Wednesday morning came and, with the raising up of the sun, Tempest’s whole family was up early in order to see the three mares, Tempest, Airmail and Wildfire off on the next part of their journey, which happened to be Baltimare just a little further up the east coast of Equestria.

Of all the ponies seated in the cloudominium’s kitchen, Wildfire had the biggest smile on her face. Thanks, in no small part, to Tempest making use of breakfast time to show off the scrapbook and the medal that Wildfire had received from Captain Starbright the night before. That, Wildfire had no problem with. What she was more uncomfortable with was how her violet herd-mate was talking almost non-stop about how wonderful a mare she was and how just like her mother she was. “It’s a good job I can fly,” she said after fifteen minutes of this, “in case I fall off that pedestal that Honey's put me on.”

Tempest sniffed in fake annoyance before reluctantly going back to her morning coffee. “I did test your flight skills on day one, if I remember correctly.”

“She did,” Airmail put in, affectionately nuzzling Wildfire’s left cheek, “and it was a scary sight, so it was a good thing Wily couldn't see it.”

“Was it that scary?” Wildfire asked after taking a little sip of her black coffee with two sugars. It wasn’t Caffy standard, but it was still good, especially first thing in the morning. Even a morning mare needed fuel. “I remember it was just awesome fun!” the blind mare enthused, “plus it was super easy, just follow Stormy and do as I was told.” She giggled at that. “Ponies like it when I do as I'm told.”

Tempest snickered, taking a mouthful of her scrambled eggs and trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. Unlike Wildfire and Airmail, a morning mare she was not. “Yes, it was fun,” she agreed, “Scary was the second time when you were carrying Octavia's cello.”

“What?” Mist, Tempest’s mother exclaimed, almost spitting her tea over the breakfast table, “I didn't think she would even let Princess Luna carry that!”

Wildfire nodded, “Yuppers, that was kinda nervy. Not for me, for her cello, I mean.” She paused while Airmail and Tempest both laughed at that, that Wildfire would be more concerned for a cello than herself. “I mean, falling and breaking a wing was like, 'so what?' but falling and breaking that instrument?” she giggled, “I’m glad that didn't happen.”

Lightning, who had been quiet thus far, spoke up once his plate was empty of its scrambled egg load, “What is it like hanging out with the Royals, Tempest?”

Tempest rolled her blue eyes at her dad and took a long drink of her coffee before she answered, “They're just ponies with extra equipment so far, that’s all.”

“So,” Tempest’s brother, Storm, said with a smile over his own breakfast of toast and eggs, “you going to get us a private tour of Canterlot Castle, sis?”

Tempest giggled, “Maybe.”

Wildfire giggled as she reached a hoof for her preferred salted oatmeal and took a spoonful, “plenty of room there too now Dusk's moved out to live with Oils.”

Storm barked out a loud laugh, “Last place I'd want to live is Canterlot, but it sure would be nice to visit.”

Wildfire snorted derisively, “Huh, trust me Storm it’s the last place I wanted to live too.”

Airmail couldn’t help but laugh out loud, a thought coming to her, “I'm sure there’s a certain high end restaurant that would love to see you back, Wily.”

Again, Wildfire snorted, this time spluttering sugary black coffee, “Yeah right. I can’t see us getting in there again, Pretty.”

Tempest giggled like a big filly, “You'll have to buy it then, won’t you?”

“Will they accept buttons?” Wildfire giggled, wiping her muzzle clean of the spluttered coffee with her foreleg, “after that honeymoon, the money I've got left is for Fireflight when she comes.”

“Won't know ‘till you try,” Airmail shrugged, “But yeah, we have no plans to move back to Canterlot.”

Wildfire smiled though, now she was thinking of Canterlot her thoughts had slid to the cemetery and to Emerald. She had a great deal of affection for her step-mother. “It would be nice though, every so often, to visit mum and new mum.”

Airmail rested her forehoof gently on her fiancé’s own and squeezed it to let her know she shared her thoughts on that. “We will visit often, love, if only for tea with Luna. Besides, you need to read any new poems to your mom.”

“Of course I do! If I miss, she'll haunt me!”

“Can't have that now, can we?” Tempest smiled as she got up and poured herself a second coffee. While she was up, she provided re-fills for everypony else too, to make sure they were all fuelled up. “It would mess with my beauty sleep.”

Wildfire laughed, though when the steaming hot cup of black coffee was placed so that it nudged her left hoof, she blew Tempest a kiss. “Ha, as if you need it, and could be worse, dad could haunt you instead.”

Airmail growled. She tried not to but she couldn’t help herself. Part of her really missed the fact that she hadn’t had the opportunity to put Cold Front down herself. That would’ve been a kill she would’ve made sure she enjoyed. “I would welcome a chance to kick his ghostly ass…”

Wildfire grinned around her hot mug, “I bet you would, too.”

“Aah…yes, well,” Mist interjected, desiring very much to steer the conversation away from where it was going. “You'll stop to see Wind on your way back, Stormy?”

“Yes,” Tempest answered her mother quickly, also relishing the chance to alter the topic, “after we visit Raindrop.”

As much as she loved Trottingham, and as much as she loved Tempest’s family – just like she had loved meeting Airmail’s folks over in Vanhoover – Wildfire was eager to get going, if only so she could fly again. Being blind as she was, the feeling of the wind over her wings was indescribable. “Ooh! Are we flying again?”

“Yes,” Tempest pulled out her phone and checked their flight plan against time for the day. “From here we’ll fly up to Baltimare, a couple hours rest then on up to Fillydelphia and a couple more hours rest, and finally back home.”

Wildfire, very all happy all of a sudden, let out a delighted little squee, “I get to do more flying!”

Storm though, looked the little blind mare over with a critical eye as he drained the coffee from his mug. “Are you fully recovered from your injuries yet, Wildfire?”

In response, Wildfire flexed her wings out from her sides and folded them away to her barrel. While the one and a half thousand mile flight from Ponyville had taken a lot out of her, she’d had all yesterday to get over it. What still surprised her though was the utter lack of pain from the many breakages she had endured. Yes, Luna had healed her wings, but it was still something new, not being in constant agony. “Well, mostly I am Storm,” Wildfire replied, turning her scarred face to his direction, “apart from slightly weakened wing muscles. I’m getting there though. It’s endurance mostly, I kinda get tired quickly.”

Lightning smiled, leaning over the breakfast table to squeeze Wildfire’s hoof. “Then practice is the best thing and distance flights will work wonders for you.”

Wildfire was very grateful for the presence of Lightning’s hoof. “I do prefer it to wings that aren’t constantly hurting though.”

Seated either side of their little blind herd-mate, Airmail and Tempest both gave Wildfire a very, very tight feathery hug. “Thanks for the breakfast, mom,” Tempest said as she checked her bag to make sure everything was there, “now it’s time to burn those calories.”

Nestled in the middle of the hug sandwich, Wildfire smiled, “I just say that to get free hugs!”

Mist chuckled and passed the scrapbook and medal to Airmail, who made sure both were securely placed in Wildfire’s saddlebag, “It seems to work well for you.”

“Yuppers Mist, my mares are awesomes!”

Over Wildfire’s back – she was really that small - Airmail and Tempest bumped hooves. “We are so awesome!” they declared as one.

“And don't you forget it!” Wildfire giggled.

Airmail took a moment to make sure that she had everything where it should be. Last thing she wanted was to get to Baltimare and have to come back. Like last time, but that was Tempest’s fault. “Thanks for putting up with us,” the azure blue mare said to their gracious hosts, “we'll try to make the next visit longer.”

“Safe travels.” Mist said, making sure to nuzzle and hug her daughter and especially Wildfire before Lightning and Storm came around the breakfast table and they all joined in with a generous round of group hugs.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire snickered once the group hug was released, and she was able to get the headset of her flight suit on her head, “thanks for putting up with them.”

Tempest, who was nearest, rolled her eyes and swatted Wildfire’s flank with her wingtip. “Ha, ha, ha. Funny.”

Feeling her way around, Wildfire turned and kissed Tempest’s lips. “You know I love you, Honey.”

“I know, and now it’s time to fly.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire replied as she allowed herself to be shepherded out of the cloudominuim’s entrance hall and onto Trottingham’s Cloud District. Almost straight away she felt the warm morning sunlight hit her face and her wings. “I'm ready, Honey.” She was so ready for this, her brand new wings were twitching with anticipation.

“Well,” Airmail said once they were in the air and on their way, as always flying in the little V formation of Tempest leading, Wildfire behind her to her left and Airmail to her right, “next stop is my sister.” She came a little closer to Wildfire and caressed her yellow flank with her left wing. “You be sure to let us know if you want a rest on the way, Wily.”

“Of course I will,” Wildfire replied, “though I reckon I'll be alright.” She would, if her fiancé would keep stroking her flank like that, anyway.

Tempest, in the lead, checked her speed and did a very quick time and distance calculation in her head. “It's five hours to Baltimare if we keep this pace of sixty miles an hour, you two.”

“Okies Honey,” Wildfire, with the benefit of the computer of her headset doing just that very same calculation in her ear, nodded. She had Baltimare in her ‘sights’. “I'll do my best!”

Tempest smiled over her shoulder, making the banking turn to place them on course for a long straight line flight to their destination, “I know you will, love.”

Airmail smiled, following her herd-mate in the wide banking turn. A few hundred feet below her, the Cloud District fell away to reveal Trottingham eleven thousand feet below them. She had to admit, looking out over the city and seeing the Celestia Sea to her right, it did look very pretty. She still preferred Manehatten though. “And part of your best is knowing when to rest.” Having said that, the azure blue mare reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. “Dial four.”

Wildfire’s sharp ears twitched, “Your sis, Pretty?”

As she heard the dial tone start, Airmail nodded and ‘hmhmm’d’ in reply to her blind lover’s question. “Hi sis!” she said when her sister answered the call, “we just left Mist and Lightning's place…any day now?” she smiled, picturing her very, very pregnant sister, “so you'll be home all day?”

When she got a yes, her sister asked how long they would be. Checking her watch she saw it was six a.m., and it was a five hour flight, “If all goes well we will be there for lunch. Can we take you out? Oh, he is, sounds good. I'm sure Wily will like it as she likes fish…love you too sis, see you in a few hours!”

Putting her phone away in her saddlebag, Airmail once more brushed Wildfire’s toned young flank, “I'm guessing you'd like Neighnese food, Wily?”

Wildfire nodded, “good guess, Pretty.”

“Lancer, her husband, is bringing some takeout for her, and he’s going to bring enough for all of us.”

“Sweet!” Wildfire liked the sound of that. A lot. Almost as much as she loved the touch of her fiancé’s wingtip on her right flank. “As long as it didn't use to bark or moo when it was alive I'm there!” she giggled.

At the head of their formation, Tempest couldn’t help but snicker, “Airy, warn the neighbours to keep an eye on their cats!”

“Ha, ha, ha!” Wildfire deadpanned, though she was sure there were some Neighnese restaurants in Canterlot that did just what Tempest was suggesting, “That said, though, I don't mind eating cheeky ponies!”

For a few seconds, Airmail and Tempest both shared a look with each other before they burst out in peals of laughter. “We noticed!” they said together at the same time.

“Alas,” Wildfire had her foreleg dramatically at her forehead, “my secret cannibalism is revealed to the world!”

“Good thing you are so tasty we can eat you all at once,” Airmail said once hers and Tempest’s laughter had died down. Glancing downwards, she saw they had left Trottingham proper behind them, they were over the outskirts now, with Baltimare a smudge on the horizon in front of them.

Wildfire sniggered, her ears too perked up when her headset informed her that she was leaving Trottingham. “Aw, don’t you just say the loveliest thing? Hey, will that be your vows?”

“No,” Airmail smiled, “but it might be the pillow talk afterwards.”

“It had better be or I'll set mum on you.”

“Really,” Airmail had a very sly thought then, one she knew would get a reaction from her diminutive lover, “and what would you do if I did your mum in front of you, my love?”

“Watch!” Wildfire answered very quickly, “watch, and keep score!”

At the front of the formation, Tempest, who had been admiring the ships in the distance sailing on the Celestia Sea, giggled. “Maybe you can pick up some tips, Wily.”

Wildfire joined in with her herd-mate’s giggles, “I bet I could, Honey.”

As much as she was appreciating – and partaking in – the banter between the three of them, Airmail thought it best to give Wildfire a heads up on the family members she was going to be meeting shortly. “Raindrop lives on the ground. She married a pegasus, but their firstborn was an earth pony filly they called Seedling, next was a pegasus colt they named North Wind.”

Tempest of course knew all this. “When is she due for the third?” she asked curiously.

“She is due any day now,” Airmail replied, visions of her sister’s very pregnant body and swollen milky teats entering her mind’s eye, so much so she had trouble with flying in a straight line for a few minutes. “It would be funny if she made a full set with a unicorn foal.”

“Aw!” Wildfire squeaked, “that’s so sweet! At least they didn't give the filly up, like what happened to the colt Dusky's adopting.”

“Since her father is an earth pony,” Tempest shot into the conversation over her shoulder, “that wouldn't have gone over very well.”

“Well no,” Wildfire shuddered in mid-flight as they left Trottingham altogether, so much so she had a hard time holding her flight level, “I mean who even does that anyway?” there was a vehemence in her voice, “I know I'd like a pegasus but I wouldn't care what Fireflight was as long as she’s healthy!”

Airmail understood completely the rare anger in her young lover’s voice. “Tinkerer is from a long line of pegasi, and he caused no shortage of family problems when he married a unicorn.”

“So,” Tempest put in, hopefully helpfully, “unless you have something in your ancestry, most likely your filly will be a pegasus too.”

Again, Wildfire shuddered. “Apart from 'him', we're all pegasi as far as I know, Honey.”

“You're right though,” Tempest followed up, moving across Wildfire just enough to flick her black tail over her yellow muzzle, “I'll love the foal whatever that foal may be.”

“As we should, that's what my mum always said,” Wildfire commented before she went quiet and thought for a moment. She was searching for the way to phrase what she wanted to ask her fiancé. “Pretty, would it be cool if I wore my mum's medal at the wedding?”

Airmail smiled, she wanted to say ‘yes’ straightaway, but she wasn’t sure what the protocol was for the Equestria Star. “Let me check that there is no restrictions on wearing it. If not, then that would be a great way to honour your mother.”

“It would be like she was there, y'know?”

For the fourth time, Airmail flew over to her diminutive fiancé and caressed the tip of her left wing all along her side from her thigh to her shoulder. “As long as she lives in our hearts, she will always be with us, Wily.”

“Yuppers, she will,” Wildfire paused before breaking out into a bright little laugh. “I was just gonna say, I wish you could've known her, but I kinda feel like you did, or do, ugh…you know what I mean.”

Moving upwards now, Airmail brushed her wingtip lovingly through Wildfire’s straight black mane. “I know you, Wily, and you are what she would have hoped for.”

Wildfire blushed a very bright red, almost as red as the flames that adorned her flanks, “Um, thanks Airy, she'd have loved you all, I know she would.”

From her leading position, Tempest called over her shoulder, “Anything else either of you want for the wedding?”

“Harem of greased up mares?”

Airmail shook her head at Wildfire’s joke. Not because of what she had said, but because she had been beaten to it by literally one second. Still, it didn’t stop her swatting the blind mare’s flank, or teasing her a little, either. “Not sure if the Sharks will let you grease them up…”

Wildfire shuddered, this time it was a very pleasurable shudder indeed. A lustful moan escaped her lips at the thought of the entire Manehatten rugby team greased up and presented for her to play with and enjoy. “Hey, a mare can dream, can't she?”

“Dream all you want,” Tempest snarked, “just don't grease up the pillows.”

Wildfire giggled behind her hoof, “just like I won't leave a feather in the bath,” she giggled and had a little, more serious think – although a greased up rugby team was nothing to joke about – before she drifted across to Airmail and held her forehoof. “You got somepony to give you away, Airy?”

“I think they were hoping to sell me,” Airmail said with a giggle in her voice, thinking specifically of her brother Grain in Vanhoover. “My dad will be there to do that. Are you going to have Dusk stand for you?” she asked delicately, not wanting to upset her lover.

“Caffy is always available too,” Tempest offered helpfully.

“I was thinking about Dusky, or Caffy…”

“Our wedding,” Airmail said kindly, “your choice.”

“Dusky, definitely Dusky.” Wildfire stated. While Caffeinated would make an excellent best stallion to give her away, Wildfire knew deep down it had to be her best friend. The little blind mare hoped more than anything that the gesture would go a long way towards repairing the five year long rift between them. Although, were she honest, Dusk hoof-delivering her book back to her had done that already. “As long as she doesn't upstage me in her dress!” she added.

“I'll put a word to Oils so she doesn't do that.” Airmail rolled her brown eyes, “and what about me?”

Wildfire shrugged, “Pretty, you could wear a hessian sack and still upstage me sweetheart…” Wildfire did trail off though as she thought about it more seriously and an idea crept into her head. “If they could, something you can wear with feathers in it or on it would be cool, something I could touch, and me and Stormy could give feathers?”

“Now, that is a good idea!” Airmail was genuinely very impressed, “a tactile wedding.”

Wildfire smiled, pleased with her little self that Airmail thought she’d had a good idea. “You gave me the idea, Pretty, when you asked Dandelion for really fragrant flowers that I could smell and enjoy.”

Airmail sniffed proudly, “I are smart pony!”

“Yes, she is...” Tempest snickered, “sometimes.”

Wildfire giggled, “Pretty you is...are...a smart beautiful mare!”

Airmail casually inspected her left forehoof, “That must be why you're marrying me instead of the egghead up front there.”

“We can just be pretty together,” Wildfire said through her giggles, “we don't need no brains.”

“Yes,” Tempest’s voice managed to convey her eye roll as she adjusted her course ever so slightly, “that’s what the rest of the herd is for. Me, I'd rather have strong wings and weak minds at my beck and call any day.”

“That’s me out then,” Wildfire said, and although they were partaking in very playful banter, there was a forlorn bleakness to her tone that her two herd-mates picked up on immediately, though she of course was oblivious to the looks they shared. “Weak wings and mind I'm afraid.”

“Not so fast, my fine little mare,” Tempest chided her as the violet weather pony rolled over onto her back and effectively flew backwards. “I'm working on the wings part.” A fact that she punctuated by flicking her black tail over Wildfire’s nose one more time.

“Leaving me to work on the mind part.” Airmail playfully stuck out her tongue at her herd-mate, slightly hating the fact that Tempest could easily stay at sixty miles per hour even going backwards.

“I'm dooooooomed!” Wildfire wailed dramatically, while Airmail and Tempest laughed out loud, with her not at her, “yuppers, you two go on and laugh!” she sniggered, “actually, in all seriousness, the wings aren't feeling too bad right now.”

Tempest beamed in sheer triumph. “My plan is working out. What about yours, Airy?”

Airmail blew Tempest a long, loud raspberry. “Wily, what is one plus one?”

Wildfire held up her left and right hoof as she counted, “um...two?”

“See,” Airmail laughed, “Things are looking up for you, Wildfire!”

Wildfire let out a giggle, “Hey, thick as I am, even I knew that one. Is there anything else you think we need for the wedding?”

“Guest list beyond the herd and family.”

“Food!” Tempest declared before flipping back over onto her front and adjusting her course the few degrees that she had drifted back towards Baltimare.

“Obviously we need Coco for the dresses,” Wildfire added, giving her input, “and guest list for me I guess are my friends.”

“Yeah,” Airmail agreed, though she went on, “other than the six in your study group, I'm unsure how many other friends you have from before the care home. I mean, you'll add Hot Spot to the list, right?”

Wildfire wanted to facehoof at that. “Oh Hot Spot!” she exclaimed with a smile, “he'd love it, and Emerald. Other than Raid, Darkie, Bright, Cy and D, I guess there's Slingshot, if we can find him.”

“Emerald is family now,” Airmail clarified, “maybe one of the others kept track of Slingshot? We’ll have to ask.”

“I guess Raid might know where he is, since he was her partner…” Wildfire started, before she had a far more pertinent thought regarding the guest list for her wedding to Airmail. There was one set of earth ponies that she absolutely had to have there. “Oh, there's Winter and her family! We have to invite them too!”

“Good call,” Tempest agreed, “I forgot about them.”

Following expertly in Tempest’s wake, Wildfire nodded. “That's really all I have, except mum.”

Airmail giggled, “We are not bringing your mum to Manehatten!” the azure blue newspaper editor chuckled at her somewhat dark humour as she imagined the exhumation and the transfer of the coffin. She completely understood it wasn’t funny, but she couldn’t help but smile.

“Yuppers...” Wildfire’s tone of voice screamed loud and clear that she had misunderstood that what her fiancé had said was intended as a joke. “It'd be a hassle I guess...I just miss her y'know?” Sadness now threatened to overwhelm the young blind mare. “She should be with me properly, not by some old medal…”

“Enough of that talk, young mare!” Tempest once again spun around and flew backwards. While she understood Wildfire’s sentiment, she wasn’t about to let the Equestria Star be dismissed as ‘some old medal’. “We just said she is with us in our hearts. Airy's poor joke aside,” Tempest shot Airmail a scathing look that made her herd-mate look the other way, “that medal is a part of who she is. Don't take that away from her.”

“I’m sorry Stormy,” Wildfire lifted her head up when she felt the black tail against her nose once more. “I just miss her that’s all.”

“Hey,” Airmail, feeling a little guilty now, drifted over and again she caressed her lover’s flank, “and don't you ever stop missing her. Still, you need to take what you can, and that gift from Starbright was a wonderful gift.”

Wildfire sniffed deeply, “it was the best thing I've ever been given, Pretty.”

~ ~ ~

“There's Baltimare,” Airmail announced when the mid-eastern coastal city came into view five thousand feet underneath the three flying mares. Even from this distance, she could see the Inner Harbour where the old warships were still moored as a memorial to the last griffon war, the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse and the Mount Vernon Cultural District. She smiled, making a mental note to take Wildfire around all these places when they had more time on their hooves. Sadly today wasn’t that day. “It’s a nice place.”

“What?” Wildfire asked, even though she had the distance to her chosen target counting down in her headset, she was still caught a little by surprise. She wasn’t expecting the five hour flight to have passed by so quickly. “We're here already? No way!”

“Time flies when you're flying!” Tempest giggled, her blue eyes scanning the ground for where Airmail’s sister lived on the ground.

“Yuppers, but…but I’m not even breathing heavy!”

“Well,” Airmail giggled, “that’s because my tongue isn't between your hind legs.”

Immediately, Wildfire opened her legs in mid-air. “You wanna do something about that?”

Grinning like a mischievous filly, Airmail flew ahead just enough to allow her to run her left wingtip between Wildfire’s open hind legs. Quickly getting the idea, Tempest did the same on the other side of the blind mare, extending her right wing and running the tip between Wildfire’s legs. A second later and both of them waved the wetted primary feathers in front of Wildfire’s nose. Sniffing in front of her, the little yellow pegasus stuck out her tongue and licked their feathers. “Hmm…yummers!”

“Now, follow us down, Wily.” Airmail smiled as she started her descent down to Riverside Park with Tempest beside her.

Wildfire grinned as she too angled her wings and began her descent, her headset alerting her that they were heading to somewhere called Riverside Park, with Swann Park to the left and Tide Point at the right. “Yes ma'am!”

Moments later, both Airmail and Tempest landed outside number seventeen, a standalone detached well-to-do white bricked townhouse in the middle of Riverside Park. Close to the harbour, the smell of saltwater was rife in the air. “Raindrop lives in a really nice neighbourhood,” Airmail said with a smile. And it was, very nice, clean and well-kept. “She is a weather pony when she’s not smuggling beach balls.” She giggled, “her hubby, Lancer, is in the Equestrian Forces, and works as a recruiter downtown.”

A split second later and Wildfire landed as well, next to Airmail’s right side. “Smuggling...” her head was cocked to one side, “ooooh I get it!” she sniggered behind her hoof.

Stepping up to the blue door, Airmail rang the doorbell and a few moments later an excitable little summer green earth pony filly of five years old with a long flowing chestnut brown mane answered the door. “Auntie Airy!” she squeaked, immediately launching herself at the larger mare. “Auntie Stormy!” she hugged them both, one after the other.

“This is your newest aunt, Wildfire,” Airmail stepped aside once her niece had at last let go of her leg, “you can call her Wily.”

“Okay!” Seedling squeaked, “Auntie Wily!” again, for the third time, she launched herself in a tackle hug, this time to the yellow mare that was only a bit taller than she was.

At once, Wildfire returned the hug, “hey Seedling.”

Looking up at her new aunt, Seedling saw all the old green miscoloured acid scars that covered her face. “Where are your eyes?” she asked bluntly.

“Oh those…” Wildfire said dismissively like she was talking about something she had left behind at home, “a bully took them from me at school.”

Seedling tightened her hug on Wildfire’s chest. “Bullies are bad.”

Airmail smiled, rather very proud of the way both Wildfire and Seedling had handled that first meeting. “Where’s your brother and your mom, Seed?”

Seedling didn’t show any sign of releasing the hug she had on Wildfire anytime soon. She seemed content to squeeze her on the doorstep. “Wind is sleep'n and mom’s in the great room.”

Tempest shared a ‘look’ with Airmail. Both mares nodded. “Lead the way, Seed.” Tempest ordered playfully, tapping the filly’s shoulder to make sure she had her attention.

“Okay!” At last, reluctantly, Seedling released the tight hug she had on Wildfire and the little summer green filly almost tripped over her long mane as she entered the house with the three mares following her closely.

“She is lovely,” Wildfire whispered to Airmail who was as ever walking at the blind mare’s left. “She reminds me of the filly I spoke to on the train a few weeks ago, Dewdrop, her name was.”

Airmail smiled as she leant into Wildfire’s side and replied, “She is a good foal for a five year old. Her brother is a three year old pegasus.”

Wildfire grinned, as she walked along she could feel the carpet of the entrance hall change to hardwood flooring. She couldn’t see the pale blue painted walls, or the family pictures on them. She could smell the peppermint in the air and the smell of dough coming from the kitchen. Yes, she grinned. “You do know I want lots of those, right?”

“It must be the water,” Tempest giggled as she steered Wildfire around a couple of loose lego bricks that had been left in the hall. Last thing she wanted was for Wildfire to step on those, for it was a pain unlike any other, as she knew very well from when Serenity played foal. “Raindrop is working on her third.”

“My mom had four,” Airmail put in, also skilfully navigating the lego trap.

“Yeah,” Tempest said, “mine quit after she got it right with the third, which was me!”

“I want lots,” Wildfire giggled, unknowingly missing the dreaded lego by a few inches with her hooves, “but I'll settle for one to start with.”

“Unless you get twins,” Airmail giggled playfully.

“Or triplets,” Tempest offered the alternative, “Celestia forbid you have triplets. That would put you in the hospital for sure.”

Wildfire stopped walking. Ahead of her, Seedling had disappeared into a wide side door off of the entrance hall. Tempest and Airmail looked at each other over Wildfire’s back, wondering why she had stopped so abruptly. They soon got their answer. “I'm NOT going in hospital again.” She stated with a stamp of her hoof.

Airmail shared Tempest’s worried look. “I recommend you have one at a time, then.”

“I don't care for what,” Wildfire stated definitely, stamping her hoof one more time, “but I am NOT going to hospital again, Airy.”

“Yes, love.” Was all Airmail said, but, from her long talks with the little blind mare, she understood why. Hospital in Canterlot was the one time she had been vulnerable. Hospital after her accident had been when Dusk and Air Raid had abandoned her. Hospital had been where her dad had sold her and Amethyst had claimed her.

Wildfire was glad she didn’t have to explain. She was glad her Airmail knew and understood. “Thank you, Pretty.”

After that, Wildfire allowed herself to be steered through the side door into the great room of the detached town house. Like the hall, it was painted in pale blues, with long stretched seating pads, a stereo, widescreen TV, several bookcases full of CDs, DVDs and even books. Laid on one of these stretched pads was Raindrop, a very, very pregnant cyan pegasus with a pure white main and tail and a cutie mark of one large raindrop in front of a white cloud. Seedling ran up to her mother and tackle hugged her. “Momma, Auntie Airy is here!”

“Hello Airy,” Raindrop smiled up at her sister, older than her by eight years, “I’m glad you and Stormy could stop by.” Her green eyes then drifted to the little yellow pony standing between her sister and Tempest. “So, this is Wildfire, come over and give us a hug.”

“Yuppers, it’s me Wildfire smiled, her ears swivelling to follow the sound of Raindrop’s voice. Softer than Airmail’s, there was Vanhoovan there as well as a definite Baltimare accent. As she got closer, the scent of peppermint got noticeably stronger until she was overwhelmed by it and pulled into a vice-like hug.

After the hug was released, due to the fact that Wildfire needed to breathe, Raindrop kissed the young mare’s nose as well as her scars. “Airy says you want a foal too,” she said with a smile, referring to the texts and emails her sister had sent her since she had met Wildfire. “Put a hoof here.” taking Wildfire’s hoof, Raindrop guided it to her swollen belly and almost straightaway she could feel the foal moving.

“So badly I can't put it into words,” Wildfire answered, though at first she was quiet, just enjoying the sensation of feeling the unborn foal moving inside Raindrop’s belly. “That's the bestest thing ever!”

“It is,” Raindrop agreed, “and the foal should be here before the week is out.”

Wildfire felt like she was paralysed, she just could not move her hoof. “That…that is properly amazing…”

“You'll find out it is the best thing ever,” Raindrop smiled at her sister and shifted a little on the stretched seating pad just to move her weight about, “right Airy?”

“Yeah, I'm sure it is.”

Tempest snickered, earning herself a playful smack from her herd-mate, like Airmail she had no plans on being a mother. “I'm with Airy on that.”

Wildfire however just rested her hoof back where it belonged, she had no intentions whatever of moving. “I know it's the best thing ever Raindrop, sorry Airy, even better than getting married.”

“That's okay,” Airmail smiled, “we're still getting married anyways.”

Wildfire smiled, she couldn’t stop smiling. Her whole world was peppermint and the moving foal. “I'm glad for that, Pretty.”

Raindrop glanced up at the clock on the wall and made a quick judgement in her head. “Lancer should be home in a few minutes,” she said, thinking of the hunter gathering expedition that her husband had bravely undertaken to go get Neighnese food. “How long can you all stay?”

“We planned on at least two hours,” Airmail replied, “long enough for all your horror stories on pregnancy to be told to Wily.”

“I don't care.” Wildfire giggled, still not moving a muscle from where she was. Surely she could live her life knelt here in Baltimare, right? “Anything I go through will be worth it to hold my Fireflight in my hooves at last.”

“Oh, you have a name already.” Raindrop commented, trying as she did so not to coo under the massage that Wildfire was giving her belly, “I'm waiting to see what this one is first. We have four planed depending, though.”

Airmail smirked at her younger sister, at last taking a seating pad alongside Tempest when it was clear that her fiancé wasn’t in a hurry to move, “What if it’s a unicorn?”

“Ha, ha,” Raindrop stuck out her tongue, very tired by now of her sister’s teasing about producing one of each. “Very funny, sis.”

“I'm hoping for pegasus,” Wildfire grinned, picturing her little filly in her mind’s eye, “but I'm really not bothered as long as she's healthy.”

“And a filly, I hear.” Raindrop chuckled, “I had Seedling first and North Wind second, so I'm up for anything now.”

“It’s all part of my plan, Raindrop.” Wildfire smiled, in fact her smile felt permanent at this point, with her hoof seemingly glued to the older pregnant mare’s belly, “get free, get a life, get a job, get married, have my filly.”

Raindrop nodded at Wildfire’s five point plan. Having read all the messages she had been sent from her sister, she was well aware of the horrendous experiences that the young twenty four year old mare had lived through the past five years of her life. “It seems you have a wonderful life now, Wily.”

“Yuppers, I really do,” Wildfire sniffed, “it’s more than I could've hoped for even a month ago…”

Just as Wildfire was about to continue, she was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and the hoof-steps of a pegasus stallion entered the great room. Lancer, an aquamarine coloured pony with a bright blue mane carried the takeout bags in his mouth. Walking past his guests he set them down on a low coffee table just behind where Wildfire was knelt with his wife. “I see you all made here it safely,” he greeted them with an easy-going smile, especially when Seedling speared him with a hug. “I got the extra fish, but I didn't think you cared for fish, Airy?”

“Not a big fan,” Airmail replied, “but Wily here is.” She pointed her forehoof to her lover.

“Hey, that'd be me.” she held up her hoof like she was in class, “the fish lover.”

Lancer grinned as he managed to extricate himself from the excitable little spider monkey that was his filly. “Good to know I'm not the only one. So, you are to be my sister-in-law?” he asked rhetorically, walking over and hugging the kneeling mare.

Wildfire returned the hug, this time the peppermint was replaced with a definite hint of honeysuckle. While not her favourite scent in the world, at least it wasn’t celery. “I've...developed a taste for it, yes,” she said with a smile, not wanting to go deeper into it than that. “And yuppers, I'm your sister-in-law-to-be.”

“I've developed a taste for it too,” Lancer chuckled, “as long as I remember to brush my teeth afterwards.”

“Thank Celestia for that!” Raindrop added, rolling her eyes and making sure her husband saw the roll of her eyes.

“Well Lancer, there's worse things you can put in your mouth.” Wildfire shuddered, her mind wandering to the bowls of dog food she had been forced to eat in the care home, as well as the stallion’s bits she had been forced to swallow. It was such a vivid flashback she could taste it in her mouth and smell it. Thankfully it only lasted but a moment before she was back in the here and now. “So, you're in the army?”

“Army Air Corps actually,” Lancer said proudly, “I have twenty five years under my saddle.”

Wildfire was suitably impressed. “That's cool, where have you served?”

“All over Equestria,” Lancer replied, waving his hoof in an all-encompassing gesture which was followed by a blush when he realised of course that the yellow mare couldn’t see it. “The changeling invasion was the reason I joined up.”

“Really?” Wildfire’s ears perked right up as soon as she heard that. So much so that she for a moment forgot about the food on the table behind her. “My mum was with the Canterlot weather team. I found out yesterday that she helped the army out during the fighting.”

“I was seventeen when the invasion happened.” Lancer said, he could remember that day twenty eight years ago like it was yesterday. Indeed, sometimes he relived it like it was yesterday. “I went to the academy as soon as I could. That was a scary day.”

Wildfire giggled at that, “I wasn't born then, but I've been told it was scary. I was given some old press cuttings, would you like a look?”

“Yes I would,” Lancer nodded eagerly, and he was about to ask for them there and then, but for the dangerous look he received from his hungry pregnant wife. “But, let’s get to the food first. I got a variety of vegetable and fruit rolls and some sashimi for those that like it.” Grinning, Airmail quietly slipped her brother-in-law a note, which he read and shook his head, “I’m sorry Airy, they were out of celery rolls.”

Wildfire shuddered involuntarily, “huh, thank Luna for small mercies!”

Airmail burst out in laughter, “And that is an introduction to Wily's least favourite food.”

“It's specially grown in Tartarus,” Wildfire continued, giving accurate description to the demonically foul taste of celery. She thought she just about summed it up. “It’s flavoured with misery and despair. That's why it tastes like it does.”

Seedling giggled, though she didn’t really understand the big words, she got the gist. “I don't like peas.”

“I'm kinda with you on the peas, Seedling,” Wildfire replied with a giggle, “they run away from me when I chase them around my plate.”

“And?” Raindrop asked her little filly with a raised eyebrow.

Seedling looked down at the floor. “I eat them, momma.”

Raindrop rolled her green eyes, “I only give her one to eat.” She snickered, for it was sounding like she force-fed her filly kilos of peas for every meal.

“Good for you,” Wildfire smiled and, after a little exploratory feeling about, hugged the little filly, “I eat them too, when I finally corner them. They're like chocolate chips.”

Reaching over to help herself to a couple of vegetable spring rolls and chow mein, Tempest snorted, almost dropping her carton. Almost. “Tricky they is!”

“Very tricky, Honey,” Wildfire sniffed the air, her mouth beginning to water straightaway. “Hmm, that fish smells nice though!”

Seeing the little yellow mare about to get up, Raindrop reached out and put her hoof on her shoulder. “You can stay right where you are, Wily, while Lancer makes the deliveries.” Obediently, her husband set out before her on the coffee table some items, from left to right there was two spicy tuna rolls, an avocado roll, salmon sashimi, cucumber roll, and finally some tuna sashimi.

“Yay!” as soon as she detected the heavenly smells, Wildfire fairly bounced on the floor, earning herself a round of giggles from everypony present. “I think I'll go left to right, the avocado can kill the spicy. Thanks Lancer!”

“No problem, future sis-in-law.” He turned to his wife, “how are you doing, love?”

“Coping,” Raindrop grunted, though she had a grateful look on her face when Lancer laid out some cartons for her to eat from. “I think anything spicy will make me hurl.”

As they all began eating, Airmail and Tempest making a huge dent in their supply of avocado rolls, a young three year old pegasus colt with a coat as bright a blue as his father’s mane, walked into the great room, rubbing sleep from his eyes with his little wings. “Hungry,” he announced to the room.

Lancer greeted his colt with his natural easy-going smile, “I got some for you right here, North Wind.” He pointed to a little carton full of cucumber on the floor, and, with a rumbling belly the colt trotted over to his dad.

Wildfire, quickly swallowing her spicy tuna, turned her head towards the little newcomer, “hi North Wind!”

Seeing Wildfire seated next to his mother, and her scarred face, North Wind immediately hid behind his father. Airmail giggled at her little nephew, “there’s no need to be shy North, this is your aunt Wily.” The azure blue mare said, pausing in eating her second roll.

“Hey North,” Wildfire turned her head, trying to find him, “you wanna help me eat this tuna roll?”

Lancer grinned, recognising the time honoured method of using food to your advantage. “Your aunt Wily has something even better. She has cucumber.”

That certainly got the little colt’s attention. For another long moment he was undecided, then his belly rumbled. His mind made up, North Wind smiled. “Hungry!” Carefully though, he moved around behind everypony and eventually he came up between Wildfire and Raindrop.

Raindrop spared her colt the same look she had given her filly. “What do you say?”

Thinking, North Wind blinked a few times, looking between the cucumber roll and his mother. “Please.”

Wildfire smiled, her left forehoof moving along the row of food in front of her as she counted four across from the left and she picked up the cucumber roll for the little blue pegasus. “Here you go!”

Immediately, North Wind took it up in his little hooves, “Yummy!”

Again, Raindrop gave her colt what was known as the ‘mother’ look. “North Wind?”

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy it, North,” Wildfire said as she finished off her spicy tuna roll, a thought occurring to her while she was feeling for the avocado roll to help kill the spicy heat in her mouth. “Raindrop, you're a weather pony?”

Raindrop giggled as she ate her veggie spring roll. “Yes, when I'm not pretending to be a blimp.”

“Or being a smuggler for beach balls like Airy said,” Wildfire offered, very glad she had at last located the avocado roll, though not as grateful as her mouth was.

Raindrop stuck her tongue out at her older sister, who was doing a good impression of a hyena. “Love you too, sis.”

“I know you do.”

Wildfire wanted to giggle, but she was too busy putting out the fire in her mouth with the avocado roll. “Um…you are careful, with Nimbostratus clouds, aren't you?” she asked.

“I try to be careful all the time.”

“Wily's mom was a weather pony,” Airmail supplied helpfully when she saw Raindrop and Lancer’s confusion, “she died in the line of duty.”

“Oh, your letter didn't explain how she died.” Raindrop reached out and laid her hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. Everything was starting to make a little more sense now. “Wily, Nimbostratus?” she asked gently, her hoof not moving, “I'm guessing it was a lightning strike?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded, “my mum was setting up a class ten thunderstorm over my school when I was twelve. She didn't know the cloud was faulty, that it couldn't hold the charge that was building up and it burst.”

Raindrop sympathised greatly, as did she empathise as well. While certainly rare, such instances did indeed happen. There was no getting away from it. “We do job rotation at the Weather Factory to ensure that quality control is well up to standards. Then I'm sure a lot changed after that accident,” she said kindly.

“I'm sure it did,” Wildfire agreed as she finished off the avocado roll, “I'm just glad you're safe, well, as safe as you can be with weather. I've asked Honey to be careful too.”

Tempest quickly swallowed her chow mein she had been eating and sniffed imperiously. “I'm the queen of safety.”

Lancer chuckled at that, “I thought you were the queen of yellow rain?”

“I rule more than one realm!” Tempest countered quickly, not missing a beat.

Laughing, Lancer reached into the Neighnese takeout bag and he placed two more cucumber rolls in front of Wildfire on the coffee table. “Here are two more cucumber rolls,” he explained, “North will eat a second when he finishes the one he’s eating and there’s one for you.”

“Thanks Lancer,” Wildfire took the offered cucumber roll and she took a huge bite out of it as she thought for a moment. “It’s Wednesday, isn't it?” she giggled, “I start work in four days!”

Raindrop levelled the ‘mother’ look at Wildfire now, thankfully, as she was a mother, this look reached her voice. “Airy says you're a firefighter, Wily, that right?”

“Yuppers, Raindrop,” Wildfire stated proudly, for she was justly proud of her job. “I was a reserve back in Canterlot before my accident, now I'm with the Manehatten team.”

Raindrop giggled, “now it’s my turn to say, 'be careful'.”

Wildfire joined the older mare in her giggles. “That’s entirely different.”

“You've got fire and I've got rain,” Raindrop snickered, and there was general laughter from the others arranged around the coffee table.

Wildfire laughed, “but yes, I'll be as careful as I can, although I'm mainly on cloud delivery. I don’t think I'll be doing any of the really fun stuff anymore.” Try as she might, she couldn’t keep the note of resentment from her voice. While cloud delivery was an important and responsible job, she missed flying through buildings.

“Well with the Manehatten factory,” Raindrop started, “you do have a pony on your side to make sure of quality control.”

Wildfire giggled, “I know I do,” she said as she made a start on her sashimi, “I'm perfectly safe then!”

Leaning over the table, Tempest kissed Wildfire lovingly on the nose. “Nopony is perfect, but I'll rest easier knowing you'll be careful too.”

“I will,” Wildfire kissed her violet lover back, “but I doubt chief Rung's gonna let me near anything really fun.”

“You do what needs to be done.” Airmail said as she reached for another crispy spring roll. “Like you did with Winter.”

“The season?” Lancer asked.

Wildfire giggled, as it was an easy error to make. “No, she's an earth pony mother whom I pulled from a burning building in Canterlot years ago. I went back for her after I took her two colts, Summer and Autumn out first.”

Lancer grinned, imparting his well-earned wisdom. “Feather and fire never mix very well.”

Finishing his first cucumber roll, North Wind gently tapped Wildfire’s shoulder. “Please?”

Wildfire nodded, turning her head to the right, “Go for it, North.”

Leaning over to her new favourite pony, Raindrop whispered in a not-so-quiet whisper, “You have to give it to him, as he can't take from your plate, Wily.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I gotcha,” that however was easier said than done. The diminutive mare felt blindly along her diminishing row of food until she at last located the cucumber roll. Picking it up in her hooves, she passed it to her right and thankfully, North Wind took it from her. “The difference was though Lancer, I could see back then.”

Happy he had his cucumber roll, North Wind squeaked, “Thank you!”

Sat across from Wildfire, next to Airmail, Tempest shifted and suppressed a low growl. She hated Wildfire putting herself down like this. “I've seen how well you track by scent and sound,” she said, determined to not let her start wallowing. “Don't sell yourself short for a pair of eyes, Wily.”

“That's cos I'm a Power Pony.” Wildfire declared, even going so far as to make a little pose.

Seedling, already awed just by Wildfire’s presence, was even more so when the little filly heard that. Aunt Wily was cool! “I like the Power Ponies!” she squeaked energetically, almost upending her food carton when she clapped her forehooves together.

“Me too!” in a very good imitation of her new niece, Wildfire clapped her hooves together. At last she had a Power Pony pal. “Who's your favourite?”

“Fili-Second!” Seedling yelped, jumping up to her hooves and running on the spot.

“I like Zapp,” Wildfire giggled, “I have a flight suit that looks like hers.” She explained, though she wasn’t wearing it now, just the headset which was resting on the seating pad by Tempest.

“I'm partial to Zapp, too.” Raindrop interjected from her stretched seating pad. While she didn’t exactly ‘like’ the Power Ponies as such, as Seedling liked them she was very familiar with them.

Lancer chuckled, “While I like Saddle-Rager.”

Airmail, seated next to her herd-mate, gave each pony in the room an extremely non-plussed look as names and a thing she knew nothing about was discussed in front of her. She couldn’t even begin to join in this conversation so she didn’t try. “I guess I'll have to start watching the show now, right?”

Seedling, still doing her running on the spot, tore around the great room like a little green rocket. “Fili is the fastest!”

“Aw, c'mon Airy, you never watch cartoons or read comics?” Wildfire smiled as she teased her fiancé, a smile that only got bigger and wider when Airmail delivered a raspberry to her. “Fili Second is cool. My mum liked Radiance.”

Seated next to the older pegasus, Tempest burst out into giggles, giggles fuelled by the utterly lost expression plastered all over Airmail’s face. “We will have Airy well indoctrinated before the year is out, I’m sure!” her giggles only intensified when Airmail rolled her eyes at her and nudged her hard in the ribs.

“We certainly will,” Wildfire was as determined as Tempest, “then we can play that bit from issue twenty five, when the Mane-iac has Zapp all tied up...” she paused and coughed, her cheeks going very red indeed, “I mean, that'd be cool.”

Lancer and Raindrop both laughed at that, for they knew of what the diminutive yellow mare spoke. “Bondage is cannon!” Raindrop snickered, making Wildfire blush all the more.

Wildfire nodded, wishing her blush would kindly bugger off. “It so is, Raindrop.”

“Wily, please can I see that book with the invasion stuff in it now?” Lancer asked when he had finished the last of his Neighnese takeout and placed his empty cartons back in the bag that they had come from.

“Oh yuppers, of course you can, Lancer.” Finishing her own food, Wildfire wiped her hooves on a napkin and, making sure they were clean and free of grease, she reached into the saddlebag that she had borrowed from Brush Stroke the night before. “Here you go,” she said, passing the heavy book over to the sound of Lancer’s voice.

Intensely curious, both North Wind and his sister Seedling both moved around their dad so they could get a better view of the pictures as Lancer carefully opened it up. Straightaway he could tell these press clippings and personal pictures were not officially released, he knew these were incredibly rare, bias free images. “I don't think I've seen some of these in the official documents.”

“I'm not sure exactly what's in it,” Wildfire explained, “we got the book from Captain Starbright. He was a friend of my mums.”

“I don't recognise the name,” Lancer commented as he tapped his chin and looked over the old faded black and white photographs. Ponies he thought he knew adorned the pages, all the same, all in various poses, all with ‘that’ look in their eyes that said they had seen fighting. “But, it was some time ago.”

“It was a while,” Wildfire agreed, “the yellow pegasus with the cutie mark of five red lightning bolts arranged in a circle is my mum. Her picture should be there somewhere.”

“Yes, at the very front.” Lancer’s brown eyes fell on the pegasus Wildfire had mentioned almost straightaway. He could tell this particular picture had been taken before the fighting had started. The mare identified as ‘Silverbolt’ was smiling. “Looks like the book was dedicated to the Canterlot Weather Team.”

“Really?” Wildfire let out a delighted little squee, “that's why Oils' dad gave it us then. What's in it?” she asked eagerly, desperate to know anything about her mother, “I know the Captain said the Weather Team used lightning bolts to help the ground forces during the invasion.”

Airmail, like Tempest and the two foals, moved around Lancer to get a better look at the scrapbook. “We haven't had a chance to really look at it,” she explained, “We got it late last night from Starbright, a medic during the invasion. After we got up we flew straight here.”

Lancer looked quickly through the yellowed twenty nine year old pages. “It has individual photos of the weather team as well as group shots taken before, during and after the fighting. Silverbolt is the front mare, along with another called Rainbow Gem. There are some action shots of them during the fight and some photos of the ground forces being supported.”

Lancer paused for a moment as he reached the pages at the back, where he saw writings that were penned by the weather ponies themselves. “Oh, here in the back is a write up from each member of the weather team. There’s one from Silverbolt too.” Looking at the eager look on Wildfire’s face, he read it out;

“Doesn't matter the type of war,
Heartache and misery we can't ignore.
They put their lives on the line,
Blood and dirt, there is no shine.
Even if we have a reason,
You won't find the ideal season,
To leave family and foal behind,
The worst torture, they feel blind.
If you're lucky, you come back,
They give you a medal, and a plaque.
In your mind, memories are clear,
Wake up at night, with so much fear.”

Wildfire, silent until Lancer stopped reading the poem, at last found her tongue. “Oh…that sounds like they were on the frontlines, not just ‘helping out’, doesn’t it?”

“Everypony was on the frontlines that day,” Lancer said, his tone reflecting the horrors of the invasion, Raindrop immediately caressing her husband’s shoulders, for it was all she could reach.

“Not everypony,” Wildfire shook her head, “Not according to Starbright, anyway, but I'm glad my mum did her bit.”

Airmail snickered, misunderstanding what Wildfire had said. “Starbright can ask her at the wedding and she just might tell him.”

Wildfire giggled, “I meant dear old daddy, but yeah I bet he'll ask Luna.” A much brighter thought crossed her mind then, “hey lancer, wanna see mum's medal she got from Celestia?”

“Sure,” Lancer smiled, looking at two pictures of Silverbolt towards the end of the scrapbook. One was a long wide shot of the Princess awarding medals, and the other was of the pegasus in question wearing it with pride, though he fancied the smile was forced. “I'm going to guess it is the Equestria Star though.”

As Wildfire dug around in the saddlebag a little, she eventually found the small box. “Yuppers, how'd you guess?”

Lancer chuckled, “she is wearing it in the photo, here.”

Wildfire grinned through her latest blush, “I knew that!” however, she went quiet, as did everypony else, while she showed off her mother’s medal.

“True courage is acting when we are afraid, so that we can be more than we are.” Lancer said, looking at the highest civilian award for bravery that could be awarded. “As big as fighting off an invasion or as small as entering a burning building. It is a civilian medal so you should wear it proudly in honour of your mother, when the occasion is right.”

“Like her wedding?” Airmail asked, remembering their earlier conversation in flight on the way from Trottingham.

Lancer nodded immediately, he didn’t have to think. “As long as if when she’s asked, she lets anypony know it is to honour her mother.”

“Yuppers...yuppers I will,” Wildfire replied just as quickly, “I’m sorry for spacing out then, I was thinking about that mum wrote. it's just...she never spoke about it, not ever.”

Raindrop once more reached out from her stretched seating pad and she laid her forehoof comfortingly on Wildfire’s back. “From the poem she wrote, there were those she knew and loved that were lost, so I think, rather than repeat the past she let it lie buried.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “that's what I took from it too, Raindrop. I'm gonna guess it wasn't the best day ever, for all involved.”

Lancer had to agree with that. “I spent it in a shelter helping with foals that were separated from their parents.”

“You can't say that's not really important,” Wildfire said defensively on Lancer’s behalf, “I'll bet those parents were glad you were there when they were reunited with their foals.” Wildfire sighed, “according to the Captain, my dad didn't help much but I'm not surprised…”

“I don't know about that,” Lancer interrupted her, “I didn't see any of the fighting. I'd like to think those outside were making a difference though.”

Airmail was watching the conversation and she didn’t like the way it was going, especially with two foals in the room as well. She decided to do something about it. “Enough talk,” she announced loudly, “time for dessert!”

Seedling reared up onto her hind hooves and squealed, “Ice Cream!”

North Wind similarly joined his sister, though he buzzed his little wings excitedly, “Icream!”

“Yay!” Wildfire, ever the overgrown foal, clapped her forehooves as well, “icream!”

Raindrop rolled her eyes, though she had a smile on her face at the three foals sat in her great room. “There’s a choice of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or any combination.”

“Hmm…” Wildfire tapped her chin, “It’s a tough choice but I'll have to say chocolate, please.”

Airmail snickered, hoof bumping Tempest and flicking her ears to tell her violet herd-mate she had lost the silent bet, “Good thing North likes the vanilla or that would be the only thing left in the carton.”

North Wind took off and hovered a foot above the floor at the mention of his favourite flavour. “Nilla! Nilla!”

“I'll have all three, please.” Tempest requested politely.

“I'll fall on my hoof and join North in some nilla,” Airmail said, before getting up with Lancer and going with her brother-in-law to help him serve. After ten minutes or so, the two ponies soon returned with a long wide serving tray held between them holding seven dishes of ice cream.

“Hey Seedling,” Wildfire asked the little summer green filly, “who would win, Fili Second or Rainbow Dash?”

“Fili!” Seedling squeaked without a moment’s pause, “'cause she is a Power Pony. She is way faster than the Princesses!”

Raindrop was caught in mid-eye roll, though she was suddenly preoccupied with the bowl of strawberry ice cream that was presented to her. “Wily, I don't think they teach the Celestia Six in pre-school.”

Wildfire grinned, a grin that became wider when she smelled the chocolate ice cream on the coffee table in front of her. “I think Fili Second would win too. I also think they should've had comics as a lesson in my school. I'd have passed that exam no trouble!”

“See sis,” Airmail smirked as she took her bowl of vanilla, “I told you I'd marry a smart pony.”

Wildfire giggled, “but instead you got me!”

Leaning over the table, Airmail gave Wildfire a long, loving kiss, then the azure blue mare gave her fiancé a gentle thwack upside her head with her forehoof. “You're no dummy, love.”

“Maybe not,” Wildfire said, returning the kiss before getting a spoonful of her ice cream, “I was thinking I might take Dusky up on that tutoring thing he mentioned though.”

“I thought it was for you to finish Uni and get your diploma?” Tempest asked as she swallowed a mouthful of her mixed ice cream.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire agreed, “that. I'm going to do that, I'll even brave math, it'll be worth it in the end.”

Airmail rolled her eyes, doing a very passable impression of her younger sister. “Didn't I say a couple weeks ago you might find math in braille easier?”

“And you did ace Airy's math question on the fly,” Tempest added with a playful giggle.

Wildfire nodded, sparing a moment to polish off her ice cream. “You did indeed Airy, and I want to try math in braille,” she laughed then when Tempest’s comment sunk in. “Honey, she asked me what one plus one was, even I know that!”

Finishing off her ice cream, Seedling placed her forehoof on her auntie Wildfire’s in sympathy. “Math is hard, auntie Wily.”

Again, Wildfire nodded, “yes Seedling, it is, I think it's very hard.”

Seedling smiled up at her new aunt, “I like to read and draw.”

“I like to read and write poems,” Wildfire turned her head and smiled down in the direction of the high pitched excited squeak, “what do you like to read?”

Without an explanation, Seedling got up and rushed out of the great room. Raindrop giggled as the sound of tiny hooves diminished on the flooring “She'll be back in a moment with one of her early reader books,” she explained to a confused looking Wildfire.

Literally seconds later, Seedling returned with a chunky yellow book held in her mouth – the sort of eye-achingly bright yellow that would glow in the dark – and, moving in next to Wildfire she set it down. “This one!” she let out an excited little squee, “The Fire Cat.”

Wildfire made a show of thinking for a moment. “I don't think I remember that one, can you read it for me?”

That was what Seedling was waiting for. “Yes!” she squeaked as she nestled into Wildfire’s flank and opened up the story book. “Pickles, that's the cat's name, Auntie Wily,” she started once she felt the older mare get comfortable, “Once upon a time, there was a yellow cat with black spots in his fur. His name was Pickles...”

Like a good aunt, Wildfire listened while Seedling read and finished the story, “In Mrs. Goodkind's home there was a pretty pad for Pickles to sit on. There were toys for him to play with.” She finished proudly, beaming like a little sun that she had read it all perfectly.

Lowering her head, Wildfire nuzzled Seedling’s cheek. It touched her in a way, for she was reminded very strongly of how her mother would sit with her when she was a filly and listen to her read. “That was properly awesomes, you read really well, Seedling.”

Seedling couldn’t look any more proud. “Thank you!”

“Why did you pick Fire Cat?” Raindrop asked curiously now she had finished her ice cream.

“Auntie Wily is a Fire Pony!” the little summer green filly said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Do you have a cat at the Fire House, Auntie Wily?”

Wildfire thought about that. Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure. She hadn’t actually been to the Fire House yet, just inside Rung’s office. “Oh, I don't know, but if there isn't one I'll tell the Chief to get one, how’s that?”

That appeased Seedling, who jumped up and punched the air with her hoof. “Yes! Will you call it Pickles?”

“I certainly will!” Wildfire couldn’t help but smile at that. “You know, you'll be reading Shakespony before long.”

Utterly lost at the mention of a name she didn’t recognise, Seedling looked at her mother with a blank expression on her face. Raindrop giggled, “Something you will enjoy when you're older, sweetie.”

“You'll love it,” Wildfire enthused, “it's better than the Power Ponies.”

“Really?” both Seedling and Tempest questioned her at exactly the same moment. So stunned was the violet weather pony repeated her question. “Really?”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire squealed, clapping her hooves together, “Shakespony's plays are like, just the best thing ever. Some are even movies, so Airy can enjoy them and not be bored.”

“Ha. Ha, ha.” Airmail rolled her eyes and got up from her seating pad, determined to make herself useful and clear away the now empty ice cream bowls.

Wildfire, oblivious to her fiancé’s sarcastic laugh, continued with her favourite subject. “There's my favourite one, and it’s even named after Tempest.”

Seedling was awed at that. That a play and a movie was named after her aunt. “OooOOooh!”

Tempest laughed out loud, more at Airmail’s response than at Wildfire’s inference that The Tempest was named after her. “Of course, Wily knows it better than me, but she did get me the book which was very sweet of her.”

Her good mood regained, Airmail bustled back into the great room from the kitchen, having deposited the dishes in the sink for her brother-in-law to wash later. “Thank you for the food and the fun sis, but we really need to move on up to Fillydelphia before getting back home.”

Raindrop nodded, she wished her older sister could have stayed longer but she understood the need to get on and get home. “Serenity said in one of her letters that you were all moving back in together.”

“That’s true,” Tempest added, “what with both Wily and Serenity planning on having a foal, it makes sense.”

Lancer’s ears perked right up at that. “There’s no more issues over Serenity's ‘excesses’, then?”

“I think Mapper has that well under control now,” Airmail stated definitely, for she was sure that was the case as she saw it. “So it’s all behind us.”

Raindrop nodded and smiled, satisfied by that. “I’ll let Caffy know if I have a good reason to skip gaming night this month.” She said, rubbing her vastly swollen belly as she felt a hard kick from her foal.

Airmail giggled when she saw the definite shape of a very tiny hoof appear on her sister’s belly. “If he doesn't understand I'm sure Thespy can pound some sense into his stripy old hide.”

Wildfire bit her lip, “um, can I get a last feel before we go?”

Raindrop patted the blind mare’s shoulder. “Of course, one for the road.” She paused and giggled, “Before you got home Lance, I thought Wily had glue on her hoof.”

“Thanks…” Wildfire ran her hooves once more over Raindrop’s pregnant belly, a very wide grin spreading over her face when almost instantly she was greeted by the foal moving. “Yuppers, I really don't think my hooves want to leave.”

“Try sleeping next to her and getting kicked out of bed.” Lancer chuckled, easily dodging a swipe that his wife aimed at him with her hind leg.

“Can't be worse than Airy's snoring,” Wildfire said as she very reluctantly tore her hoof away from Raindrop’s belly. “Alrighty, I'm done, or I'll be here forever and ever.”

Raindrop shot her husband a scathing look, though she smiled at Wildfire. “Come back and see us after the birth.”

Airmail giggled, “Like you'll be able to stop us.”

“Wily needs the foalsitting experience.”

Wildfire giggled at Tempest’s comment, “thank you, Stormy.”

Lancer laughed, “I just welcome somepony else here to change the nappies.”

“Fireflight can dirty all the nappies she likes,” Wildfire stated with an air of finality that said she wasn’t going to be argued with, “I so do not care about that.”

Raindrop gave her sister a sly look, “Mom said that with Airy in the house, she never had to change a nappy at all.”

Wildfire picked up on the teasing tone of Raindrop’s voice and decided to join in the fun. “Oh, I reckon if I let her have some of my milk I'll get a chance to change some.”

“You already know her so well!” Raindrop said with glee, while Airmail had a very serious blush spreading all over her face.

Wildfire sniggered, “Hey, I'll even go to the MiAC store near us and get a cowbell for my collar!”

Tempest let out a very violent snort of laughter which Lancer immediately pounced upon. “Seed,” he nudged his filly, “what does the cow say?”

“Moo!”

“Moo,” North Wind and Raindrop joined in as well, “moo, moo!”

Wildfire giggled, unable to help herself, “moo!”

“I love you all to death.” Airmail grumbled playfully, though her blush was still in full effect. “I mean that.” After that, there was a generous amount of hugs all round, and everypony made sure to hug everypony else at least twice over. Airmail had to bodily pull Wildfire away from Raindrop and her belly.

“Love you too, Pretty,” Wildfire made sure to hug her fiancé tightly, at least that way she wasn’t tempted to feel up Raindrop again. “Seed, you gonna look after your mum?”

Seedling veritably bounced up Wildfire’s leg, “Yes! I will do a good job, Aunt Wily.”

“Hoof bump!” Wildfire declared as she was herded out of the great room and down the entrance hall towards the front door. This was a good thing because if Airmail and Tempest hadn’t, she would’ve stayed there literally forever.

“Seed does great with North Wind and that is a real bonus,” Lancer said, praising his filly who had a very, very big smile all over her little face.

Charging up alongside her new favourite aunt, Seedling jumped up and bumped hooves with the blind pegasus. “Bye bye Auntie Wily! I'll read you another book next time you visit.”

“I can't wait, Seed.” Wildfire took a moment to hug the little filly tightly while Airmail opened the door and once again, had to forcibly remove her from the hug and the house.

“Let's fly!” Airmail called out to Tempest and Wildfire once they were all three of them standing on the street on Riverside Park, almost the exact same spot they had landed hours before. Without waiting for Wildfire, Airmail and Tempest spread their wings and took off.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire, on the ground, took a moment to set her headset’s destination to Fillydelphia before she too rose up into the midday sunshine with a grin all over her muzzle. “Finally I'm going where I was supposed to be the last five years,” she said, easily catching up with her two lovers.