“That finishes the tour of my relatives,” Airmail said with a smile as Wildfire joined them at two thousand feet in the air. Flying in a slightly north-easterly direction – according to Wildfire’s headset – the three herd-mates were cruising at a steady and very manageable fifty miles per hour.

“Just my sister left in Fillydelphia,” Tempest commented. Once again, she had taken the lead, a role which Airmail was happy for her violet lover to assume.

“We’ll need to meet up with Serenity's parents and that will take care of the mini herd.” Airmail announced, more for Wildfire’s benefit than Tempest’s, seeing as of course she had met the teal unicorn’s family many times since they had all become an established herd.

“Home is a nice place to be, isn't it Wily?” Tempest asked over her shoulder at her little yellow lover. Looking back, she was, as she always was, amazed and impressed with how well she was able to fly using just the headset for guidance. She herself had flown in the dark countless times at night, but she didn’t fancy flying in total absolute darkness.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire smiled in reply. “I've enjoyed the big tour, of course I have, but it'll be so sweet to get back to Manehatten…” she went silent for a long few minutes then, so much so that Airmail was about to ask her what was wrong. Wildfire was deep in thought. A scary thought, a thought she had been thinking for a little while now, if she was honest. “Airy, Stormy, can we stop on the next cloud for a moment, please?”

“Sure,” Tempest responded somewhat automatically, scanning ahead for a suitable cloud. Thankfully one presented itself not all that far away. “No problem.”

“Thanks Honey.” Wildfire adjusted her course to match Tempest’s new direction when she banked slightly to the left.

“Tired,” Airmail asked, her keen ears perked up at the unexpected request for a break. It concerned her, for her fiancé had made a five hour flight with no problems at all, and they’d had a two hour break at Raindrop’s house, so asking for a break now was a bit of a worry. “Or is there something on your mind?”

“I'm fine Pretty,” Wildfire answered her quickly, “It’s just…well, I've just been thinking, is all.”

“You were correct,” Airmail giggled, an opportunity for teasing presenting itself, “the answer was two.”

Tempest alighted herself on the top of the cloud and turned, all at once concerned by the look on Wildfire’s face. There was no humour there. It was a shock and a surprise to see the diminutive pegasus look so serious. “Airy,” she said, holding up a hoof, “she's looking serious.”

Now she had landed, and had the chance to see just how serious Wildfire was. She’d only seen her lover looking that serious a few times over the past three weeks. “What is it, love?” she asked gently, her azure blue wing draped almost instinctively over her back.

Wildfire knew what she wanted to say, the problem was saying it. She wanted to laugh at the irony of a mare as good as she was with words not knowing what to say, but she tried to marshal her thoughts. “It’s...it’s about Wildflower. I-I don't think I need her anymore…” she lowered her head, for she heard the audible gasps from both the older mares stood in front of her. “I-I'm grateful she was there, these past few weeks, and the other day on the train...”

Stepping around her, Airmail very, very gently silenced her with a hoof placed softly at Wildfire’s lips. “My love, did you think we'd be upset over that?”

Tempest, likewise stepping closer to Wildfire, gave her a very affectionate little nuzzle to her left cheek. “Another question is, do you wish to have the collar removed?”

“Oh no,” Wildfire replied as soon as she was able, when the hoof at her lips was removed, “no I didn't Airy, not at all, I just wanted you to know I've thought it through since the other day, when I had that dream I told you about in the bath.” She thought just a little further before turning to Tempest, “no, no I'd very much like to keep the collar on. That aspect I like.”

“What about being Mapper's pet?” Tempest asked kindly, trying her very best not to lead the young mare on, “do you still want to play that game?”

“Yuppers Honey, I really do have fun with that.” Wildfire didn’t have to hesitate or think about that. Being Mapper’s pet was just awesomes! “I just didn't want you to think I was ungrateful for all the good that Wildflower's done me.”

“So,” Airmail said, lovingly licking her way up Wildfire’s right ear, “I still want that to be your special code word if you find yourself in trouble and alone. It just means that when you’re naughty now, you'll still be Wildfire.” She explained with a little giggle.

Tempest kissed Wildfire’s forehead. “Don't think this will make picking up chocochips any easier.”

Wildfire let out a very relieved little giggle, glad that things wouldn't be changing too much. “So…everything's cool?”

Airmail kisses her fiancé’s lips. “Yes, Wily, everything’s cool.”

Tempest also kissed her lover once Airmail had made room for her. “Forgive me if I call you Wildflower again though. It’s such a cute name.”

Still rather relieved, Wildfire kissed them both. “You’re forgiven my love, it is pretty cute.” She smiled then, “thanks for being so awesomes about all this.”

Airmail smiled, she couldn’t help it. She was so proud of her fiancé she didn’t have the words. “I think we made that name up to put you in a safe place. Now, you are always in a safe place.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire couldn’t agree more with that assertion, “that's how I feel Airy,” she then touched her collar, she ran her hoof over the blue and violet coloured collar which meant so much to her. “With you, marrying you, Stormy, the herd, now I’m back with my friends and mum, I feel...I feel like me again.”

“That's good, it would be terrible if you were me.” Tempest giggled, feeling a need to lighten the mood just a little, “My clothes would all be the wrong colour, for a start.”

“Ha, ha,” Wildfire pouted, though a teeny little giggle escaped her as well. “Miss Snarky Feathers!”

Tempest sniffed and threw her head back in as haughty a fashion as she could manage, strutting around the cloud they had stopped on so that the sunlight shone off of her body and the gentle breeze wafted through her black mane, “that's right, it’s Miss to you, Miss Last Word.”

Wildfire snickered, she too felt the cool south-eastern breeze, “yes Miss Last Word.”

Overcome, Tempest wrapped the little blind mare up in a very big hug, forelegs and wings as well. “So,” the violet weather pony said, looking around at the cloud they were stood on, “I think this cloud looks a bit short on water…” the very next thing Wildfire heard was the sound of Tempest peeing and the sound of the pee stream hitting the surface of the cloud.

Airmail backed away from the spreading yellow stain with distaste, “ugh…you don't have to mark every cloud in the sky you know, Stormy.”

Wildfire giggled when she heard Tempest raspberry Airmail for her comment. “Well, I suppose it’s easier than writing 'Stormy was here' on every cloud we pass, just save some pee for me when we get home, please Honey.”

Airmail rolled her brown eyes, “I don't know if Stormy can run out of pee.”

“Ready to fly?” Tempest asked as she shook the last drips of pee from herself and spread her violet wings wide in preparation to take off, “my sister, the doctor, awaits!”

Wildfire laughed as she too flared her wings wide, “me in a bath says I'm willing to find out, Pretty,” she sniggered when she turned her head to face Tempest. “Yuppers, I'm ready to move on…um, which way?”

“To Infinity and Beyond!” Tempest exclaimed heroically before launching herself into the air towards the northeast. “Yeah, that is in the neighbourhood, alright.”

Wildfire, her ears following Tempest, and with her headset guiding her, took off with Airmail to the northeast. “Hey, when it gets darker you can chose the second star to the right and we'll go straight on till morning!”

“I may be a bit old for that destination.” Airmail snickered, running her left wingtip along her fiancé’s neck and her muzzle. “So, will you still keep me when I'm sixty four?”

Wildfire giggled, the azure blue feathers finding her ticklish spot just under her jaw. “Hey, somepony has to, and the day you get too old to go there is the day I marry Dusky!”

Airmail laughed at that, “If you do that, Oils will have the start of a harem.”

“Nah,” Wildfire giggled as she angled her yellow wings and rolled over onto her back, her forelegs behind her head, “Oils can keep him, I've got enough keeping you young, Missy!” she grinned, doing a passable impression of Tempest flying backwards, though she had to ignore the contradictory reports that her headset was giving her due to the sudden change of attitude, “only young Pretty mares get to put their hooves in me.”

“I like where you’re going with this,” Airmail giggled, “but I still want things clean.”

As she flew along backwards, Wildfire spread her hind legs so that her fiancé could get a clear unobstructed view of her glistening marehood. “Cleanliness is my middle name!” she called out, though when she heard from her headset she was losing height, she flipped back over the right way up, though she kept her black tail up high.

“And here I thought wet was your 'middle' name.” Airmail snickered, her eyes never straying from Wildfire’s snatch.

“Yuppers, it depends if I'm more wet or clean at a given time,” Wildfire replied, though as she flew along, the diminutive mare began humming, and ten minutes later she was singing a selection of her mother’s favourite Beautiful South songs, so happy and at peace was she.

Casually, as Airmail adjusted her flight to stray directly behind Wildfire, Tempest too allowed herself to fall back so that the two older ponies were trailing her. “Sing for me, love.” Tempest said with a smile in her voice, “sing your happiness.”

“You got it, babes!” Only then did Wildfire realise that she was leading their little formation. Checking her headset, that she was still going the right way, she started singing 'let love speak up itself’.”

“Don't whisper love and dream of wedding bells
Don't do all the talking, let love speak up itself
Let love speak up itself.”

Wildfire had just gotten through the first verse when Tempest called forward, “We're going to need more albums from that group, aren’t we?”

“So when you feel a little tatty and unhappy with your face
Let it breathe into us and put you back in place
Let it breathe, let it breathe
From the day it came into us till the day it wants to leave
For it will, it will go
And it will not say goodbye just like it didn't say hello
There will not be a send-off, a funeral or mass
Just a pathetic little vodka from a dirty little glass
To the world's greatest mum
From the oldest swinger in town
Let love speak up itself”

Wildfire finished her number on a very high note. She adored that song even though it wasn’t one of the band’s more successful ones. “Oh they did loads, mum had about nine I think,” After that, she started singing a song called 'rocking chair' from the album 0898. “Hey, is there anything you'd like to hear Airy?” she asked when she was finished, “cos I could sing these all day long.”

Airmail giggled, “how about ‘sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows?”

“Alrighty! You start and I'll join in!” Wildfire called back with a giggle of her own, then she smiled when a sexy idea entered her head. “Babes, can I dock for a ride?”

“And I thought my mom's collection of vinyl would be common knowledge to you!” Airmail laughed, missing what Wildfire had said, as she was concentrating on flying. That and looking at her lover’s crotch.

“I didn't say I don’t know it, I just want you to start while I ride you.”

Tempest’s ears perked up, catching on at last from her position next to her herd-mate. “Are you tired from flying, Wily?” she asked, concern in her voice.

“A little,” Wildfire admitted, “and I wanted a sneaky mid-air cuddle too.”

“You can ride on my back,” Tempest offered as she accelerated and once more regained the lead position in the little formation, “I have the wing strength to carry a pony.”

“That's true,” Airmail was willing to give her herd-mate that one, “she is a much stronger flyer than me.”

“Oh…alrighty Honey…” Wildfire sighed. She was more than willing to admit that Tempest was the strongest flier among them, but that wasn’t why she sighed. “Guys I'm alright, really I am, I was just after a sneaky cuddle, that’s all.”

“Oh!” Airmail facehooved, kicking herself for not seeing that one coming. “I’m sorry, I guess I was too focused on flying.” Now she saw what Wildfire had in mind, she was all for it. “You're better at flying upside down, Wily.”

Up front, Tempest snickered, “you two going to do the pony with four wings?”

Wildfire smiled, “I was thinking about it.”

“So flip over again and show me that spread!”

“Well, as you asked so nicely, oh love of mine…” once more, Wildfire angled her wings to allow her to barrel roll over onto her back. As soon as she did so, she spreads her hind legs wide open, giggling when a gust of air blew over her exposed marehood.

“Incoming!” Airmail yelled out the only warning she was going to give as she flew forward and wrapped her forelegs around Wildfire’s barrel and kissed her lips deeply. Almost immediately, Wildfire opened her lips and Prench kissed her fiancé, sliding her tongue into her mouth.

“Synchronise those wings or you'll do your ‘Pony is a Brick’.” Tempest advised them both warningly, for she could see them getting lower already just after a few seconds in the hug.

“That's Air Raid's technique!” Wildfire giggled, though she flapped her wings steadily and above her, Airmail moved to time her wing flaps with her lover’s as she ground her lower belly against her. Flying upside down, Wildfire concentrated on her steady pace. “Hmm, Airy that's nice, love.”

“It will even be nicer when you're swollen with milk.”

“I'll moo just for you…”

Airmail shook her head, “I learned long ago to not call my mom a cow, so I won't call you one either. But, I do like the idea of a cowbell for your collar.”

“Hey,” Wildfire said defensively, “it's just a bit of fun, baby.” She placed a tender little kiss squarely on Airmail’s lips, “I'm sure MiAC sell them, there's some kinky ponies out there.” Again, she kissed her older lover, “no calling cow then, but the bell is definitely cool.”

Leaning forward, Airmail nuzzled her ear. “MooOOooOO!”

Over her shoulder, Tempest was a little alarmed. You two are below one thousand seven hundred and fifty feet.” She was rightly worried. They should be at two thousand. “You’re now below one thousand five hundred!”

Airmail snickered in her mare’s ear, “I think Stormy is worried we might crash in our bliss.”

Wildfire was of course aware of the loss of altitude thanks to her headset, “Hmm…not the 'going out with a bang' I had in mind,” her sentence was cut off when Airmail silenced her with a deep kiss before slipping down her body, trailing her tongue leaving a wet trail as she went. Just before she separated, she nipped at Wildfire’s belly, making her squeal before she rolled over. “Pretty, you are so finishing that off later!”

Airmail, ogling Wildfire’s wet marehood, stayed right where she was. “Say, pretty pony, want to go home with me tonight?”

Tempest, who had been waiting for her moment, leapt straight in. “Sure!”

Wildfire sniggered at that, “me too!”

“Aw…do I gotta share?”

Airmail rolled her eyes at her violet herd-mate, “Yes you do, Stormy, dear.”

“Sharing is caring,” Wildfire added quickly, “and you can spank me over the bed, if you remember how to swing a crop, Honey.”

Tempest suddenly let out a very evil little chuckle, just like an old style black and white movie villain, “They do say practice makes perfect, Wily.”

Wildfire giggled, “Yes it does. You gonna do that thing you did to my hoof again Airy? Cos that was way cool.”

Airmail cocked her head in consideration at that, pondering the ideal response. “That depends, are you a naughty student?”

“I dunno Professor, ask me a question and we'll see.” Wildfire knew it was all in good fun, but she was still nervous, nonetheless.

Airmail thought seriously for a few seconds. She knew anything she asked was likely to be met with a wrong answer, but it wasn’t her intention to make her lover feel stupid. Not when she was more than capable of doing that to herself. “What is the square of the cubed root of sixty four?”

“Wha...um...well, it’s, um...” Wildfire flustered, clutching desperately for any kind of answer. “Is it ten? No...ugh...I have no idea…”

“Sweet sixteen,” Tempest answered for her.

“Stormy,” Airmail giggled, “don't break that crop on her ass, I'll need it for her hooves.”

Wildfire blushed hard. Already she could hear Professor Calculus’s derisive sneering voice – the voice of the unicorn in her dream – putting her down and calling her stupid. “I want another.”

“Multiply by five the result of dividing eight by four.”

“Alrighty, here we go...” Wildfire stuck out her tongue in concentration as she tried to simultaneously answer Airmail’s math question and put the nasty voices from her past out of her mind. It was easier said than done though. “Um...eight into four...hmm, that's two, cos two fours are eight...now, eight multiplied by five...ugh, what's that?” she struggled, she was right the way back in school and it felt horrible. “It's, oooh its...thirty!”

“Airy,” Tempest shook her head and raised her hoof, “let me try one.”

“Go for it,” Airmail acquiesced somewhat reluctantly, “and it was ten, by the way.”

“What‽” Wildfire spluttered, so disconcerted she struggled to fly straight for a moment, she had been certain of that one. “Ten? How can it be ten?”

Tempest decided on a different, more word-associated approach using something she was sure Wildfire was familiar with. “There are sixteen foals trapped on the roof of a burning building. There is you and three other pegasi on your fire team. Each of you can only carry two foals. How many trips do each of you need to make?”

Wildfire answered in the space of three seconds flat. She didn’t even stop to think, her brain automatically switched to ‘firefighting mode’. “Four pegasi carrying two foals each, we'd need two trips each to get all sixteen off that roof.”

Tempest held back a little and brushed her lips with the tip of a primary feather. Not only was she proud at how fast she had answered, but the confidence in her voice. “That's right, Wily!”

“I know you can do this,” Airmail said supportively, “As to my question, how many sets of four are there in eight?”

Wildfire smiled, thankful that her training was still there in her head. “There’s no way I'm leaving foals behind in a building, Honey.” As to Airmail’s question, she thought about it, probably more than it required, but she thought about it. “There's two lots of four, um…one, two, three, four, then there’s five, six, seven and eight, so um…two!”

“Okay,” Airmail smiled, “and how many total is two sets of five?”

Again, Wildfire thought long and hard. “Well...it, it’s ten, isn't it?”

“So, five times eight divided by four equals ten.”

Wildfire processed that for a few seconds. “Hang on...” she was confused, in spite of her efforts or because of them. “Right, yeah...” she giggled, “you're right, it is ten!”

Airmail flew on by her obviously self-doubting mare so she too could brush a feather over her lips. “You're a smart pony, Wily, and don't let anypony, including yourself, tell you otherwise.”

Wildfire blushed so hard her cheeks were redder than Serenity’s after Mapper had used the cricket bat on her. “Well, if I'm honest, Tempest's question was easy. Yours Airy, well...yours was just a load of jumbly numbers. I'm still not sure I get it.”

“I know, I know,” Airmail sighed. Very quickly she realised the key with Wildfire and math. “It is all to do with context and setting. We'll have to see how you do with the numbers in braille.”

“Picturing the burning building and the foals, it was like being at work, it was natural, y'know?” Wildfire tried to explain it as best she could, though with a loud annoyed ‘harrumph’, she didn’t feel like she was, at all. “Ugh, it’s hard to explain!”

“It isn't, really.” Tempest replied as she adjusted her course to Fillydelphia. Already she could see the wide ribbon that was the Delamare River that transected the large coastal city from where she was in the air. “It's just a matter of association, why I asked my question the way I did. I could have simply said what is the result of sixteen divided by four times two.”

Wildfire, completely blank, asked, “huh?”

Both Airmail and Tempest giggled, “Same answer but two ways to ask the question.” Airmail clarified from her position to Wildfire’s left. She too could see the larger upcoming landmarks from her vantage point such as Independence Hall, where the peace treaty following the second great griffon war was signed as well as the Museum of Art.

“Aargh!” Wildfire exclaimed violently, so much so that she momentarily stunned Airmail and Tempest, “I'd have never got that in a million years! Calculus was right, I am stupid!” she hung her head, her ears slicked back to her scalp and her black tail was right down between her legs. All she could hear in her head was the flashbacks to her traumatic math classes.

Airmail’s mouth hung open for a few long seconds until she got control of herself. “Wily, what did I just say?”

Tempest, up front, had to count to ten forwards and backwards in order to stamp down on her rising temper. She knew it wasn’t Wildfire’s fault, but she also knew if she carried on with these derogatory thoughts, she would find out why her nickname was ‘Stormy’. “If there is anypony that is stupid it was Calculus by not showing you a different way to look at a problem.”

Wildfire wouldn’t listen though. “Yuppers, but I bet Seedling, Seashell and Sand Dune can do it without it being dressed up as a fire thing…” she muttered miserably. All of a sudden, she didn’t feel like meeting anypony new. She just wanted to curl up on the nearest cloud and be left alone.

Very quickly indeed, Airmail scooted up so that she was next to Tempest. Through a series of hoof bumps and ear flicks, all of course invisible to Wildfire, the azure blue mare managed at length to calm her herd-mate. “Probably, but would they get a word problem like you did?” she asked back over her shoulder. It simply broke her heart to see Wildfire crushed like she was right then.

“Oh…I don't know, maybe…” Wildfire murmured, not feeling any more buoyed than before.

Tempest, who by now was calm enough to talk, but only just, her anger management coping mechanisms working well for her now, “There are a few ponies out there that are pretty good at everything,” she said finally, “but all ponies are really good at something.”

“So, my love,” Airmail said as she flew back alongside her troubled fiancé and caressed her flank tenderly with her wingtip, “you are good enough at math to make it count, but you're really good at doing your job.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire grinned eventually, for in her head Airmail, Tempest, Mapper and Serenity had silenced Calculus’s harsh criticisms of her. “Yeah, I guess I am, aren’t I?”

Just then, thankfully when her temper had fully receded, Tempest’s phone rang in her saddlebag. Reaching back, she placed the Bluetooth connection in her ear. “Hello…Oh, hi, sis!” Tempest greeted her sister, Wind the doctor. “We are about an hour out…okay, sure, not a problem…really, yeah we can do that…love you too, bye!” smiling broadly, she put the Bluetooth back in her bag.

“Wind and Knife are running late,” Tempest said over her shoulder, referring to her brother-in-law and sister respectively, “but Thunder and Breeze, their teenage colt and filly, will be home to let us in. Wind wants us to pick up pizza for dinner this afternoon.”

“Pizza!” Wildfire squealed excitedly, her mood flipped a complete one eighty from the maudlin state of just a few moments ago. “Are we really only an hour away?”

“It’s only a three hour flight to Filly from Baltimare,” Tempest explained to her.

Wildfire smiled, “I know that now, don’t I? Hey, when we get there I can show you where I've been living all these years!”

“Yes,” Airmail laughed, seeing the funny side of what her lover had said, “I'd love to see your Fillydelphia mansion, Wily.”

“Oh it’s a huge place,” Wildfire spread her forelegs as wide as she could, gesticulating the size of her imaginary house that never was, “there’s many rooms, all full of things, shiny poetry books, Shakespony plays and math is never mentioned.” She laughed, unable to contain herself, “On to pizza! I'll have the seafood one if you're buying.”

Tempest giggled as they flew closer to the large city, in the distance to the east there were ships of all sizes on the Celestia Sea, including luxury liners, “I hope, I mean, I think Buca di Beppo is still around. They have Frutti di Mare I'd think you'd like, Wily.”

“Yes!” Wildfire let out a celebratory whoop, “you know me so well, Honey.”

“You can even make Airy eat a slice,” Tempest snickered over her shoulder at her older herd-mate who pulled a yucky face which made her snicker louder, “like she made you eat celery that one time.”

Wildfire giggled, “It's a tempting thought.”

“I'll eat it,” Airmail grumped, “It just isn't my first choice. How about I get a crispy garden pizza with celery?” she shot back, sounding far more sulky than she intended.

“Just teasing, Airy.” Tempest sounded subdued, realising she may have gone a bit too far.

Wildfire reached out with her right wing, hopefully reaching for Airmail's side. Thankfully she found it. “I’m not gonna force anything on you babes, I only like fish because of the meat I had to eat at the home, and eventually I started liking it, but fish is way better.”

“Well, Airy?”

Airmail sighed, feeling more than a little silly for overreacting to her fiancé and her herd-mate, “I've eaten griffon rations. Since I've gotten out I tend to avoid any meat, but yeah, fish isn't too bad. That pizza has squid though…” she said in her own defence.

“Not a squid fan, sweetie?”

Tempest burst out laughing, “She thinks the suckers will get stuck on the way down.” the violet mare’s laugh only got more intense when Airmail treated her to a long, loud raspberry. That was entirely the reason she hated squid and Tempest knew it, too.

“Aha! The squid's revenge!” Wildfire joined in the easy laughter, “I tell you what, you have a slice of mine, I'll have one of yours, how’s that, Pretty?”

“Actually I think you'll like her favourite, Wily.”

“White alfredo spinach, artichoke, garlic, and mare cheese.”

Listening, Wildfire could easily pick up on the yearning lust in her fiancé’s voice when she mentioned the mare cheese. “Yuppers, everything on that sounds cool,” she sniggered, “if the suckers do get stuck I can always try the ‘hind lick’ manoeuver to shift it.”

Her mood brightened, Airmail let out a giggle, “That is a good joke, Wily!”

Wildfire giggled, “You just wait ‘till I lick your hind end, Pretty.”

“Challenge accepted!”

Wildfire snickered, “before or after you cane my hooves, Miss Teacher Pony?”

“After of course, as a penitence…”

“Ah, good they are still in business!” Tempest interrupted the jovial banter when, flying over the outskirts of Fillydelphia she saw in the middle distance the bright neon lights that said her sister’s favourite pizza joint was still open. “They will have four large pizzas ready when we get there.”

Airmail drifted over and nudged Wildfire’s side, “That is why we keep Stormy around in the herd. She is the practical one.”

Wildfire playfully tossed her black mane in the airstream, “I'm here for my looks then, I assume?”

“Maid service,” Tempest countered, “none of the rest of us like to dust. Of course, watching you dust is very easy on the eyes.”

As Airmail giggled at that, Wildfire laughed, “I see, and I suppose having my own uniform helps?”

“Wasn't a job requirement,” Airmail put in, “but it’s a big plus.”

“Feather duster is a nice touch too,” Tempest commented, “much better than using your own wings.”

“Stockings though…” Airmail and Tempest said together in perfect unison, “are required!”

Wildfire giggled, she couldn’t help it. She realised then, after her downcast mood, just how much she loved and appreciated her fiancé and her herd-mate. “They're provided too, just for you two to ogle at.”

Smiling a wide sly smile, Airmail flew a little lower so she could gaze up with an unobstructed clear view at her lover’s crotch. “Ogling you right now.”

Grinning, Wildfire raised a hoof up to her forehead, “oh…the pit falls of being so sexy…” still, she raised up her black tail and opened her legs to give, in her mind, Airmail a better view of herself.

“We all have our burdens to bear,” Tempest said dramatically, then she began a steady descent, “Pizza joint at twelve 0'clock low! Pizza, down below!”

“Wohoo!” Wildfire squealed excitedly, “I smell food!” following Tempest’s lead, as well as those prompts given to her by her headset, she too started a descent towards the ground.

In low voice, but not quite low enough so as not to be heard, Airmail said, “Stormy and Wind are very close, Wily, maybe because Wind is the oldest and Stormy is the youngest with poor Storm in the middle.”

Wildfire nodded her understanding, “oh okay, Pretty I gotcha…” she thought for a moment, “sometimes I wish I'd had a brother or sister, then other times I'm really glad I didn't.”

“I was the oldest so they were a joy. Stormy was the youngest.”

Tempest huffed, “I'm not deaf, you know.”

Wildfire giggled as they got close to the ground, her headset giving out a hundred feet altitude warning. “I bet you just loved all those older ponies, Honey.”

Smirking, Tempest put on a very whiny voice indeed, “Airy, Wily is picking on me! She’s making it sound like I'm older than Celestia!”

“I'm pretty sure you weren't born before Celestia,” Airmail laughed, “because I'd remember that.”

“Or, you might have been, and you just use really good anti-wrinkle cream,” Wildfire said with a giggle which Airmail joined her in, even as Tempest began an obviously fake flood of tears, “like, the industrial strength stuff that can smooth out mountains.” Wildfire adjusted her descent so that she could stroke the ‘sobbing’ Tempest with her wingtip, “cheer up Honey, if you measure it in ice ages you're not very old, only like, three.”

On the descent, Airmail was now laughing so hard she was having difficulty flying while Tempest managed to stop her fake crying and, with a smile in her voice, she said smoothly, “Wait ‘till I tell Mapper how old you think I am. She is older than me.”

Wildfire giggled, “I'm not worried, my cuteness butters many parsnips, and at worst I'll get an awesome spanking.”

Nearer the ground now, Airmail snorted at that while Tempest simply rolled her blue eyes. “Hmm…maybe I could suggest 'celery' role play of some sort.”

“Oh Honey!” Wildfire put on a hurt voice, “and I thought you loved me?” she asked, even managing a big sniff for added effect.

“Maybe you two can make up over pizza or something, seeing as we are here,” Airmail commented as both she and Tempest hovered to a landing outside of the pizza joint.

“So we are.” Tempest fluttered her wings and folded them away as Wildfire came in to land neatly beside Airmail. “You sure there was no celery pizza, Airy?”

Wildfire shuddered, “only if you ordered it straight from the depths of Tartarus,” she giggled, “I'd still eat it for you though.”

Taking the joke as it was intended, Tempest turned and gave Wildfire a very deep passionate kiss straight on her lips. A kiss that lasted a good few seconds. “May you be as spry as me when you're my age.”

Airmail raspberried both her fiancé and her herd-mate. “Due to my advanced age, I'll expect you to carry the pizzas, Stormy.” Obligingly, Tempest nodded and trotted into the pizza place, leaving Wildfire and Airmail standing outside on the street of Fillydelphia.

Wildfire, who was at last in the place where she was reported to have been for the last five years, shuffled her hooves on the sidewalk. As far as she could tell, Fillydelphia felt and smelled just like Trottingham, but then that was just like Manehatten, so she wasn’t the greatest tour guide ever. Putting that out of her mind, she felt for and kissed Airmail. “I hope you're both still around when I eventually get to your age.”

Wrapping her forelegs around Wildfire’s neck, Airmail returned the kiss. “You won't lose me that easily, my young foal.”

“I really hope I don't, Airy,” Wildfire kissed Airmail again, “just so we're clear Airy, Mistress, Pretty, you're not allowed to y'know, 'go', under any circumstances.” She said, not letting her fiancé go as she gave her another kiss for good measure, just so she got the point.

“But what if I really need to tinkle?” Airmail asked with a giggle.

“Ugh!” Wildfire exclaimed, still not letting go as she heard Tempest re-emerge from the pizza place with four sixteen inch pizzas and two free garlic breads tied together with twine held in her mouth, “that's not what I meant and you know it, and besides you can go in a cloud like the rest of us.”

Once the three were airborne once more, this time headed towards Tempest’s sisters house, Airmail turned to Wildfire and caressed her with her wingtip. “Love, I've seen a lot of life and death, more than any mare should see. I'll be as careful as I can, but I'll not stand by and do nothing. When it is time I hope that you two through the biggest party ever. Your one friend understood that.”

“I know Airy, and I know you, mum and Heatwave will have a great time wherever you end up,” try as she might though, she couldn’t keep the saddened tone out of her voice. “I just...I don't want you to go anywhere.”

Still caressing her lover’s flank, Airmail slid her wingtip up her body and along Wildfire's muzzle. “For as long as I enjoy life in this mortal realm, I will be enjoying it with you.” She giggled at the silent glare she received from Tempest, “and with our herd-mates.”

“Hmm, okay...that'll do me.”

“Good, because I think I'll do you too.” Airmail flapped forwards then to briefly take the lead in the formation, “Follow me, it’s just a few minutes to Wind's place.” She said as they flew over the wide Delamare River to the north of Fillydelphia, the well-to-do ‘pony’ part of the coastal city, leaving the more mixed species areas that housed minotaurs, griffons and the gang controlled areas in the south behind them.

Wildfire, unknowingly passing over Horsehead square where her old friend Brightstar had been living for the past four years, grinned, “I'd follow you anywhere, Pretty.”

“And I'm going to keep you, too.” Airmail steered them northwest over the city and landed in a very nice residential area that flashed up on Wildfire’s headset as Chestnut Hill. Immediately in front of her was a modest, by Chestnut Hill standards, three storey townhouse along with Tempest at her side who pushed the doorbell with her hoof.

Wildfire giggled as she too landed by the red bricked townhouse with its white windowsills and shutters, “I hope so, now I've got you, Pretty.”

A young teenage slate grey colt with a dark grey mane answered the door a few seconds later, “Hi Aunt Tempest, come on in.” he turned to allow them room, and he yelled into the house, “Tempest is here and she has pizza!” with that, Tempest entered the townhouse along with Airmail, who encouraged Wildfire to follow them inside.

A lapis blue teenage pegasus filly with a flowing arctic blue mane stuck her head out from the great room, a huge smile on her face. “Welcome Aunt Tempest, Airmail!” she greeted them, while Tempest raised a wing in greeting and proceeded straight to the kitchen.

“Hello Breeze,” Airmail greeted the lapis blue teen with a smile and a welcome hug, “thank you for the welcome and thank you for answering the door, Thunder.” She then stepped aside and nudged Wildfire forward a few steps with her foreleg to thrust her front and centre. “This is my marefriend, Wildfire.”

Stumbling forward in the entrance hall, Wildfire was for a moment struck with a heady scent of lavender and jasmine. It was everywhere, literally everywhere, so much so that almost all the other scents that she was accustomed to were drowned out. She moved her head left and right, sniffing all the time as she held up her hoof. She assumed there were room fragrances plugged in, which there were. “Oh, hey guys, call me Wily!” she beamed in an attempt to hide her confusion.

“Hi Wily!” Thunder trotted over to her from the kitchen where he had been helping Tempest with the pizzas and bumped the offered hoof. Far more masculine than a hug, of all things. “So, you’re living with the mares?”

“Hello, Wily,” Breeze, far more restrained than her brother, moved next to Thunder and gladly bumped Wildfire’s hoof. “How long have you been blind?” she asked tentatively, hoping the blunt question wouldn’t offend her.

A little overwhelmed, Wildfire huddled into Airmail’s flank to calm herself down. “Yuppers, Thunder,” she answered him first, her scarred face turning to him. “I'm giving the mares the benefit of my presence.” She then turned her head to the softer sound of Breeze's voice, “hey Breeze, I've been blind for five years, since I was nineteen.”

“Oh wow,” Breeze gasped as she took in every detail of the slightly taller yellow mare’s face, the ugly acid scars that spread across her upper face and her cheeks from the bridge of her nose up to her forehead, “that must be hard.”

“It’s...” Wildfire cocked her head to one side, considering her answer as she heard the sound of hooves diminishing, she assumed it was Thunder going back to the kitchen, “It...It can be hard, yes, but I've learned to live with it and get around it, for the most part.”

“Moving on, as Tempest and mom says.” Thunder interjected, sticking his head through the kitchen door.

Wildfire nodded at that. That certainly sounded like something that Tempest would say. “Yuppers, it hasn't stopped me being a firefighter or being me, it just means I can't see that's all.”

“Pizza's ready!” Tempest hollered, and with that, Breeze, Airmail and Wildfire all made their way down the short hall. Wildfire couldn’t help but feel more comfortable when she stepped into the kitchen as the smell of the fresh hot pizzas overpowered the lavender and jasmine.

“Ewww!” Breeze’s enthusiasm waned somewhat when she saw the selection of pizzas arrayed on the breakfast bar in front of her. “You got one with meat!” she wrinkled up her muzzle and even backed away a couple of steps.

Tempest rolled her blue eyes, “It’s shellfish and mollusc.” She explained with a sigh.

Breeze didn’t change her opinion. “Ewww!”

Thunder however was far more adventurous than his more restrained sibling. “Can I try some?” he asked, risking a tentative sniff, almost as if he was worried it might kill him outright.

“Of course,” Tempest nodded, playing server she had the pizza cutter in her hoof ready to slice up the steaming hot food.

Wildfire giggled, “There’s nothing wrong with seafood, Breeze. Stormy, I'll have a slice of that one, please.”

“No problem, love.” Tempest cut Wildfire a slice of the requested pizza and passed it to her on a plate while Airmail went and helped herself to a slice of the artichoke and mushroom pizza.

“Oooh thank you!” feeling for her plate, Wildfire found it in short order and took a very big, very messy bite of the shellfish pizza, an equally big happy look plastered all over her muzzle. She was a happy pony right then and there.

As Thunder took a slice for himself, and Breeze played it safe with a slice of the one Airmail had chosen, he asked, “How long have you been with the herd, Wily?”

Struggling to chew and swallow her massive mouthful, Wildfire replied, “thirteen days Thunder, I met Pretty first in Caffy's coffee shop.”

“Oh wow,” Breeze smiled, “that must be exciting.”

Thunder nodded, “Manehatten is a cool city.”

Wildfire smiled at that, as she recalled the events of that day that while just two weeks ago felt so long ago now. “That was my first ever trip to Manehatten, and yes Thunder it’s very cool. My friend took me with him to a party at Caffy's place.” She paused and finished off her slice of pizza, “it certainly has been an exciting time.”

Breeze, eating far more daintily than her brother, spoke up, “We're going to a party at Mr. Caffeinated's house tomorrow.”

“The game night?” Wildfire asked, this time she got a garlic bread placed on her plate, “awesomes! Airy, you up for a Mortal Kombat rematch?”

“With or without sound?” Airmail replied thickly around the pizza in her mouth.

Wildfire giggled, “with sound, please.”

“I want to challenge you to some Dance Dance Revolution, Wily.” Tempest announced as she made a huge dent in the slice of pizza she was working on behind the breakfast bar.

Thunder smiled, “I like dancing.”

Wildfire reached for her garlic bread and took a much smaller bite of that than she had the seafood pizza. “Alrighty Honey, challenge accepted.” To Thunder, she smiled, “my friend Darkstar likes dancing too, she'll be able to dance way better than me.”

“Will she be there?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded quickly, speaking with certainty as she knew Darkstar was living with Air Raid at Caffeinated’s ranch. “She'll be there. What games do you like, Breeze?”

“I like the board games, like Parcheesi.” Breeze answered, though tentatively, carefully, she broached a subject she really wanted to talk about with this newcomer to the family. “Airmail and Tempest told me how they learned they were interested in mares. How did you know, Wildfire?”

Thunder too was very interested in this topic, though he tried – without success – to make it seem like he wasn’t that bothered. “Yeah, I'm looking for mares that like stallions and don't want to mess up.” He admitted with a spreading blush over his grey cheeks.

Like Thunder, Wildfire blushed, though hers was a fierce red. “I um, I realised I fancied mares when I first saw Air Raid at university in Canterlot...” Wildfire’s voice took on a dreamy quality that made Airmail’s eye twitch, which in turn made Tempest’s ears twitch to silently calm her herd-mate. “She was so gorgeous, it was like fireworks going off in my head every time I saw her…”

Breeze giggled, “You blush like Tempest!” Tempest performed a picture perfect eye roll and Breeze continued, “Airmail said it was the scent that put her off.”

“True,” Airmail nodded, “I didn't like how stallions smelled, especially in the field.”

“If I had eyes, I bet I'd roll them like her too,” Wildfire giggled, reaching for another piece of the seafood pizza, “there was just a 'thing' I felt when I looked at her. It was more than just a crush. Then while our friends were playing truth or dare she asked me out on a date.”

Breeze let out a rather girly squee, “that sounds so romantic!”

Thunder, however, had a much darker look on his face. “Truth or dare is a stupid game.” He huffed, while Breeze laughed a bright tinkling laugh.

Tempest, in the process of taking another slice, burst out laughing. “You shouldn't play it with your sister, Thunder.”

Breeze shrugged innocently, “I needed to learn to kiss from somepony.”

Wildfire giggled, she was unable to stop herself. “Thunder, truth or dare is awesomes. It gave me my first marefriend and my first date on a cloud.”

Poor Thunder blushed even harder, if that was at all possible, though Breeze just giggled all the more. “I apologised later. I was just curious, that’s all.”

Wildfire snickered, thinking that she rather liked Breeze, a lot. She fancied the teenage pegasus reminded her a lot of herself when she had been in school, and whole. “You should only apologise if the kiss wasn't very good, like if his tongue was in your mouth too long or his breath was rank.”

Thunder still huffed, “She wanted to see what an erection looked like and then she poked me really hard on the testicles!”

“I didn't know!”

Wildfire burst out laughing, “You should never risk injury to a stallion's joy department, they'll get brain aches!”

Thunder wanted to be cross, but instead he snickered, “yeah, what Wily said.”

“I never did it again!” Breeze protested, covering up her embarrassment with a slice of pizza.

“I know sis,” Thunder had to give his sister that much, she hadn’t ever tried it again. “I’m just saying truth and dare is a dumb game, that’s all.”

“Besides,” Wildfire continued, “erections are like lollipops, only sweet for the first ten minutes and by then they're half their size.”

“Ewww!” that was too far even for Breeze, “I didn't taste it!”

Thunder made a little retching noise, “Yeah, that sounds gross…”

“I think further education can be left to Wind and Knife, Wily.” Tempest said firmly, tapping Wildfire’s muzzle with her hoof for emphasis.

Wildfire ‘looked’ down at her hooves, realising she had gone a teeny bit too far. “Ooops…”

“Don't worry they will figure it out for themselves,” Airmail stepped over and ran her hoof comfortingly along Wildfire’s cheek. “More pizza, Wily?”

Quickly, Wildfire perked up and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yuppers Pretty, I'll have another slice of the shellfish one. You sure you won't try some too, Breeze?”

“It was different,” Thunder interjected, “but not that bad.”

Breeze though wouldn’t be swayed. She stuck by her original opinion. “Ewww.”

Thunder grinned, “In that case, I'll have her slice.”

“Okay!” Tempest passed him the slice of the seafood pizza she had just cut up.

Just then, as Wildfire was about to say something along the lines of how nice the seafood pizza was, the front door opened and two cyan pegasi, a stallion with a dark grey mane like Thunder’s and a mare with a mane the same colour as Breeze’s, strode into the now crowded kitchen. “Any pizza left?” Knife, the stallion, asked as he eyed the half empty boxes arrayed on the breakfast bar.

Wind, his wife and Tempest’s sister, giggled, “With Stormy, I very much doubt it.”

“We saved all the pizza bones for you two,” Tempest offered her older sister a box full of half eaten crusts as Thunder and Breeze both laughed at the outraged look their mother gave their aunt.

Swallowing her own bite, Wildfire giggled. Again, she tried to sniff the air to discern where the two new arrivals were, but all she detected was pizza, lavender and jasmine. This did frustrate her a little, as all she had to rely on was her hearing. “Hey, I think there's some of this left, if you want some.”

Knife turned and at last took in the diminutive yellow pegasus stood in his kitchen. Prepared due to Tempest’s messages and emails, he already knew her name and felt like he knew her as well. “Oh, I'll have that!” he declared, taking up one of the seafood slices from the almost empty box.

Thunder nodded approvingly, “It is pretty good, dad.”

Wind, however decided to go for the artichoke and mushroom one instead. “I'll have the shroom, thank you. And you will brush your teeth before bed, mister!”

“I agree with Thunder, this pizza is lovely!” Wildfire took another bite and finished her second slice off altogether. “It’s nice to meet you two.”

Wind smiled, looking Wildfire over as she made a start on her slice. “You must be the renowned Canterlot socialite that Airmail is going to marry.”

“Yuppers that's me,” Wildfire held up her hoof, to which she duly received a bump from both Wind and Knife. “Please, call me Wily.”

Airmail sniffed as she helped herself to another slice of the pizza, “I don't need her anymore for that. I can get unannounced audience with Princess Luna anytime I like,” she said, earning herself suitably awed looks from Thunder and Breeze. “I'm going to marry her anyway because she is a sexy pony.”

Wildfire giggled, “At least I have my sexiness to fall back on now my contacts aren't needed.”

“Huh?” Breeze asked, suddenly confused while Wind and Knife snorted at her joke.

Wind laid a hoof on her teenage daughter’s shoulder, “She is making fun of her own disability, Breeze.” She explained.

“And why not?” Wildfire asked with a nonchalant shrug, “I can't hide away from it, so I may as well laugh about it seeing as I can't cry.”

Breeze was again awed, this time at Wildfire. “That sounds so brave!”

Airmail kissed her fiancé’s lips, both of them sharing the taste of each other’s food. “Wily is a brave little filly.”

Wildfire blushed, again going a bright red. “Oh um, I don't think I'm brave Breeze, I just do what has to be done when it needs to be done. Pretty will argue I know, I can feel her retort coming even now.”

“Since Wind lacks a soapbox,” Airmail snickered, again kissing her mare’s lips, “I'll just have to do it standing.”

“Preach it sister!” Tempest hollered, passing out more pizza to Wind, Knife, Thunder and Breeze.

Airmail though simply kissed her way up Wildfire’s ear. “I love you Wily, so there!” she said, finishing with a loud raspberry.

Her substantial blush subsiding, Wildfire giggled, “Oh no! Not the dreaded raspberry of dreadedness!” she smiled, quickly returning the kiss to Airmail, “I love you too, old lady.”

“See Breeze,” Airmail smirked, “it is good for you young folk to respect their elders.”

Her slice of pizza consumed, Wind shot her younger sister a long sideways look that was full of meaning, over the breakfast bar. “I'll remember that, most honoured ancestor.”

Wildfire sniggered, “ancestor makes it sound like she's gonna be mummified any minute now!”

“Oh, I don't know,” Knife chuckled, “there are rumours going around that Airy here is a Vampony.”

“Dad!” Thunder wailed, sharing a couple of playful hoof swipes with his father, “You already played that trick on me, it’s getting old now!”

“Well, that all depends on where she bites,” Wildfire commented, “besides Vamponies are way sexier than dusty old mummies any day.” Wildfire could practically feel Airmail’s blush it was that intense, “And Airy is the sexiest pony, living or otherwise I know.”

“Oh really,” Tempest said slyly, “sexier than you Wily?”

“Of course she is, her brown eyes are beautiful.”

Wrapping her forelegs around Wildfire’s neck, Airmail pulled her into a crushingly tight hug. “You have very pretty eyes too, my love.”

Wildfire also hugged her fiancé as tight as she could, even kissing Airmail’s nose. “You see kids? Scars are sexy.”

Thunder shuddered, not at Wildfire’s scars, for he had seen worse with his dad being a surgeon, but at the thought of getting scarred himself. “I'll wait to get mine if that’s okay, aunt Wily.”

Breeze agreed with her brother, a rare occurrence to be sure. “Same here.”

“Yuppers, I don't recommend doing what I did to get mine.”

“Yes,” Tempest asserted, “I would avoid any scars.” She gave Airmail a loving glance and blew her a kiss, “I almost didn't, but Airy has good aim.” Knowing the story by heart, Thunder and Breeze both laughed at that. After all, it was a good story and it entertained them every Hearths Warming Eve.

“It's a good job she has good aim, too.” Wildfire commented with a wry smile, tapping her scars as she did so. “So did the pony who gave me these.”

Airmail wasn’t satisfied with that, however. “Wily?” she affectionately nuzzled her little lover’s cheek, “the foals should hear the whole story. I don't believe the pony was aiming for your eyes, was he?”

“No, he wasn't.” Wildfire shook her head. Not that she hated telling the story, she just hated the way it made her sound braver and more noble than she actually had been. “Blitzwing was a mean stallion. He was a proper bully. He and his diamond dogs had threatened Air Raid out of school, wrecked her car…” she trailed off, and Airmail hugged her as she knew this part of the story that was coming up.

“During science class at university,” Wildfire continued at Airmail’s behest, “I saw he was bullying my best friend, Dusk. I got between them and shoved Blitzwing away and then I turned to see if Dusk was alright. I heard Blitzwing say something and I turned to tell him to buck off when he threw a punch at Dusk who ducked. I shoved him again, he pulled back to punch me, grabbed two flasks of acid and threw them at Dusk, I managed to get in the way.”

Like Airmail, Tempest had come around and lent her wing to her herd-mate’s hug. “There may come a time when you have to take a stand against a bully. Wily did that, but not without cost.”

Breeze’s eyes were tearing up, and she had her hooves over her mouth. “W-Why?”

“Why?” Wildfire asked rhetorically, “because they'd threatened my marefriend, they'd wrecked her car, and they'd attacked my best friend. You know why, Thunder? Because Dusk and Air Raid are gay. Blitzwing and his dogs saw us as sub-pony. That's why. Yuppers, I got these scars and I'm blind, but I'd do it again. I'd go through the pain and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

Extremely moved by their new aunt’s story, Thunder did something very uncool and gave Wildfire a hug. Quickly, Breeze followed suit. “You are brave, aunt Wily.” She whispered in her ear.

“It is okay to not be gay though, right?” Thunder asked hesitantly.

“Thunder,” Wildfire smiled warmly as she hugged them both closely to her, “it's cool to be anything you want to be, to love anypony or anything you want to love.”

Thunder grinned, “good, then I can love you too aunt Wily.”

Breeze sniffed, drying her wetted eyes on her foreleg. “Me too.”

“More pizza, Wily?” Tempest asked, blustering through the tender moment like her nickname suggested, with all the tact of a storm. “There is one slice of fruits of the sea left.”

“Yuppers Honey,” Wildfire nodded her head eagerly, “I think I have room in my left hind leg for one more slice.”

Knife nudged his wife’s barrel and chuckled, “Windy, we better get our slices before they disappear.”

Wildfire giggled around her last slice of pizza as she made that disappear as easily as if she’d been a unicorn. “I think this is me done, my hindlegs are getting full and this little pegasus won't fly if I have any more.”

“Yes,” Wind snickered as she ate her chosen slice. “That would be bad, you'd have to spend the night.”

“Yes,” Knife laughed, “That would be bad, we are going slow on the foals bedroom education.”

Thunder muttered, not quite under his breath enough to not be heard, “Yeah, real slow…”

Breeze’s ears twitched at her brother’s mutterings, “What now?”

Wildfire’s sharp ears immediately caught Thunder's mutter, “Hey, don't you worry Thunder, it'll all be revealed in time, then the mares will fawn over you, I’m sure.”

“I wish.”

Wind giggled, ruffling her colt’s dark grey mane with her hoof, “The patience of a fifteen year old is woefully short.”

Like Wind, Wildfire giggled behind her hoof, “Almost as short as me, I bet.”

Knife chuckled, “I'm not one to compare wingspan.” Saying that though, he had to admit the yellow pony was rather on the short side, in fact she was only just a little taller than his teenage daughter Breeze was.

“Oh I don't mind being tiny,” Wildfire smiled as she shook her hooves on the kitchen floor, “Airy and Stormy haven't complained anyway.”

“No complaints here,” Tempest snickered as she stacked the now empty pizza boxes on the worktop by the sink and passed out the lemon scented napkins she had picked up from the pizza place before walking out with the boxes tied up in the twine. “She's big enough for me.”

“Is that my sister the stallion speaking?” Wind asked with a wicked grin all over her cyan muzzle.

Airmail shared Wind’s grin. “Sure is.”

Wind’s grin never left her face, though she took the offered napkin from her sister. “Stallion Stormy is lots of fun!”

“That she is, Wind,” Airmail took three of the lemon scented napkins and proceeded to scrub her hooves with them until they literally gleamed, “that she is.”

Tempest rolled her blue eyes so loudly even Wildfire knew she’d done it. “All of you are just too kind.” She grumbled, though her grumbles were in good humour.

“I know Honey,” Wildfire snickered, “that's why you're so much fun!”

Once her hooves were clean, Wind busied herself cleaning and wiping down the work surfaces that had held Airy was the best thing that happened to Stormy.

“Thank you!” Airmail said with a proud bow.

“And Wind,” Wildfire put in with a grin, “both of them are the best things that ever happened to me.”

Moving around the – thankfully large – kitchen of her house, Wind gave Wildfire a hug. Not just any hug, it was a hug reserved for family members. “I'm glad for that.” As she hugged her, she remembered one of the many emails her sister had sent her over the past two weeks. “So, you plan on having a foal?”

Wildfire readily returned the hug that Wind had given her, “if I hadn't met Pretty in Caffy's shop two weeks ago, then I'd be back in Canterlot by now. And yuppers, I really want a foal.”

Knife grinned, waiting patiently for his chance to give Wildfire a hug as well, “I can say for certain they are wonderful things.”

“Oh I know,” Wildfire smiled, “I've wanted one since forever, since back before I couldn't see.”

Knife thought of something then, something that had been bothering him for a while, ever since Tempest had sent them the emails about it. “So, you guys are getting back together with Mapper and Serenity?” he asked cautiously, for he well remembered the big event that had split up their herd in the first place not that long ago.

“Yuppers, we're all getting a bigger house together soon!”

“That's nice,” Wind smiled a very forced smile at her husband, whose eye was twitching just slightly in that way she knew was a danger sign. “It has been a few years now.”

“Serenity's gonna have a foal too!” Wildfire added, causing Knife’s eye to twitch all the more.

When Knife spoke next, his voice was low, cautious and hesitant. Images of a battered and bloody Serenity ran very vividly through his mind. The only times the surgeon had ever seen a pony that badly beaten was when one of the south Filly gangs had left a pony as an ‘example’. “W-With Mapper, y-you mean?”

“We will be one herd again,” Airmail said, by contrast her voice was calm and assured. “So, I see no problems, Knife.”

Wildfire, entirely missing the point of what Knife was saying, mostly because she hadn’t been told the full and complete story, just bits of it, tried to defend her Mistress and her herd-mate. “Well, there's just as many issues with me having a foal. Like Airy said, we're a herd.”

“Knife,” Tempest said, trying to juggle her tone between understanding, sympathetic and serious all at once, “you should know by now that Mapper doesn't beat anything without consent. Those foals will get away with everything if she is watching over them.”

Airmail too had an unusually serious expression on her face. “Serenity is beyond that now, and that is why she can have the foal and our herd can be one again.”

“I’m sorry,” Knife said, still not wholly convinced, “but you know I've seen the aftermath of abuse.”

Feeling a huge sway of empathy for her brother-in-law as she made her way across the kitchen and hugged him tightly. “I know, Knife, but that won't ever happen again.”

“Hey, Knife?” Wildfire spoke up, still not in possession of the whole story, “you're looking at the aftermath of abuse. For five years after I was blinded I was abused in Canterlot. If it wasn't for Airy, Stormy, Serenity and especially Mapper I'd still be there. Living with them this short time, I know it's gonna be cool.”

Quietly, Airmail moved next to Wildfire and whispered, “When Mapper nearly killed Serenity to get her to use her safe word, it was Knife we called to save her.”

“Oh...oh I see…” Wildfire lowered her head, “I’m sorry, I didn't know that.”

“We never told you that detail,” Airmail said gently but firmly, “still the abuse you received wasn't meant to kill you, but to keep you injured for life.”

Knife, interested in a purely medical perspective in the injuries that Wildfire had sustained, stepped closer to her. He had read the emails from Tempest and from Airmail, so he was aware of just what she had lived through. “May I examine you by touch?” he asked, and when the little pegasus nodded, Knife ran his wings over her body as well as using his hooves a few times. “Extend your wings, please.”

“Okies!” always proud to show off her repaired wings she extended them both out to their fullest span.

Knife, whose experienced hooves easily found the places where Wildfire’s ribs and her legs were broken by the wardens at the care home, was absolutely amazed. So much so that for a moment the surgeon was speechless. “These wounds…these have been healed way too well.”

“Yuppers, at Mapper’s behest Princess Luna, with help from her and Serenity healed the damage to my wings twelve days ago.” Wildfire explained proudly, for she was so proud of her wings, “they um...weren't so well healed before…I think Luna said there were ten breaks on each wing.”

To say Knife was stunned was an understatement. “Amazing, truly amazing. Other than some scaring, they’re absolutely perfect.” With that, Knife hugged her, “glad you're with us now, Wily.”

“Yuppers, me too.” Wildfire smiled as she hugged Knife as hard as he hugged her, “I just need to work on muscle strength and endurance now. It used to be super painful to fly more than an hour before…” she lowered her head to the floor, “Luna couldn't do anything about my eyes though.”

“I don't even think you're a candidate for transplants,” Knife said as kindly as he could, “do you have an exercise plan, Stormy?”

“Yes,” Tempest answered with justifiable pride, “and she has shown improvement in the short time she has been on it.”

“I know,” Wildfire admitted sadly, a sad tone that didn’t go unnoticed by all present in the kitchen, “there's totally nothing left behind these scars…” she then shrugged her little shoulders, a grin playing over her muzzle, “oh well, Airy still thinks I'm cute. Flying-wise though, I’m sure I must be improving, we managed to fly from Canterlot all the way to Trottingham the other day.”

“Non-stop?”

“Two stops,” Tempest clarified, though she was no less proud of her lover’s achievement, “Airy's tummy was growling too loud, making it hard to navigate.”

“Even that would've been impossible for me before my wings were healed,” Wildfire said as she folded her wings away back to her sides.

Knife grinned, giving Airmail a cheeky wink. “Keep it up and you'll be out flying Airy in no time, Wily.”

“I'm getting there,” Wildfire agreed, “how's the rest of me, do I get a clean bill of health?”

Knife looked the diminutive yellow mare over once more, she certainly looked healthy enough, to his trained eye anyway. “It would take more than my touch to determine that, but I don't think you'd be here in Fillydelphia on vacation if it was otherwise.”

“Awesomes!” Wildfire let out an excited squee, hovering an inch off of the tiled floor, “well I feel alright, apart from a bit of pain in my face but that’s always there. I'm used to that by now, that’s nothing.”

In response to that, Knife lightly ran the very tips of his primary feathers gently over the ugly acid scars that covered Wildfire’s empty eye sockets. “Do you feel that?”

At first, Wildfire didn’t feel anything at all, then, she felt the feathers touch the sides of her face and she nodded. “I can feel ‘something’ on my face, Knife.”

Knife nodded, the doctor in him ‘hmm’ing’ as he thought about various options that Wildfire had available to her. Admittedly, there wasn’t many. “If you want to lose that, they can cut the nerves to the area and that would remove the real pain, but the phantom pain will always be there.”

“But,” Wildfire thought about it, “I wouldn't feel it when Airy or Stormy kiss my scars.” She didn’t want that, at all. She knew what she would prefer. “No, I'll keep it as is I think. Thanks though, Knife, but it's cool, really. I’m used to it by now.”

“Being used to something doesn't make it good,” Wind said supportively.

“That’s true, Wind.” Wildfire replied quickly, “I realised that when I was with Airy at Caffy's place, when I was freed for the very first time…” she paused then, when a familiar cramp swelling in her abdomen alerting her to the fact she had a very full bladder. A very full bladder that was suddenly in urgent need of release. “Um...can somepony show me the bathroom, please?”

“I will,” Breeze volunteered, though she giggled at little when Wildfire began the ‘pee dance’. “This way,” she said, walking in front of the little yellow mare and brushing her with her wing. “I um, I'm glad you're better,” the lapis blue pegasus smiled as she led the way from the kitchen through to the bathroom. “It’s in here,” she said finally once they were stood at the door, “do you, um...do you need help?”

Wildfire giggled, for she could hear the teenage mare’s blush in her voice. “Only directions to the loo roll and the sink to wash up,” she replied with a smile, “apart from that I’m good, thanks, Breeze.”

Breeze let out a very relieved little giggle, “It isn't that big a room, really. The toilet’s on the right, the sink next to it. Tub on the left. Towels on the far wall.”

“I gotcha, thanks Breeze.” Wildfire trotted into the bathroom and, as Breeze turned to go back to the kitchen, the diminutive blind mare proceeded to take care of her necessary business in the bathroom in just a few minutes. Once she was done, and after cleaning herself up she flushed and made sure to thoroughly wash her hooves. Once that was taken care of, she left the bathroom, but, discovering she didn’t know where anything was or the direction of anything, especially with lavender and jasmine everywhere, she knew she needed help. “Breeze?”

Immediately when she heard her name, Breeze trotted back down the hall. “Yes?”

“I just need directions back, please,” she blushed at that, “I don't want to hit anything.”

“Oh I’m sorry, that’s my fault.” Breeze smiled and brushed Wildfire with her wing, “I didn't think you wanted me to treat you like you couldn't do anything. This way back to the kitchen.”

Wildfire nodded, she understood that, for it was the same kind of mentality that Airmail and Tempest had with her. “It's cool, I’d just rather be careful in somepony else's home,” she smiled, “It took me a day or two to get used to Airy and Stormy's place too.”

“I guess I didn't think about it like that.”

“Did you wash your hooves?” Airmail asked with a giggle when Wildfire appeared behind Breeze back in the kitchen.

Wildfire reared up, an act which only increased her height by a little, she was still tiny, and raised her foreleg to her forehead in a very dramatic sigh. “Yes miss hoof warden,” she giggled, “I double washed and polished, just for you.”

“Told you all she loves me!” Airmail skipped over to her incredibly blushing bride-to-be and, after a very deep kiss, whispered, “Even I don't know if I'm teasing…”

“I hope you aren't teasing about me loving you,” Wildfire whispered as she too kissed her lover’s lips.

Knife rolled his grey eyes, tutting in such a way that Airmail rolled hers in return. “I'd say get a room, you two, but you might take me up on that, and you told me you wanted to be in your own bed tonight.”

“Well,” Wildfire smiled as she stole a kiss from Airmail, “I suppose it would be kinda rude in somepony else’s house, but we probably might take you up on it, maybe, definitely.”

“You can’t,” Tempest interjected with a playful grin on her face, “Filly has a noise ordinance that we don't have over in Manehatten.”

“Aw!” Wildfire pouted, turning to face Tempest’s direction, “You mean no screaming 'yes' 'yes' 'yes'?” she asked with a grin, “That means you'd have to control yourself, Pretty.”

Airmail laughed, “And you know how I lack any kind of control.”

Thunder, who had been busy spending the last few minutes teasing his sister by pulling at her tertiary feathers and ducking when she took a well-aimed swipe at him, paused in his ducking when he detected something adult being talked about and he got his sister’s hoof upside his head for his trouble. “Ow…hey, is this when you start talking about the juicy bits?” he asked hopefully.

“Depends whose juicy bits!” Wildfire giggled, earning herself a playful whack courtesy of Airmail’s hoof.

“I think your imagination can cover that Thunder.” Wind said in a definite manner that said that was well and truly that. Besides, she had in mind something way better. “Did you guys eat too much pizza, or is there room for ice cream?”

Wildfire suddenly came over all serious as soon as ice cream was mentioned. “Wind, there's always room for ice cream.”

Airmail and Tempest both giggled and, together as one, said, “Same here!”

“I hope you all like chocolate ice cream,” Wind said with a delighted little giggle, “seeing as that is all that we have. That and whipped cream to go with it too, if you’d like.”

“Oooh…I dunno if I like chocolate…” Wildfire smiled, and before Tempest could interject with what was undoubtedly a pithy comment, she followed up quickly, “I was gonna say I love it.” Several – too long – minutes later and the little blind mare bounced happily on all four of her hooves, especially as she was tracking every noise as Wind and Thunder delved into the freezer and served up the dessert. Breeze placed a bowl in front of her newest aunt with a spoon beside her left hoof. “Thank you!” Wildfire felt for the spoon and took a little bite.

Wind smiled affectionately, as a mother would to her foal, “Did you want some whipped cream on top, Wily?”

“Oooh yes please Wind!” Wildfire let out a huge squee as she heard a very good amount of cream get squirted from the can into her bowl. “Whipped cream makes everything better!”

Airmail nipped Wildfire’s ear. “Noted.”

“It’s true!” Wildfire insisted, “There's nothing that can't be improved with whipped cream!”

Tempest giggled and nipped her little lover’s other ear, “Yes, Wily, I quite agree.”

“You really can't beat ice cream,” Wildfire gave her measured opinion as she ate some more of her wonderfully chocolatey and creamy dessert. All around her, the conversation had diminished as they all devoured their respective bowls. While Wildfire was eating hers, a thought occurred to her about the gaming night at Caffeinated’s ranch. “Thunder and Breeze said you'd be at the game night tomorrow, what do you play?”

“We play cards.” Wind smiled as she swallowed a rather large spoonful of ice cream, “Thunder likes to play the video games that Airy plays, and Breeze likes board games.”

“That’s cool,” Wildfire thought about that, cards weren’t her thing, but they were Wind’s, so that was okay. “I gave Airy a good go at Mortal Kombat 2 the other day, I’m hoping for a rematch.”

Curiosity and scepticism vied in equal measure within Wind at that. No disrespect at all to Wildfire, but she just didn’t see how that was possible. “But…excuse me, Wily, how can you play when you can’t see the screen?”

Airmail snickered, for she had felt the same before their match. “She's tricky, she is.”

Wildfire just grinned as she started to explain her methods. “Well, you see, fighting games have little audio cues when a character is about to perform a move. If you listen carefully enough, you can pick it up. Like, the sound cue for jumping is different to the sound cue for a punch or the sound cue for a kick.”

“Let me help you with that, love,” Airmail said with a sly little giggle while Wind and everypony else, especially Knife, processed what Wildfire had said. Moving in front of her fiancé, she gave her a long sloppy lick right at the end of her nose. “You had a bit of whipped cream there.”

“Why, thank you, my love.” Giggling at the touch of Airmail's tongue on her nose, Wildfire took her spoon and dabbed it on the end of the azure blue mare’s nose before licking it off like she had to her. “Oh…you had something there too.”

Airmail kissed Wildfire’s nose. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

“Walk around with whipped cream on your nose?” Tempest asked, making Thunder snort into his bowl.

“Oh, I'm sure you'd get by babes,” Wildfire giggled as she set her empty ice cream bowl back down on the breakfast bar, “though your lives wouldn't be nearly as much fun without me.”

Knife chuckled, he very much liked this little mare, a lot. He thought Tempest had made a good choice with her. “I'm sure my sister-in-law is having twice as much fun now.”

“On that note,” Airmail stated with a tone of finality when she saw that, like her, Tempest had finished her ice cream, “we'll be heading north.” Quite apart from that, the afternoon was wearing on, and she really wanted to get back to Manehatten before it got dark, if only to enjoy a warm bath before bed. “Thank you so much for putting up with us, Wind.”

Likewise, Tempest wanted to get back as well. After almost a week of travelling, nights spent in a train, Bluesky’s house, Emerald’s house and finally her mother’s, the violet weather pony really wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight. Hugging her sister tightly, she nuzzled Wind’s cheek. “See you both at Caffy's,” she went onto hug Knife, Thunder, and Breeze respectively.

“Yuppers,” Wildfire snickered, “thanks for putting up with them, and for having me.” she then went in for a very tight and typically ‘restrained’ trademark Wily tackle hug, one for each of Tempest’s family, twice on Breeze as she lost count. “I won't see you, but I'll feel you if you come over and say hi.”

Like Tempest and Wildfire before her, Airmail went in for her hugs, eager as she was not to miss her turn. “I hope you're ready for some serious dancing Thunder. Caffy has brought in some ringers.”

Wildfire giggled, “you wait till you see Darkie go, Thunder.”

“I'll be up for the challenge!” Thunder declared stubbornly as, for the second time that day, Airmail proceeded to – albeit playfully – drag Wildfire from the kitchen and down the hallway towards the front door.

“I loves you,” Airmail smiled as Tempest led the way and opened the door to the cool afternoon air of Chestnut Hill.

Standing on Wind and Knife’s doorstep, with the cool late afternoon breeze playing through her straight black mane, Wildfire gladly returned the kiss to her lover, her fiancé and her playmate. “I wuvs you too, Airwy.”

“That completes our mini-herd family tour,” Tempest announced once they were all three of them in the air, only this time they were at last headed for their home. “Looks like all parties have approved of the other. The only thing left is to visit Serenity's family.”

“Yuppers!” Wildfire smiled that same excited wild smile she always did when she was in the air, a pegasus enjoying the simple thrill of being in her element. “I must say, I'm rather relieved at being so well received by everypony.”

Airmail, as she had done so often, and would continue to do so, caressed her lover’s soft yellow flank as they flew home. “You were yourself and that is what counts, Wily.”