in reply. "Mr. Times, we'll do all we can to find them for you, but you may have to accept that they're d.."

"THEY'RE NOT DEAD! They're here! They're alive! They're waiting for me and I'm GOING TO FIND THEM! I'm not leaving! You sent Jade here and I'm incredibly grateful for that Velvet. I guess you can order her back too, but I'm not a Follower so don't order me around. This is my home, this is our home! Jade belongs here, she's our Princess. Don't tell her to just leave!"

Velvet didn't like that outburst one bit, her eye twitched as she planted her hooves on Homage's console and leaned forward, glaring back at me. "She's not a Princess and you're not a Knight! We're all just ponies and you're in over your head! Do you really think you're making things better playing pretend? Dressing up like a comic book hero, terrorizing and killing ponies? Most of the news we get out of the Commonwealth is when you blow up a piece of the landscape in there!"

"I swear, you are just like her! If you don't stop you're going to end up just like Pip! Getting hurt, killing yourself, leaving everypony behind because you just had to take it all on yourself! This is bigger than you and your family, just like your duty to the alicorns is greater than your modesty! You are a stubborn foal that needs to just step aside and let the grownups handle things!"

The tears spilling down her cheeks made me wonder if she was right, she sounded like she spoke from experience. The whispery shout of 'Be Awesome!' rose up in agreement with me though. It was my family, I wasn't going to just slink of and abandon them no matter what. I didn't try to do it all on my own either... mostly.

Looking up to Jade, I paused at the determined, pained look she was training on the screen, her voice quavered initially, but held a defensive note as she hugged me fiercely and straightened up. "Please Velvet Remedy, do not ask me to return... I cannot. Fast is my husband, I will not ask him to leave, nor will I go without him, or abandon all those who have come to depend on me. Despite my own misgivings and reluctance, there are many who do see me as a Princess and whose lives are brightened with hope because of it."

"I cannot take that from them, I cannot let them down and dash that hope. If the outside world is coming for the Commonwealth, these ponies deserve to have a Princess to meet it with them. I have the greatest respect for you Velvet, you saved me when I was lost, gave me a purpose, sent me here to do a job and let me meet my special somepony. I would do anything for you and the Followers, but I will not do that..."

Velvet choked on Jade's firm reply, caught between what she thought was right and what Jade did, unable to come up with an argument to pierce that implacable blue stare looking back hopefully. As much as Jade idolized Velvet, she wouldn't take her side over mine and Velvet knew it.

Thankfully, Homage broke the stalemate, gently pushing her gaping friend back and giving a warm smile to us both. "I think that proves she really is a good Princess Velvet. You can keep her as a member of the Followers, or you can lose her and watch her grow past it. That right there is the Princess of the Commonwealth though, and she's not going anywhere."

There was a long pause, the sputtering leader of the Followers of the Apocalypse fumed and snorted angrily. "I guess some types of foalishness just don't change! Sorry to put you in this position 'Princess', but we're trying to think of the best for everypony! If you insist on being insubordinate, there's not a lot I can do about it, is there? I just don't see how could you be so stubborn!?"

At that, Velvet trotted off, letting Homage wheel her chair into center frame and grin at us, waving a cheery goodbye and laughing at her retreating friend heartily. "Oh yeah Velvet, where would one of your do-gooders eeeever learn to be stubborn when it comes to helping others? Don't worry Princess, she'll get over it! You're both doing great, I'll pass on anything important to Miles and keep a close eye out! Bye-ie!"

When the screen went dark, Jade let loose a shaky, held in breath, lunging and curling around me in a shivering hug. "O-Oh my.. I cannot believe I.... I spoke to Velvet Remedy like that! She must be furious! I h-have disobeyed the leader of the Followers Fast! W-What will we do!? What if she is right!? I c-cannot... w-we must call back and a-apologize immediately! Oh no, no, no... I..."

Leaning up and sealing her lips shut with a grateful, passionate kiss stopped her worried jabbering. Jade's pinprick blue eyes slowly widened and sparkled as she squeaked in surprise, then murmured and returned the affection. When I broke it off, I stroked her cloudy mane softly and nuzzled at her favorite spot on her neck, trying to soothe her worries and communicate just how much I loved her.

"It's alright Jade, she will get over it. I'm really sorry I ended up putting you in that position. You know if you really did want to do what she wanted and leave, I would come with you, right? I'd never leave you alone, ever."

After a few minutes of attention that slowed the rapidly beating heart pressed against my chest, Jade spoke in a quiet whisper and nodded over me. "I would not leave you either, no matter if the Goddess herself somehow came back and commanded it. I greatly admire Velvet Remedy, but I love Fast Times. I... I will be f-fine... I a-am a P-P-Princess after all... One who has much to do I suppose, m-my worries will just have to wait. If I was bold enough to declare myself a Princess to Velvet Remedy, I should do my best to live up to it. A-Are you coming?"

The anxious, unsure, sad voice she managed made me worry for her. She put up a brave face and waited expectantly, but she had just stood up to her idol, the mare she put so much faith in had ended up quarreling with her. She had to be devastated, but she was already trying to put it behind her and focus on all the real things we had to do right now. Just like a real Princess would.

"Sure hon, just a minute. Haven't had a chance to poke around up here, so I'll see if I can tell where the Brotherhood is exactly, maybe talk to the Castle or Goodneighbor. I'll be right down, ok?"

Giving a quick peck on the cheek, Jade nodded and adjusted her tiara, walking briskly out and back down to all the people waiting for us. With her gone, I sighed and leaned back in the creaky chair, shuddering at putting her through that and trying to tamp down on my remaining anger. After a minute collecting myself, I stared up at the ceiling and spoke to the whirring camera up there softly.

"Hey... You ok Tree? I guess that was a shock for you, Fluttershy and all... are you alright?"

"MY SISTER... SHE IS ALIVE, I FEEL... HAPPY. CONCERNED AND ASHAMED, BUT HAPPY. I WISHED TO ASK MORE, BUT DON'T WANT HER THINKING OF ME... AS A TREE TOO... I WILL GIVE IT TIME, IT SOUNDS AS IF SHE NEEDS IT, I BELIEVE I DO AS WELL."

"That's probably pretty smart, being stuck as a tree for 200 years... Well, you both lasted this long, a little longer won't hurt. Just remember, you love each other, right? She'll want to hear from her brother, no matter what."

"I HOPE SO... YOUR CALL MAKES ME WARY OF ATTEMPTING COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTSIDE AGAIN HOWEVER. BEST TO STICK WITH LOCAL CALLS I SUPPOSE. SPEAKING OF WHICH, I HAVE MANAGED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH CASTLE EQUINOX, THOUGH THE ANTIQUATED SYSTEM THERE DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR VIDEO COMMUNICATION, THERE IS A CALL WAITING FOR YOU IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK WITH THEM."

Spinning in the chair idly, I shrugged and nodded to the hub maneframe, accepting its change of subject without pushing. "Sure, what the hell, go ahead. Can't be worse than that."

There was a pause filled with a lot of beeps and static from the speakers overhead, eventually followed by a familiar voice resolving from the interference that made me sit up straighter. "Hello? Is it working? Hey, weird computer! Are you letting me talk to Fast or not?"

"S-Summer? Is that you? I'm here! How are you? Are you alright? I heard you on the radio and..."

The bright, excited filly's voice on the other end overrode me, making my wings twitch just thinking of the sunny yellow pegasus Summer Wind. "Fast!? Finally! That computer started yapping at us, but wouldn't let me talk with you for the longest time! Hey, he's here!"

"Er... sorry, we had an important call we just finished. Is everything ok? I got your message, but was worried about why you left the Brotherhood, something about Paladin Dance?"

"F-Fine... well, not fine at all, but I'm ok. Dance is in a lot of trouble though and I don't know what to think. After Lt. Dawn came back with all that data from the Ministry of Peace, Proctor Quiz ran through it and suddenly they were saying Dance was a synth! He disappeared before they caught him, but I don't know where he is and I'm really worried about him... After that, everypony was really paranoid and looking at me too, so I decided to take you up on your offer. If you can find out anything about Dance when they get there though, please do Fast. He can't be a synth! Can he? I just don't kno..." Summer's worried prattling surprised me and made me concerned for her Paladin friend, but she was suddenly cut off by another voice I knew, one I didn't like nearly as much...

"Hey! You said he's answering!? Finally!! I come all the way to this dumb castle and he's not even here! What's the point of a castle if you're not gonna live in it!? You don't even have a passable guest room or decent snacks! Hey, stupid! Is that you? Answer!" I groaned at the demanding mare's voice screeching out of the speakers, laying my ears back and answering reluctantly.

"Hello Fancy... what do you want?"

The former Overmare of Stable 114 didn't sound like she had changed that much, despite her accidentally heroic antics I heard on the radio. My annoyance with her warred with surprise at hearing her answering from the Castle. "That's not much of a greeting for the pony that saved your stupid life! It's already rude not being here when I showed up, famous heroes are supposed to be around when you need them! What I want is obvious, duh! I want help, that's what you do, right?"

"Nnngh... help with what? I'm kinda busy Fancy, is it important to anypony else but you?"

Fancy's snort and whine came through the radio connection clearly, making me grit my teeth until she finally said something that really got my attention. "Yes! I want help saving my snuggleboo! I've been looking all over for him and finally found a clue, but I also heard some stuff that concerns you in that weird tree place wherever that is. I want a trade. I'll give you Vega and tell you something important about your big meeting thing there before you get hurt, but you have to come help save my snuggleboo. Before the new moon! I umm... I don't think me and Freya can do it alone... so I need help. P-Please?"

"Vega!? What do you mean give him to me? And what about our conference here, how'd you know about it and where we are? What about us getting hurt?"

The smarmy voice on the other side dug her heels in, still irritating even not in person... "Promise first! Everypony here says you keep your promises, and you did help me before... so I t-trust you... kinda... But I want you to swear, you'll help save Neighson. Promise first, then I talk. It's impoooortant... your big goofy Princess might get hurt..."

"I promise. Talk."

By the time we all gathered outside the Ministry of Peace hub's glowing yellow shield at the approach of several howling Vertibucks, I had been a lot busier than I had planned on... Fancy's warning turned out to have some merit, worse, following it requires some stealth and forethought, along with a lot of secrecy.

Luckily, we had made a lot of friends we could trust, along with my family, we were as ready as possible when the first pegasus drawn transports touched down outside the hub. Several more were lagging behind and looking for more space, carrying the heavy, rusting hulks of liquid tanker train cars and crates of other equipment, as requested... a good sign anyway. If the Brotherhood brought what I wanted, it seemed likely they'd cooperate.

I really hoped so, seeing the most heavily armed Vertibuck touch down and the huge stallion hopping out instantly made me worry, though I felt a little better seeing the crimson mare unhitching herself from one pilot's compartment, at least Lt. Dawn came back too. I wasn't alone either, several armed Minutemare's guarding the entrance shifted slightly behind us, making my ears flick at the whispers and murmurs greeting the buck in the fancy, red trimmed power armor tromping up to us.

It was more advanced than a T-60... heavily modified and intimidating. Elder Macson didn't hide behind the armor I couldn't help analyzing appreciatively either, his helmet was down, showing the scarred crimson face and shaggy orange mane and beard that was a perfect copy of Big Mac.

He trotted right up, ahead of all his troops scrambling to flank him and take of defensive positions, eyeing the Minutemare guards threateningly, several locking their weapons on the sneering hellhounds and watchful minotaurs joining them near the entrance building. When he crossed the distance and loomed overhead, he gave a polite bow to Jade at my side, taking her offered hoof and even kissing it as a proper greeting for a Princess, igniting the jealous mutter of 'Be Dark...' from its captivity.

When he turned my way however, the greeting turned a lot cooler... Elder Macson raised on bushy brow and spoke in a deep, clipped voice. "Well, well, we meet again Fast... I hope I didn't come here just for you to blow this place up too..."

"No, there's no weapons of mass destruction here, just a lot of breezies that make this place their home, so nopony's taking it..." I growled back, trying to keep my fangs from extending as I stood as straight as possible, leaning up into the big stallion's shadow aggressively.

Immediately playing peacemaker, Jade pushed me back gently with a wing, returning Macson's bow and letting him get a look at Queen Ether perched on her tiara. "J-Just so Fast... best our Brotherhood friends meet the inhabitants so they understand why the hub is off limits to all parties. Elder Macson of the Brotherhood of Friendship, it is my honor to introduce you to Queen Ether of the Breezie Nation."

Even the stern leader of the Brotherhood gaped at the beautifully dressed and groomed monarch fluttering down on her bright pink wings, extending a tiny hoof in greeting warily. "Helloo beeg soldier pony, velcome to Breezie Nation. Princess Jade our friend say yu help, so ve try to be friends too. But no letting anyone take home."

"I... It's a pleasure to meet you your highness... I assure you, the Brotherhood has no interest in taking your home away from you. Certain technology you hold could be dangerous however, we hoped to reach some sort of compromise as the Princess outlined. We didn't expect this kind of reception, for being a hidden and secret kingdom, you certainly have a lot of guests..." Macson answered politely, lightly and carefully touching her hoof with his own armored one, stymied from copying his manners with Jade by Ether flinching from his lips coming too close.

Recovering from her momentary panic, Ether drifted back from her retreat to Jade's side and nodded. "Breezie Nation decide no be secret so much, make friends vith others like vith Princess Jade und Kingdom of Sanctuary. Hope be friends vith Brotherhood soldier ponies too, like vith Knight und funny Scribe vhat stay vith us. They not so bad, maybe you not so bad either."

Turning to eye Knight Grinder and Scribe Blossom eagerly joining their fellows and waiting to report, Macson chuckled and opened his mouth to speak again, cut short by the sudden flash of text in my vision that I saw Jade and Witchy gasp at due to the gleaming cybreezies on their own pip-bucks.

ENEMY CONTACT, 2 O'CLOCK FROM YOUR POSITION. GRIFFON ENGAGING!

"Down! Now!" I shouted and moved to put myself between Macson and where the hub maneframe indicated, glad for the computer's ability to coordinate and communicate to all of us at once.

Witchy pushed Jade back and guarded her protectively, letting her cast her glowing blue shield around the small gathering. The Brotherhood immediately freaked out, the shield cutting most of them off from their leader nearly taken as a threat as a lot of firepower clicked in warning. The heavy anti-materiel round sparking off the shield just ahead of a resounding series of explosions in the woods diverted their attention though.

Flapping up to Macson's level to guard his unarmored head, I peered through the scope of the Last Minute, spotting Val swooping through the burning trees and a dead griffon sniper falling from their perch. Several of the pegasi instantly zooming her way must have spotted the same and reported back, Macson tilted one ear back to listen to the tiny earbud I could spot as Jade's shield faded and the confused Brotherhood scrambled forward.

I really didn't like just how much deadly weaponry got trained on me the second they surrounded their leader, but gritted my teeth and bore it, glad none of them decided to vaporize me just because they had an excuse. Judging by the way they fell back at Macson's easy chuckle, I supposed even those that really wanted to kill the male alicorn respected or feared their leader more.

"It's alright, it's alright, calm down. Seems we had a sniper waiting to take a potshot. It also seems our friends here were ready for it, more so than our own recon anyway... Make a more thorough sweep of the area this time, won't you? Stealth-bucks or zebra talismans may be hiding more, so thermals and vigilance please."

I had to admit, Macson kept his cool and didn't seem bothered, giving a good assesment quickly. One that was backed up by Witchy making that high pitched radar noise of hers, causing Icepaw and his hellhounds to whine and glare at her twitching her ears as she guarded Jade and confirmed it. "Two more, one that way and one... Oh, nevermind, Zed got it, one more now..."

"Sorry about that, seems we overstayed our welcome here. The Gunners and more know we're here, so I guess we have a leak somewhere... we'll have to hurry this along."

Before the unphased Macson could do more than nod in reply, Lt. Dawn cantered up to his side, her helmet sliding back to reveal the defensive blue eyes and matching mane of my favorite frenemy. "You're not blaming us for that, are you!? I went straight to the Elder with my report and we kept it quiet! Unlike this rabble, we have tight security and..."

"Except for Paladin Dance... right?" I glared at Macson as I replied evenly, noting the slight wince 'Awareness!', before returning my attention to Dawn and softening that harsh tone. "I'm not blaming you Dawn, we've been all over and brought a lot of folks together here, with more on the way, anypony could have found out by now and passed it along. I'm just warning your Elder, the Gunners know where we are and don't like it, along with others. Thankfully they don't know what we're up to, and I'd like to keep it that way. I can tell Macson more, but alone... inside, which I'm guessing is what he wants anyway. You can come too and guard him though, I trust you."

Lt. Dawn's furious reply dried up when I preempted it, her cheeks turning pink as she sputtered and choked at the vote of trust and confidence. Jade gave her a timely way out though, smiling and addressing Macson kindly. "Y-Yes... I am afraid I am no good with concerns such as security and spies, but my Fast and the others have been most secretive and busy. He assures me you would want to tour the facilities and Queen Ether has graciously agreed, if just the two of you is acceptable?"

Ignoring the worried babbling of several higher ranking troops behind him, Elder Macson cut them off with a raised hoof and gave Jade and Ether a low bow. "Actually yes, I'd love to take a look around and talk. I'm sure Lieutenant Dawn is more than enough security, there's nothing to worry about inside the Ministry of Peace, now is there?"

Queen Ether fluttered up to answer, surprising a great number of the Brotherhood when several of her subjects appeared all around them from hiding at her regal wave. "No, ve follow example of Holy Fluttershy, ve no fighty or hurty, beeg soldier pony be safe und ve let come see, but only him und cranky Loo-ten-ant ve see before."

"Well, that settles it then! Come on Lieutenant, let's take a little tour and enjoy the scenery. Proctor Candygram, Proctor Quiz, I leave you two in charge! Set up a perimeter, get to work assembling these gadgets Mr. Times asked for and let's get to work!" Elder Macson nodded curtly and trotted towards the admitance building, not sparing a glance back for the objections of his troops and forcing Lt. Dawn to scramble after him.

Whether he really trusted us and didn't smell a trap, or just figured he could handle one if we did decide to spring one, he was a brave stallion. The approval of those little whispers of 'Be Strong!' and 'Be Awesome!' struggled against the muted hiss of 'Be Dark...' as we followed him in. He really was a good copy of Big Macintosh, even if he wasn't the buck himself, he shared a lot of the qualities that made him a hero and a pony to follow. All reasons that annoying mutter in my head viewed him as competition and made my fangs twinge out in his presence.

I didn't like that tempting whisper stoking my dislike just because he was a stallion too, but it found ammunition to use all too easily. All things I had to stamp down on, endure and behave, 'Be Kind..' and 'Be Unwavering!'. He was a good pony from everything I had seen, really... Just shut up and stick to the plan...

Strolling down the garden path's with Jade at my side helped calm me, even with Elder Macson and Lt. Dawn following along impatiently. They didn't like not going to the glowing tree hub itself, but I had a good idea what Macson really wanted and where it was.

Taking a walk towards the Flora and Fauna tribe's territory gave time for the last approaching mark on my pip-buck to get here, along with letting us chat privately. I didn't like keeping Jade in the dark about what Fancy warned me about, but we were playing a dangerous game at this point and I didn't want her involved if I could help it. She wasn't exactly suited to cloak and dagger type stuff...

"This is all very impressive, I suppose our hopes that the ARC project was intact have born fruit. With this we could help restore Equestria, regrow the wasteland... isn't that something a proper Follower of the Apocalypse would want Princess?" Macson spoke up in his soothing baritone, trying to butter Jade up and tempt her, only annoying me again.

"That's not what you want though, is it Macson? Not entirely... Before you keep going and wasting time, I'll just tell you right now. All the pony samples from the ARC are gone, stolen by the Institute."

Jade tutted at my grumbling voice cutting the Brotherhood Elder off, but the effect was worth it. Macson stopped dead and looked like I bucked him in the gut, forcing Jade to turn around curiously. "Elder Macson? Are you alright? I apologize for Fast, he's normally more polite... w-we have been very busy however and..."

"GONE!? The pony samples are gone!? ALL of them!?" When Macson found his voice, I was satisfied to see that calm and easy bearing crack. I knew just how he felt actually, but he could have found out sooner by cutting to the chase.

"Ayup... all gone, I could go show you, but there's a whole lotta breezidores between here and there, so I guess you'll just have to trust me. Don't act quite so surprised either, I'm guessing you had a good idea already. Tell me about Paladin Dance..."

My quick and short explanation of things to Jade hadn't included our stern Paladin friend, so her ears perked up and she looked over with interest. "Paladin Dance? Is something wrong with him? He did not get hurt, did he?"

Elder Macson got a sour look and stamped the ground, pawing at it angrily as we kept up our slow walk towards the towering barn ahead. "Hardly... Trust huh? That's something that's in short supply here in the Commonwealth, I thought I understood before embarking on this expedition, but contact with the enemy has shattered that illusion... We found Steel Dance in the records you so generously allowed Lt. Dawn to return with Princess, Equestrian Army Sgt. Bolt Action, specimen #78004. He's a synth... has been the whole time and fooled all of us."

Jade gasped looking between us, but Summer prepared me for that much. Leaning up to the tall stallion staring back with barely restrained anger and hurt in his green eyes, I snorted and shook my head. "I gathered that much, I want to know what happened then. He ran away right? Figure he must have had a good reason?"

"Probably because we intended to dissect him if possible, terminate if not... He's a spy Mr. Times, an Institute spy, a group you have no love for right? His very existence displays all the reasons we feel the same, he's an abomination masquerading as a pony, a product of arcane science gone mad. If we find him, our troops have orders to kill..." Macson glared back from above me, looking down his nose and speaking in that maddening voice of command.

Normally, I'd probably agree with him... it hurt to think Dance was a synth spy, but he was also our friend, Summer's friend... "What if you're wrong? He might be a synth, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a spy. I tried to tell you before, some of them are alive. Dance helped me track down the Institute's cyberpony agent, he helped bring you here for Celestia's sake! He screwed up part of their plans in Fort Loyalty too and was a true believer in the Brotherhood. Unless the Institute is playing a really long game, I can't see him being an enemy."

Pushing forward with her head down in thought, Jade spoke softly and lead us into the Fauna-Tribe's cavernous barn. "Neither can I Elder Macson. Paladin Dance was always the very picture of a model soldier, honorable and true. We have learned many synths are unaware of their own nature. Some may very well be unknowingly awaiting orders from their Institute masters, but others may be those freed by the Railroad and living their lives freely. Does Dance not deserve the chance to explain? To be helped? To be more than the vile robot spy you make him out to be?"

Macson eyed her sternly, grunting and clanking his way past her into the large barn like he knew the way. That actually seemed likely since he went right for the darkened windows showing the MoP hub's prototype cloning chambers, leaning down to stare through the clean spot I had wiped with my own hoof previously and thinking.

"I started in one of these... a bigger version back in Stable 108, but one much like these... I was once an experiment by ponies that took arcane science too far, like you Mr. Times... But like you I am a pony, not some ...machine! You say they're alive, but they're a mockery of ponykind. How are we to trust such a soft hearted Princess and her kingdom to safeguard things here, to be an ally, when you won't even admit that fact!" Macson's impassioned speech betrayed a little anger, I really didn't like that dismissive look he gave Jade either...

"We wish to think the best of everyone, that much is true Macson. We are not naive fools however, we merely acknowledge things are not so black and white as you seem determined to believe. Fast himself was both nearly murdered by a synth assassin, and then saved from remaining a caged experiment of the Institute by another. Some are good, some are bad, just like ponies, zebras, griffons, minotaurs and hellhounds, even dragons. We're all just people, can you not even entertain the thought some synths may be as well?" Jade's reply wasn't as fiery or forceful, but a cool and soothing balm even for the exasperated Elder.

A lot of his anger flowed out of Macson with a few words and a light hoof to the shoulder from Jade, just like she could do to me. He bowed his head in thought and leaned against the glass, sighing tiredly and turning a green eye up to her waiting patiently. "If I wasn't fighting an army of them lurking in the shadows and destroying morale since we got here... maybe. Your kindness puts lives at risk though Princess Jade, my soldiers have been besieged ever since we managed to make it to the Commonwealth. The Institute actively tries to capture them to turn them into those twisted mutants and increase their own forces."

"All this mess with Steel Dance has only made things worse, a Star Paladin... and a synth the whole time. Betrayal is never good, but this is like ancient stories of fighting Changelings! Anypony could be the enemy, paranoia is running rampant and talk just like yours and those kooks from the Railroad is making some troops reluctant to pull the trigger. You ask us to trust you now, when trust is something severely lacking in the Commonwealth. I need more than that."

The leading tone he ended on made me groan and I stood beside Jade, that line of conversation had quickly become associated in my mind with one thing. "What do you want? I'm guessing you've got some little mission or errand for us to accomplish for you, right? Spit it out and let's get down to it Macson."

The big buck actually gave a hard smile under his beard, I hit the nail on the head alright... The Elder held a hoof up to stop Jade from fussing at my rudeness and answered immediately. "You've rebuffed our attempts at recruitment, but I need some token of faith between us. Find me Paladin Dance and end him, his very existence is a drain on morale, sending our troops out to kill one of their own just exacerbates it. An outside agent like yourself though... no one would complain and you'd probably regain a little trust from the soldiers you hope to work with. Do that and deliver more than big talk concerning the M.O.W.T. and we're square Mr. Times, all previous grudges forgotten, allies in arms. Now, tell me about this mysterious threat and what needs to be done in the meantime, I'll take the first step and trust you'll follow through later. Don't betray that trust like Dance did."

Mission Updated: Blind Betrayal

Objectives------
---Ask the Brotherhood about Star Paladin Dance
---Find Paladin Dance

Optional Objectives---
---Kill Dance
---Bring Dance in to the Brotherhood

I gulped and cursed at the text in my vision, ignoring Jade's gasp when I gave a gruff nod back of consent. "I'll... take care of Dance, if I find him. My way, after I find out if he really did betray you or not. We didn't say we thought all synths were alive and good you know, or that we're naive enough to not recognize the threat they represent. I can prove it today thanks to some help we got, from a mare focusing on things you're ignoring searching for technology in the Commonwealth and ways to claim it, instead of ways to help it. We heard why you're in such a hurry too, worried about others coming in and taking away your toys?"

Following Macson back to the barn doors and the few Fauna-tribe breezies flitting in and out around us, I tried to keep the growl out of my voice and waited for his response. His bushy eyebrows went up when I made mention of the things we learned from Velvet and Homage about the outside world and their designs on the lost city of Trotson, but he shook it off and stared out at the vibrant domain of the Fauna-tribe and hummed in thought.

Waving his armored hoof out to the grounds of the MoP hub, Macson finally answered with an iron edge to his voice. "And if we are? Would you rather they be in the hooves of those you don't know? Groups worse than us? We've been content to let your Princess and her Followers handle the needs of the downtrodden, it's the one thing Velvet Remedy's order is good at. Practicalities however are not their strong point...The technology here can help more ponies all across Equestria, much more than a little medical care and homegrown security for the common folk in this one area. Just this functioning hub is a prize beyond measure, but you want us to leave it alone to these breezies... pleasant as they may be. What if we or somepony else decide to just take it?"

The rumble in the ground made me give a sharp smile back, glad for the impeccable timing of the huge mare prancing her way from the greenhouses. I asked Swan to hang around and come by after we talked to Macson, but I couldn't ask for a better illustration to my point. Enjoying the stifled gasp from Macson as the giant mare galloped up and overshadowed both the tall Elder and the barn itself, I shrugged up to her and drove it home.

"That, would be a very bad idea..."

Swan's booming voice overhead cut off his sputter and the annoyed squeak of Lt. Dawn, uselessly putting herself between her leader and the oversized alicorn. "Hi Fast! Thanks for the tasty apple! I feel really good now, when's the fighting?"

A white spot hidden in Swan's flowing pink mane rippling around her with power giggled and shouted down, giving the Brotherhood ponies a second to collect themselves. "Hi Daddy! Look how high I am! I finally got to see Aunt Swan get all big! It was so cool! Oh, hi Dawn! Hi Mr. Macson! Lookit me!!"

"Hi sweetie! Be careful up there! Give us a minute to talk to our Brotherhood friends and I'll come up to see! There'll be fighting enough soon Swan, just wait!" Putting on a much more genuine smile to the delighted foal was easy, making continuing our conversation with Macson less combative when I turned back. "You heard her, she's in the mood to start smashing things... she doesn't really care who. I didn't ask her to get that way for you specifically though, we have bigger problems that you need to start acknowledging. There are other groups coming here, right now, to take this place away from the breezies who it does belong to. Not only that, they're all just puppets of the Institute."

"My Fast is correct Elder Macson, he has informed me of a threat we have decided must remain quiet, due to our acknowledgement of the threat synth spies pose. We are trusting you with that knowledge however, in the spirit of friendship and cooperation, along with our faith you and Lt. Dawn are not hidden agents of the Institute. We admit there are things we Followers are not adept at and our brave Minutemares are not up to the task of handling yet, thus working together is the best course, which involves compromise on both parts... Before we speak with the others gathered here, we wished one thing to be clear however, the Breezie Nation is to be protected and left to their own devices. No one may lay claim to the hub, it is theirs. Understood?" Jade backed me up, standing straight and proud, taller and more imposing than even the big stallion in front of her.

Flicking his eyes back to Swan watching impatiently, Macson sighed and nodded to the two of us. "That's... acceptable. We didn't expect to find anything out of Stable 95.5, but we can't fault the inhabitants for how they've managed on their own all this time. If they're willing to talk instead of knocking all our Vertibucks out of the sky, we're willing to deal and leave them be. In exchange, Dance and a way into the Ministry of Wartime Technology. That particular hub is what we want most and I think you can agree it's best to leave Applejack's Ministry to her Rangers."

"Alright, we'll keep going one step at a time. You'll have to wait until we can hold up our end, I had to make other plans to get the info that's giving us a chance here, but we will hold it up. As for what's coming for us now... the Institute really doesn't want us getting along and bringing folks together, so they're coming to put a stop to it. With a little luck, we can stay one step ahead of them, but we can't let just the attempt ruin things either. We're gonna turn things around on them for once..."

-

Opening up and explaining everything to Macson took awhile, walking through the breezies orchards away from prying eyes and ears. Getting him to accept that the Institute was using the Gunners as a puppet army didn't take too long fortunately. Between explaining I'd found their mark on one of the oddly pristine tanks the Brotherhood had encountered in the south, along with the rare sightings of Vertibuck's that weren't their own and the Gunner's increasingly aggressive actions, Macson was quick to label them a shared enemy.

Thanks to the unlikely intelligence work of Fancy laying waste to Vega's drug dens on the coast, we knew not just a detachment of Gunners, but a ragtag group of Trotson gangs were trying to converge on the MoP hub too. The news immediately making the military commander start complaining of a pincer attack and barking orders to his lieutenant. Orders we had to cut her off from relaying to the rest of the Brotherhood outside the shields.

Apparently, Vega only knew we were here and gathering a lot of groups the Institute had been trying to drive apart. According to what Fancy had found however, he didn't know exactly what we were up to. With the teleporter down in the ARC destroyed, along with the weird robotic librarian, he had no way in anymore.

The very real threat of synth spies meant as soon as we explained things to the people we brought here, he may know our plans too however. Plus I didn't want to tip our cards yet, as head of the Public Relations division, I was pretty sure Vega in particular had a hoof in the Night of the Broken Mask fifty years ago, when other ponies tried to come together and unite the Commonwealth too. I didn't want anything to seem out of the ordinary until we had given him enough rope to hang himself here, meaning we kept things quiet and -as much as I hated using the Brotherhood's own terms- 'need to know'.

Walking out to the glowing shield and allowing the hub maneframe to open a hole big enough for Swan and the rest of us to trot out, I paused to enjoy all the shouts and gasps from the Brotherhood's makeshift staging area we had come out in intentionally. Swan liked being the guard and scaring Steel Rangers in particular, letting her go tromping past the tiny Vertibucks and equipment they were unloading made her and Glitter happy, plus got the idea across to all of the Brotherhood that they should be on their best behavior.

Sighing at the giant mare and the squealing filly hanging from her horn and pointing where she wanted to go overhead, Elder Macson turned to the shield closing back up, then eyed the cybreezie on my pip-buck dubiously. "Alright, we'll do our part Fast. You're sure you can trust ...that? You know my thoughts on artificial intelligence in general already..."

YOU ARE SURE I CAN DO THIS REPAIR-PONY? ON MY OWN? AS YOU'VE SAID, I DO NOT HAVE THE BEST RECORD... The nervous text scrolling in my vision actually made me more confident and hopeful, I asked the maneframe to handle this job and it was taking it seriously.

Answering them both at once, I cleared the uncertain message from my pip-buck and tapped away at the map, eyeing all the cybreezie assets it had in play and looking for locator tags. "I trust the hub and the breezies more than you, or even our own ponies for that matter, considering... We can't manage this without them, so have a little faith. The Great Tree can handle this, he wants to do a good job and make Fluttershy proud, he's going to today. Get your troops to work and we'll do the same, the last guests should be here soon and..."

My assurances and look down to my pip-buck map was made unnecessary by just who I was going to look for crashing into me. A lot of blue alicorn that didn't smell like Jade thumped to the ground, straddling me and smiling under her battered Minutemare hat and long blonde tresses, speaking in a spacey but delighted voice. "Hello Fast... I found you! This pip-buck thing you gave me is nice, it led me right to you. Preston made me go run a bunch of errands and take longer, but I finished finally and have more pages for you to do. I want you to start with this one..."

Sputtering up to Peri's sleepy look and the tattered notebook she shoved right in my face, I winced at Macson's smirk nearby and tried to struggle upright again, shoving Peri's stick figure diagrams away before he got a good look. "P-Peri! N-Not a good time, y-you're making me look bad in front of the Brotherhood bigwig... It's good to see you too ok!"

"Ahem! Well, I see you're very busy already Fast. We'll have to try hard to keep up with such a hearty work ethic. Come on Lt. Dawn, let's get the troops going, It looks like the last guests to this conference have arrived." Macson chuckled, turning off and letting Jade apologize and walk him back, glaring over her shoulder to her unperturbed sister and swinging a shaky smile back to Macson as she tried smoothing things over diplomatically.

Blinking her golden eyes up to Macson's retreating back and tilting her head, Peri shrugged and floated her notebook of ideas back in my face, thumping it against my muzzle insistently. "I don't care about him... It got boring and lonely at the Castle so I went to find you, so you have to do what I want. I want more pages, this one here, see? I learned lots from my new friend, she promised to show me more too."

"N-New friend? Peri, I'm glad to hear you're making friends, but we really gotta have a talk about who all you discuss p-private stuff with... Y-You can't just go around asking strangers stuff like that or telling them everything, it's..."

"Stranger am I? You wound me Mr. Times, did I not make enough of an impression? I must be slipping..." The honeyed voice of the leader of Jamocha Plains made my wings spring up as I squeaked and scrambled back, blushing furiously as she sauntered up. "Oh... maybe not hmm? I thought I'd do you a favor, this one was eager to learn and already oh so well educated on her own! Running such a big shindig must be stressful Fast, make sure you take time to relax... Periwinkle here whiled away our trip regaling me with stories that got even me a little riled up. I could use a break after being cooped up in that cart all this way. I did promise her the more advanced course too..."

Shrinking back from the curvy mare prowling after me with a playful giggle, I was relieved Swan made her rounds and chose then to come back. The giant mare nuzzled her sister in greeting and let Glitter swing down using her flowing pink mane, turning on Cocoa and I looking up to her. Ha! Let Cocoa try messing with me with Swan around to put a stop to it... She wasn't as possessive as Jade, but she didn't appreciate anypony intruding on her territory period.

"Ah! It's the nice mare from that Jamocha place, hello again Miss Latte! I tried the things you taught me, you were right, they were fun! You taught Peri more? Teach me too! My frilly underclothes thingys got all ripped up though, could you learn to make them fit like Sassy does? I liked them and Fast did too, but I got too big again." Swan shattered any hopes I had to be rescued there, leaning down to cross her big blue violet eyes down at the smirking tan filly.

"R-Really!? Do you run a school for curious alicorns Cocoa!? Or is it only ones I know!?" I facehoofed and started looking for some other escape from the embarrassing scene, one that was now attracting even more unwanted attention from pretty much everybody we were trying to convince that we were forthright and serious ponies worthy of respect.

At least I could count on Glitter galloping away from hugging Peri and sticking her chest out between us. My precious daughter bravely stood between me and three mares ganging up on me as I hid under my hooves, cocking her head at Cocoa with a wry grin. "Hiya Cocoa! It's nice seeing you again! Did you bring any treats from your town? They're all reeeeeally good!"

"Why hello again little bandit, actually yes, I did expect you to be here and thought ahead. I had Bittersweet bake something just for you..." The chocolatey, gooey, fruit garnished cake Cocoa carefully pulled from her stylish bag and unwrapped had Glitter's rapt attention instantly, waggling back and forth in her caramel colored magic hypnotically.

I didn't like how Glitter's wide pink eyes kept following the treat back and forth like a metronome, a string of drool stretching from her muzzle as she held her little hooves out. "I can have it!? Yay! You're awesome Cocoa! What about the rest of my deal?"

"First shipment's already on its way to Sanctuary, lots of chocolate and sugar all for you, just like we agreed bandit. We still have a deal, right?" Cocoa grinned back, giving a knowing wink back to Swan and Peri behind her before returning her sparkling almond eyes to me.

"Huh? Oh yeah, daddy's all yours, whatever! I'll go eat my cake, you guys go make kissy faces or whatever, just gimme!" Glitter shrugged back at me dismissively, going right back to staring at that cake with greed that rivaled Val's clear on her cute, innocent little face... Wait, what?

When Cocoa tossed the Jamocha Plains speciality made dessert off like a stick, Glitter pelted off after it and caught it gracefully in her hooves. She took a quick bite, then tossed it up and caught it again on her back, bouncing it along and staining her nicest dress as she skipped off merrily and called back. "Sorry daddy! We had a deal! Go find mommy again or run away!"

Traitor... Kicked to the curb by my own daughter in favor of chocolate... I whimpered and went back to backing up rapidly as Cocoa and her alicorn partners in crime returned to the chase, really wishing I knew how to teleport at this point and hoping Jade hurried up with Macson.

The crackling barrier of the hub's shield made my tail frizz out when my rump made contact, leaving me nowhere to hide as Cocoa cooed and tilted my chin up with a hoof. She actually seemed to enjoy all the attention of the laughing Minutemares, Followers, Brotherhood, minotaurs, hellhounds and breezies now openly laughing. Of course she'd be an exhibitionist...

She was mostly teasing and pushing my buttons, something she was clearly an expert at... but the the heart shaped sparkles in all their eyes made me gulp and scratch my mane nervously. "Oh come on Fast... I'm opening classes back home for all the alicorns I have wandering through town after you hoping to pick up the trail... After showing those first three quite the night to make up for tricking them, I keep getting new customers. Firsthoof experience would let me charge double for the privilege! Especially with those green ones!"

"W-Wait you actually ARE giving lessons!? I was kidding!!"

"Oh stop your whining Fast! They're all quite eager to please and pay good caps to learn how, by the time I'm done you should just let them catch you! Peri and Swan here both just thanked me, didn't they? But I need to know what areas to focus on in our lessons. It's been quite the booming side business, I've even sent a couple girls to Unityville to set up shop there! Partnering with you has already been profitable, even before this big conference thing of yours today. I just want to express my thanks! Besides... we should celebrate Periwinkle's good news!" Cocoa giggled and gave a mock pout, ending on a slightly more serious shrug to the blue alicorn behind her.

"G-Good news?" I shuddered asking, dreading whatever Cocoa came up with next to tease me and breathing a sigh of relief at Jade, spotting my wife winging her way back over Cocoa's head with a dragonish glare in her blue eyes.

Holding me by the shoulders, Cocoa turned back to Peri blinking sleepily behind her, bands of pink already filling the whites of her eyes that the blue alicorn had to shake off to answer with a slow look of comprehension. "Hmm? Oh, oh yeah... The funny building when we got here looked at me with a little red eye thingy, then it said I was pregnant. Isn't that nice Fast? Anyway... We should keep trying just to make sure though. Miss Cocoa said she'd show me how to..."

I caught sight of Jade landing and swatting at all three of them as everything went grey and slowed down, managing to hold a hoof up when Cocoa let me go and slur out, "P-P-Pregnnnnant.... zat's greeeeeaaat..." as the ground rushed up to meet my face.

Some time later, I sat at the long table set up in the MoP hub's stump shaped admittance building, one foreleg propped on the table to hold a blessedly cool icepack to my forehead and glad the hub had the ability to make ice. Looking up with the one eye not covered by the sweaty pack, I winced at the smirks and smiles from all the gathered participants. Again laughter brought people together, in this case it was laughing at the blue mare behind me absently nibbling at my ears in apology, utterly unbothered by Jade's snorts and huffs of displeasure on my other side.

We actually managed to bring everyone together this far though, flaming red cheeks were a small price to pay I supposed. Beyond just the teasing I got from all sides, there were also plenty of hearty congratulations, my shoulders ached from getting slapped on the back so much by power armored Brotherhood, muscular minotaurs and clawed hellhounds.

The news of a baby was something else that seemed to bring most people together in celebration. Though I caught plenty of muttering and glares from the Brotherhood saying pretty unkind and threatening things concerning my ability to successfully impregnate 'monsters', that made 'Be Dark...' mutter and strain to reach them and tear their throats out.

I was in control though, all I really had to do was look up to Peri's sleepy smile and the rising surge of panic effectively shut that voice up again. Even mentally preparing myself for the possibility wasn't enough to stop that annoying loss of consciousness when Peri had just blurted out the news, but practice had managed to keep the lights on since then. Three... According to Velvet Remedy, I had now matched what her Followers and the mysterious Angels of Glyphmark had managed to accomplish, making her stern words about my obligation to Jade's kind come echoing back. Maybe she did have a point, but she could have been nicer about it.

Jade finally pushed Peri back to go stand beside Preston, clopping her hoof on the dusty old table we had dragged into the MoP waiting area and speaking in a regal, confident voice with Queen Ether sitting out in the open atop her tiara. "Ahem! If we are all present and ready to begin, I would like to thank all of you for joining us and for Queen Ether's hospitality in hosting this conference. We are both honored you have chosen to join together in peace, here at the Ministry hub dedicated to that noble concept."

Taking a cue they had obviously worked out ahead of time, Ether fluttered down to the table and tapped her golden spoon scepter to continue. "Ve velcome big guests to Breezie Nation and hope ve do Holy Fluttershy proud, helping outsiders make friends vith us and each other. Princess say bad Institute ponies vant us no get along, so ve hope ve prove them wrong."

Cutting through the murmurs of assent and remaining curiosity of being addressed by the Queen of the secretive breezies, Icepaw leaned on the short table and yipped dismissively. "No care about crazy Institute ponies and pony problems, want safety to grow strong and take back home in Glowing Sea from Green Beast. Ponies help do that, we help ponies. No being friends and other sappy pony things."

"Green Beast?" Elder Macson perked up at that, pausing to listen to Proctor Quiz at his side, whispering up to his ear after flipping through his clipboards. Every participant here was allowed two seconds in the cramped building, other than us as hosts. Macson choosing Pop Quiz for one of his was smart, he seemed to supply the answer quickly to his Elder. "Ah, the Church of Balefire... We had reports of a large group remaining, possibly headed by this Lady Evergreen they talk about. The Brotherhood of Friendship had planned on chasing down the threads of that Institute front regardless hellhound, combining our efforts is a worthy endeavor."

"See, makin' friends already ain't ya shaggy... Good, get you out of our mines sooner rather than later, before you pilfer more dynamite or other goodies..." Steelfist muttered across the table at the hellhound, the sparks between them threatening to reignite despite Sledge snorting at his old chieftain.

"We looked into that as much as we were able before we left and couldn't assign fault, it'll be resolved when you get back I'm sure. You guys gotta learn to stop that bickering and let us do our job standing between you. Same as we're hoping to do with everyone here, Minutemares can be counted on to be the common ground for all of you, if you'll let us." Preston interjected himself smoothly before the fighting could get going again, framed by Peri reluctantly staying at his side along with Lt. True Blue.

"Thank you Preston, having a police force of the people and treating everyone fairly will surely smooth the transition. The Followers will provide care and healing equally as well. Despite our separate goals and motivations, we can all work together, can we not?" Both the minotaurs and hellhounds backed off under the frowning gaze of Jade, eyeing them both sternly as she spoke to everyone.

The lyrical voice of Cocoa chimed in on her side, not nearly so prim and proper, but giggling her agreement and soothing frayed nerves with that practiced, seductive tone. "Give the Princess a chance everyone. I was a doubter, but these folks have been straight and true, if not a little naive... Honest to goodness do-gooders are predictable and fair, not to mention profitable since deductions for bribes are useless and things tend to work smoother with everyone playing by the same rules. Hell of a lot better than the Gunners, I'll tell you that from experience. You need to relax a little you two, if you're sticking around awhile anyway Mr. Icepaw, I'm sure Jamocha Plains could accommodate a new hellhound clientele..."

Watching a huge, heavily scarred and snow white alpha hellhound turn pink was something I never expected to witness, not that I could laugh with my wings twitching, but I still marvelled at Cocoa's wiles. I briefly wondered if she could charm a dragon, struggling to make my wings fold back in properly and checking up on the Great Tree's latest report before speaking.

"Teasing aside, Cocoa has a point. Bickering with each other and focusing on this group of enemies or that one is just what they want. So long as you're mad at the Green Beast, her church, the Gunners, the gangs, each other... then you're missing who the real threat is. The Institute is behind most of the misery in the Commonwealth, yours included. They started the Church of Balefire, they supply weapons and technology to the Gunners, they experiment on everyone and I've had more than enough of being a guinea pig already."

Actually letting my wings flare out just served to demonstrate my point, undeniable reminder that I had been a direct experiment of the shadowy group, that they were real and they did play around with whoever they wanted, just because it struck their fancy. Several bursts of rapid fire grumbles and personal stories greeted my area of focus that I filed away for later, almost everyone in the Commonwealth had at least a secondhoof story of the insane things the Institute got up to, and none of them liked them now that I named the devil.

Elder Macson was probably the only other one with such intimate knowledge of being an experiment though. Even if outside the Commonwealth, his creation had roots here that he had followed all the way back. He sounded as firm and borderline obsessed as I was when he stamped a hoof for quiet and agreed.

"Fast is right, the Institute is the real threat, to all of us. If left to their own devices they could destroy the world again, just as we're beginning to rebuild beyond the confines of your little corner of it. Celestia only knows why they've stayed put all this time, but we're seeing signs that the status quo isn't going to hold. They're moving again and consolidating their hold on your homes is the first step." Macson spoke firmly, his deep voice commanding the attention of all the disparate groups gathered here.

That opened the way to spring our little trap and I took a deep breath, looking to Jade and Ether worriedly, then nodding firmly to Val and Witchy before speaking to the contemplative group. "I don't know exactly what they're up to beyond the Commonwealth, but I have at least some idea Elder Macson is right. The Institute is using the Gunners and the Green Beast both for their plans, taking control of the southern Commonwealth and making plans for the rest. Pulling a repeat of the Night of the Broken Mask here is about the best they could come up with without Mobius though, isn't that right Vega?"

The growl I ended on got their attention, mentioning the attack in Diamond City fifty years ago that revealed synths to the world had them darting their eyes around suspiciously too, none of them betraying anything. Thanks to running into a runaway synth and getting information from her however, I knew the mere mention of my Grandpa had gotten the Institute's attention, the false name he went under had become a curse that sent red flags up wherever they were hiding.

Hopping down from my seat, I prowled around the room slowly, unholstering the gleaming .45 revolver Vengeance and letting the Shroud deepen my voice. "They're not all that creative apparently, they don't have their idea pony anymore and they're scared of him. Just like they're scared of us working together and want to do everything they can to stop it. Having hidden synths attack and stoke old fears and grudges, get us all at each others throats again while they march on this place... An old trick, but a good one."

"You sayin' some of us here are fakes!? Careful who you call a robot Fast, you accuse and I abuse!" Steelfist moved to smash his cybernetic fist on the table and missed, looking down at the stump and remembering I sorta took that part away from him.

"I am. Hadn't accused anyone yet, but I'm pretty damn sure of it. That's what makes synths such an insidious weapon though, isn't it? Never knowing who you can trust and who you can't... no way to tell who's real and who's not... Even the hub's diagnostic systems can't tell the difference, it's been checking everybody here carefully. If we hadn't been warned, they could have caught us with our pants down alright. We have another advantage though, one that makes this a safe place to be protected."

"The Breezies have lived by themselves all this time behind the hub's shields, the Institute doesn't make breezie synths either. They used to make little robots like Ether's guards, but they can't seem to do that anymore either. That means we can trust them, and their watchful guardian diety. For example, the Brotherhood is already pretty familiar with the gremlins of the woods, but I bet none of you knew the Tinker-Tribe had been watching you this whole time. Come on out Tingle!"

At my call, a train of oil painted, spare part wearing Tinker-Tribe breezies fluttered their way in the outer doors opening on their own. The Great Tree was watching and helping admirably, giving it a task that protected its charges and that it could do was hopefully helping it too. The hellhound and minotaur delegations both gasped at the pile of dynamite and detonators the little mechanically minded breezies dumped on the table, what had gone missing from the mines in Salt Lick now laying bare before them.

"Ve findy all boom booms Fast Shroud! Takey apart und breeng! Ve no breaky Brotherhod flying machines neither! Ve fixy?" The head of the Tinker-Tribe landed beside his Queen and beamed at me bowing to him gratefully, they were still figuring out not just dismantling every machine they ran across, but had done a good job here.

"Yup, thanks a lot Tingle, great work! Our synth spy was probably wondering why the detonator wasn't causing a nice, distracting ka-boom outside, so I'm sure they thank you for clearing that up. You two see now? They stole that dynamite and got you fighting with each other, without even using it yet. Blowing up the Brotherhood's Vertibucks with it probably would have turned them against you too. That's how the Institute operates, that's why we have to work together instead. That's also why I'm going to blow your head off if you move one more inch True Blue... or is it Vega?"

Ending my circuit of the room and monologue behind Preston, Peri and the creeping filly Lt. True Blue, the hammer on Vengeance clicked back and I pressed the barrel to her brown and blonde mane to several shocked noises. The crazed pinprick blue eye turning back and the totally different voice issuing from her mouth still made my tail stand on end.

Haycom Svengallop's voice answered in an angry hiss, pure hate barely restrained and so jarring etched on True Blue's normally cute face. "Very clever Mr. Times...However could you tell?"

Jade answered for me in a harsh voice, looking down her nose at the possessed synth cooly. "Miss Blue stopped eyeing my Fast with such obvious hero worship and adoration. You may control her body, but the hatred in your eyes comes through regardless of the mask you hide behind. Thanks to being forewarned and with assistance of our new friends, your deception was easy enough to ferret out."

"Warned... oh that bitch.. that rotten, spoiled cunt ruining my operations, she's been telling tales, hasn't she? All this trouble over one annoying little filly for Neighson, I had planned on having some fun with that one once she was mine, but this is too much. So, you've caught me I suppose, but not..."

"TWO ADDITIONAL INFILTRATORS APPREHENDED BY SECURI-TRIBE, RISK TO HUB SHIELD AND LABS NEGATED. THE INSTITUTE IS UNWELCOME IN THE BREEZIE NATION OUTSIDER, AND I AM ALWAYS WATCHING..." The slightly proud voice of the Great Tree crackled from the speakers, making Queen Ether and the other breezies smile to their protector actually getting something right.

The large pink outer doors were bucked open sharply, drawing everyone's attention away from the until then quiet maneframe and to the muscular zebra and his cumbersome package. Zed trotted in smoothly, the heavy weight of a Brotherhood earth pony no visible burden for him to shrug off to the floor. The Brotherhood delegation didn't look too happy about the bruises and contusions marring the buck all over his face and stripped body, but held their complaints at Elder Macson's raised hoof and eyebrow.

"Sneaking off through the ruins outside to meet a Gunner reconnaissance agent we had been watching. I didn't kill him... probably." Zed shrugged and nudged the wheezing stallion uncertainly.

The zebra was one of few I knew who had a real chance at knocking a synth out before it could just melt away and leave no evidence behind and had done what I asked admirably. The proud and taciturn light blue breezie fluttering at his shoulder obviously helped too by all the tiny darts I saw jabbed in their victim's neck, tranquilizer darts to keep him down, I hoped they were tranq darts anyway...

Gale's brother Blowing Storm sure looked pleased with himself, getting to act as real security for the hub as his tribe had been taught. He bowed to Queen Ether, but flinched opening his mouth at his sister beside her, pausing in thought before continuing in rough pony speech instead of his normal breezie chittering. "V-Ve findy... bad pony. Stoop bad pony und bad freends, make sleepy."

"We carefully selected the members of this mission! Squire Board was not in the ARC records like our other infiltrators! We have verified history from the Fillydelphia chapter! We're to believe he's a synth spy too?" Proctor Quiz flipped rapidly through his clipboards, jabbing a hoof at the knocked out buck, then Zed and Blowing in turn.

"Yes. My friend Zed is very sneaky and honest, so he's been helping the Great Tree and the breezies keep an eye on everyone here. Those records I let you have are a good guide, but it doesn't take the Institute long to replace anypony they want, keep it in mind before thinking you're safe." I answered curtly, never taking my eyes off the back of True Blue... Vega's head, returning to growling at the Institute director. "We let some in selectively and kept a close watch on the rest, waiting for you to pull something and reveal yourself. Hows it feel being on the receiving end of such tight surveilance? You heard the Great Tree, that's the guardian of the Breezie Nation and you're not hurting them while it's watching. He was pretty peeved about your little surprise downstairs too, so he's doing an extra thorough job now..."

I kept my revolver firmly against the synthetic mare's head, but was glad for Val at my side with her own huge 12mm pistol out backing me up. It was easy to let that little ember of anger flare brighter at the urging of 'Be Dark...', but it still hurt holding the gun on True Blue and seeing her used as a puppet by Vega 'Be Kind...'. As far as he and the other Institute heads were concerned, she was just a toy, a tool to be used and thrown away, a windup doll to do their bidding... But what if she was more? What if she was alive? What if she had been rudely shoved aside in her own mind, taken over by the vile bastard using her eyes right now? What if she was scared and didn't even know what she was?

Elder Macson didn't share any of my doubts, the big tri barreled magical energy weapon on his armor powering up as he spoke. "If you're not going to eliminate that ...thing... I will Mr. Times. By order of the Brotherhood of Friendship and the New Canterlot Republic, I demand the Institute surrender themselves to our authority, derived from proper remnants of the Equestrian government you once served. All prewar facilities and technology are to be turned over, all synths identified and terminated, you and the other director's are to turn yourselves in and face trial. This is your one opportunity to end this peacefully Vega, I'd take it..."

The sneer on True Blue's face made my heart ache, but the response was expected. "Surrender? To some farmed out, half baked copy like you? Oh no, no, no... We're having far too much fun here, learning there's so much more out there to experiment with has only piqued our appetite. This Princess and the annoying subject here have ruined my toybox, but it's nothing I can't fix, I have before. Everything will be set to rights soon enough, starting with rebuilding my businesses, the facilities here will work quite well and get my drug trade back on track, we have a war to finance after all! I so hoped to get a shot at your mare or that brat of yours subject 111-3-42, but having my forces take your head and enslave all these interesting little pests will have to do. Shoot if you want and kill this puppet, but I'm still coming."

Giving a slimy smirk, a curved blade slowly cut its way free from Lt. Blue's foreleg despite all the firepower trained on her. Vega really didn't care what happened to her, throwing her away in the attempt at hurting me was fine in his twisted view. Before he got the chance or Val, Macson, Sledge, Icepaw, or anyone else splattered her, I gave a hard nod up to the whirring camera overhead and growled back in her ear.

"That's just what I was going to say Vega... Once I'm done here, I'm coming, for you, directly... Not for any of your puppets, you. Meaning I don't want to kill this one. It may interest you to know the Ministry of Peace has isolation chambers, let's see how well they held up..."

A crackle of magic built up in the crystalline chandilier overhead as I spoke, giving Lt. Blue / Vega a shove as I finished, I flapped back and shooed the others back as the spell charged and she and Zed's victim disappeared in a flash. The isolation rooms the hub maneframe told me about were built to block out any outside magical influence, hopefully that put her off his network of toys to play with and gave us a couple synth prisoners.

Elder Macson didn't like not turning her into a puddle of goo on the spot, but I cut him off, addressing everyone blinking from the glare of teleportation magic. "Now that we're not being watched anymore... He's right, he's sending an army of Gunners from the south and gangers from the north, they're coming right now to try to wipe us out and take this place, so make up your minds now. Work together and fight back, or keep squabbling and dancing to his tune. We have a plan, we can hurt them, but we need everybody."

Standing to her full, majestic height and flapping her wings for attention, Jade took over smoothly, pairing her soft, hopeful plea with my aggressive tone of command. "Just so dear. All of you, please... I have been reminded recently I am not a Princess by right of birth, it is not a role I ever sought, not a heavy responsibility I wished to wear... But one I am willing to take on for the sake of others. Once upon a time, all different types of ponies stood together under the symbol of their Princess and accomplished great things. If I can provide that kind of symbol for all of you to join together equally, it would be my honor to stand with you and make a difference. Please... please join us, let us be better together."

Having Queen Ether immediately flutter to her side and all of her subjects kneeling before Jade helped right off the bat. Nobody had even suspected just how many of the stealthy little breezies had been hiding nearby and keeping a close eye out, but a flock of them bowed before the pair of monarchs as Ether touched Jade's long horn with her little foreleg in support. "Breezie Nation stand vith Princess Jade, ve vant help, vant heal others and do good like Holy Fluttershy vant for us. Friends of Princess is friends of Breezies, ve always be there to heal and help friends."

Preston flipped his hat off and held it to his chest in a fancy bow to his Princess too, making her blush, but she held up well as he offered his support. "The Princess keeps us Minutemares honest and better than we were, we'll keep looking to her and protecting the Commonwealth at a minute's notice! All of it."

Elder Macson was still wearing a sour look at being denied the synth infiltrator, but playing his part grudgingly. "The Brotherhood was sent here as an envoy to the Commonwealth, but we've fallen short of caring for the people living here. We're willing to lend our strengths to fight the Institute and end the threat they pose. The Princess is an acceptable representative to try to work closer with the citizens of the Commonwealth, so we'd gladly ally ourselves to her cause here."

"Well, even if I wasn't already tickled pink at my arrangement with the Princess, I'm a sucker for handsome bucks giving such stirring speeches. Plus I have to stick around to keep messing with her cute little knight, so she has my vote. Jamocha Plains is open to any ally of the Kingdom of Sanctuary, 10... no, 5% discount even!" Cocoa tittered from her seat and fluttered her eyelashes at Macson, actually making the red stallion's face darken for a moment, which made his scar stand out all the more.

Capping off the endorsements making their way around the table, Icepaw and Steelfist both stood on opposite sides of the table at once, their gruff voices overlapping as they looked to Jade before glaring at each other again.

"Princess pony good, she win fight but no send White Legs away. She help make pack healthy and strong again, help give new home even with stinky bulls nearby. She promise help take old home back and we trust. Princess pony help us, we help back." Icepaw crossed his muscular arms over his broad chest and stood like a statue.

"The Princess solved a problem that would'a left us in a pinch, helped our people and did her best by us. Might not have been the way either of us liked, especially me... but she was fair. Princess Jade wants to fight, she's got our might!" Copying his stubborn pose, Steelfist nodded to her too with Sledge at his side.

"T-Thank you... all of you... I am so glad, s-so happy to have earned your faith and trust, I will do all I can to live up to it. Starting here and now. Together, we will show the Institute we are not experiments to misuse or toys to play with, we are people! We are united, and we are not to be trifled with any longer!" Jade wiped happy tears from her glistening blue eyes, gaining confidence and flaring her wings as her voice rose beautifully, radiating a truly royal presence and kind bearing that made everyone bowing the most natural thing in the world.

No matter what Velvet said or thought, that was a Princess like I remembered growing up. That was a mare worth fighting for, and I wasn't the only one who thought so. One by one, everyone rose from the shared gesture of respect, a sense of camaraderie spreading through the room I tried to capitalize on before it wore off.

"Right! So let's get to work and give them a surprise! We're gonna drive the breezidores and all the other monsters from this place and right down their throats, together!"

The resounding cheer from the others was heartening, so many different voices, squeaky breezies, deep minotaurs and rumbling hellhounds, stern military ponies and idealistic volunteers, all chanting the same word as one.

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

Local Leader Rank 3------
---You've taken a broken down collection of settlements and formed a real kingdom! You now gain bonuses to factions of allied groups, discounts in their stores and a better reception. You can also now build large scale projects requiring a lot of hooves working together to accomplish, along with being able to communicate from larger settlements and call for help. You're becoming a force to be reckoned with on a larger stage however, the great powers of outside Equestria are sure to take notice...