“Firelight? Are you okay?” Neivi asked which broke me out of my thoughts. We were on a walkway that overlooked Nightingale below. I could see most of the city that had become my home from here and I found myself deep in thought about it

“Yeah, I’m just thinking is all,” I said as I looked over at the Zebra mare and gave her a soft smile.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Everything that’s been going on around here lately, how I got here, that kind of thing,” I said as I looked down again. There were now more Alicorns in Nightingale than I had ever imagined there would be. “What would have happened if my wing didn’t get picked for the mission to Stable 27? With everything that’s happened, I don’t even know if I want to think of what might’ve happened.”

“In my experience, you don’t want to dwell on what ifs,” Neivi replied. “You found yourselves here and changed things. There are ponies who are here today because of your choices, and if it wasn’t for you the Society would be even stronger.”

She leaned against me and nuzzled me gently. I smiled a little as I draped my wing over the Zebra gently and we sat there together. I Smiled softly as I felt Neivi’s tail brush against mine,

Even with my occasional doubts, I knew that there was something about this that was too perfect not to give up. Neivi and the others were my friends… no, my family. They were the closest thing I had to a family for as long as I could remember.

And I was going to fight to make sure that I didn’t lose them.

“There ya’ll are,” Storm asked as she walked up the stairs with Moonlight and Lemon Lime. “Darn, Ah owe Moonlight five caps since ya’ll ain’t makin’ out.”

“Still taking bets on our relationship I see,” Neivi said with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey, we need something to entertain us,” Lemon Lime said with a raspy laugh. “This whole city’s gotten very quiet and serious since the Alicorns showed up so we need to have some fun.”

“Well I’m glad you’re entertained,” I said grumbled as I rolled my eyes a little. “Maybe we should start taking bets on Storm and Moonlight. What do you think, Neivi?”

“Oh definitely,” Neivi grinned as she nuzzled me gently. “What should we bet on first?”

“Don’t take bets on those who can see your dreams.” Moonlight said with a smirk. “It’s a rigged bet from the start.”

“Aww, you’re no fun,” I laughed before turning serious after a moment. “How are the Alicorns doing?”

“Well, Ah ain’t gonna lie and say it’s been easy,” Storm said as she adjusted her hat a little. “They’re startin’ ta get settled in at least. We’ve started settin’ ‘em up around town, and nopony’s caused any problems… so far.”

“Probably too scared to,” Lemon snorted. “Even if many of them used to live here, there’s still a fear of having this Alicorns around. It’s not going to be easy to get everypony used to it. If your experiments to recover their memories work that might help at least.”

“The only problem I have seen is that I have had to tell several of our new arrivals to not put up certain banners that could cause unrest, It’s difficult to convince them to keep their, for lack of a better word, religion, to themselves.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “I wish they could accept that they’ve been lied to, and not that there is still something to worship.”

“Some old habits die hard,” Neivi said as she sighed a little and looked over at me. “We’ll have to figure out how to work that out. Moonlight, can you talk to Sparks and the others about this? At the very least we need to keep them from being public about it, at least until things settle in a bit more.”

“They have already arranged to have an area of the forest cleared where they can do their midnight vigils, they have the right to practice, just… not to freak everypony out. At least in my opinion.” Moonlight said with a shake of her head and sigh. “There are talks of a chapel of sorts being constructed, I don’t know how the public will feel if that happens.”

“It won’t be easy,” Neivi sighed as she adjusted her glasses a little. “But if they don’t cause problems in Nightingale things might eventually get better. Trust is something that has to be earned in places like that, and I’m not going to lie, these Alicorns are in for an uphill battle.”

“Well, unless yah can convince them ta worship Luna or somethin’,” Storm said with a shrug as I looked at her curiously. “What? Ah mean Ah know they ain’t tha same thing, but it might be a way ta transition them slowly.”

“You would be surprised at how alike the two are.” Moonlight said, turning her gaze to Storm. “Take it from somepony, who has talked to them both.” She said, starting to laugh a little.

“Princess Worship isn’t exactly something new in the Wasteland,” Neivi said thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s probably a longshot though. They’ve been convinced that Nightmare Moon is a powerful Goddess. Even if they are similar, it couldn’t be easy or fast to convince them to change.”

“I’ve heard from that very short time in the Society I spent, that there is actually a rival faction gaining traction, one who worships the sun goddess.” Moonlight said with a chuckle. “I think what matters most to those ponies, is that they have something bigger than themselves to believe in, something that feeds them strength and hope for that better tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we think they attacked the town not long before we found you,” I said as I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. “What we need is something that can rally them together away from the Society’s Dogma.”

“I mean, the most common method of shifting belief is a child of the one they believe to be their god or goddess, but none of my children have ever shown any signs of being anything like me.” Moonlight said, looking to me. “Unless there is something you know that I don’t, I don’t think that’s going to work.”

“Then we’re going to have to think of something else,” Neivi said with a shake of her head. “Unless you want to start knocking up mares and hope for the best.”

“I think Storm might have a few things to say about that.” Moonlight said with a nervous chuckle. “I mean, I guess Citrus’ foal could show signs when she gets older, but the others… wait, two others were unborn. Maybe…”

“Only if Ah’m first,” Storm said with a chuckle as she nuzzled Moonlight. “Yah ain’t knockin’ up any more mares until after Ah get a chance.”

“Not for a while.” Moonlight said with a chuckle. “Not until I get to be the mother like I’ve always wanted. Though, I can’t help but think that I saw a mare in the society that looked like one of those from the stable I was forced to be with… Maybe the other alicorns know something.”

“Unfortunately, if one of them were taken the odds are good that they were transformed,” I said softly for a moment as I looked down at my hooves.

“The effects of IMP on an unborn foal haven’t exactly been tested for obvious reasons,” Neivi said as she adjusted her glasses a little. “But given the trauma of the transformation, if one of them was still pregnant while being transformed…”

“I don’t want to think about that.” Moonlight said, frowning. “I know they had doctors from the stable untransformed, one of them is the one that bandaged me up, and I don’t think they’d risk a foal - they’re dark, not monsters.”

“True,” I said with a slight nod. “Still, we don’t know where she is or what’s happened to her. It’s entirely possible that she was converted after birth for example. Sorry for being so down about it, just there’s a lot of unknowns right now.”

“Ah think they’re still out there somewhere,” Storm said as she comforted Moonlight a little. “We’ll talk ta tha other Alicorns and see if they know anythin’. We’ll figure this out, Ah promise.”

“There are some still inside the Society that sympathizes with me, maybe we can figure out a way to contact them, they would definitely know.” Moonlight said, looking from Storm to me. “Do you remember your old Wing? Did they have any sort of special way they would talk to each other privately?”

“Tawny and Red Rider,” I replied after a moment as I thought back. “Whenever they wanted to sneak away to make out or… other things I guess, without prying eyes, they’d leave each other messages. They’d hide them in an old mailbox outside of the perimeter. All four of us knew about it really, it was sort of our little secret in case we needed to share messages.”

“How often is the mailbox checked for messages?” Moonlight asked, “When I was in there, they were really curious about you and how you’ve been doing out here, I told them pretty much everything, they almost left right then and there to come find you, but I convinced them to stay, that I needed somepony inside in case things happened.”

“Usually once a day during our usual patrol period around the perimeter,” I said as I thought back for a moment. “Which is between 1630 and 1715.”

“So, we can leave messages and notes in that mailbox and get messages inside to those who are loyal to me.” Moonlight said, slowly nodding “How easy is it to get to that Mailbox, and what are the likelihoods of us getting caught?”

“The mailbox is off the usual patrol route around the perimeter of the main compound that surrounds the temple,” I replied. “So getting to it is easy enough. The hard part is going to be to avoid the patrols but given they’re always on a specific pattern and timescale that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Could you teleport a message into it?” Moonlight said, rubbing her chin. “Honestly I don’t know how teleportation magic works but don’t you just have to be able to picture it in your mind or something?”

“Well, yeah, but from this far away it’s not an exact science,” I said with a shake of my head. “Last two times I teleported anything there I sent them to a designated teleportation area that was set up and is always kept clear.”

“So, we’re gonna have ta go ta Haythens then?” Storm asked, suddenly very worried about the idea.

“I can go alone if I use my illusion magic I can at least disguise myself if there’s any risk,” I suggested. “I don’t want to put any of you in danger, and I can always try to teleport it from here.”

“Or…” Moonlight said, tapping a hoof. “If we can get in contact with that changeling, she could do this easily right?”

“Oh, duh!” I said as I facehooved a little. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Yes, that could definitely work, but how do you plan to get in touch with her?”

“She has been keeping an eye on you, High Priestess wanted to make sure that you weren’t destroying too much of her plans, she’s nearby - we just have to get her to reveal herself.” Moonlight said, starting to look around. “Anything that looks out of place?”

“Well, let’s see…” Neivi said as we all looked around for anything that seemed off about the area.

“There,” Storm said as she pointed over at a bench that was seated against the wall. “That bench shouldn’t be there, there’s one just down the path.”

“Are you sure? It might be a little awkward to go and talk to a bench.” Moonlight said with a chuckle. “Not to mention with all the stress and whatnot - someone might think you had a mental breakdown or something.”

“Or they’ll just think it’s a normal Tuesday for Storm,” Neivi said with a laugh.

“Real funny,” Storm said with a roll of her eyes. “Well unless yah want ta go around shoutin’ fer a Changeling then that’s what Ah’ve got right now.”

“I mean, it’s worth checking,” Lemon said with a shrug. “Unless any of you have any other ideas.”

“How do you even check to see if a bench is a Changeling?” I asked.

“Well, I’d say you should be the only one to approach - obviously if she feels like she’s caught out she isn’t going to be willing to even reveal herself.” Moonlight pointed out. “And, I’d suggest just trying to talk to her.”

“Alright, well no time like the present I guess,” I said as I headed over to the bench cautiously and looked around for a moment. I felt kind of silly doing this. “Hello? Is anyone here?”

I swear if this turned out to be a prank by my friends we were going to have words.

There was a bit of a shimmer, before a flash and standing where the bench once stood, the familiar form of the changeling caretaker.

“This… is most unorthodox, what is it child?” She said, looking at me confused,

“We’re trying to figure out how to get a message to my old Wing, and, well we can’t safely get that close to the Temple…” I said with a shake of my head. “I was wondering if maybe you could help us out.”

“What kind of message is it that you wish to send?” She said, sitting and looking past me to my friends. “Why would they wish to say anything to those on the other side?”

“It’s a long story,” I said as I levitated out a piece of paper and an old pen that I used to write the message on the paper and levitated it over to the Changeling. “We’re hoping they can help us with something. There’s an old mailbox that’s still intact just outside of the perimeter near what’s left of a faded yellow two-story house. Can you put it in there for me?”

“You are aware that I cannot simply come and go as I see fit anymore, right? I am only here because the high priestess wants the artifact back.” She said with a sigh. “But only she can remove it - and any attempt to take it away has proved less than fruitful.”

“I should’ve known this was a long shot,” I said with a sigh. “Guess I’ll just have to figure something else out.”

“Did I say I could not do it? I said it would be difficult - I am expected to report back to the high priestess herself once a day, every evening before the main vigil of the night.” She said with a sigh. “The time frame is tight, but I do believe I can manage to drop off a message if you need me to.”

“It would mean a lot to us,” I said and looked back at Moonlight for a moment. “With everything that’s happened, you know? Just be careful, I don’t want anything to happen to you on my account.”

She was looking past me, looking at my friends. “You wish to find her mate, don’t you.” She said, with a sigh and a shake of her head. “The Priestess is very… displeased with this situation, and with the looming birth of another like her - she is afraid all she has worked for will come down.”

“Gee… I can’t imagine why she would…” I started to snark before it suddenly sunk in exactly what she just said. “Wait, what do you mean by another like her?”

“There are members of the society who are sensitive to certain powers, many of them were sicked by being near Moonlight, I believe her name is, this one who is expecting, they get just as ill being around her.” She said with a sigh. “The Priestess has separated them, put your wing in charge of watching her - with most grave orders if things should go wrong.”

“Goddess… that’s not good…” I said as I looked back at Moonlight. “Then it’s more important than ever that you get the message to them. Please? I know this is putting you at risk given the High Priestess but…”

“No need to worry, your message is safe with me.” She said, smiling a little. “Though, I think your wing expects something, as this house - the one you wish to have me put the note in, is where they took the mare.” She said, eyes shifting back to me. “Perhaps they expect a rescue attempt.”

“Or maybe a quick getaway…” I muttered to myself before I nodded a little.

“Perhaps it would be wise in either case, for you to tell Ne… Neivi? Yes… the zebra there, to have a bed and maternity kit ready. Either way, this goes, you will likely be handling a newborn child.” She said with a sigh. “I am due for my check in anyway, I shall deliver your message - anything else you would like to add before I may depart?”

“No, but I wanted to say thank you, from all of us,” I said with a soft smile. “Stay safe, okay? I expect to be looking over my shoulder and wondering if you’re following me again.”

“I most likely will, unless the High Priestess decides that you aren’t worth her time.” She said with a chuckle. “She wants her firebrand back, but she may decide you are just too much trouble.”

“Well, she’s not getting me back either way,” I said with a slight smirk. “But it is nice to know that you’re nearby in a weird way.”

“I will always be near, figuratively and literally.” She said with a smile. “My teachings will stay with you, and I will be sure to check this house more, if you wish to leave messages for me, clearly when I am not the one delivering the message, of course.”

I smiled and hugged the Changeling for a long moment before backing off and giving her a nod. “I’ll see you around then, and I may just do that.”

“I look forward to it.” She said, smiling a little before with a flash she had disguised herself once more, this time as a young mare, and trotted her way off.

I smiled a little as I headed back to my friends as I let out a small sigh of relief. That had at least gone as well as we could’ve expected. “Well, she says she’ll take the message to them, but Neivi you should be ready with a bed and a maternity kit.”

“Because of course I need to be,” Neivi said with a light chuckle. “You know before I met you the most I had to worry about day by day was scrapes, bruises, and the occasional broken bones.”

“Well sorry for making your life interesting,” I said with a chuckle as I leaned down and gave the Zebra mare a light kiss. “Though, uh, Moonlight I have some good news and some bad news.”

“Good news and bad news?” Moonlight said, cocking her head to the side. “And what would it be?”

“Well, the good news is that apparently you were right and the filly has inherited some of the same power as you,” I said as I brushed my mane back. “The bad news is that the High Priestess is aware and is not happy about it. Though some more good news, she’s being guarded by my old Wing.”

“I see, how do they know she has my power if she has not been born yet?” Moonlight said, frowning a little. “As far as we have been told, the only way to see if this power exists is to expose it to a particular bit of metal.”

“Apparently, while you were with the Society it made some members ill,” I answered. “Apparently the mother of the foal is having the same effect, which is why she was separated from the rest other than the Wing assigned to her.”

“I made others ill? How?” Moonlight said, seemingly more alarmed. “I was not aware I had that effect on ponies…”

“It seems that they were particularly susceptible to your power because you have more than they had ever encountered before,” I replied. “I know it’s not much of an answer, but it’s at least a possibility.”

“... and you are telling me, an Unborn foal is exuding the same amount of power I exude, despite the fact I am as I am, correct?” Moonlight said, looking to me, then to Neivi. “How is that even possible, they can’t dose an unborn foal with the potion, can they?”

“Well, uh… I mean, I… I honestly don’t know,” Neivi admitted. “I don’t think it can be done without exposing the mother as well. But then again the Goddess didn’t exactly leave notes lying around detailing everything she did with IMP.”

“I see… is it possible that this unborn foal is… for lack of a better term, like myself and Firelight naturally?” Moonlight asked, seemingly even more concerned. “That explains why the High Priestess would be so threatened by her.”

“Well, I mean, it’s possible, the only recorded example of that was Flurry Heart,” Neivi said as she adjusted her glasses again. “And I honestly have no idea how that happened. It could be a side effect of the Luna power or an anomaly or… anything really. The only other record of a non-IMP Alicorn is from the war reports that came out of Neigh Orleans and Horseton, and she was definitely not natural born.”

“They said each generation was more powerful than the last, if she is as powerful as I am as an Alicorn, she is most definitely more powerful then I was as a Pegasi…” Moonlight said, shaking her head with a sigh. “Maybe she’s just a Unicorn, more attuned to the magic she carries or something, her mother’s a Unicorn, it’s a possibility…”

“Either way, I need to be ready,” Neivi said and looked thoughtful for a moment. “The only thing is that it would probably help to have her medical records. This might call for another trip to Stable 27.”

“That makes me uneasy - if they know of another like me, they are going to want to bring her to the stable.” Moonlight said with a frown. “I don’t want another pony to suffer as I have.”

“I know,” I said as I placed my hoof on Moonlight’s withers. “And we’re going to do everything we can to keep that from happening again. But Neivi might have a point, she doesn’t have all the medical records of everypony from your home Stable on hoof and if it might help...”

“Really, I can manage if I have to,” Neivi said.

“I permit you to contact the stable, but do not be clear for the reason why.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “For the sake of her health, and the health of the foal - I am willing to take this chance.”

Storm hugged Moonlight tight. “It’ll be okay, Ah’ll make sure that nothin’ happens, Ah promise.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can to make sure they don’t find out,” Neivi said with a nod. “I mean there’s a lot of equipment in there that would sure be handy… but we’ve been birthing foals out here without them for decades. I think we’ll manage.”

“Yes you have been birthing foals out here for decades, but how many of them have the power of a grand equestrian princess?” Moonlight said, starting to frown more. “I doubt Citrus’ mother would be willing to deliver these papers to somepony, she will likely want to be hooves on.”

“Thanks for not putting more pressure on me, it really helps,” Neivi replied sarcastically before grumbling. “I am a trained Mendi Healer, it is well within my abilities to birth a foal, powers or not.”

“Neivi, Moonlight, it’s going to be okay,” I said with a sigh. “We’ll figure this out somehow, and we won’t let them take the foal back to the Stable.”

“Yah have mah word as part of tha Town’s Security force, Ah’ll make sure of it,” Storm said reassuringly.

Moonlight took a deep breath and sighed “Right, right… I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She said, before turning to me. “I’ll hold you responsible if anything happens however - this is big, like really big.”

“Ah’ll protect her like she’s mah own daughter,” Storm said reassuringly.

“We’ll all help,” I added and Neivi and Lemon nodded in agreement.

“If we don’t get her back, the Society will have a tool of our destruction, if the stable gets her, she’ll be used like I was, so while I’d love to say no pressure, I think the stakes have never been this high.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “I think I need some time to myself, perhaps you should check in with the Alicorns, see how they are handling things.”

“And I need to get everything ready at the clinic,” Neivi added and gave me a kiss. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay,” I said as me, Storm, and Lemon walked off together.

“Are yah okay, Firelight?” Storm asked me as I looked back at her. We had been walking through one of the mid levels of the tree city. “Yer quieter than usual. Do yah want ta talk about it?”

“Honestly? I’m just thinking about everything,” I said with a sigh as we walked past Sparks who was talking with a pony outside of Nightingale’s School. I flinched a little and loured my head a little as we kept walking past.

“Do you ever think you’ll be ready to talk to her?” Lemon asked as the old Ghoul looked at me worriedly for a moment. “I mean, really talk to her. She’s your sister and all.”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” I said as I lowered my head a little. “I’m scared more than anything. I want to talk to her, to try and get something of a normal life back. But at the same time, I feel like I’m going to screw it up.”

“I know what you mean,” Lemon said with a sigh. “I can’t tell you how many times I went over what I would say to Licorice if I had ever found her over the years. I guess that’s why I eventually wound up back in Manehattan. The thing is though, you never know when it might be too late. So if you want an old Mare’s advice, don’t put it off for too long.”

“I won’t,” I said with a sigh as I looked back at Sparks. She looked up from the pony she was talking to and gave me a soft smile. “Though it’s not going to be easy. How do you even reconnect with a sister you don’t remember? And I’m scared of what might happen if I remember everything…”

“Let’s think about somethin’ else,” Storm said quickly.

“Alright, so when are you and Moonlight going to tie the knot?” I asked with a teasing grin which sent a blush over the purple mare’s face.

“Ah meant somethin’ other than teasin’ me about mah love life,” Storm said with a groan.

“You’re just mad she beat you to it,” Lemon said with a chuckle. “But yeah, what are we going to do now?”

“Well, we do need to talk to the other Alicorns and see how things are going here,” I said with a nod. “Though, it’s kind of weird. I mean, after all the time I’ve spent with non-Alicorns, other than Moonlight at least. I’m not actually sure what I’m supposed to do or say.”

“It’ll be okay,” Storm said reassuringly. “Just take it easy and try ta talk ta them. It can’t be that bad, right?”

“Yeah, maybe,” I said with a shake of my head and smiled a little when I saw the fillies playing that same game with the ball they had been playing when I had first seen them. I waved to them and they looked up and waved back before going back to their game.

I was about to go back to talking to my friends when I was surprised to see a young Alicorn filly that looked like she was about the same age as them. She had black fur with a short purple mane. The Alicorn was watching the three fillies with a curious look on her face.

After a moment I recognized the Alicorn Filly, her name was Night Wish. I Had seen her a few times around the Temple. She had only joined the Society a few months before I left. She had been one of several fillies to join in that period.

I was scared to think about what might’ve resulted in her and the others getting there. Though, it was kind of nice to know that at least she made it out. I sighed a little and looked back at my friends just as Dawn Star and her friends were approaching Night Wish.

I hoped that would work out. I smiled a little as we started walking again together, maybe if they could get along there was some hope to this after all.

“Why do yah call it a Wing?” Storm asked as we walked into the main building that had been set aside for the Alicorns.

“Hmm?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Wings were a term generally used in relation ta tha Unity Alicorns or tha Pegasi,” Storm said with a shrug. “Ya’ll ain’t Unity Alicorns, did yah just borrow it from them or somethin’?”

“You know, I never really thought about that…” I said for a moment. “As far as I know it’s always been what we call the military units in the Society.”

“Well, I hope yer right in them bein’ able ta help,” Storm said with a sigh. “Moonlight ain’t in a good place right now. If this doesn’t work out, she ain’t gonna be happy, and if she ain’t happy Ah ain’t happy.”

“Noted,” I said with a gulp at the implied threat from the Pegasus mare. “I trust them, and Moonlight said they’re on our side… I think it’s worth the risk.”

“Yer givin’ me a whole lot of what ifs and could bes when you know this might not work,” Storm said angrily. “You’re putting Moonlight and this whole town at risk here on a hunch. If ANYTHING happens to her, I’m going to make sure you pay for it.”

“I promise, I’ll make sure everything is okay,” I said with a gulp as the usually laid back Pegasus mare stared me down. “I trust my old Wing and Moonlight said they’re on our side, remember? I promise I won’t let anything happen to Moonlight. I wouldn’t do anything to put her in danger if I didn’t think it was the only option.”

“Alright, I trust yah,” Storm said as she started to calm down a little. “Yah understand though, Ah don’t want anythin’ ta happen ta Moonlight. Yah would do tha same if it was Neivi that was in danger.”

“Yeah, I would,” I said as I closed my eyes for a moment. “I would do everything I can to keep her safe. But I’d also trust my friends to be able to help me and be by my side. And we’re going to be there for you and Moonlight, I promise.”

“Alright, so, Ah guess we should go talk ta tha Alicorns,” Storm said with a nod as we started walking together. “Sorry if Ah got angry at yah back there.”

“It’s okay, I understand where you’re coming from,” I said with a soft smile. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“Ah hope so,” Storm said and Lemon nodded in agreement. “Come on, we came here ta check in on tha Alicorns. We really shouldn’t be standin’ around talkin’ right now. Let’s get goin’, okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a nod as we walked around. I was a bit surprised at how big the building was, but it was still mostly empty.

We saw a few Alicorns here and there that looked like they were talking, they looked more nervous or scared than anything else. Usually, they went quiet when we went past though. I looked back at Storm and Lemon who just shrugged a little.

“Hey, well if it isn’t the Firebrand,” a voice finally said with a chuckle as I turned to see an Alicorn standing there who was even taller than me. She had light green fur with a dark green mane with streaks of grey in it. “I have to say I wasn’t expecting to ever see you again, let alone in a place like this.”

“Friend of yours, Firelight?” Lemon asked as she and Storm eyed the tall Alicorn for a moment.

“Geez, and Ah thought Firelight was tall…” Storm muttered which just made me chuckle a little bit.

“Mistle was the one that trained me when I was inducted into the Soldier Caste of the Society,” I replied before turning back to the larger green Alicorn. “I didn’t actually expect to see you here. You were part of the Society for as long as anypony could remember.”

“The High Priestess found me years ago when the Society was just starting to use IMP,” Mistle said with a sad smile.”I was not in a good place back then. I was still recovering from the Death of the Goddess and the collapse of Unity. I believed that the Society was the best chance to rebuild what I had lost.”

“Wait, yer not an Alicorn created by tha Society?” Storm asked. “Ah had no idea they were recruitin’ former Unity Alicorns.”

“There are only a few of us,” Mistle said with a slight shake of her head. “The High Priestess wanted to seek out former members of the Unity to help the Society. She had wanted a purple Alicorn for the Soldier Caste, but given that I had the most experience of any of the Alicorns she could recruit she put me in charge of molding it.”

“Well, that answers that question,” Storm whispered to me. “But Ah don’t understand one thing. Don’t Green Alicorns tend ta travel in pairs? Yer, well, alone.”

Mistle lowered her head sadly for a moment and shook her head. “My partner died, a long time ago I’m afraid. She had injured her wing so were lagging behind the others during the evacuation of Maripony. I didn’t want to leave her behind, one of the first real thoughts I had that was my own. But she, she told me to fly as fast as I could and, I left her behind. There was just so much chaos in the Unity, everything was falling apart and I couldn’t get anypony to save her. Ever since then, I’ve felt like I’m only half the pony I used to be. Sometimes it felt like the Society made me whole again. Especially with ponies like you and others. You became my new family, my new Unity.”

“So, why leave the Society?” Lemon asked.

“I was already thinking about it when Firelight left to be honest,” Mistle admitted as she gave me a soft smile. “Personally I couldn’t give a flying feather about the High Priestess’ dogma. When I learned you went rogue, Firelight, it started to make me think. Then Moonlight showed up. I guess I started to realize that the Society wasn’t the Unity I had hoped for. And here I am.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” I said with a soft smile as I hugged the taller Alicorn. She blinked a little in surprise before she hugged me back. “I’m glad so many Alicorns have left the Society. I wish that I had realized this was wrong a long time ago.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Mistle said with a shake of her head. “It’ll be okay, Firelight. You’ve got some good friends out here. I’m just glad that you were able to break free. You’re braver than I ever was.”

“Thanks,” I said softly. “So, what’s going to happen now? How are we going to get everypony settled in?”

“Sparks is working on getting the younger Alicorns enrolled in the local school,” Mistle said with a nod. “She thinks that if we try to show we can live normally it’ll help everypony accept us better. It’s a long shot really, but she thinks it’ll help.”

“Well, it’s worth a try,” Storm said as she shrugged a little. She then added jokingly, “Besides, they’ll be goin’ ta school with Firelight’s daughters.”

“Your daughters?” Mistle asked as she looked at me weirdly.

“She’s joking, I’ve been helping take care of three orphaned fillies that are from the same settlement I was from,” I said quickly. “I admit we’ve gotten very close but… I don’t know really.”

We talked for a while. It was nice to be reunited with Mistle and any of the other ponies that I had known. I was happy that they were here, it really gave me a lot of hope for the future of the Society Alicorns.

“Well, Mistle was interestin’,” Storm said as we headed towards the clinic. “How do yah think Moonlight is doin’?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted as we approached the clinic. “Word should have gotten to my old Wing by now. I just hope that they made it here without any problems.”

“Yeah, me too,” Storm said as she looked down at her hooves for a moment. “Ah’m scared ta be honest. Ah’ve never exactly been tha most responsible of ponies, as Neivi would tell yah. Ah know a lot about what happened down there from Moonlight, and that neither of them had any choice in tha matter. Ah’m not even sure what ta do ta be honest. Ah feel like Ah’m gonna need ta help with tha filly, but Ah don’t know if Ah can.”

“Storm, you’re going to be okay,” I said softly as I placed my hoof gently on her withers and gave her a gentle smile. “If it comes to that, you’re going to be just fine. And we’re going to be there with you if it comes to that too.”

“Thanks,” Storm said gently and hugged me tightly for a moment. “Come on, let’s go check on them.”

I nodded as I opened the door to the clinic and the three of us walked in together. “Neivi? Moonlight? We’re back.”

“No! Spit that out this instant!” I heard Moonlight yell from around the corner. “Neivi! Our little guest here thought it’d be a great idea to chew on… a bottle of something”

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” I heard Neivi say in an exasperated voice as we heard hooves against the wooden floor of the clinic. “Oh thank the Spirits, it’s nothing toxic. Come on, let it go…”

“Sounds like they have their hooves full,” I said.

“Should we come back later?” Storm asked before adding jokingly. “Or do yah want some practice for when ya’ll start havin’ little Alicorn Zony babies?”

“Very funny,” I groaned as we headed around the corner to see what was going on. “Neivi? Moonlight? Do you two need help?”

“I swear upon the stars if this monstrosity doesn’t calm down, we’re going to all have a serious problem.” Moonlight said with a groan. “It is impossible to believe this thing is related to me.”

“What happened?” I asked as I looked around for any sign of what was going on. “I’m guessing this means they got here with the mare.”

“The mare is out cold in the back. This creature she spawned hasn’t calmed down once since they got here.” Moonlight said, looking to me with a huff. “I am not sure this thing is mine, it is nothing like any of its siblings.”

“Well, unless you have another explanation for how she got those, I honestly doubt she’s anypony else’s,” Neivi said with a huff. “Storm, Firelight, can either of you help get her down?”

“Get her down from where?” I asked as I looked towards where the two of them had been looking.

“My… daughter, as reluctantly as I am to say that, has decided that after chewing on several things in the clinic, that she would climb up into the crawl space… remind me, to never have another child again.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “We’ve tried everything we can think to get her down, she refuses to budge.”

“Yeah, there’s no way I can fit up there,” I said as I looked up towards the crawlspace for a moment. “You two are getting your flanks kicked by a foal?”

“Darn it Firelight, I’m a Doctor, not a babysitter,” Neivi said with a groan as she adjusted her glasses. “This wasn’t exactly a normal birth you know. I swear the Spirits are punishing me for something.”

“Alright, well this ain’t tha time ta argue about that,” Storm said as she looked up at the crawlspace for a moment. “It might be a tight squeeze, but Ah think Ah can get in there if Ah remove mah armor.”

She started to remove her armor as she looked back up at the crawlspace for a moment before setting it on the floor and flapping her wings a little. She headed up to the crawlspace and vanished into it after a moment.

“Why do you even have a crawlspace?” I asked as I glanced at Neivi.

“We live in a jungle,” Neivi pointed out. “Some airspace between the roof and ceiling is good in case of leaks or cold nights.”

“Fair enough,” I said with a shrug as we waited for some word to come from Storm as she made her way through the crawlspace. “She’s going to be okay up there right? It’s not going to collapse is it?”

“Pegasi are smaller and lighter than other races to help them fly,” Neivi said with a nod as she shot a glance at Moonlight. “She should be fine up there unless you two have been up to something that you really shouldn’t be doing right now.”

“WHAT IN TARNATION?” Storm shouted out from the Crawlspace.

“What do you see?” I called up to the Pegasus mare.

“Well, uh, Ah’m pretty sure this one is yours Moonlight,” Storm called down as there was the sound of her making her way through the crawlspace. “Unless there’s somepony else in yer home Stable who has tha same colorin’ and Luna’s powers.”

“Uh… be careful, she bites.” Moonlight said, sheepishly.

“Ah’ve tussled with some of tha nastiest things tha… OWW!” Storm cried out. “Oh no, yah ain’t gettin’ away from me. Ah’m gettin’ yah outta here and that’s final!”

She finally pushed her way out of the crawlspace carrying a foal. She had the same colors as Moonlight only they were reversed. But of course, most noticeably she had the familiar wings and horns of an Alicorn as she struggled to get out of the purple pegasus’ grip again.

“Ah swear, if all Alicorn foals are this much trouble, Ah might agree ta that not have any more kids thing,” Storm said as she floated down, keeping hold of the filly. “What do yah want me ta do with her?”

“I think I have a bag somewhere around here and the river isn’t too far…” Moonlight said with a nervous chuckle.

“Not funny,” Neivi said as she gently took the foal away from Storm. “Plus bringing her here was your idea, remember?”

“We’re not throwing her in the river,” I said with a sigh as the filly squirmed in Neivi’s hooves. “Now seriously, what are we going to do with her? The obvious problem we have is that we’re not going to be able to spend all our time in Nightingale. There are things that need to be investigated and we’re supposed to be making contact with the other settlements.”

“There’s also the matter of her mother.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “See, she wasn’t born here - your wing brought them separately because apparently, Mistral had a few problems during labor.”

“Given what their solution was, we’re probably lucky they both made it at all,” Neivi said with a sigh. “I knew I should’ve gone to meet up with them.”

“Uh, exactly what happened?” I asked as I looked between them. Storm and Lemon looked just as confused and concerned as I felt.

“Apparently, giving birth to an Alicorn foal is a lot more stressful on the body of a normal pony. Mistral sustained some very life-threatening injuries, your wing…” Moonlight said, walking over to the door that leads to the back. “They had to give her that potion just so she’d survive the trip here.”

“They, exposed her to IMP?” I asked and blinked in surprise.

“Given the alternative was death, it likely seemed like the best option at the time,” Neivi said with a sigh. “There’s still no promise that she’s going to survive, they may have only bought her some time.”

“And what if it does work and she lives?” I asked. “What are we going to do with her? Do we try to restore her memories or what?”

“According to your wing.” Moonlight said with a sigh “She said, before they dosed her that she didn’t want to remember her life before, she wanted a clean slate with her and her daughter.”

I paused a little at that. If that was what she wanted then we shouldn’t press her to try to remember. But at the same time, would that make us any better than the Society? And what would we do if she wanted to remember?

I had no idea honestly.

“Alright, if that’s what she wants then I guess we should respect it,” I said with a sigh. “Any way we can improve her chances of healing?”

“Sure, we could expose her to radiation from Lemon,” Neivi said. “It was the same treatment we used for you in addition to normal methods.”

“I’m just one big radiation generator for healing Alicorns to you aren’t I?” Lemon said with a snort.

“We’ll pay you,” Neivi offered.

“Radiation generator Lemon Lime reporting for duty.”

“Keeping in mind, she may not even survive this - she’s been through a really big thing with this birth, and that little monst- I mean, foal… is definitely a hoof-full.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “As much as I want her to survive, we should prepare for the worse - as we’re handling things that not even doctors before the war knew how to handle.”

“And they had much better equipment than I do,” Neivi said with a sigh. “We’re going to have to improvise really. That’s why I need Lemon’s help here, and I’m working on some potions. There is one other thing I can do, but I’m not particularly fond of it. However, given the state of the patient it may help.”

“If it would help, then why don’t we do it?” I asked.

“Because the Doctor in question is a Carnillia,” Neivi said as she adjusted her glasses a little bit.

“Okay, I’m confused, what does that have to do with anything?” I asked.

“Tha Carnillia is another one of tha Zebra Tribes,” Storm said with a frown. “They consider life sacred and are against tha idea of any relationships that won’t produce viable children.”

“Great,” I said with a groan. “But a mare’s life is in the balance here. Are you sure that they can help with this?”

“Pretty sure, Carnillia Doctors and Scientists have medicine even the Mendi don’t have,” Neivi said with a nod.

“Alright, where can I find this Doctor?”

“He lives in Canterbury,” Neivi said with a sigh as she took out a piece of paper and quickly wrote the details. “Just, be careful, okay? He’s a good Doctor, but he won’t be easy to deal with if he finds out about… you know…”

“Right,” I said and took a deep breath as I picked up the paper. “Unless anypony has any other ideas. I’m going alone to Canterbury to talk to this Doctor.”

“Well, the good news is you’ve been there before, so you can teleport there, right?” Moonlight said, looking to me. “She may have been a forced relationship on me, but I still care, y’know?”

“Yeah, I mean I’ll need to teleport somewhere I know is clear, but yeah I can do that,” I said and gave Moonlight a nod. “We’re going to do everything we can to save her. I promise you that, Moonlight.”

“We’ll do what we can here,” Neivi said with a nod. “Be safe, okay?”

I nodded a little and concentrated on an area near Canterbury that I knew was going to be clear. My horn glowed orange as I vanished in a flash of light. The last thing I saw was Neivi giving me a nod before I was whisked away by the magic.

It didn’t take long to reach Canterbury and find the clinic that belonged to the Carnillia Doctor. I got a few looks while I made my way through the tree city. Some of them waved to me, remembering me from before. I would’ve liked to go back and talk to Vox and see how things were going there, but I had a mission.

I opened the door to the clinic and looked around inside. It didn’t look that different from Neivi’s back in Nightingale.

“Hello?” I called out as I looked around for the Doctor.

“Oh, hello, can I help you with something?” A stallion’s voice asked. I turned around to see a Zebra stallion standing there dressed in a white coat. He had a grey coat and a short mane, his stripes were curled and he eyed me strangely for a moment. “I don’t get a lot of Alicorns in here, but you look healthy enough.”

“I’m not here for me,” I said as I walked over to the stallion. “We have a pony who recently gave birth back in Nightingale. However, there have been complications and we’re afraid that she might not survive. I was told that you might be able to help.”

“Told by Neivi I’m sure,” the Zebra Stallion said with a snort. For a moment I was afraid that he was going to refuse outright but he spoke again. “What can you tell me about the patient?”

“She was exposed to IMP in an effort to save her life after childbirth,” I replied and he eyed me curiously. “There were complications during labor. The foal was, a, uh…”

“What?” The Doctor asked. “If I’m going to help then I will need all the information you can give me.”

“The foal was born an Alicorn,” I said after a brief pause. “It’s what caused the complications.”

“Curious. Either the Nightmare Society or some similar group is experimenting with ways to expose an unborn foal to IMP or there’s something more you’re not telling me,” the stallion said as he narrowed his eyes at me. “I am familiar with Doctor Neivi’s more eccentric sexuality.”

I got the impression that the stallion didn’t just think of it as eccentric. But he was the best chance we had at saving Mistral. I didn’t like having to ask for his help, but right now I didn’t have much of a choice.

“That being said, a life is a life,” he said with a nod. “I wouldn’t be much of a Doctor if I refused to treat a patient. However I’m going to need to know everything you can tell me about the mother and pregnancy that you can tell me. Any information could be important to healing the patient.”

I nodded and told him everything I knew about Mistral and her pregnancy. It was admittedly not as much as Moonlight or somepony from Stable 27 may have been able to tell her, but it was enough.

What worried me however was that after I had mentioned the fact that it was the result of a spell that allowed two mares to conceive a foal the stallion frowned. He remained quiet until I was done, but he had a frown on his face and didn’t look happy.

“I’m not helping you,” he finally said simply.

“What? You said you'd’ help, you said that a life is a life,” I said. Anger was starting to rise in my voice, and fire was starting to appear at the edge of my vision. “Why refuse now?”

“This isn’t life, this is a mockery of life!” The stallion snapped. “I have a lot of respect for Neivi despite her choices in partners. However, this is disgusting, magic allowing life to be created so, callously? It’s a mockery!”

“Life is life no matter how it’s created!” I said as I narrowed my eyes at the stallion, the flames were starting to flicker harder. “The ponies of Stable 27 are just like you and me. They’re not any less than you or me just because they were conceived through magic with two mares as parents. You disgust me, I’m going to make sure everyone knows about this.”

“And what are you going to do to make that happen?” The Doctor asked with a snort. “You’re just an Alicorn, and no one is going to trust your word.”

“Yeah, but they’ll trust Vox Populi,” I said with a smirk and the stallion’s eyes went wide at that. “Yeah, I know him, and something tells me he wouldn’t be happy with this either. But of course, that’s up to you, oh well.”

I started for the door before he called out after me. “Wait, wait, maybe we can work something out.”

I knew he’d come around if I applied just the right pressure. I hated having to do this, but a Zebra like this… well, I didn’t feel too bad about it.

“Memphis, can you come in here please?” The Doctor called into another room.

“Memphis?” I asked curiously.

“My apprentice, I’m afraid that I just remembered that I have a patient that I need to take care of,” the Doctor said with a shake of his head. “So I will be sending her back to Nightingale with you. That is all I can spare at the moment.”

“I see,” I said. I didn’t believe the stallion for one minute of course, but we were going to need help. I made it a point to file this away for later. “Alright, well I’ll take what I can get I guess.”

“You called, Doctor Mernius?” A mare asked as she walked in. She was younger than the Doctor but had the same curled stripes. Her mane was tied back into a ponytail as she looked at me curiously for a moment.

“Yes, this Alicorn here needs help with a mare that is having complications from a pregnancy,” Doctor Menius said as he went back to his desk. “You have enough training to deal with this yourself.”

“Doctor, wouldn’t it be better if you want yourself?” Memphis asked with a slight frown. “I mean you have way more experience than I do.”

“No, I believe you’re going to be fine,” Mernius said as he shot her a look. “Frankly I’m not even sure there’s anything left to teach you. So get going.”

Me and Memphis exchanged a look as we walked out together. Memphis had a slight frown on her face as the door shut behind us. I looked down at the Carnillia mare who shook her head a little.

“Is he always like that?”

“Sometimes,” she said as she shook her head a little. “I came here a while back in hopes of finding someone willing to teach me more. I honestly didn’t think he’d be so…”

“Opinionated?” I asked and she nodded a little. “Are all Carnillia like that?”

“Most of them that I’ve met, I don’t think he believed I was completely in line with the beliefs of the Carnillia really,” Memphis said as she closed her eyes a little. “Which I guess I’m not. But that’s not important right now. What can you tell me about it? Anything might be important.”

I quickly outlined everything I knew. I just had to hope that she was going to be willing to help, unlike the other Doctor. She listened carefully to what I was saying, and while her face changed she looked more worried than angry, I figured that had to be a good sign.

“Alright, I can’t promise I’ll be able to help, but I’ll do what I can,” Memphis said with a slight nod. I let out a sigh of relief at that. “Though I can see why Doctor Mernius would object to this. Unfortunately, change doesn’t come easy in the Carnillia. Still, if there really is a spell that can do that, it may help change their minds.”

“I hope so, and thank you for offering to help,” I said with a smile as I gave her a slight nod. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Memphis said as she took a deep breath.

I nodded and my horn started glowing orange again. In a flash of light, we were gone and off to Nightingale once more.

“He sent his apprentice?” Neivi asked as she narrowed her eyes a little bit. “Of all the low down rotten…”

“Neivi, calm down, this isn’t what we need right now,” I said gently as I placed my hoof on my marefriend’s withers. “The patient needs you at your very best, and being angry over that stallion isn’t going to help matters.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Neivi said as she looked over at Memphis. “Do you think she’s going to be able to help? I mean if she’s just an Apprentice, she might not be experienced enough to do this.”

“Unless you know any other Carnillia Doctors that I could get to quickly, she’s our only option,” I said with a sigh. “I know it’s not who you asked for, but he was…”

“Yeah, trust me I know, that’s why I didn’t want to ask for his help to begin with,” Neivi said with a shake of her head. “The Carnillia youth in the Homeland are slowly coming around thanks to the FRA. Here out on the frontier though, it’s much harder.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“We have to do this now and I can’t think of any other Carnillia Doctors that you can get to quickly,” Neivi said with a shake of her head. “Thank you for trying at least. We just have to hope that this is going to be enough.”

She headed over to Memphis and the two talked for a few minutes before they went back into the operating room. I trotted over to where Moonlight was sitting with Storm who had her wing around the Alicorn comfortingly.

“Hey, how’s she doing?” I asked as Moonlight looked up at me.

“Still out like a light I’m afraid, Don’t think we’ll be getting much from her anyway, given the whole memory not being there thing.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “We managed to get the foal down for some rest, though do be quiet, I would hate to see what she is capable of when she’s cranky.”

“Ah feel like Ah need ta apologize ta mah parents since Ah’m sure Ah was a hooffull when Ah was a foal,” Storm said with an exhausted chuckle.

“Well, hopefully everything will be okay,” I said with a soft sigh as I sat down. “How about you two? Are you doing okay?”

“Ah’ve been better,” Storm said with a shake of her head. “Foals are exhaustin’.”

“Especially alicorn foals that can do things like fly and what not just hours after birth, I’ve read the stories on a prewar foal like her, how she was able to destroy one of the most powerful artifacts with nothing more than the power of a cry.” Moonlight said with a sigh, slumping down a little. “Come to think of it, what happened to Flurry? I don’t recall seeing anything about her rising to power or anything suggesting she died…”

“Ah heard rumors she showed up durin’ King Sombra’s return ta tha Crystal Empire a few years back,” Storm said thoughtfully for a moment. “Yeah, Ah remember hearin’ somethin’ about that once. Ah think she’s still around somewhere up North, but Ah don’t know fer sure.”

“Perhaps we should see if there is a way to get in contact with her if she really is alive and up there still - she might have some insight in how to handle a born alicorn like this.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “The story also told of a powerful sorcerer who helped surpress her magic early on so she wouldn’t reduce her home to rubble, perhaps if we can figure out what he did…”

“Well don’t look at me, I’ve never been that far North,” I said with a shake of my head. “And we don’t exactly have an easy way of getting there. It’s not like there’s some train that goes this far south or something.”

“I guess it may be something to try for at least, else we might have a problem with a alicorn growing up.” Moonlight said with a deep breath and a sigh. “As much as I hate it, we might have to give her to the stable - atleast there she could be handled by skilled ponies.”

“Or at least drive them crazy as revenge fer what they did ta yah,” Storm added jokingly. “But yeah, unfortunately that might be tha only option we have until we figure somethin’ out.”

“What about the other Alicorns?” I suggested. “I mean, she’s not an IMP Alicorn, but they would have the closest frame of reference to it here. Mistle or, well, Sparks may be able to help.”

“It’s a good option, it really is, but are we really equipped to deal with a foal like this?” Moonlight said with another sigh, “If she was a normal foal, this wouldn’t be any big deal, I’ve dealt with them and know what to do, but an Alicorn? How do you even begin - especially one with so much power…”

“I don’t think anypony around here really has much of a frame of reference for that kind of thing except maybe the former Society Alicorns,” I said with a sigh. “There’s just not a lot of options at our disposal right now. And ultimately we’re going to have to make a choice. We can’t just stay here with her either or take her with us. We don’t really have a lot of options right now, do we?”

“Does Nightingale really have any options for nurseries or anything of the like?” Moonlight said, looking towards the door to the back, “Depending on is Mistral survives or not, we should be prepared to hand the foal over to them, it feels like the best thing for her future, to me anyway.”

“We have tha Orphanage, who’s head is under suspicion of conspiracy with tha Mayor…” Storm said thoughtfully for a moment. “There are ponies who take care of foals while their parents are doin’ their work around tha city. Tha real problem is that they don’t exactly know how ta take care of Alicorn foals.”

“Yeah, fosters…” Moonlight said, trailing off in thought for a moment. “And obviously no zebras.”

“Excuse me?” I said as I eyed her after she had said that. “Why would that be obvious?”

“Their spiritual beliefs, their methodology, the fact they simply aren't ponies.” Moonlight said before she looked to me with a little surprise. “Do you really feel like a creature from an entirely different cultural background can raise a child from your own cultural background without any conflicts of interest?”

“You do remember that I’m dating a Zebra, right?” I asked as I narrowed my eyes at the other Alicorn. “And that I wouldn’t mind starting a family with her sometime in the future.”

“There is a big difference between a Mixed culture family and a single culture family. This foal, this alicorn - was born to a pony, by a pony, and should be raised as a pony.” Moonlight said, in a matter of fact tone. “Any other way would simply be wrong and wouldn’t let her grow to be the best she could be.”

I was seething and was about to say something when Storm spoke up. “Firelight, calm down, Moonlight is from a Stable remember? Her beliefs ain’t exactly of this time. Moonlight-”

“I feel the same about interspecies relationships between the pony species. Two pegasi, of which I remind you I used to be one, cannot raise a unicorn foal to be the best unicorn he or she could possibly be. There is a whole lot of things to consider when raising a foal to be the best they can be.”

“Excuse me? Just because ponies are different species doesn’t mean they can’t raise a foal to be the best they can be,” I said. “You can’t honestly believe that…”

“Firelight, calm down,” Storm said as she placed her hoof on my muzzle to quiet me before looking at Moonlight. “Moonlight, Ah don’t know how they did things in Stable 27 but that just ain’t how most ponies do things out here. Heck over tha past 210 years new cultures and civilizations have risen and fallen that would have their own values and beliefs. Tha world ain’t nearly as simple as yah seem ta think it is. Ponies, or Zebras, can be raised ta be tha best they can be regardless of parentage or who raises them. What do yah suggest, that if two ponies who ain’t Pegasi have a Pegasus foal or whatever they should just give them up? Ah’ve met ponies who were raised by other species or even were born into completely different Tribes than they were raised in. And Ah… well, Ah think there ain’t nothin’ wrong with that kind of thing.”

“In the stable, I was raised by the best Pegasus the stable had to offer, I was fed the things that I needed exactly to make sure I grew to be the best pegasus I could be, I was taught the things I’d need to be able to do everything expected of a pegasi with perfection, even my personal time was directed to make sure that I would only keep bettering myself.” Moonlight said with a huff. “I turned out fine - with more flying skills than the best enclave agent, and more knowledge about what it means to be a pegasus then any single one of those pegasi supremacists can begin to know. All because I was raised by pegasi, to do pegasi things, and be the best gosh darn pegasus I could be, is that so wrong that I expect the same for MY offspring?”

Now Storm looked like she was the one who needed to calm down. If she was me she probably would be engulfed in flames by now as she glared at Moonlight. “So yer sayin’ that no Pegasus raised by non-Pegasi could possibly be anythin’ good?”

“They could be something good, but they aren’t going to be the best.” Moonlight said with a huff. “They could never measure up to the great pegasi legends like Flash Magnus or Rainbow Dash.”

“Guess that means Ah ain’t ever gonna be tha best ta yah,” Storm snorted as she got to her hooves and started for the door. “Because Ah was adopted and raised by a Unicorn couple when Ah was a filly.”

“So, you think you’re hot stuff then huh? The next Rainbow Dash? Hmm? Or maybe you aspire to do something like resurrect the Wonderbolts and try and be the next Spitfire too?” Moonlight said, starting to chuckle. “You’re a great flier and a good pegasus, but you’re not the best.”

“Ah need some air,” Storm said softly, though from my angle I could see tears in her eyes as she pushed the door open and stormed out of the clinic.

“Moonlight…” I said, finally finding my voice again. “What in the Goddess’ name was that about?”

“I don’t like being lied to.” Moonlight said with a frown. “She is Enclave, or was, remember? Pegasi Supremacists, do you think they are really going to let a pegasi not raised in their cloud cities or by other pegasus in their ranks?”

“I don’t know, why would they come and offer food, water, and medical supplies to a settlement like Nightingale?” I pointed out. “You’ve seen this town’s population, Pegasi are a minority.”

“And you’ve seen their reactions when the Enclave first appeared.” Moonlight snapped back, “At first I did not understand their apprehension, or why they showed so much fear - but now I do, I have been told a lot, I have heard a lot, and I have seen a lot regarding what this Enclave is and what it does, and now not only do I understand their apprehension and fear regarding them, I share it.”

“I will admit I do not entirely trust the Enclave either, I’ve probably heard every story you have and then some,” I said with a sigh. “But I don’t know. Something about Storm’s reaction feels weird. Is it possible that we’re not getting the whole picture?”

“It’s possible,” Moonlight said, shaking her head and giving a sigh. “Her reaction was extreme and unexpected, and… I am not entirely honestly sure if she is truly upset, or if this is an attempt at manipulation. She used to be Enclave, and they were well known for their manipulation tactics.”

“Moonlight, you know Storm better than I do,” I said as I looked at her. “Heck, you’ve seen parts of her that I can’t even imagine. Do you really think she’s manipulating you?”

“Can you really say she isn’t?” Moonlight said back, “Not too long ago, right now I would be lounging in my pajamas watching the nightly stable cartoons eating ice cream and enjoying myself, in this little time I have almost died, been permanently transformed, and so many things have happened that I can’t even wrap my head around it all - what the heck am I supposed to consider is real or not? How do I know this isn’t all a dream and I’m in a coma in the stable right now or something.”

“I don’t, but I’m pretty sure that everything is real,” I said with a sigh. “Because if nothing is real then everything we’ve done is pointless. I don’t know what the truth is behind Storm, but I do know something. She loves you, I can tell that much. Whether or not she’s lying or omitting parts of her past… she’s our friend.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “This whole situation has me wound tighter than a spring, and you two… what you two did was not exactly helpful...”

“And I’m sorry,” I said as I looked down at my hooves. “And I’m sure if Storm was here she’d say the same. But you’re not the only one wound up. It took every ounce of self-control I had to not punch that Doctor back in Canterbury in the face after what he said, and what I’m sure he was thinking. This whole situation has us all wound up, and I’m sure Storm’s feeling it too… probably even more than me or Lemon.”

“Maybe so, but what does taking it out on one another achieve,” Moonlight said, rubbing at her head a little. “How can we help anypony, if we can’t even help ourselves.”

“I don’t know, but I know one thing,” I said. “And that’s that families don’t always get along. They fight, they yell at each other, they get on each other’s nerves, and sometimes they make mistakes. I don’t remember having a family, but I do know that one thing. You, Storm, Lemon, Neivi, and those three fillies… you’re my family. And I’m going to do everything I can to help you and keep us together. I know it’s silly, and I feel terrible for how I acted earlier, and I’m sorry.”

“Is it a commonplace thing, for ponies in the wasteland to think they’re better than you, or that their opinions are the only ones that matter? If so, Maybe I really should just go back to the stable.” Moonlight said with a sigh. “If I can’t speak my mind, and what I believe to be true, then why say anything?”

“Ponies are bound to argue, especially when it comes to foals if they have had different upbringings… or at least I assume that’s the case,” I said with a sigh. “Maybe I should try to get my memories back. Sometimes I don’t even know if my feelings are my own or if they’re Ember’s seeping through.”

“Sounds complicated.” Moonlight said, smiling a little. “At least I know I’m not the only one having a bad time.”

“Like I said you probably know more about Storm than I do,” I said with a sigh. “But I do know one thing. Earlier today when we were out we talked a lot. She was scared that she’d be asked to help with the foal and mess it up somehow. Then she practically bit my head off because she felt I was putting you and the foal in danger with everything that’s going on and I don’t know what could happen. Storm isn’t a bad pony, Moonlight. She makes mistakes sure, but we all make mistakes. She cares about what happens to you and that little Alicorn. If that’s an act, then she should get… some sort of acting award, they used to have those right?”

“If they did, they never interested me.” Moonlight said, shaking her head with a sigh. “There are things I know, things I’m not allowed to talk about, things that would change the way you view and think about a lot of ponies - and it bothers me that I can’t say anything. Sometimes being in the dreamscape comes with its downsides.”

“Moonlight…” A voice said and we looked up to see Storm holding her had in her hooves as she tried not to make eye contact with us. We had been so distracted we hadn’t even noticed her coming in. “Ah… Ah just wanted ta say Ah’m sorry. Ah was bein’ a terrible marefriend and friend in general. Ah just… what yah said hit kinda close ta home and Ah lost it. Yah came from a different world than me, and Ah should’ve tried ta understand that better.”

Moonlight simply moved over to Storm and took her in an embrace, I could see her whispering something into Storm’s ear before she pulled back and smiled before turning back to me. “Neivi should be out soon, maybe we should just… let this go, for now, okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a soft smile as Storm put her hat back on. “I can certainly get behind letting it go. Come on, let’s just try to relax and wait for word from Neivi, okay?”

We sat and talked for a while. I guess after everything that happened we needed a chance to just sit and chat about anything. With everything that had been going on, I guess it was nice to get a chance like this. Though I still felt worried about everything that was going on, and the argument was still lingering in my mind.

Why had I reacted like that? They had said that Ember would be brought closer to my conscious mind, I felt like she was bleeding into it more. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think of that. I knew that it was a possibility and I wanted to remember more of who I was, but on my own terms.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and Neivi coming out looking exhausted. She grabbed a glass of water and drank it down before she turned back to the three of us, straightening out her glasses.

“Well, it was a bit touch and go for a bit there, but she’s been stabilized,” she said with a slight not. “I’m going to keep her under sedation a little longer and have Lemon continue the radiation treatments to heal any remaining damage, but she should pull through.”

“Oh thank the Goddess,” I said as I breathed a sigh of relief. I looked over at Storm and Moonlight and gave them a soft smile.

It felt like at least something was going right.

LEVEL UP!

Perk Received: Split Feelings.

Details: Because of the feelings of your past self starting to come to the surface, you’re having a hard time processing your emotions any more. You either gain or lose 10 points in speech depending on your interactions with others during this period.