As I look down at my daughter, I first notice that she has wings now and all I can say is “Dear Sweet Cream! What? How? Moon you’re an alicorn?”

Then I notice she is lying on her saddlebags and carbine. She is still very tired sounding when she asks me, “Please help me stand up.”

I go over to her and just like I did when she was a young filly, I use my head to help lift her up. As I am doing this, I hear Tek fire and Then Dull Beak says, “Oh for crying out loud”, and he uses his talons to help set her on her feet.

Not far behind me I suddenly hear Paperwork get on his PipBuck and he says, “Choo, get you and your sisters to my tag, NOW!”

I look up and suddenly I see a group of pegasi fliers charging at us. I bring my carbine up and I begin to fire along with my troopers. I hear cries from nearby for medic and I see several of those charging us go down. Many of them just drop like wet sacks of cement, others crash and scream as they hit the ground.

Behind me I hear Moon Lily yell out, “ENOUGH!” This is followed by a bright flash of light and the sky for miles around clears of clouds.

Suddenly I see those attacking us suddenly stop and point behind me. I turn and I see Moon, still groggy, has not only gotten up, but she is lazily lifting herself into the air and as she does so, her horn begins to glow again.

In the distance I can see Choo Choo and the sisters coming at us quickly. As they approach, I see my troops reforming and getting ready to move forward in a move that will get us to the stable. Once the three sisters have gotten close enough, I can tell when they have seen Moon. I see all of them stop in mid air and Choo puts a hoof over her mouth. Then they fly as fast as they can to the little mare.

They form a barrier around her with their bodies and I hear Choo ask, “Moon, how?”

The battle begins to die down now as many of the surviving Enclave troops begin to surrender or start a fighting withdrawal towards the west.

Then I hear Moon Lily say, “Granny Choo, I saw them. I saw the Princesses. They remembered you.”

I turn my head in surprise at this and I see both Blue Star and Quick Frost have their jaws hanging open in surprise. Choo Then floats over to her great granddaughter and puts a hoof around her and hugs her. Then she says, “I always knew you had it in you dear. I am so proud of you.”

Then I hear Quick Frost ask, “Do we call you Princess Moon Lily now?”

I hear Moon giggle and reply, “No, the princesses no longer live in our universe. I am just like you. A citizen of the NCR.”

Finally, I ask, “Could you three take Moon and Tek back to Site Paddock for me?”

I see Choo Choo nod her head as do her sisters. Then Blue Star says, “Colonel, it seems the heaviest of the fighting is done for now, so we will do that. We will be back in a bit.”

Then I watch the four of them fly off with Tek trotting behind on the ground.

Next, I turn my attention back to the matters at hoof. Driving these sons of mules out of our home and picking up the pieces.

I give the order and we surge forward again. While most of the Enclave troops fall back or surrender, we do find some pockets of hold outs. These are the ones that cause us the most problems as they wound and kill more of my people when there is really no longer a purpose to it.

Soon I hear the General call over the radio for all of the flying troopers to fall back and let the heavily damaged Raptor escape.

I swear I hear George yell “NO!” and as she screams in the distance, I see fire shoot out one last time. But then she turns back and along with the others flies towards our lines.

As the crippled Raptor limps away, I see many of those pegasi who are trying to escape make a dash for it. Beside me I hear Windy curse. Then she says, “Don’t they know by letting them escape like that we will just have to fight them again someday?”

I take a deep breath and sigh as I let it out. “Windy, if they think they can escape they will try that rather than fight to the death. We have lost enough already, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I guess you are right. But damn it Mollygirl, It, it just does not feel right to do it.”

Beside us I hear Dull Beak say, “Maybe not Windy, but those who make it back will also tell them what happened here and it will serve as a warning not to try it again.”

She looks at him, then me. Finally, she says, “I really hope you are right and this was all worth it. But somehow I am afraid it is not done yet.”

The rest of the day we continue to advance against the pockets of the enclave troops as they fall back towards the Stable and Manesville. As we do so we cross so many fields where the crops have been burned as well as woods. It seems the Enclave felt if they could not keep Manesville and its areas, they would try to destroy it instead.

Finally, we make it to the area around the base and the stable. From the backside, I can see where the hillside was blown, much like what Milo’s miners did during the battle of Harness. I feel fortunate that I do not see any parts of bodies sticking out of the dirt that has been shifted here. As we move forward, we see the bodies of the dead as well as those wounded who remain. The latter we render care to, no matter which side they are from.

Once we make it to the tunnel for the Stable’s main entrance it becomes evident how desperate those final moments before the door was closed really were. It seems one whole platoon served as a rearguard and held the Enclave off long enough for the door to be closed.

Once my troopers have cleared out the last few Enclave troops and they are taken away as POW’s Chain Lighting and the rest of my escort go with me into the tunnel to try and open the Stable, and to let them know the siege has ended.

Once I get there, I see the control panel has been destroyed. I call back, “We need an electronics expert up here.”

Shortly afterward I hear a commotion behind me and someone says, “The tech is on their way now ma’am.”

Good, finally something going as expected, I guess. Then I turn to talk to Chain and I see the tech is Twinkle Hoofs. Next to her are the rest of the repair ponies, except Choo. I notice that they all have bandages on various parts of their bodies, but overall are fine.

I nod to them and ask Twinkle, “Can you open it for us?”

She grins back and tells me, “Yeah, it sure is a mess, but if I can’t do this, I really shouldn’t be called a repair pony.”

I have to grin at that and nod my head. “Ok Twinks. Thanks.” I tell her and as I step back, I feel a hoof on my shoulder and I see it is Ginger’s.

Epona is next to her and she asks, “Ma, there is a rumor that Moon became an Alicorn. Is it true?”

I slowly nod my head and I tell her, “Yeah. Right after she brought down a raptor.”

I see the shocked look on both of their faces. Then Ginger says, “Thank Sweet Cream that she and Millie never had a really bad fight like me and Pona did then.” Then both of my older daughters begin to laugh.

I can’t help myself and begin to laugh too. Then I hear Twinkle Hoofs say, “Ok, this should do it, right, here.” And I hear machinery begin to move on the far side. I then tell them, “Thanks, now move back so they do not open fire on you.”

I sober myself up again and am standing at attention when the door is pulled back and begins to roll to the side. As the lights inside almost blind me in the tunnel I can barely make out all the troopers inside who have taken up a defensive position. Before they can react, I yell out, “Cloudsdale has fallen, Canterlot has returned.” It is a passphrase only us regimental and battalion commanders know, having been chosen right before we left for Manehatten in the event something like this occurred.

The blinding lights are then dimmed and I hear Colonel Starburst say, “Oh thank the Goddesses. Welcome back.” As she slowly limps her way forward on three legs. Her front right leg is gone from the knee down. “How bad is it out there?” She asks me.

I lower my head sadly and tell her, “Bad, we have a lot of work to do just here. The remaining troopers from the 1^st Regiment who were still outside are with the Militia and the 2^nd Regiment clearing out Manesville right now. Dead Quite took a lot of damage but they were able to fight them off. I heard a rumor that they took out three raptors at the Pegasus port. We got two more and let one that was severely damaged fly off as a warning to the Enclave. General Threat Vector has his headquarters in White Cloud right now. I am sure he will be here in a while.”

I see her shake her head sadly and she asks, “Any idea on the number of casualties yet?”

I look around and tell her, “Let's get out of the way here, we are blocking the hall. Maybe we can go to either the security office or your HQ?”

She shakes her head, “Sorry Mollygirl, I am not going to make it as far as my HQ, let us go to my stall here in the stable.”

I nod my head and as I walk slowly alongside her, I see a look of worry on the faces of all those who were trapped in here. I hear several of them ask my escorts if they know about others who were not inside. I then wonder if this is what it was like for our ancestors when those stable doors closed on the final day. Instead, I say nothing and keep walking.

Once we reach the anteroom outside her stall, we both take a seat. She looks at me, laughs lightly, and tells me, “Mollygirl, you look like Tartarus.”

I laugh politely and tell her, “I feel like it. Goddesses what a mess.”

She nods her head and says, “Tell me about it. Thank the Goddesses we had planned on them trying something like this. I just never imagined them come in such strength.”

“Star, you and your people did good holding them until we could get back here.”

She looks at me and asks, “How bad was it in Manehatten?”

I smile and I tell her, “Honestly it was a milk run. Our hardest fighting was when we got back.” I pause, then I ask, “Storm, what happened?” as I look at where her front leg once was.

She sighs and tells me, “I got caught outside when they first hit us. One of the big blasts from a raptor. It got me and a couple of others.” I see her look down and I hear her sigh, then she tells me, “I know you were close to her. I am sorry but Kettle Bell was killed by the blast that took my leg. I am sorry.”

I feel the urge to cry, then suddenly I feel no emotions at all. I feel dead inside. All I can think is no, not Kettle. I never got to say goodbye to her even. My face feels expressionless as I look up at her and tell her, “Thanks Star. I guess I best get going. I have a regiment to look after.”

She nods her head and quietly says, “I understand. Please be careful.”

I nod my head and put my helmet back on and I head quietly back out of the stable with my staff and escort trailing me. We are halfway back to my HQ when Chain flies up next to me and ask, “Ma’am, what happened? I can tell something is wrong, what is it?”

I stop and look at him and the dam burst. I first scream then I break down in tears as I tell him, “They killed Kettle Bell.”

I feel a set of hooves around me and I hear a voice say, “It’s ok ma’am. Let it out.” So, I do. I cry for the loss of my friend, my sister from another udder. Then I cry for all the others I know we have lost as well. After a bit. I stop crying. I notice my staff is around me like a shield and I tell them, “Thank you all. I appreciate it.”

I hear a sad Chain Lighting reply, ma’am, we are all feeling like that right now. Not one of us has not lost someone we are friends with or care about. But ma’am, there will be a reckoning for this. We may be down, but we are not out and they will be held accountable.”

I nod my head. “Your right Chain, your right. We will make them pay for this.” I tell him as I feel my heart harden and I begin to truly hate the Enclave for all they have taken from me.

Once back at my HQ I have it moved closer to the stable. My troops and I are both guarding it as well as providing a ready reserve for those troops that are still fighting in Manesville. The fighting has pretty much died out except for some holdouts. Most of those left behind by the Enclave are injured or were just too unlucky to make it out in time.

Two days later we are still accounting for the dead, wounded, and missing when I get the message by a courier, “Colonel Mollygirl, please come to the stable hospital. Your spouse is there for treatment.”

I am stunned. Which spouse? I ask myself. I grab my gear and I tell Windy, “I will be back in a bit. One of my spouses is in the hospital?”

She looks at me funny and asks, “Which one?”

I sigh, “Windy, I don’t know. They did not say.” I turn to my escort and say, “Sergeant Nightshade, let’s go.” Sure, we are back home, but there could always be holdouts we have not found yet.

As we walk in silence, I worry about who it may be. Goddesses know after the last week it could be almost any of them. Thank Sweet Cream it is not any of the youngsters.

Soon we are back at the stable and as I arrive at medical, I see most of my family is outside waiting. The only ones I don’t see are Badger and Archer.

Sutures is the first to greet me. She throws her hooves around me and is crying. “Mollygirl, they only found him this morning. He was lying next to one of his guns that had been destroyed.”

It’s Archer I realize as my heart almost stops and my stomach drops out. “How, how bad is he?”

She shakes her head and Magpie says, “We are not sure. They only told us he took a face injury and several other hits and he broke both back legs.”

Dear Goddesses, I think. Then I ask, “Does Badger know yet?”

Sumac then says, “They have not found him yet. His company is still fighting in Manesville. Laura Lee was the one who found Archer, so she knows.”

I nod my head. “Good. I am glad to hear she knows already. I wish she could be here, but I know she is busy with her battalion.”

Soon the foals start to come over to me. Millie hugs me first. Then both Woodrow and Shadowbuck. Next Raven. Finally, behind the others comes Moon Lily. Very shyly she approaches me. I reach out my forehooves to hug her.

She hugs me and tells me quietly, “I am sorry about not doing what I was supposed to and staying with the others.”

“Dear, I was not mad at you. I was afraid for you. But next time, listen to your mother, ok. Besides, you certainly did something you were supposed to ta earn your wings.”

I hear her first sniffle and then giggle a bit. “Thank you, Mama Mollygirl.”

“You’re welcome my little Moon, your welcome.”

For the first time, I feel her wings wrap around me as well as her hooves in a hug. Finally, the hug breaks, and she goes back to her siblings and I begin to talk to my spouses more.

“How are the others taking her becoming an alicorn?” I ask.

Sutures tiredly looks at me and replies, “If I hear one more time about her hugging Celestia and meeting Luna and supposedly the Ministry Mare Twilight Sparkle as an alicorn and another one named Cadence, I will scream.”

“That bad?” I ask.

I hear Magpie laugh lightly and she says, “No, not really, just she was so excited when she got back to us that once she told the story and other foals heard about it, they wanted to hear it too.”

I smile and shake my head in amusement. “I guess they wanted to hear something hopeful.”

Sumac then replies, “Perhaps, but Choo Choo verified that she was telling the truth about the other alicorns. Mollygirl, she even said they discussed Cadence, but she did not get to meet her. Would you believe she said a Pegasus became a princess in that world?”

“Now that is a story I would love to hear sometime,” I tell her with a smile.

Then I see Magpie smirk as she tells me, “Mollygirl, when we talked to Choo, it seems that is who received Epona’s copy of the Book of Little Pip. It seems they know about what happened here, oh and because so many of the Repair Pony’s that met them are from our family, they heard about our family too.”

I feel myself blush in embarrassment as all I can think is I can only imagine what they think of us.

Finally, I ask, “Does, does this mean she is a Princess now?”

I hear Magpie snicker and Sumac answers, “Well some of the ghouls tried to call her one, and she stopped them. As she said, she is only a citizen of the NCR, just like they are, or the three sisters are. She was very adamant about that. Something about Celestia even agreeing to that.”

Soon I ask, “Ok, so anything special I should know about raising a flier?”

This time Sutures answers me, “Well, Windy’s family has shown me how to preen her feathers. A few other things, but nothing too major.”

I have to smile at this and I ask, “So has Rain Dancer been involved in that?”

Sumac laughs lightly and tells me, “Actually, yes. He taught Millie how to preen his wings and she now helps Moon when she needs it.”

This gets me to raise an eyebrow as it is something I would not have thought of.

A little while later as we are waiting for word from the doctors, I hear Sutures ask, “Are you ok Mollygirl?”

I sadly tell her, “It’s just, I can’t believe she is gone.”

She solemnly asks me, “Who is gone?”

I quietly tell her, “Kettle Bell. She and I had been through so much together and now she is gone.”

She shifts back a bit and asks me, “Mollygirl where did you hear that?”

So, I tell her about when we opened the stable up and what Star Burst had told me. She then tells me, “Dear, she was half right. The blast that got her, didn’t kill Kettle. It badly injured her and knocked her out. Some of her staff were able to drag her along with them as they fell back. My love, she is in Site Paddock in the medical ward right now. It was a close thing for her, but it looks like she will make it.”

I am so relieved I begin to cry. But this time it is tears of joy. I have not lost my sister. Sutures wraps her hoof around me and tells me, “I am glad I could give you some good news dear. I know it has been rough on all of us too.”

I nod my head, then she tells me, “We did lose a lot of people though Mollygirl.”

I nod my head, “Yeah, I know. I saw how Manesville looked from the air when we first got back. It looked like we got hit at White Cloud also.”

She nods her head, “Yeah, we did, they caught some of our people by surprise. They severely damaged the cloud farms also.”

I nod my head, “I am not surprised, as they were retreating, they were burning the crops and woodlands behind them.”

From the other side of Sutures, I hear Magpie say, “Them bastards. They need to pay for this.”

I nod my head, then I ask, “I agree dear, but where do we stop? When will enough deaths be enough?”

Sutures beside me pulls me closer and I just breathe in her scent and relax. But I still cannot help but wonder, when will enough be enough?

We spend most of the night waiting for word. Finally, Charity comes out and he looks at all of us and tells us. “He is going to make it, but he will be out for a few days. He took some really bad injuries. His legs are healing nicely along with some ribs. By the way, one of them had punctured a lung. When you see him, try not to stare at his face. He has lost his right eye. Once he is able to make the decision we will see if he wants us to try and get him a cyber one.”

I feel myself sag in relief that he is still alive, but I now worry about how he will handle this.

“Doctor, how long till I can see my father?” I hear Moon Lily asks Charity, he turns to face her and as she ruffles her wings nervously, I see his eyes go wide and his mouth forms a silent O.

Finally, he says, “My Goddesses, so it is true. I, I thought it was just a rumor.”

She clears her throat and repeats, “Doctor, how long till I can see my father?” she pauses briefly and says, “And please don’t use them to swear, I know Celestia and Luna would not appreciate it.”

I see his head move back slightly in stunned silence, and he says, “You sound like you really know them.”

She smiles wanly and tells him, “Not well, but I have met them, they deserve more respect, sir. Now could you answer my question?”

Finally, he shakes his head as if to clear it and says, “Well, he has just completed surgery, so it will probably be an hour or two before you can go in. Although I do not know how long he will be unconscious for.”

I watch as our daughter nods her head. I hear her sigh then she says, “Thank you, sir.”

As he goes into the back of the medical department, we all look at each other and decide to head back to my HQ so we can catch some sleep somewhat more comfortably than on a hard steel and tile floor.

As we come in, I see Laura Lee is talking to Dull Beak at a table. Dull Beak looks slightly surprised to see all my wives and foals with me, but Laura Lee just grins and comes over and greets us as family.

Behind her, I hear Dull Beak laugh lightly and he says to no one in particular, “That is more what I expected.”

I then notice a very tired-looking Paper Work coming towards us. Once he is close enough, he asks, “Do you want some tea ma’am?”

I shake my head, “No Paper Work, we just came to get some sleep. Maybe you should think about doing the same.”

He sighs and tells me, “I tried Ma’am, just I can’t. Not with all we have lost this time. The casualty reports are still coming in too. Looks like the whole brigade took it on the chin this time.”

I nod my head and I hear Laura Lee say, “Ma’am, we took some casualties but not as heavy as the rest it seems. I think we were better rested having gotten here by the river instead of on hoof.”

I nod my head in agreement. Then she asks, “So what’s next Colonel?”

I shrug my shoulders and I tell her, “Probably rebuild the Brigade. Help get crops in and begin to help rebuild. But first, we will have to bury the dead and tend to the wounded.”

She nods her head. “That is my next question, have they decided where we will bury them yet?”

I shake my head and tell her, “Probably like last time. We had graves dug for those of theirs as well as ours.” Then I think about something and have to ask, “Laura Lee, do you want to ship your dead home to Harness?”

I see her smile sadly as she says, “No. They fought for Manesville and died here. Let them rest here. Just like those from Manesville have at my home.”

I nod my head and I hear Sutures say, “I guess one more tie that we had not expected. But it does seem right.”

“Now Laura Lee, if your battalion is set for the night, you are welcome to join us for a place to sleep tonight,” I tell her.

She looks at all of us and nods her head, “Mollygirl, I will take you up on that offer, I need family tonight.”

Shortly after this, my family has laid down for the night and the lanterns in the command tent have been turned low. I hear a low hum of voices on the military radio and begin to wonder what those in the Enclave are lying about now concerning us. I think about this briefly and am soon fully asleep.

The next morning, we get up and my spouses decide to head back home to get something to eat before heading to the stable. As they are leaving Sutures tells me “When we get home, I will swing by Site Paddock and check on Kettle for you. I know how much she means to you.”

I kiss her lightly and I tell her, “Thank you, dearest. I am so glad you understand.”

She smiles and says, “I do. Remember I have delivered all of her calves, so she is a friend of mine also.”

As they are walking out, I hear Laura Lee behind me say, “I wonder what the others will think of having an Alicorn in the family?”

I turn to her and smile then I tell her, “Who would have expected it.”

Then she laughs and says, “Well I guess that runs up there with me getting pregnant. Huh, the funny thing is it was the same father.”

At that, we both share a good laugh as we watch the others in our family head towards home.

She and I share a pot of tea and then she tells me, “Ma’am, I guess I should be going back to my battalion.”

“Sounds good Colonel, after lunch why don’t you stop by again and we can head to the stable to see if he is awake yet.”

She smiles, “Sounds good ma’am. I will see you then.”

As the day progresses, I keep getting reports of the casualty numbers for my own regiment as well as the others. Most of my people have been accounted for. However, I do still have some who are missing in action. I have lost several of my scouts as well over a hundred and fifty dead and another two hundred and fifty wounded. That includes the Harness Battalion. And this is just for my regiment alone.

The totals for the first regiment almost make me cry. The second of the First was almost decimated it seems. Luna’s Lancers took heavy casualties but not nearly as many as the Door Kickers and the Enfields.

The Second regiment took it on the chin too as they performed the initial assault airborne. I quickly scroll through their list and am relieved when I do not find Badger or Page’s names listed in the casualties. I feel guilty for a moment then realize it is only equine to feel that way.

Finally, it is time for lunch and Laura Lee has returned. I let Dull Beak know I am heading for the Stable and he tells me, “If he is awake, tell him I said hi and that I hope he recovers quickly.”

"Will do Dull Beak. If I see Summer, I will let her know you are ok and find out where she is so you can visit her later.”

I see him smile thankfully as he says, “I would really appreciate that ma’am, now you best get going.”

I nod my head and begin my trek to see if he is ok.

As we near the Stable I see all of my family except Badger coming along the road from White Cloud. Part of me is surprised to see Moon Lily just flying lazily next to the rest.

Once we get closer, she flies over and gives me a quick hug, “Hi Mama Mollygirl.” She says and I tell her, “Hi sweetheart, how are you doing?”

She grins, “I am really liking this flying thing. Snow Song and Frost Glitter have been giving me lessons already.”

Then she goes to Laura Lee and as she hugs her, she says, “I am so glad to see you again Mama Laura Lee.”

Laura Lee just grins and tells her, “So am I my little filly.”

Soon the others have caught up and we all go back into the stable to see if Archer is awake and can have visitors. As we enter, I see Charity is coming out of the back. He looks in better shape than the last time I saw him. When I comment on this he smiles and tells me, “It is amazing what a couple of hour nap can do.” Then he pauses, uses his wings to hold a clipboard so he can read off of it, and tells us. “Ok, he can have visitors, please be careful his right side is still healing from the damage there. Also, he has problems with depth perception right now. Oh, and he is still a bit disoriented so be patient with him.

We all nod our heads in understanding. Then we head in to see him. As we get close enough, I can see the bandages wrapped on his wounds as well as on one side of his face. It hurts so much seeing him like this.

Once we are close enough Raven gently climbs onto his bed, and he smiles at her saying, “It is so good to see you, my little one.”

She hugs him gently and tells him, “I was worried about you papa.”

“I was worried about you too.” Then he notices the cutie mark and says, “Oh my, I missed you getting your cutie mark. How did you get it?” he asks.

She grins and begins to tell him. Then she looks down and quietly says, “Sorry about the barn papa.”

Beside me, I hear Millie giggle lightly. Archer gives her a hug and tells her, “It’s ok, you did it protecting our family. You did good Raven.”

As they are talking, I watch Moon Lily climb up the other side and wait patiently for her turn. When Raven gets down, she takes her place and as he goes to hug her, she extends her wings to hug him back.

He suddenly stops and moves back. He then yells “Doc, get in here! I am having hallucinations.”

Before the rest of us can react, Laura Lee moves up to him and puts a hoof on his shoulder, now he is almost in a panic as he asks in a hesitant voice, “Laura Lee you don’t live here, do you?”

I see an almost devilish grin come over her face as we all realize he may be thinking he has changed universes. Finally, she shakes her head no and tells him, “No love, but my battalion has been assigned to the 3^rd Regiment.”

He looks somewhat relieved. Then he looks back at Moon, then asks, “Does Moon Lily really have wings now?”

Moon who has seemed to have had her feelings hurt quietly says, “Yes papa. I do. Papa, I met them. I met the Princesses and they made me an alicorn too.”

He shakes his head and says, “But dear, you are still a filly and you are still black. All the alicorns other than Luna or Celestia are blue, green, or purple and had to be dipped into a chemical.”

She grins and tells him, “Papa, Celestia told me I had done something really special. That I had used all three kinds of pony magics.”

He seems perplexed as he is thinking and then he says, “That is so surprising. I mean how could you use pegasus magic. I am not even sure how you could have used earth pony magic, and you have both unicorn and earth pony blood.”

This time Magpie clears her throat and tells him, “Dear, I think I can explain it a bit. You see, when I was studying the records looking for Choo Choo’s family, I found a note on a birth certificate. It seems that Winter Wind was a bit more than a rascal. It seems he had a couple of foals with mares other than his wife. Well, dear, you are descended from him also. Because of one of these liaisons.”

I see the surprise on his face and he asks, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She smiles and tells him, “Dear, you reacted a bit more than most noticed to the idea of Paper Work and Choo. So, I did not want you getting weirded out about our Mollygirl and you being distant relations. It has been over seven generations. I think that is a pretty good divergence.”

As she is saying this, I see he has a hoof extended and is gently caressing Moon Lily’s mane. As she finishes, he brings his oldest daughter in for a hug and gives her a kiss on her forelock.”

He nods his head and tells her, “That makes sense,” then he tells Moon Lily, “Congratulations my little one on becoming a princess.”

She nuzzles him lightly and tells him, “Thank you papa, but I am not a princess. We don’t have them here anymore.”

He looks confused so she continues, “Papa, I left our universe and met them in between them. Celestia first. Papa, she is so nice. But so are the other three too.”

He then asks, “I know about Luna but who are the others?”

She grins and begins to explain. When she is done, I see him looking at her with almost an expression of awe. Finally, he tells her, “Moon, I am very proud of you dear.”

“Thank you, Papa,” she tells him. Then she gives him another hug and kiss and she gently climbs back down, to be replaced by the other foals, one by one. Eventually, even I am able to get my time with him.

Before we leave Suture asks him, “Are you going to get a cybernetic eye?”

I hear him take a deep breath, then he tells her, “Yeah, I think I will. I hope you don’t mind.”

She kisses him gently and tells him, “No, I understand love. I just wish you were never hurt.”

He grimaces in a bit of pain as his painkillers begin to wear off. He nods his head in reply and tells her, “I wish so too, but what can we do.”

I notice he is getting tired and I tell the others, “We should get going and let him get some rest.”

They all agree and we say our goodbyes and head back out. Once we are heading back towards my HQ the others tell Laura Lee and me that they will see us later. Laura Lee and I wave to them one last time and then we return to our world of duty and responsibilities once again.

A week after the main battle was completed and the Stable relieved, General Vector calls all three of us regimental commanders into his HQ back in the stable. This is after the last of the fighting with the holdouts finally has finished in Manesville.

He looks at the three of us and shakes his head before he tells us, “Look, I know how you are feeling. This has been my home too since Manesville joined the NCR. But we need time to rest and refit. We hurt them I am certain of that, but there is still plenty of fight in the Enclave.” I nod my head in agreement and out of the corner of my eyes I see the other two doing the same. What scares me is that I am the only one of the three of the regimental commanders not injured in the fighting.

He then says, “Mollygirl, I want your regiment to rebuild your base over by White Cloud,” he pauses and turns to Storm Cloud and tells her, “I want you and your people to begin to rebuild the base outside the stable. I also want all three regiments to begin patrols again.” He sighs and then looks at Star Burst and tells her, “Colonel, your troops will remain housed in the stable for now. However, due to the high percentage of casualties they have taken, you are now my reserve regiment. You will be getting the majority of replacements as they come in. Also, I want you to get that stump healed and your new leg adjusted properly so when we do head back out you are ready.” He stops again giving us all time to think about what he has said before his staff gives us all a briefing on how the war is going.

Major Pin Point steps up and tells us, “I am not going to lie to you. Right now, our nation is in turmoil. There are many who are demanding a vote of confidence for the president. Others are demanding that she step down and surrender to the Enclave.” He pauses and looks at us. Then he continues, “I will say, that for now, the NCR is still in the fight. The NCR general staff has let us know that they share our concerns, particularly those for our citizens and soldiers who once were part of the Enclave. They assure me we are not alone in these worries or in our fight and will use every weapon available to protect them. In part, this includes some offensive operations into Enclave territory as well as some teams of rangers and of individuals much like them conducting psychological warfare to weaken their confidence.”

This makes me think of the Repair Ponies as well as the Tail Spin, Blackberry and Chip, so I raise a hoof and ask, “Can you tell us who these teams are?”

He looks at the general and shakes his head no. From beside us I hear Threat Vector say, “Mollygirl after the briefing I need to talk to you.”

I feel my stomach lurch and wonder if I am in trouble for having asked the wrong question. The rest of the briefing goes quickly. Finally, after we are dismissed, I approach the General and he tells me, “Come with me to my office.”

Once there he indicates for me to take a seat, which I do. After he sits down, he begins, “Mollygirl, I have four of your scouts that I want to send on a special mission.”

I nod my head, and reply, “No problem sir, I will have my chief of scouts send over 4 of them.”

He shakes his head and moves his front talon in a negative motion. Then he says, “Colonel, I know which four I need. I need your bat ponies for this one. I would also like to talk to you and your spouses further about this as I have a very special request to ask concerning one of your family members.”

Now I almost panic. Who of my family members does he want, and why? Instead, I simply nod my head and tell him, “All of us should be at the house tonight, would you like to come for dinner?”

I see him cringe slightly at the invite before he says, “Colonel, I am sorry, but really I prefer meat for my dinners.”

I relax enough to laugh when he says this and I tell him, “That is ok, tonight we are having roasted radhog. We found some that were after the dead, so we took care of them, and well, why waste good eating. We are sharing it with our friends and neighbors who want some.”

I see him tilt his head as he grins, “I forgot that your family is one of the ones that are omnivores. Well in that case I would like that. But understand this is for business as much as pleasure Mollygirl.”

I grin back and tell him, “I understand sir.”

“Good, I am glad you understand then, what time should I be there?”

“How about 6 pm sir?”

“Good, I will see you then.”

Once back home for the night I quickly remove my uniform but keep my pistol on. Then I join the others outside by the firepit. I see Archer laying on a blanket with the Raven laying protectively next to him. Badger is again helping Sumac cut up the meat while Magpie and Laura Lee finish getting the rest of the meal ready.

It is almost funny how Laura Lee blends right in with the rest of us. When I mention this to her, she just shrugs and tells me, “Dear, this is how it was for Archer when he was deployed to Hackamore as well as you during your last two times. So why be surprised.”

I have to say she is right, so I tell her, “Ok, that makes sense, but I guess it is because we never expected to have any of you deployed up here. But honestly, I am really glad you are.”

She smiles and gives me a quick peck on the cheek and then says, “You say the sweetest things sometimes, now let me take some things to Archer for dinner.” Then she pauses and says, “Oh I hope all of you don’t mind, but I told George we were having a radhog roast and she asked if she could come and I told her yes.”

I hear Magpie quickly reply, “No, I had not thought about her. But with this much meat we should be good for her to have some tonight. Thank goodness it is a potluck though with everyone who is coming we will need the extra food.”

Soon after this Persimmon and her daughter join us. Xavier has duty with the Militia tonight and is still ponying the defenses. I sigh at the thought of how the Militia will have to keep doing so for a while longer yet.

Before too much longer others begin to show up. Among them are Buttermilk, Cornbread, and their calves. I also notice that Windy’s family has shown up, even though she is with the regiment tonight. I have to grin when I see Lieutenant Cake and a couple of others from Site Paddock show up too.

Soon the yard is full and conversations are everywhere. I then notice the three sisters have arrived and I see them all talking with Moon Lily. She seems really interested in what Choo is saying and I only wish I knew what it was.

Before too much longer the General shows up. I see how excited he is as he smells the roasting radhog and waits in line for a portion of it.

As the night continues some of our neighbors pull out instruments and play for everyone. I am happy though that all our kids are here tonight. Even the repair ponies have shown up.

I realize they have arrived when Sunny flies up to me and asks, “Colonel, does she really have wings now?”

I grin at him and tell him, “Yes Sunny, she does.”

I hear him laugh as he says, “Now that is a surprise. I mean who would have ever expected her to be able to fly eventually.”

I nod my head and he says, “I will catch you in a bit cous, I need to go see if I can teach her anything. Oh, and I invited Morning Star and the other batponies too.”

I am very surprised to hear this, and wonder just how big is this going to get, and should we have taken an extra radhog for it?

As the night continues and the sun sets, I suddenly hear the banshee-like call of their echolocation as they fly in. George raises her head and looks in their direction and I see her smile before taking another plateful of meat.

Once they land I see Moon Lily turn from the Sisters and become excited and I hear her say “Oh they came. I finally get to meet real batponies.”

As she trots over to meet them her wings begin to rise in excitement and I see all four of my night scouts’ eyes open wide, their mouths hang open briefly and I watch as they begin to bow to Moon Lily. Then I hear Morning Star say, “Your royal highness, forgive our failure to expect you.”

Moon stops in her tracks and tells them, “Please, get up. I am not a princess. I am just a citizen of the NCR.”

“But, but you are a young alicorn and with your color, you are not one of the pony made ones.”

Moon continues to walk to them and tells them, “You are right, and I have met the princesses. Well at least some from one of the other universes, and yes, they did make me. However, Celestia herself told me she understood how things were here and told me as there are not any princesses left, I did not have to be one, but I could still be ascent, a send, ascended into an alicorn.”

They all approach her and I hear one of the others, Arrats I believe, ask, “Other universes? What other universes?”

At this I see Epona pull her hoof from around Purchase Order and I hear her say, “Ok Moon, I will get this one for you.”

I see Moon Lily put a hoof in front of her muzzle and giggle then she says, “Thanks Pona.”

Eventually, the General gets all of my spouses and me to step inside the house to talk. Persimmon and Buttermilk take over our guests for us.

Once inside he has us sit and I can tell he is uncomfortable. Then he tells us, “I am sure you have all heard the Enclave propaganda broadcast by somepony named Hallowed Dreams,” he waits until we all nod or murmur that we have. Then he continues, “Well we think we have found their broadcast site.”

At this point, I am beginning to wonder what all this is about. Why would he have to talk to all of us about this? Then I hear him say, “Well Choo Choo has recommended, and to be honest after their latest broadcast I think she is right, that we raid his station. However, we only want fliers on this mission and to help mess with the Enclaves heads, we want your daughter Moon Lily to go on this raid.”

I am stunned into silence. I see the others are shocked except for Sutures, who jumps to her hooves and yells, “Goddess Damn it! Choo Choo, get your ass in here, NOW!”

I stand up, as does Archer and we both put a hoof on her shoulders trying to calm her down as she mutters, “I am going to kill her, I don’t care if I am descended from her.”

I then hear Choo Choo say from the doorway, “I guess you just told her our suggestion?”

Both Archer and I grab her as Sutures starts to lurch towards her. Then I see Moon Lily behind Choo and her horn lights up and Sutures freezes. She then says, “Sorry ma. But you need to calm down and listen.”

I am stunned as are the rest of my spouses. Then Moon says, “Actually it was me that suggested it to Choo after I talked to the Mareigan last night. Ma, Mas, and Pas, the Enclave said we used multiple mega spells. They accused us of horrible acts and are trying to get the NCR to turn on itself. Ma, I have to do something. Else, me ascending was for nothing.”

I see her horn’s brightness adjust and while still frozen, Sutures is finally able to speak and tells her, “Moon Lily you are in so much trouble for this young mare.”

I see Moon look down and nod her head, “I know mother, and when I return, I will accept any punishment, including a magic inhibition ring. But ma, we need to do this. Ma, Pa, I have to do this. Please understand.”

Finally, she releases Sutures completely from her spell and I see Sutures look at her daughter with anger in her eyes. “Moon Lily, I love you. But you need to understand you still have things to learn.”

She sighs and tells her, “Ma, I do realize it. I am still your filly, I know that. I still need to go to school when I can. I know that. But Ma, I don’t think anypony else can do this and have it work right for us.”

Finally, she sits down and closes her eyes. I watch Laura Lee come over and put a hoof on her shoulder and tell her, “Dear, she will be with Choo, and they will have a very experienced escort. And to tell the truth, she seems to have thought this out pretty thoroughly.” She stops then asks Moon, “By the way, who is this Mareigan?”

Behind us, I hear General Threat Vector ask, “Yeah, I was just going to ask that myself.”

This time I turn to both of them and tell them, “Well that is a bit of a long story, but I think it would help you both to understand White Cloud as well as the rest of the Manesville area a bit more.” Then I sit down and I begin to tell them all about the Mareigan.

Dear DJ Pon3,

Recently we went to liberate others from the Enclave and instead had to fight to save our homes and our people. As we fought in our own fields and towns, I have seen so much death and destruction. I watched as our chaplain both blessed our people as well as gave the final blessings to the dead. Among those I saw on the battlefield were two civilians, a unicorn filly and a zebra. I saw them stopping multiple times at the dead from both sides as they gave the blessing of the dead, oftentimes ignoring their own safety. This has made me really think about what it is all for. If you could please play Sky Pilot for those who risk their lives in trying to take care of the souls of those they do not even know.

Thank you,

Short Sale,

Private, Manesville Militia, NCR.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3OTY4dMVBM

The times they are a-changing it seems. Manesville and its local communities have been severely damaged. The Manesville Brigade is now licking its wounds as are the Enclave forces. Both sides being like two dogs in a fight needing to catch their breath. But both are still growling and nipping at each other.

For those who would like to listen to this chapter's dedication song, the YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3OTY4dMVBM
It is a Vietnam War-era song that many people thought was talking about the pilots, however, a Sky Pilot is a nickname for a Chaplin or clergy, and Merriam Webster list the first known usage in this form as 1865.

I had not noticed this scene before, but an example simular to what the Chaplains, Moon Lily, and Tek were doing during this 2nd Battle of Manesville can be seen in this scene from Saving Private Ryan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgeFYBukQiE