"Star Paladin Nova, the Elder wants to speak to you," a Knight said as I looked up from the terminal I had been working on. "He says its urgent ma'am."

"Okay," I said and got to my hooves as I fit my helmet back over my head. I sighed a little, there was little question as to what the Elder wanted to talk to me about. "What kind of condition is he in?"

The Knight looked down at her hooves and shook her head. That wasn't a good sign, it certainly didn't fill me with confidence over what was hapIpening with Elder Ironsides. I followed the Knight back through the Typhon and to the medical bay where Ironsides was being taken care of.

Ruby Starlight stepped out of the medical bay, she had been brought in to check on Ironsides in hopes that her healing magic could do something to heal him. She looked at me and shook her head a little.

"I'm sorry Nova, there's nothing I can do, even Alicorns can't stop the aging process," she said with a shake of her head. "I've made him comfortable, but he's not going to last much longer at this rate I'm afraid."

"Its alright, thank you for at least trying to help Ruby," I said with a smile as she gave me a hug. "How long do you think he's going to last?"

"It could be a few hours or a few days, its hard to tell I'm afraid," Ruby said with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I really do wish I could do more to help. He's a good pony from what I know about him, I wish that he was going to make it."

"Its okay Ruby, its not your fault," I said and gave Ruby a nod as I looked into the medical center and sighed. "Do you know what he wants to talk to me about?"

Ruby sighed a little and shrugged before speaking in that sweet slight Neigh Orleans accent of her's. "He needs to name a successor but he won't say anything to me. Just try and help him be comfortable okay? Don't do anything to upset him or it might make things worse."

I wasn't sure how things could be worse than him already being on his deathbed, but I didn't question what she meant. I sighed and looked back into the Medical Center before I headed inside. Elder Ironsides was laying in his hospital bed, his dark grey coat and white mane was faded and while it usually made him look distinguished, he looked sad and weak now.

"Hello Elder," I said in a soft voice as I moved next to his bed and he opened his eyes and looked over at me.

"Nova, its so good to see you again," he said with a hoarse voice as I levitated my helmet back off of my head so he could see my face. "You're looking well, you've barely aged since I first met you on the Pier 10 years ago."

"You look well too," I said with a smile as I tried to sound more sincere than I really felt. "Knight Crystal said you wanted to speak to me about something? Is everything okay?"

Ironsides looked at me and coughed lightly before he answered the question. "I'm not long for this world Nova... I know it, you know it, there's no point in us denying it. You're the best pony I've ever had serve under me Nova, you're brave, strong, and you have the strongest sense of justice of any pony I've ever met. I just wish that Rose could've seen the wonderful mare you've grown up to be."

I smiled a little and placed my hoof on his. Ironsides had been like a father to me for years, the only father I had ever really known. "I miss her every day of my life, even if neither of you were my parents by birth, you made me the mare I am today."

"You made Applejack's Rangers stronger, you made sure that we survived against Elder Mandrake and his forces," Ironsides said with a shake of his head. "You gave us a future. You're going to lead Applejack's Rangers with great distinction."

"Do you really think I should be the one to become the next Elder?" I asked with a sigh. "I mean, the others they believe in me and will follow me, but I'm not capable of being the Elder. I made mistakes, I nearly got us all killed during the Great Schism and that's not even going into what's happened since then."

"You're my successor, there's nopony else I could trust with it," Ironsides said with a shake of his head. "Please Nova, you're going to do just fine. I know its something that you don't feel you're ready for, but I know you're ready. Just give yourself a chance to do it. The Rangers need strong leadership with the War going on, and you are the pony that we need."

I sighed a moment and looked back at Ruby who stood in the doorway and nodded. What was I going to do now? I had no doubt that it Ironsides and the others believed in me, and the Enclave war was making everything harder to do. I really only had one decision to make, so I nodded.

"Alright Elder, I'll do it for you," I said with a smile as I looked down at him. I didn't like the idea of being the Elder, but I didn't have much of a choice.

"Star Paladin Nova, do you swear to uphold the traditions and beliefs of Applejack's Rangers? To ensure that our future is secured and that the Rangers protect our allies and Equestria from all enemies both within and without?" Ironsides said as he looked at me.

"I do," I said with a nod.

"Then I name you Elder of Applejack's Rangers, carry this title with honor and distinction," Ironsides said and then laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. And with that he let out a final breath as the monitoring machines suddenly let out a loud beep and an alarm.

I backed up as Ruby and the rest of the medical staff rushed in to try and resuscitate him. Ironside's eyes never opened up again however, he had passed away.

And now I was the Elder of Applejack's Rangers.

Ironside's funeral was small and held just for members of Applejack's Rangers. As he was placed in his grave that had been dug out on a hill just outside of Junction Town, I sighed and looked around at the other Rangers. It felt like almost the entire crew of the Typhon, not to mention ponies from other contingents around Equestria had shown up for the funeral.

It felt like I was burying Rose all over again, Ironsides may have just been my commanding officer but he had done everything he could to help me. He had never treated me differently, even after what happened in Seaddle, he had always cared more about what I was doing.

I looked over at Gear Shift who sighed and shook her head. The Earth Pony mare, Ironside's only surviving blood relative, was still trying to process everything that was going on. I placed my hoof gently on her withers and gave her a smile as she hugged me tightly.

"Elder Nova, Paladin Gear Shift, would you like to say a few words?" The Head Scribe asked as he looked at us sympathetically. "I know you were close to him, if you want to say anything now is the time."

I looked at Gear Shift and gave her a nod as she stepped forward and looked down at the dead body of her Great Uncle as it rested in the grave. She closed her eyes and sighed a moment before she looked around at the others, and then at me, her eyes were filled with tears.

"Elder Ironsides was always a strong pony," Gear Shift said with a sigh as she placed her helmet down on the ground in front of her. "He stood strong against the horrors of the Wasteland and against Elder Mandrake and his followers. I never really knew him growing up, I always just heard about this great uncle I had that had left the farm and had never been seen again. Imagine my surprise when I followed reports of Steel Rangers who had gone against tradition to Seaddle and found him at the Pier. I guess we had some things in common after all, and that brought us together as a family. That was over 10 years ago now, and here I am..."

She looked back at me and gave me a light smile as she nodded down to her foreleg where the wedding bracelet was hidden by her power armor. I gave her a smile and a nod, Ironsides had presided over our wedding a few years back, another good memory with him that was going to be harder to remember without thinking about him.

"Because of him I met one of the most wonderful mares in the entire Wasteland," Gear Shift said with a smile. "I'll miss him, but we all need to focus on the good times we had with him as our Elder. We have to stay the course and make sure that Applejack's Rangers continues to do our job and follow the vision set down by Applejack and Steelhooves. Ironsides would want it that way."

Gear Shift picked her helmet back up and moved back to my side and nuzzled me gently. I smiled a little and kissed her gently. "I'm glad I met you too Gear."

"Why don't you say something? I mean, you're the new Elder," Gear Shift suggested, I was about to protest when she pushed me forward and everypony's eyes fell on me.

I gulped a little, I hadn't really been one for public speaking, and right now wasn't the best time to try and learn how to improvise. I looked behind me at Gear Shift who just gave me a smile and a nod.

"You all know who I am, you all know what I did in Seaddle when I met Ironsides," I said with a sigh. "A lot of ponies see me as a hero even though I just did what I felt was necessary to help Equestria and Seaddle. Ironsides, he never cared about that, he just saw me as a good soldier, that's all I ever really wanted to be. Ironsides wants me to be the Elder, I'm not really sure if I'll do a good job but I do promise all of you that I will do my best to serve you in that capacity."

I looked back at Gear Shift and gave her a smile as I turned back to look at the gathered ponies. I was starting to feel a little better at least, but I was still nervous about this. I took a deep breath and continued to speak after a moment.

"Gear Shift is right, we have to make sure that we keep true to our beliefs and traditions. Ironsides would have wanted that way, and I promise that I'll do everything I can to make sure we don't lose sight of that. will make sure that our future is secured, thank you, all of you."

I moved back and took my spot next to my wife again and gave her a nod. She whispered to me, "You did great, I told you you'd be fine."

I smiled and nuzzled her gently as they started to bury the body. A gravestone had been set up with his cutie mark carved into it. I sighed and looked down at the grave for the longest moment

"Ad victorum, Elder Ironsides," I said respectively before we headed back to the Typhon together.

"Nova, are you okay?" Gear asked as she looked up at me from her spot on my chest. I hadn't moved to the Elder's quarters yet, I wasn't sure if I wanted to, so we were laying in our bed in my quarters aboard the Typhon. "You seem a bit more distracted than usual."

"Huh? Oh yeah," I said with a shake of my head as I leaned down and kissed the Earth Pony mare lightly on the forehead. "I'm not used to being the Elder still and everything that happened to Ironsides."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Gear Shift said with a sigh as she nuzzled my chest lightly. "He was a good pony that gave Applejack's Rangers a chance to be better. I'm glad I got the chance to know him really, he was all I had left of my family..."

I stroked her mane gently as she started to cry into my chest. I sighed a little and held her close, I had no idea what I was going to tell to her. "I'm sorry Gear, I wish he was still here too. But, you still have me, you'll always have me for your family."

Gear Shift brushed her tears out of her eyes and looked up at me. "I know, but sometimes I wish I had more. Sometimes I wish we could have foals together, you know?"

I sighed and closed my eyes. We had tried using the procreation spell before only to find out that because of a rare anomaly in Gear's genetics it wouldn't work using her DNA or cells. We had talked about maybe getting a stallion to serve as a donor, but it just wouldn't be the same.

Though, I had talked to Rain Runner recently and she said that there was another way. I just had to talk to Gear Shift about it. "Gear, what if I told you that there was a way we could have a foal?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Rain told me about some things that the Project were doing, apparently they were able to work around this problem with other mares," I said softly. "Eureka's notes are all in New Pegasus, Rain said that Corona would be able to replicate it easily, if you want. We can even use a surrogacy spell to carry her normally."

Gear sniffed a little and looked up at me with her red eyes and smiled a little. "They'd do that for us?"

"Yeah, Rain and her friends are good ponies like that," I said with a smile as I kissed Gear gently on the lips. "We could have a little filly... if that's what you want. It probably won't be until after the war is over but..."

Gear thought about it for a long moment and then nodded with a smile. "Lets do it then. I, just wish Uncle Ironsides could've met her..."

"Me too Gear, me too," I said softly and held her close as she closed her eyes. I smiled a little and gave her one last kiss on the forehead before I closed my eyes.

I liked the idea of being a mom with my wife. It gave me a hope that maybe everything would be okay, and that the future of Applejack's Rangers would be secure.

"I love you Gear Shift," I said softly.

"I love you too Nova," she said and sighed happily as we drifted off to sleep together.

Quest Perk Earned!
Name: Applejack's Rangers Elder.
Details: You've been recognized by your superior on his deathbed of your skill and promoted to the rank of Elder, good luck.
You get an extra 10 points in science and heavy weapons.

“General Sparkle, the latest casualty reports from the Battle of Thunderhead,” a soldier dressed in an NCR uniform said as he passed the report over to Midnight who read it over.

“Thank you Private,” she said with a sigh as she set it down and shook her head a little. “And we’ve lost the Captain of the Orion, just what we needed. First Elder Ironsides dies, now this, we’re losing our more experienced cloudship commanders.”

“Two things, Sparkle - Like, Twilight Sparkle?” I said with a soft chuckle before looking to the report. “And this, this is why I dislike war, good ponies dying and for what reason? Ideals and beliefs, most likely not even their own.”

“Believe me, this is the second war I’ve been in, I’m not particularly liking it either, I’m starting to see why Goldmane lost it...” Midnight said and sighed a little. “And yes, like Twilight Sparkle, I gave up trying to hide my heritage years ago.”

I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. “Oh, So we’re distantly related then.” I said, my horn lighting up as I let a few peices of armor fall from my side, exposing my cutiemark. A Six pointed purple star overlaying what looked like a compass rose. “I guess, you could say I am her half sister.”

“Yay, more distant relatives showing up…” Midnight said with a sigh and shook her head. “Sorry Gambit, it’s nothing against you, things have just been a little crazy lately.”

“Hey, I didn’t even know that my half sister had any family at all, heck until recently I didn't know I had a half sister.” I said with a chuckle. “It’s a little reassuring, knowing you’re a little less alone because you still have family.”

Midnight actually smiled a little at that. “Yeah, I spent most of my life being ashamed of it. Twilight was part of the reason all of this happened, and why my mom had to leave Stable 13 when I was a filly. I, guess I never really wanted to face it until, well, that’s a long story involving a mirror portal.”

“So, uh… Not to bring up bad memories let's just move on from that, the Orion, that ship” I said, taking a deep breath, “It’s going to need a captain, and from what I can see - it’s not a typical cloudship.”

“No it’s not,” Midnight said with a nod. “Apparently it was built by the Ministry of Awesome to be an escort ship to go along with Nomad City. But since the Last Day happened, none of them were put into service and were just left in their berths until the Enclave found the Orion and used it during the Occupation of Manehattan.”

“I thought they looked familiar, back before the last day I was included in some… trials” I said with a sigh. “Of the cadets trained in airship use, I was a prime candidate for captainship of one of these new, as of yet named vessels.”

Midnight looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and sighed. “Well, I’ll have to talk with the rest of the alliance commanders about it. But since most of the Enclave captains have their own ships and we’re hesitant to add more automation on top of the Irregulars, you might be our best option.”

“I’ll train somepony to captain her, I can’t devote my life to handling a ship permanently. There’s still a few things I need to do.” I said, looking to Midnight with a smile “Should be rather easy, if this one is anything like the one I was trained on - They are easy enough that a foal with a week of training could fly it.”

“Understood, well thank you for at least doing that,” Midnight said with a nod. “We still have to deal with the Hardliners and we can use all the ships we can get in the air.”

“Glad to help, On another note, I saw Winter in Scootaloo’s hospital room, you wouldn’t happen to know if she’s still around, I think it’s about time I talk with her.” I said, giving another sigh “I want some answers to a few things, and I think she can give them”

“How does the old saying go, speak of the devil and he shall appear?” A familiar mare’s voice said from behind me.

“So you admit you’re the devil then?” I said and spun around to face the mare. “Winter, You and I have some unfinished business.”

“Its just a… never mind,” Winter said as she looked me over with a frown. “Yes, I suppose we do, look about before…”

“I’m not surprised that you lied to me, wouldn’t be the first time a political body lied to me or tricked me.” I said, giving a sigh. “I get it though, you didn’t want to hurt me, you just wanted me to see things from your perspective”

“Not, all of it was a lie,” Winter said with a sigh. “I was trying to end the war peacefully, that was my ultimate goal with what I did. I, admit that I omitted certain details, and for that I am sorry. And, I’m sorry about what happened to Canterlot.”

“Why though, why did you have to go and destroy it, there was ways it could of been cleaned and restored, and Ghouls aren’t so bad, I mean - your hide is still safe because a ghoul sacrificed herself down in that stable.” I said in retort with a sneer.

“I didn’t order it!” Winter said loudly as she started to cry a little. “Operation Cauterize, it was carried out by the High Council and Colonel Autumn Leaf. I never would have ordered such a senseless act to be carried out, at the time I… I was just the secretary of education. I inherited their sins when I took office, and if I had my way I’d turn back the clock and keep it from happening. I’m sorry about Canterlot, I really am, there is no excuse for what the Enclave did there or anywhere else during Operation Cauterize.”

“The sins of your predecessors is a burden to carry, but you can make up for their actions and have yet to even attempt.” I said, “Operation Cauterize killed who knows how many ponies, and destroyed an entire city, a City I and many other ponies called home. History and culture - gone.”

Winter stood there for a long moment and closed her eyes with a sigh. “I can’t give you that back, but I can try and make up for it. It’s not the same, but we could rebuild Canterlot, the Enclave has access to enough resources that we could make it possible.”

“Both of you are old enough to remember Canterlot, Tell me did you at any point in your childhood, look to that mountain, To that city, and felt drive and inspiration” I said with a sigh. “I remember, during the war, any time I felt down or like I was failing, I just had to look to Canterlot, and remind myself that I had greater things to fight for.”

Winter and Midnight looked between each other and sighed a little. Midnight spoke up first. “Gambit, the thing is that Canterlot was in bad shape. My mother, Nebula Sparkle, she went to Canterlot some 14 years before Operation Cauterize. There were good ponies in Stable City, such as Twilight Vel…”

My eyes went wide, attention snapping to Midnight. “She survived the stable? Mrs. Sparkle was still alive?”

Midnight flinched a little, she probably hadn’t expected that reaction. “Yes, my mother crossed paths with her in Stable City when she traveled to Canterlot. And LittlePip also met her during her trip there to look for the Black Book, I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t stop the thoughts racing through my head, shaking as I stared at the ground. “I left her, she survived and I left her. How could I have done that? I should of brought her back, I could of saved her.”

“I’m sorry Gambit,” Midnight said softly. “My mother wanted to get her out of there, so did Steelhooves but when my mother was there Canterlot Ghouls were still mostly unfamiliar to the Wasteland…”

“Wait, how did you know she was in Stable 1?” Winter asked as she looked thoughtful for a moment. “Stable 1-B right? It was connected to Stable 1 wasn’t it?”

“Yes, I was in Stable 1-B.” I said with a sigh and shake of my head. “We got an alarm from Stable 1, we went in with the stable filled with the cloud - We only got a few survivors out, and of those only one or two actually survived.”

“Gambit, I really am sorry about what happened to Canterlot,” Winter said with a shake of her head. “I wish I could’ve stopped them from doing that. Though, Canterlot also had a lot of problems before then and was a hazard to anypony who entered it with the cloud and everything else. Still, we should’ve at least tried, and I’m sorry for that.”

“Just like you’re sorry about tricking me? About making me believe that the zebra were the ones to blame for the destruction of my home?” I said, shaking my head “No, I don’t believe you are truly sorry, somepony who was sorry would be trying to make up and atone for their past mistakes, not hide behind petty apologies.”

Winter went silent at that and looked down at her hooves for a long moment before finally saying softly, “You’re right. I need to make up for what we did, what I did, not just to you but to everypony.”

“The weight of the crown, so to speak.” I said, smiling a little at Winter’s admission. “You may not of been in charge of the Enclave during some of the bad things it did, but as president you have power to make up for them.”

“And I will do everything within my power to make up for them,” Winter said with a nod. “In the end, I just hope that history will be willing to absolve me for what I did. I just hope that I’ll be able to make up for it.”

“And I suppose, the best place to start, at least - here and now, is Canterlot.” I said, with a little smile. At least it seemed that Winter was smart enough to listen to advice when given it, rather then assuming she knew better. Maybe I was wrong about her after all.

Winter nodded a little. “I agree, that would be the best place to start. Given the current situation I don’t know how long it’ll be until I can do anything, but I will do everything in my power to do whatever is needed. My offer to help rebuild it is still open.”

“To rebuild is one thing, but Canterlot needs to not have any specific flag flying over it.” I said with a shake of my head. “Just rebuilding it isn’t enough, you need it to be free, let it be the shining beacon of Equestria, just like it used to be.”

“Canterlot Mountain does fall under Enclave borders, does it not?” Midnight asked and looked over at Winter.

“Officially, yes, though we’ve never done anything with it,” Winter said and looked at me. “Alright, I agree with this. If Canterlot is to be rebuilt it needs to be free, and it needs to be not just the effort of one single nation or faction. We should all work together on this, it would be a symbol of our future. Everyone in Equestria working together for a common cause and a brighter future.”

“We heard rumors growing up, that there were large gems and crystals in the mountain’s core, maybe with some work we could pull away the earth and carve one of those gems, or maybe retrieve one from one of the old quarries, I’m sure there is still plenty enough left.” I said, thinking out loud for a moment.

“That’s an idea, I remember that from some old journals,” Winter commented with a nod she gave me a smile. “Thank you Gambit. This has helped me a lot.”

“Midnight? What say you, Do we have your promise to help with the reconstruction of a free Canterlot?” I said, turning my attention back to the other mare. “Surely it would be of some interest for the NCR to have their namesake return”

“I do agree that we should be involved, but this is a civilian matter,” Midnight said with a sigh and brushed her mane back. “I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to get NCR involvement in the project, that’s the best I can do.”

“I can talk to President Grimfeathers as well,” Winter offered.

“I get that you are just the head of military, but I think you have more friends and fans then you might be aware of. With your support, I have the feeling the civilian side of things will fall in line, it is part of your namesake after all, though they may not be too pleased to hear that you will not be the ones holding it.” I said with a chuckle.

Midnight thought it over for a moment and nodded. “Alright, you have the NCR’s support in the reconstruction of Canterlot. I’m sure as long as it remains friendly to the NCR, it won’t be that hard to convince them that it’s for the best.”

“Alright then it’s settled,” Winter said with a nod. “If we can get Elder Nova and the Nomad City Council on board we’ll have the four major members of the Alliance invested. It’s a good start, and it’ll send the right message.”

“Alright then good,” Midnight said with a nod and looked back at me. “Is there anything else?”

“Not that I can think of, General.” I said with a sigh “Just, need some time to talk with my crew and decide where we’re going to park the Quetzal until the new captain for the Orion can be trained.”

“Alright, we’ll get something arranged,” Midnight said with a nod. “I’ll talk with Nomad City maybe. I’ll let you know what is worked out.”

Quest Perk Earned!
Name: Princess of Friendship.
Details: You've brought Equestria closer together and helped rebuild it more by convincing the others to start work on rebuilding Canterlot. You get an extra point in Charisma and more points added to speech.

"Alright Ms. Cream, if you'll just sign here the house is yours," the administration pony said as he gave a piece of paper to Vanilla with the contract.

We had decided to move to Nomad City after Vanilla had tendered her resignation as the Mayor of Crystal City, Aunt Butterscotch would be moving in with us soon along with some of the others who would come to Nomad City.

"Of course," Vanilla said with a smile as she signed the contract and levitated it over to the administrator. "Thank you for getting everything set up so quickly."

"Well, the house's owner recently moved to Junction Town so it happened to be free and you came on a good recommendation from Councilmare Jade and her family," the administrator said. "Its fully furnished of course, so all you don't have to worry about shopping. Welcome to Nomad City you two, I hope you enjoy your time here."

"Thank you," Vanilla said with a smile and shook his hoof before he left the house and we looked around. She looked down at me with a nod and nuzzled me gently. "What do you think Serenity? Are you going to be okay living with me again?"

I looked up at Vanilla and smiled a little. While I had become more comfortable living on my own in Crystal City, ever since we had come to Nomad City I had become more used to being with my family again.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," I said with a nod. "This place is pretty nice too."

"Yeah, we should thank Star and Jade for getting this all set up," Vanilla said with a nod as she hugged me a little. "What about leaving your friends behind in Crystal City, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, and its not like I'll never see them again, I mean Nomad City does visit the Crystal Wasteland," I said with a smile as we headed up to where my bedroom was. I put my scooter up against the wall, even if I was going to be able to fly now I didn't want to give it up completely. "I'm just glad Scootaloo's going to be okay, I, don't want to lose her again, you know?"

"Don't worry Serenity, Scootaloo's going to be just fine, she just needs to rest a little before they're ready to discharge her," Vanilla said and hugged me a little. "I'm proud of you Serenity, even if I was a little mad that you ran off without telling me, your heart was in the right place. I know I'm not going to be around forever, so can you promise me that you'll never let this world get to you?"

"I promise," I said with a smile as Vanilla nuzzled me gently. "I'll do everything I can to stay strong after..."

I let that thought trail off for a moment. I didn't like thinking about how Vanilla was going to die in a year or two, she had raised me from when I was just a little foal as her own daughter. I hated that I was going to lose her, she had even been trying to talk with doctors while she was here but they said that her cybernetics kept them from doing anything to get rid of the tumor.

First I had lost my birth parents when I was a filly, then the Crusaders went back home to the human world, and now I was going to lose my mom. I hugged her tight and cried into her chest for a moment before I felt her warm forelegs wrap around me gently.

"Shhhh... let it all out, everything is going to be okay," Vanilla said softly as she stroked my mane gently. "Serenity, I know you're going to be just fine. You're the strongest pony I know, and you're going to be just fine. I'll always be watching over you, I promise."

I sniffed a little and brushed my tears out of my eyes. "I just don't want to lose you. Who's going to take care of me when you're gone?"

Vanilla sighed a little and looked down at me with a shake of her head. "Serenity, you're a very independent filly, but I asked Jade and Star to take you in if you need it. Scootaloo, Cherry, and I'm sure even Winter would be willing to help you out as best they can too. I, know its not going to be easy, but I would never just leave you on your own, there are a lot of good ponies out there who care about you."

I smiled a little and buried my muzzle in her chest as I hugged her. She smiled and held me there for a moment. I just enjoyed the feeling of being close to my mom and sighed happily.

"Thanks mom... I still don't want to lose you though," I said with a sigh and looked up at her.

"I know Serenity, I don't want to have to go, but I promise that I'll do everything I can to be there for you until then," Vanilla said and gave me a smile. "I love you Serenity, you're the best daughter I could ask for."

"Even if I get into trouble?"

"Yes, even if you get into trouble," Vanilla said with a laugh as she ruffled my mane. "You just want to help Equestria as best you can and I'm proud of you for that. I'm just glad that you haven't gotten badly hurt."

"Hey, you weren't exactly staying out of trouble when you fought the Enclave and Sombra," I pointed out with a chuckle.

This just made Vanilla laugh. "Yeah, but at least I waited until I was in my 20's to do that," I just chuckled and nodded as there was a knock on the door. "Oh hey, that might be Sparky, she said she'd try and come by. I have a few things to take care of and I was thinking you could spend some time with her."

I tilted my head a little, Sparky was a good friend and family of course but I wondered what Vanilla needed to do without me. I nodded a little and gave Vanilla one more hug. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay Serenity, I love you," Vanilla said and hugged me back before I headed back downstairs and opened the door to see Sparky standing there with a smile.

"Hey Serenity," she said.

"Sparky!" I said and gave her a hug. "I heard you became some sort of superhero or something, that's cool."

Sparky just laughed and hugged me back as she ruffled my mane gently. "Yeah, that's me the latest Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. I'm still kind of getting used to it to be honest, but ever since we got back here I've actually been learning how to fight more as best we can in the short time I've been here."

"That's cool!" I said with a nod as I looked up at her with a big smile.

"Hey, do you want to meet a real superhero? I'm still in training, but my predecessor came back with us," Sparky suggested and my ears perked up a little. "What do you say?"

"Sounds good," I said with a nod and called back upstairs. "Hey mom, can I go out with Sparky for a bit?"

"Sure, go ahead, just stay safe out there," Vanilla called back down to me. "Have fun you two, be back by 1700 hours okay?"

"Okay mom," I said and we headed out of the house together and down the street.

“Hello Sparky,” an older Pegasus mare who was waiting for us in the park in central Nomad City said before she looked down at me. “Who’s the filly, your little sister?”

“It’s complicated,” I said with a chuckle. “I’m Serenity, I’m more like her really distant cousin.”

“Yeah, it’s a long story, I stopped trying to figure out my family tree awhile back,” Sparky said with a laugh as she shook her head. “She’s a good kid though, she helped fight off the Changelings apparently.”

“Oh really?” The older mare said and looked down at me curiously.

“Yeah, I was with the Crystal Crusaders that fought them off,” I said with a nod and looked at her curiously. “Are you really a superhero?”

The mare chuckled dryly at that and offered me a hoof. “I’m Thunderstrike, it’s nice to meet you Serenity.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” I said with a smile as I shook the older mare’s hoof. “So, what brings you to Nomad City?”

“Well, I’m here to try and help Sparky here,” Thunderstrike said with a nod as she looked over at Sparky. “She’s good in a fight but she still has a lot to learn. Though, with most of the Enclave joining the Alliance, things are going to be a bit different.”

“Oh, do you normally fight the Enclave then?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

“Yeah, ever since one of your relatives was the first one, but that was in a different age,” Thunderstrike said with a nod. “I, have to admit I didn’t ever expect the Enclave to change this much. Winter is going against Enclave tradition in ways nopony really expected, so this conflict was really inevitable.”

I sighed a little, I had met Winter not long after she arrived on Nomad City. She seemed nice enough and meeting her daughter who was about the same age as me was nice, it was kind of cool to know that I had more family out there.

Still, knowing that I was related to the President of the Enclave was unexpected to say the least. I had seen ponies in the Alliance working with the Enclave soldiers but they had seemed a bit uneasy about the whole thing, not that I blamed them.

The Enclave had left me for dead, I was having a hard time believing that they really had changed even if Winter seemed nice. What was I supposed to think? They had attacked my mom’s home Stable and left me behind because I couldn’t fly.

I hated the Enclave, I really did. But was it possible that they were able to change? Scootaloo seemed to think so, and I trusted her, I just hoped she was right.

“Do, you think the Enclave really has changed?” I asked softly as I looked between the two older mares. “I mean, I’ve talked with Winter and she seems to have changed, but… I don’t really know. I’m just afraid that ponies will suffer the same fate that I did when I was just a foal…”

“Serenity, it’s okay, I understand,” Thunderstrike said and placed her hoof on my shoulder. “I lost my parents when I was a young filly to the Enclave too. My predecessor raised me and helped me have a good life, it wasn’t easy to lose her when she died either.”

I sighed a little and closed my eyes. “I just hope that Winter is being genuine,” I said softly. “Scootaloo says she is, and I trust her judgment, but I just don’t know.”

“Mom is a good pony and a good judge of character,” Sparky said and I looked over at her curiously. “That’s something that doesn’t change between the clone and the original. I think, if she thinks Winter can be trusted then it’s probably true.”

“And if it’s not, she’ll be dealt with,” Thunderstrike added with a nod. “Don’t worry Serenity, you’re not the only pony who doesn’t trust the Enclave.”

“But, imagine if they did change,” Sparky said with a shrug. “The Enclave has a lot of technology and information that could help Equestria. I know it’s not ideal, but we should at least give it a chance.

We stood in silence for a long moment as we thought over what we were talking about. Sparky was right, the Enclave could do a lot of good for Equestria if they were given a chance, and Winter might give them that chance.

“Excuse me, Ms. Thunderstrike?” A voice said from behind us and we turned to see a messenger pony standing there with a piece of paper in their hoof.

“Yes, can I help you?” Thunderstrike asked as she looked at the messenger who held the paper out to her.

“I was told to bring this to you,” the messenger said and Thunderstrike took it and opened it up and her eyes went wide as she read it and looked at the messenger.

“Who gave this to you?” She demanded and threw it to the ground as she stormed over to the messenger who flinched. “Where did they go?”

“I, don’t know, it was some pony in Enclave Power Armor!” The messenger said with a gulp. “I didn’t get a name, I swear. They just kind of, left after that and I didn’t think it important enough to see where they went!”

Thunderstrike calmed down after a moment as me and Sparky went over to the discarded note and smoothed it out so we could read what it said.

“Old friend, I know we’ve had our differences over the years and, I know I’ve done some things that I regret. Things are different now though, the Enclave itself has changed to something practically unrecognizable to what it used to be. You’ve changed, and so have I - This has been a long fight between you and I, you could say that perhaps - it may even be considered a war.

Things have never been more different than they are now, Life has been cruel to the both of us - and I was willing to do things that no pony else was willing to do, I’ve hurt a lot of ponies, young and old throughout the generations, the Enclave always told me that it’s a dirty job but somepony has to do it. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps they may of been wrong.

Through the years, through everything though - even though we may be at odds, I consider you a friend, and a rival. But like I said, things have never been so different, and I think - maybe, just maybe - with this new face of the Enclave, and the death of the ideals I used to hold so dear, and something very important being returned to me, maybe I should let my ideals go, and bury the hatchet, once and for all.

Take care, my old friend. Believe it or not, I wish you the best and hope the skies forever clear for you, for the rest of your time here, and in the time beyond.”

Thunderstrike took a deep breath and picked up the letter again as she read it over again. A thoughtful look crossed her face and she looked up towards the sky for a long moment.

“Uh, is everything okay?” I asked and looked at her.

“Cricket’s always been angry because she lost her family in the Last Day,” Thunderstrike said and then looked back at the paper. “Some years ago, I found out that her daughter made it into Stable 76 out near New Pegasus. If she’s acting like this, she may have found out she had descendants, at least that’s what I think.”

“So, what are you going to do now?” I asked as I looked at Thunderstrike who sighed a little and shook her head.

“I honestly have no idea,” she said with a shake of her head and folded the note back up and put it away. “Cricket’s not exactly what I’d call a comedian, if she found that then she’s likely being honest. I’ll give her the benefit of a doubt, but…”

She turned and looked at Sparky who looked down and nodded a bit in understanding. “If she comes back, then it’ll be on me to stop her.”

There was a flash of aquamarine magic as a pony teleported in next to us. A light purple colored mare stepped forward, wearing an NCR uniform and atop her head, a Red Beret overtop her darker purple mane.

“Major Seren Lulamoon, NCR 1st Recon.” She said, offering her hoof.

“Thunderstrike,” the old Pegasus said and shook her hoof.

“Uh, have you been spying on us or something?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

“Yes ma’am, we may be far from the battlefield but you two are still high value targets, any Enclave sympathizers that snuck into the city may try and take you out.” The Major said with a soft smile “I could get in a lot of trouble for even coming down here, so - off the books, this meeting never happened.”

“Oh, okay,” I said with a shrug. “So, uh, if you could get into a lot of trouble why are you here?”

“Simple ma’am, you were speaking about my removed several times over, grandmother.” Seren said with a chuckle. “I wanted to say, she is no longer a threat to you, or any pony else.”

“I see,” Thunderstrike said and nodded in understanding. She looked over Seren for a moment and sighed. “Alright, if Cricket is genuine, then there will be no further issue between us. Just, tell her not to expect us to become best friends or something.”

“That’s actually what she said to me when I spoke to her during the battle of Thunderhead, funnily enough she shot some Enclave soldiers that had me cornered.” Seren said, sitting and looking to that old mare. “Said she had to come see for herself, She heard rumors that I might exist, all she asked was to be allowed to look into my eyes, like that’s all she needed to know.”

“The eyes are the windows to the soul, perhaps she saw something,” Thunderstrike said with a nod. “Thank you Seren, that took a load off my withers.”

“You’re welcome, though one last thing, I know who you are, or, rather who you used to be.” Seren said, her horn glowing in her aura, reaching into one of her saddle bags and pulling out a magazine. “Would you mind me asking… would you be willing to sign this comic book I’ve had since I was a filly?”

Thunderstrike looked a little surprised and took it carefully. She blinked a little in surprise when she looked at it. “Well, I have to say I never expected to see a comic book about myself,” she said with a chuckle and took out a pen and signed it.

“Was a special print, only Stable 76 has access to this issue.” Seren said with a soft smile “Not many of them are left, most fillies and colts rip them to shreds within a year or two of getting them - last I checked, that was just one in twenty still remaining from the stable.”

“Yeah, well, I’m retired I’m afraid,” Thunderstrike said and gave it back to her. “Sparky over here is the new Mysterious Mare-Do-Well.”

“Well, in training really,” Sparky said with a shrug.

“I heard about what happened before, y’know she’s actually sorry bout that.” Seren said “She plays it off like she meant to, but she didn’t - she wanted to make sure the next in line could live up to the standard.”

Thunderstrike looked like she was about to get angry again but calmed down after a moment. “Solar Flare was the closest thing I had to a daughter… I don’t think my resentment over that will ever fade.”

“Just like her resentment of the pre-war government and ministries for taking her family away from her.” Seren said, sighing and shaking her head “But the both of you, have a lot in common and really it's a shame that this is how everything has gone. I do think, if the time was different you two could of been friends.”

Thunderstrike look thoughtful for a long moment and sighed. “I don’t know, maybe. But I’m a mare of my word, I won’t give her any trouble as long as she doesn’t cause any.”

“Neither will I,” Sparky said with a nod.

“I know this is going on a tangent, but I feel I have to ask…” Seren said, taking a deep breath. “What was the worst thing that she ever did to you? Was it killing Solar, or was there more?”

Thunderstrike sighed a little. “I’d, honestly say it was killing Solar, but it would take too long to list everything she ever did to me. I honestly don’t know what to do about her. It’s hard to stop hating somepony after so long.”

“Maybe, taking a moment to put yourself in her shoes could help you understand…” Seren said, giving a sigh and shaking her head “I’ve read her story, it’s heart wrenching to even think about it - and, in some ways, it justifies her.”

“I’ll, think about it,” Thunderstrike said with a nod. “Thank you Seren, you’ve given me a lot to think about. Tell Cricket I, may be willing to talk to her more sometime in the future.”

“Can, we hear some of the story?” I asked curiously.

“If you wish, and Thunderstrike allows. This may be all she’s heard before, or maybe - something new.” Seren said with a smile, turning her attention to me.

“Go ahead,” Thunderstrike said with a nod as Sparky checked the time.

“We’ve got a little over half an hour before we have to get back to Vanilla,” she said with a nod. “Let’s hear it.”

“Well, you know how Scootaloo and her friend there, uh… Gambit I think her name is, are both from before the war?” Seren started “So is Cricket, except she survived it the hard way.”

“Yeah, Gambit, she taught me how to fly,” I said with a smile as I thought back to that. “Wait, the hard way? Did she get turned into a Ghoul or something?”

“Yep, she’s a ghoul.” Seren said with a nod. “She’s a Canterlot ghoul, trapped in her power armor, it’s literally been fused to her, you have skin - she has armor.”

“Oh, that’s…” I started to say as I tried to figure out what to say. “Terrible, I can’t imagine living like that.”

“She was married too, during the war her husband was killed on the battlefield, leaving her a single mother of two.” Seren sighed. “And then the last day, canterlot is hit, her son saves his sister, gets her into Stable 76 in Las Pegasus. Goes back trying to save other pegasi, and he ends up dying from the radiation in the area.”

I looked down at my hooves and sighed a little. “I know how that feels, kind of. I lost my parents when I was just a baby… now I’m going to lose my adopted mother in a couple of years. Nopony should have to lose their family senselessly.”

Thunderstrike shook her head. “I, knew some of the details but not all of it. Tell her… tell her I’m sorry. Maybe I should’ve dug deeper, maybe I should’ve told her her family survived, maybe I should’ve done a lot of things.”

“I doubt she would’ve believed you Thunderstrike. Holding the broken bodies of both your husband and son, it does alot to you mentally. She’s not bad, or evil, she’s just a mare pushed beyond her limits with her spirit broken.” Seren said, giving a sigh. “She didn’t think the Enclave was bad, they offered her purpose, reason, they told her they were the way to the future, to avenge her family, and she bought it.”

“And then Winter came and changed everything,” Sparky said. “I see, now everything is starting to make sense.”

“Look, thank you for talking to us about this Seren,” Thunderstrike said with a nod. “Hopefully we can come to more of an understanding in the future her and I. I’ll, think about everything you’ve told us, but you should probably get back to your post.”

“It was nice meeting you Seren,” I said with a smile. “Lets hope ponies don’t get our names mixed up.”

“Most ponies just call me Major, or Major Lulamoon, so I doubt that’ll be a problem.” Seren said with a bit of a laugh, “And like I said, This meeting didn’t happen, alright? I’d prefer not to have to give up a rank.”

“Got it,” I said and gave a quick salute as Seren teleported away.

As it got close to 1700 hours we headed back to the housing district. I still had a lot to think about when it came to the Enclave and everything else that was going on. I opened the door to find the house was dark.

We walked into the living room and the lights turned on followed by the sound of ponies calling out, “SURPRISE!”

“Happy adoption day Serenity,” Scootaloo said from the wheelchair she was sitting in.

I blinked in surprise, everypony was around with a small party having been set up. I had been so distracted lately by the Enclave war I hadn’t even realized that the anniversary of when Vanilla had adopted me was coming up.

“Hello Serenity,” a familiar voice with a slight accent said from behind me. I turned to see Winter Breeze standing there with Spectra and Calypso nearby.

“Uh, hello,” I said softly as I looked up at her nervously. “Can… can I help you with something?”

“I wanted to give you this,” Winter said with a soft smile as she reached into her pocket and took out a picture and gave it to me. “This was taken the last time I saw your parents. I felt you should have it.”

I took the picture curiously and looked at it. It was of a young Pegasus couple together. The stallion was a light grey color with red eyes and the mare was a darker shade of gold with a long flowing red mane and green eyes.

Held in the mare’s forelegs was a sleeping filly with gold fur and a short tuft of red mane. I smiled a little when I realized it was me.

“I was there when you were born Serenity,” Winter said softly as she placed her hoof on my shoulder with a smile. “I was always close to your parents after the Enclave Civil War. We were the only surviving members of our family after all, so I looked after them as best I could. Sadly, that’s why they were serving under Marigold, I should have had them be transferred to Coltlumbia and my private troops.”

She sighed a little and looked down at her hooves as she looked down at the picture. I could see that tears were starting to form in her eyes, she missed my parents a lot. I looked back down at the picture and started to cry too.

They looked happy, it was hard to imagine that just a few months later they would be killed during the battle of Stable 81. I had never blamed Vanilla for their deaths, they weren’t her fault, I had always blamed the Enclave and General Marigold in particular for putting them in that position.

“I’m sorry Serenity, I’m sorry that your parents got killed,” Winter said as she cried more and looked away from me. “I’m sorry that the soldiers left you behind in the Stable to die. But, I am glad that you found a wonderful family that loves you so very much.”

I smiled softly and looked over at Vanilla who gave me a smile before she walked over and put her forelegs around me gently. “And we’re happy to have her part of our family.”

I smiled a little and looked up at Vanilla and then back at Winter. “I, do sometimes wish I could’ve known my parents, but Vanilla is a great mom.”

Winter just smiled and looked surprised when I gave her a hug. She just smiled softly and hugged me back as she placed her hoof gently on my back. I hoped she was being genuine, I really did.

“Come on, let’s get this party started,” Vanilla said with a smile as we headed back to get some cake.

After awhile I headed back to where Scootaloo was eating a piece of cake in her wheelchair. I looked at her worriedly for a moment but she just gave me a smile. “Hey Serenity, don’t worry, I’m fine it’s just for another day or two.”

“I heard what happened, are you sure you’re going to be okay?” I asked and Scootaloo sighed a little and picked me up gently.

“Serenity, I’ll be just fine,” she said with a smile. “It’ll take more than hurting myself on some stray debris in an incomplete Stable to take me out.”

I smiled softly and hugged Scootaloo gently as she hugged me back. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the moment of sitting with the older mare as she nuzzled me gently. It was a nice relaxing moment that gave me a chance to get away from all the trouble.

“Oh, I should give this back to you,” Scootaloo said and reached into her coat pocket and took out my necklace. “I haven’t really gotten to use it, but its rightfully yours.”

I looked at it for a moment and then back up at the orange Pegasus for a long moment. Then I shook my head a little and patted her hoof. “You can keep it a while longer. The war isn’t over yet, right? Maybe it’ll still come in handy. I can wait a little longer before I get to fly again.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” Scootaloo said and looked down at the necklace for a long moment and shrugged.

“Why haven’t you tried to use it?” I asked curiously.

“I, don’t know, I guess it just hasn’t felt like the right time,” Scootaloo said with a shrug. “I’ve spent my whole life on the ground. But, maybe if the need arises I’ll use it, and I’ll be thinking of you the whole time.”

I giggled a little and nodded. I was a little surprised when she put it around my neck and the feeling of magic flowing through my body and wings came to me again. “I said you can keep it a while longer.”

“I know, but this is a special day for you,” she said and placed her hoof on my chest. “It’s the day you were adopted by a great mom. I think, you two should get to fly together as part of it. What do you think Vanilla?”

I looked up at Vanilla who had been standing there and gave me a smile as she offered me a hoof. “I’d love to fly with my daughter.”

I smiled a little and we walked out of the house with Scootaloo and Winter watching. I took a deep breath and looked up at the dome that covered Nomad City before I looked back at Vanilla and smiled a little as she finished attaching her mechanical wings.

“Ready?” She asked me and I nodded.

And with a flap of our wings we took off together. We flew together for awhile as we saw Nomad City from the air. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before, flying along with my mom was one of the best experiences I ever had.

I waved to Winter and Scootaloo as we flew back over the house and smiled. I loved the feeling of flying more than anything.

I wished it would never go away.

Quest Perk Received!
Name: Family Ties.
Details: You’ve come to terms with your family and have become closer to the ones around you. You gain an extra boost to agility and speech.

Author's Notes:

As always, the disclaimers from before apply. Also Seren Lulamoon was written by TheLittlestOfPips.