Come morning I wake up and have breakfast with my family. Archer, Badger, and I all leave for the stable at the same time. Magpie goes with us, but when we get to the stable, she heads on into Manesville to the library.

As she says goodbye to us, she reminds us, “Remember I have to work late tonight, but I will be home as soon as I can.”

Badger gives her an extra hug and a kiss on the cheek, “Thanks for the reminder dear. Do you want me to come to the library and walk home with you tonight?”

I see her think about it briefly. Then she smiles at him and answers his question, “Actually, that would be very nice Badger. Thank you for asking. I look forward to seeing you then.

As she turns to walk away, I see a smile on Archer's face and he gives a small nod to Badger.

Then all three of us turn and head into the main entrance of the stable, but all three of us separate to go our own way once we hit the main corridors. Luckily, today we are all early and I do not need to rush.

I am just passing the armory when I am flagged down by Buckshot. “Hey Major, how are you doing today?”

I smile at him and reply to my favorite Ordnance Sergeant, “Doing well Sergeant, how about you?”

He smiles from ear to ear as he approaches the door, “I am doing really well, but I have some things to show you if you are interested.”

Now he has my full attention. My ears are straight at him and my eyes open wide as I follow him into the armory, “What type of prezzies do you have this time?”

As I enter, I see Flechettes off to the side and we wave to each other.

Once at the counter, Buckshot turns to me. “Now ma’am the corporal there has explained to me you have your own weapons at home that you prefer. However, I would feel much more comfortable with you having a set here at the stable to use in case of an emergency. Now, first, if you want an energy weapon instead of a standard one, we have some spares now. Some are captured items we have renovated and overhauled from the fight with the Spring Monsoon. Others were brought down from Thunderhead when they abandoned it. Now our new Ordinance Sergeant for the Second Regiment has helped me a lot with them. In fact, Ord Sergeant Air Burst has been a Goddess send, especially with the pegasus power armor we captured.”

I am starting to get a bit impatient at this point and raise an eyebrow while I wait. “Ok Buckshot, so what do you have to offer me?”

“Well first off ma’am, we have several Magical Energy Weapons you can choose from. We also have a couple of spare Pulse Rifles,” he tells me as he lays one of each on the bench in front of me.

I look at both of them and shake my head no, “What else ya got?”

From the side, I hear Flechettes laughing as he tells Buckshot, “Told ya, Sarge. She likes the good old-fashioned stuff.”

I see Buckshot shake his head, “Yeah, I will get you your caps later,” then he returns his attention to me, Ok ma’am we also found in that shipment of weapons you found under the mountain a couple of Shimmer & Glimmer Markspony Carbines. They are in the standard 5.56mm but they also come with a 10X scope. I know you aren’t the type to snipe, but these are really sweet weapons if you are interested. I mean due to legal reasons during the war, not too many were made from what I could find out.”

I nod my head as I think about it, “Sure, let's see one, I am not that good of a shot, but I am still interested. Also, if you have anything else along those lines bring it out for me to see.”

“Sure thing Major, I got a couple of ideas.” He says as he heads into the back, after placing the MEW and Pulse rifles back in their racks.

As he comes up, I see the Markspony. It is really nice and part of me is just screaming to say yes to it. But I know I could not do it justice. So, sighing I hoof it back to him. Then he hoofs me the second weapon. As I look at it I see it is almost like Ginger’s SIR15, and I raise an eyebrow and twitch an ear.

Noticing this Flechettes answers my unasked question. “Yep, it is pretty much the same weapon as the SIR, but it does not have the scope or the silencer. However, if you look at it, you will notice it has a folding stock.”

I notice Buckshot shoot him a look and put his ears back some. At which point Flechettes says, “Sorry Sarge, I just know that her daughter captured a SIR15 so the Major would notice the similarities.”

At which point I see Buckshot relax a bit, "Ok Corporal, but next time try not to interject.”

As I look it over, I tell him, “Ok, this would make a good backup weapon for me here at the stable, do you have any pistols?”

He shakes his head, “Yes and no Major. We have several pistols, but none in 5.56. I know you like to try and match your sidearms with your long arms for ammo.”

I nod my head, “Well these are for when I can’t get to the ones back home,” Then I look at the time on the wall clock. “Sorry Buckshot, I will have to come back later. I need to get to the morning briefing before formation.”

“No problem Major, I will tag the Infiltrator for you then. Come back when you can and we will finish outfitting you.”

I quickly take my leave and trot over to my battalion HQ where Paper Work gives me the numbers for my people for today, as well as reminds me which company is at which point in the perimeter this week.

I drink a cup of tea he has prepared for me as we go over the information and then I head to the Regimental HQ. There we get the daily brief before formation. I and my staff all have to attend the formation even though my companies are in the field.

As Colonel Chappy is briefing us, he tells Sunset and me, “Good job on the game yesterday. I am really glad to see how well you could adjust to the new allies and change your tactics. Also, Major, thank you for having me out at the victory party last night. However, please let Ginger know that while we are glad, she enjoys meat so much, my wife has had an upset stomach since she tried it at her encouragement.”

Without thinking I immediately facehoof. Around me, I hear the other officers and staff laugh lightly. “Sorry sir, I will have to talk to her about that,” I tell him.

“Ok, Major for the next thing I wanted to discuss with you and your staff while we are all here. We have chosen your battalion's new 1^st Sergeant. I will officially announce his promotion and assignment at formation this morning. I hope you do not mind, but he is an experienced non-com from the Enclave. He came with most of the Thunderheaders. For the last couple of months, he has been working with the 1^st Battalion of the 2^nd regiment. His name is Chain Lightning. I would introduce you right now, but he is busy cleaning up from being in the field for the last week.”

“Thank you, sir. I look forward to meeting him,” I tell him.

After that, we end the meeting, and all head up to the drill field for formation. My staff and I are standing alongside the rest of the staff for the regiment. The same is happening for the 2^nd regiment as well.

Near the end of the formation, Colonel Chappy calls out for Sergeant Chain Lightning to step forward.

As I watch I see an older pegasus stallion with a black coat as well as a yellow mane and tail step up. As he closes, I see the scars from combat on him that his uniform does not cover. When he is close enough, I notice he has a scar on his right cheek also almost identical to mine and Tar’s. This raises a bit of curiosity in me, but I have to wait to ask.

Once he is in front of both Colonels He stands at attention and salutes. Colonel Chappy, being the senior officer returns it, then says, “Sergeant Lightning, it is with great pleasure that I announce your promotion to 1^st sergeant as well as welcome your transfer from the 2nd Regiment to the 2^nd Battalion of the 1^st Regiment. This is a rare honor that you have earned and been recommended highly for by your officers and peers. Congratulations.”

I see a bit of a stunned look on his face, “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it.”

Then the Colonel holds out a hoof and they shake. After which they exchange salutes again and then he falls back into formation, but this time with my staff. After this, we are all dismissed and the units begin their normal workday.

I and my staff return to our HQ in the stable, our new 1^st Sergeant trailing along in what seems like a daze. As Paper Work goes to get me some tea, I invite him into my office and to sit down. “First Sergeant, I take it that you were unaware of your promotion and transfer?”

He nods his head, “Yes ma’am. I was expecting to stay with the troops of the 2nd regiment. After all, that is where most of the fliers are.”

“I can understand that, but our regiment also has a need for them, and I really do need an experienced 1^st Sergeant.”

He looks at me levelly, “Ma’am, may I ask what happened to your previous one?”

“Yes, that would have been 1^st sergeant Light Weight. He was a good stallion and an excellent non-com. He died during the final battle at Serenity Valley. When we were driven from our trenches the first time, he never made it out with us,” I tell him.

I am looking at the scar on his cheek and notice he is doing the same as me, so I ask, “Ok, 1^st, where did you get that scar on your cheek?”

I see him shiver slightly as he answers, “Ma’am, I normally don’t like to talk about it. But the short story is that a crazy white unicorn with a brown mane over by Fillydelphia did it to me. I escaped, but ma’am, I never wanted to come dirt side again after that.”

I nod my head and reply, “I can’t say I blame you. I do wonder though if we got it from the same pony, just years apart.”

He turns his head and looks at my scar and I tell him, “His name was Silver Spite, Tar Water killed him, but before that he was wounded lying on the ground, one of the 2^nd regiments medics went to help him and he tried to kill them. So, my daughter Ginger took his horn off with a hatchet, then Tar emptied a magazine into him from close range.”

He smirks a little bit, “Yep that would do it. The name is the same too. I have a feeling that buck left a trail of dead and mangled bodies all over Equestria. Thank you for letting me know what happened to him. Perhaps now I can sleep a bit easier down here.”

“My pleasure 1^st. Never expected to meet anyone else who escaped him, but I am sure glad I have,” I tell him. “Now, after we discuss the troops and the command, I want you to make a tour of their outpost with me after I get back from the JAG office.”

It is late afternoon when we return to the stable. As we are coming back through the main entrance, I see Bailey Bridge trying to get my attention. I turn to Chain Lighting, “Thanks again First, I will see you back at headquarters.”

“Yes ma’am, see you there. Do you want me to have Paper Work start your tea?” he asks.

I nod my head, “Sure, it should not take too long.”

As he walks away, I head on over to Bailey. I see him looking like he has something on his mind. As I get closer, I ask him, “How’s it going, Bailey?”

He holds out a forehoof and wiggles it from side to side, “Not too bad Major, but I was visiting Tar again and she wanted me to tell you she says hi, and that she misses your visits.”

“Well tell her I said hi too. I miss visiting her as does Ginger. I am glad you have picked up my slack.”

He gives a sad smile, “Well Major, it's not that hard for me to want to spend time with her. I have always got on well with her and her brother. Who knows, if Broken Dreams had not started dating her, I might have even got around to asking her out.”

I sigh after I hear this. Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Goddesses, do all ponies make these mistakes? I think to myself. Instead, I tell him, “That would have been really nice. Unfortunately, now we don’t have a clue how the trial will go. Bailey, to tell the truth, I am really worried about both Tar and her foal.”

I see him nod and grimace. “So am I Major, so am I. But who knows? If we are really lucky, in a few years, maybe I can get my chance,” he tells me.

I do a quick shake of my head and blink a couple of times when I hear him say this. Then I ask, “Bailey, are you saying that if Tar goes to prison for a few years you might wait for her to date her?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “Major, you never know. If she were not in jail, I would have asked her already. Broken was one of my best friends, but he screwed up with her. Unfortunately, his being such a good friend kept me from asking her out after they went their separate ways.”

I shake my head thinking, now you may never get that chance. Instead, I ask him, “So have you told her you to feel that way?”

He shakes his head, “No. No, I have not, I don’t want to give her false hopes right now. I mean she has had enough hopes and dreams destroyed. I don’t want to hurt her. Besides, I don’t know if she would even be interested in me anyway.”

“Bailey I can understand how you feel about that. But maybe she needs some hope. But like you said, we don’t know what the future holds right now.”

We talk for a bit more then he tells me, “If you will excuse me, Major, I need to get back to my troops. Turns out one of the ghouls from across the river used to be a sapper down in No Mare’s land during the war. I have asked him to come to talk to us about possibly training my engineers better. He is supposed to meet me soon.”

I smile at that, “Sounds like a great idea Bailey. Take care and I will see you later.” After that, I make a slight detour to the armory again and see Buckshot smiling behind the counter.

“Glad to see you gain Major. I was talking with Flechettes again. I think we have a pistol for you that you may like. It’s a Colt .45, the corporal has given it a good going over. He has even done an action job on it so it will not take as much pull on the trigger to fire.”

“Sounds good to me, let’s see it,” I tell him.

As he comes back, I notice he also has a different style of helmet than what the CDF normally uses. When I comment on it, he tells me, “Well Major, this is the standard style of helmet for the newly forming NCR army. It is a later design from the war and was a replacement for the old steel pots we have been using. Those were actually being issued to the reserve troops from what I have gleaned in the records. So, it is an upgrade. So far, we only have a couple of hundred of them in stock. More are on the way though.”

He hoofs it to me and I sit down as I look it over. It is a much lighter design but it is of a Kevlar material. After looking at it and trying it on, I notice how much lighter it is, and it has holes in it for my ears. So, I asks him, “So Buckshot, would I be able to get one of these?”

He nods his head, “Yes you can Major, that is why I wanted to show it to you. In fact, keep that one. I would suggest in your office or the locker in your stall for now.”

“Ok, thanks Buckshot, now let’s look at this pistol.”

“Ok ma’am, here it is.” He tells me.

I first make sure it is empty. Then I pick it up and begin to examine it. When satisfied I take it in my mouth and dry-fire it. I am stunned at how smooth the trigger is on this one and tell him after I set it down, “Buckshot, I have never had a pistol that would fire so smoothly, what did you do to it?”

Smiling he points at Flechettes, “Ma’am, Flechettes did the work. He took all the burrs off of the sears and the springs. For the trigger assembly. What you did not notice is he has also added a stronger spring for the magazine ejection to quicken a reload. Heck, if I was going back into the field, I would love this thing.”

“Ok, I am sold. Tag it for me. Oh, also speaking of tagging weapons. I was talking with Sergeant Bullet when out making the rounds of my troop’s positions today, I told him about the Shimmer and Glimmer and he is very interested. Could you do me a personal favor and tag it for him from now on?”

I see him consider it briefly, “Normally I would not do that for a sergeant, but since you asked me to, I will do it, Major.”

“Thanks, Buckshot, I really appreciate it. Besides, I know he will do such a fine weapon justice.”

Behind him I notice Flechettes putting a hoof under his chin, “Hmmm, not a bad name for a sniper weapon.”

Buckshot turns to him and shakes his head, “No! Quit engraving names on the weapons. We want them as generic as possible so the troopers will just take the ones, we hoof them and not demand certain ones.”

I see Flechettes deflate some at this then I see him smile and I know he has something in mind. But again, I need to get moving and tell them, “OK Buckshot, Flechettes, I need to get moving. Talk to you later.”

They both tell me to have a good evening as I turn and head out. My next stop is at Moon Pies office. I sit down and we begin to discuss some things that I really do not want to talk about. When I leave her office, I feel emotionally exhausted. But I also remember to set up appointments for both Ginger and Xochitl to see her.

When I do this, she is surprised at first. Then I tell her about what happened with Xochitl and Cowlick. I see the pain and sympathy she has for him as I tell her about the situation. She then tells me, “Mollygirl, I think you are right to have both of them come in. When Xochitl comes to his appointment, make sure that his father brings him. I would like to talk to him also, as well as I need parental consent.”

“Ok, will do Moon Pie. By the way, I am sorry about today. I did not mean to break down like that.”

She smiles at me and places a hoof on my shoulder, “Mollygirl, you needed it. None of us, and I mean none of us can be strong all the time. Besides, it is part of the healing process. Now that you have actually talked about it, you can begin to process it better, and maybe, just maybe we can help you realize you are judging yourself harder than you would somepony else.”

I smile gently at her, and as I excuse myself from her office tell her, “Thanks again doc. I understand what you mean, but sometimes, it can just be hard to do, but I will keep trying ok?”

“That’s all any of us can do. I will see you again next week, both for your and Ginger’s appointment. She sounds like a really special young mare.”

Talking about my daughter brings a bigger smile to my face and I tell her, “She really is Moon Pie. She really is.”

Tonight, I have the duty, and to my surprise, so does Windy. It turns out she has exchanged duty with the commander of the 3^rd battalion of the 2^nd regiment.

I find this out when I arrive at my stall after the end of working hours. I am just kicking back in the desk chair reading when she comes in.

I watch as she uses a wing to remove her cap and toss it on her buck. She looks up and smiles, “Oh, hey Mollygirl, I forgot you had duty tonight. I hope you don’t mind company?”

“Hey Windy, not at all, in fact, I would really enjoy it tonight. How did things go for your party last night?”

“Oh, not too bad, but the troops did get a bit rambunctious. That and one of my sergeants brought up an interesting point. With us doing the tag game at the same time each week, we may need to worry about someone getting the idea to hit us while we have so many troops unarmed and occupied.”

“Damn, your sergeant has a great point. Perhaps we need to put an extra company on alert during the games.”

“Yeah, well we have not gotten hit really since your forces got back from the expedition. So, I think we have all been relaxing a bit more than usual.”

“You're right Windy, but still, now that you mention it, it is something to worry about.”

“Well enough of worrying for tonight, do you want to go to the common area and watch something on the tube? I mean there is no one else to bother us on what we watch.”

“Sure Windy, what do you have in mind?” I ask, truly curious as I have no idea of what all is available.

“Well Mollygirl, since it is just us, we can watch some wartime documentaries, or,” she says with a smile, “I have a couple of romance movies we can watch.”

I have to smirk at this, after all the first time we met I had already noticed the romance novel on her desk. So, I can guess which she would like to watch. Thinking to myself I decide, why not, and I tell her, “OK, let's watch the romances, nopony is here to give us a hard time.”

I watch as her smile gets larger and I hear her giggle excitedly, “Thanks Mollygirl, I really loved watching these back in Thunderhead, but rarely get to watch them here.”

“Ok, let's both grab supper first at the mess, then we can come back, grab a couple of blankets, something to drink, and maybe some snacks if you have any,” I tell her.

Being it is dinner time, most of the officers have already left for the day. It is just us, the troop commanders whose unit rotations are keeping them stuck here, and one or two others who either live in the stable full time or just don’t feel like going out into town to spend the caps.

During dinner, we talk about our foals to each other. “Mollygirl, I tell you; my husband and I have our hooves full, but I love it. My older two are still convinced that they should not touch the dirt if possible. Little Rain Dancer, now he should not be like that at all, I mean he is only a few months old and really will not know any other life.”

I smile hearing her talk about her family, and as she mentions her youngest, I feel a slight kick from mine, so I tell her, “I can understand, I can only imagine how big a change it had to be for them. Really, we do need to have you bring the family over. Maybe I can have my cousin Trouble bring his wife and son over.”

She takes a bite of her salad and after swallowing it, responds, “That would be really great. That nephew of yours is a real hoot. My troopers were talking about him today even. So, what is the scope about him anyways?”

Laughing lightly, I tell her, “Well first off, his father, my cousin Trouble, is an earth pony like me. His mother, Blondie, is a unicorn. Both have pegasi ancestors, but neither one realized the other did. In fact, Blondie, Trouble, and Sargent Sunset all used to run together about six years ago or so. She actually thought Sunset was the father until he told her it was not possible when she ran into us on the expedition.”

I see her shaking her head, “It seems a lot happened to all of you during that time. So where did the youngster learn to fly like that?’

I sigh and look around to make sure nopony is close by. Then I ask her, “Windy, do you believe in spirits?”

She laughs at first then she sees I am serious. She then asks, “You're serious, you mean like what the zebras believe in?”

I nod my head but say nothing.

She looks around and I see her ears go back some as she tells me, “Ok, I used to not. In fact if you say anything to anypony, I will call you a liar, then I will kick your ass,” she pauses, looks around, then continues, “Mollygirl, when we landed near Hoofington, my ponies and I were lost, we didn’t know where to go. There was a sense of impending danger and horror down there that I can’t really describe. We had been dirtside for a week and one night I had just come off of watch for our camp and was nursing Rain by the fire. Most of the others were asleep. Then I saw her. She walked slowly into our camp. Past the guards that were heading to the perimeter. She was wearing a black cape and had the hood pulled over her face. “

I have a feeling I know where she is going with this, but I say nothing, I just listen.

She takes a deep breath and then tells me, “Once she was near, she pulled her hood back,” She stops, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then tells me, “She was the most beautiful white-colored, earth pony mare I have ever seen. She smiled at me and then talked to me in a Trottingham accent.”

I nod and move my hoof for her to continue, “So what did the Mareigan tell you?” I ask.

She tells me, “She said for me to take my ponies to Manesville. She said she would help us if needed, but that we were to go west of Canterlot mountain. And then take a northern route to a place called Manesville.”

I sit there smiling as I wait for more from her.

She stops and then realizes what I had said. She then asks, “So you not only don’t think I am crazy, but you know her?”

I nod my head, “Yes Windy, I have met her several times. She helped us during the expedition several times, and me personally at least twice.”

I see her move her head back in surprise, “Mollygirl, who or what is she?”

I smile and sigh at the same time, “Windy, she is the spirit for the Manesville region, by extension, the Co-op. She scares Xavier half to death, and while I do feel friendly towards her, and even miss her visits some, I respect her power. She kept me from a miscarriage once and did not take one of the mares I love and care about during our time at Serenity Valley. She is a spirit of fertility as well as determining who lives and dies on the battlefield, and to top it off, she taught Sunny how to fly.”

I see her eyes go wide and she almost chokes on the bite of food she had just tried to swallow. After she can breathe normally again, she looks at me with wide eyes and asks, “You are kidding me, right? That lil' buck did not learn to fly from a spirit?”

“Actually, I never joke about the Mareigan. She taught him how to fly so he could see danger and warn the family he was staying with while his mother was working for me. They hitched a ride with the gypsies that are visiting, to our camp.”

She looks around again, “So, you really don’t think I am crazy? You saw her too?”

“No, I don’t think you are crazy Windy, and Yes, I saw her many times. So has Ginger, Xochitl, Trouble, and a couple of others.”

I watch as she visibly relaxes. She takes a deep breath and then tells me, “Thank the Goddesses. I thought I was going crazy. But at least she led us to a good home.”

“Windy, you and your ponies were chosen by her. She saw something she felt would be good for us here. I will not pretend to understand her ways, but know you were chosen and guided.”

She takes a big drink of her glass of cider. As she sets it down, she looks me in the eyes and tells me, “It is a relief to know I am not crazy and I appreciate you telling me so much. Thanks, Mollygirl. Now, are you ready to go watch a couple of shows?”

I quickly finish my dinner and drink then we trot back to our stall. We both grab a blanket and a couple of ciders to drink. Then she operates the player and we settle in to watch the movies. I get a kick out of us both sitting on the ends of the same couch with a blanket wrapped around us, just relaxing as friends. It is almost like old times with Ivy. After the two movies, we call it a night. When we get up in the morning, she jokes with me, “Dang Mollygirl, we may need to shift duty sections so we can do this more often. It has been a long time since I got to do that.”

“Same here Windy, I really enjoyed it. Thanks for such a good time. It is really too bad we are not on the same rotation.”

I see her put her hoof under her chin, then she tells me, “Who knows, things can change, now we best get ready for formation.”

After formation, I am sitting at my desk doing my reports when I get a knock on my door. I look up and see a Manesville police pony standing there, being escorted by one of Taser’s MPs. I tell him to enter and when he does so, he pulls an envelope out of his saddlebags and notifies me. “Major Mollygirl, your presence has been requested to testify in court tomorrow in the case of the Co-op versus One Roll. You are to be there by 9 am. Please be prompt.”

“Ok, thank you, officer. I will be there.”

After they leave, I immediately leave my office to notify the Colonel of my subpoena. After I tell him he nods his head and tells me, “Very well Major, do what you have to. I am sure Captain Kettle Bell will be able to fill in for you during your absence.”

“Thank you, sir, I appreciate it,” I tell him, and then I head back to my office.

The rest of the day goes fairly well. I leave for home at a decent time. On my way out I see Faith rolling towards me. She smiles when she sees me and greets me, “Good afternoon Major. It’s about time I get to see you again. I heard about your news and wanted to congratulate you on your coming foal. Has anybody set up a foal shower yet for you, seeing it’s your first?’

“It’s great to see you again too Faith. It has been far too long. I am really sorry about that. As for a foal shower, nopony has mentioned one yet. I guess it's because both Magpie and I are due with our first right away, and then we have Sumac only a couple of months behind us.”

She shakes her head in amusement, “Mollygirl, by looking at him, I would never have imagined Badger being like that, it does make me wonder though.”

I laugh lightly back, “Well, he is a good buck overall, he is learning. However, if you really wanted to wonder, look at Archer. He is a real sweetheart. In fact, he is even teaching Badger how to treat us mares better.”

I see her raise an eyebrow as she says, “I did not think their barn doors swung that way.”

I realize what that sounded like and blush immediately, “Oh, no, no that is not how I meant it. I meant he is teaching him how to be caring and show affection as well as how to communicate better.”

She nods her head slowly, “Ah, now I see what you mean. That makes sense. Sorry about that.”

“No problem Faith, I had not meant for it to sound that way either. So how are things for you and Dodger?”

With that opening I see her smile become wider than I would have imagined possible. She then tells me, “Yes, better than I ever imagined. He doesn’t see me for my injury, he sees me as his mare. Mollygirl, I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

I smile back at her and put a hoof on her shoulder, “Yes, I can. While my injury was not as severe as yours, after the scarring on my face I was afraid no pony would ever want me again. But Archer and Sutures helped me with that. Besides Dodger is a great buck and I can tell you from the times I talked to him, he is head over hooves for you too.”

She starts to look a bit embarrassed and blushes, “Would you believe he actually started to talk to me about possibly having foals someday.”

“Oh Faith, that is great. I can just see you two as parents.”

“Mollygirl, in case I have not said it before. Thank you for saving me that day.”

I feel a burst of warmth inside me as she says this and I tell her, “Faith, your welcome, I just wish it was not necessary.”

“I understand and I wish so too, but you know, it has allowed me to not only find a stallion who I care about but to realize how much he loves me and cares about me too. Mollygirl, before this,” she says as she turns her head and touches her chair with her muzzle, “I would have wondered if he really did, or if he was just with me because of my looks, or to land on my back. Now, now I know. My insecurities are not affecting me, as I know now.”

Looking her in the eyes, I tell her, “I am so happy for you. Both of you Faith. Now I look forward to seeing you with a home full of foals.”

“Thanks, Mollygirl. I can’t wait to see your family’s foals either. But I best let you get going, we both have things we need to get done yet.”

“Thanks, Faith, I will see you again soon, perhaps we can catch lunch sometime.”

“Sounds good Mollygirl, I have to go now, Dodger and I have a date tonight,” She tells me and then I watch as she turns and quickly scoots off with a smile on her face.

My night at home is a typical one. During dinner, I tell my family about my subpoena and how it was delivered. Badger seems more concerned than Archer and asks, “So why do you think they want you to appear?”

I put a forehoof onto his, and tell him, “Honestly, I am not sure, perhaps because I am the one who found Tar. That and am considered the responsible party for his and Hobble's capture.”

From the side, I hear Ginger asks, “Ma, what if they let them go? What then?”

I turn my head and look at her, “Then we take a lesson from the expedition, we cross that bridge when we get there.”

I hear her laugh lightly and then she says, “How about we take one for Baily Bridge instead, ya’ know, cross it, but have a plan to blow the bridge and mine the causeways.”

I laugh lightly with the others, but inside, I have already made that decision. I already know what I will do. I just can not be seen to be involved. They will not get away with what they have done. I still remember I promised Gray that they would pay for what they did to Tar. That is a promise I will keep. That and for what One Roll tried to do to Xochitl.

I guess my expression must betray me some as I see both Archer and Sutures look at me with a questioning expressions, and Sumac quickly changes the subject.

Laying in bed that night I feel Sutures fall asleep first, then Archer quietly tells me, “Dear, I don’t know what you are planning if they do not punish him, but please, I beg of you, be careful. I do not want to lose you.”

I gently kiss him and put a hoof along his face, “Love, I won’t do anything stupid, but thank you for caring enough to say something.”

He begins to caress me some and I put my face against his chest and breath deeply smelling his scent, mixed with mine and Sutures. That aroma relaxes me and makes me feel safe and at home. Soon afterward I fall asleep with him still caressing me and holding me with his other hoof.

The next day begins as our normal and I make it to the stable with time to spare. After formation, I have Kettle Bell cover for me at HQ in case anything immediate comes up. I then head into Manesville and the courthouse.

After the damage that the Manesville city building took during our battle, it does not look too bad. Most of the damage has been repaired. What glass could not be replaced yet, has had shutters hung so that at night and in bad weather the windows can be closed off. I am fifteen minutes early when I check-in.

The trial has been going for several hours and I am ready for them to adjourn for lunch when I am called as a witness.

After being sworn in I sit in a chair next to the judge. First, the prosecution attorney asks me several questions about when I found Tar in her cell beaten. He asks me if I knew then who the perpetrators of the incident were. “No, I did not,” I tell them. The line of questioning from him continues for some time before I am turned over to the defense for questioning.

The defense attorney has a snarky expression on his face when he approaches me to begin his questions. He looks me in the eyes and tells me with a loathing tone in his voice, “Remember Major, you are still under oath.”

“I understand that,” I tell him.

“Major, you said that you had no idea when you first went into the security office that there was a problem, is this correct?”

“Yes, it is. I was just stopping to visit Tar Water.”

“But you called both the Overmare and Overcow, as well as Colonel Chappy and your MPs to come to the security detention cells. Why did you do that?” The prosecution asks.

“I called them because when I asked to see the prisoner, the officer on duty refused me admission to do so, and became very upset about it. This indicated to me that there was a problem.”

“What were your reasons for visiting Tar Water?”

“It was a personal visit. She is family.”

“Ahhh, so she is family. Could this fact, and the fact she was badly injured have caused you to be biased against my client?”

I shake my head, “No, even when they were suspected, I understood that they still had to go to court.”

“So then, why did you have my client shot when you apprehended him?”

I close my eyes and shake my head. Then I sigh and answer, “I did not have him shot. He was shot by my daughter when he tried to molest Xochitl, a zony colt she is friends with.”

I see a bit of confusion on his face, then he asks, “So you saw him do so?”

“No, I did not, I heard Hobbles call out to ask him what he was doing. I heard a gunshot and ran to the entrance of the building and I heard Ginger tell him to not try and colt coddle her coltfriend.”

Again, the attorney seems stunned and he looks at his client who merely shrugs. Then he turns to me, “So you used a young colt and filly as bait to try to capture them?” he asks.

I shake my head, “No, I did not use them as bait. Ginger and Xochitl are experienced military scouts. They suggested that due to their physical age, they may have been able to approach and analyze the situation easier without increasing the chance of any violence occurring. However, they never expected the defendant to try and molest one of them.”

He seems to think he has an aha, moment and then asks, “So if you were not there, how can you be certain he tried to molest one of them?”

I keep myself from smiling as I tell him, “Well when I entered the room, he was still partially erect. I have seen enough stallions shot and wounded to know that you do not become distended like that from being shot or wounded, in fact, it is the opposite. Therefore, he must have been like that before he was shot.”

“You are certain that he, in fact, was coming down from being aroused then, what makes you an expert?”

I sigh, “I am not an expert, but seeing as I am over five months pregnant and married, I would say that means I know how to tell if a stallion has been aroused or not.”

He is very frustrated by my answer and tells me, “I will remind the witness to take these questions seriously.”

I answer back to him, “I am taking them very seriously.”

He continues questioning me for several more minutes, then I am told to step down from the bench. I return to the witness room and read while several others are called in to be witnesses, including Taser and most of his MPs.

Finally, towards the early evening the jury votes and finds the defendant guilty. The court adjourns for the day and is told to reconvene in the morning for sentencing.

On my way home I stop by Georges's cave to visit her briefly. After I arrive home, I smell dinner cooking and notice everypony is sitting in the parlor together. I go into the kitchen. I make sure no one else is coming and I pull out a letter I had written the night before to Grey Water and briefly reread it.

Dear Grey,

I am very sorry to say that I was wrong and One Roll, one of those who hurt Tar, is not being punished. Do what you must, and with my blessings. I only wanted to protect our family and felt that justice would be served. Again, I am sorry I was wrong. Please burn this letter and be careful about what you have to do.

Sincerely

Your Cousin, Mollygirl

After I finish reading it, I sigh with relief and use the fire in the stove to begin to burn it. After it is completely burned, I break up its ashes, close up the bottom of the stove again and walk back into the parlor to join everypony else as dinner continues to cook. I thank the Goddesses I did not need to send that letter, but I have found another line that I do not want to cross, but if pushed, will.

Dear DJ Pony,

Recently I have had so much taken from me and had to restart my life again. Even my family has been changed as well as my homeland. With this change, I have learned to have great hope for what is to come. With this in mind could you please play the Orphan Girl for me and so many others who are like me?

Sincerely

Faith,

Stable Staff, Manesville Co-op

To my readers, I want to thank you again for still sticking with us during the telling of this tale. Recently I have obtained an email address that you can contact the author through at [email protected] Please feel free to contact me with comments, questions or even to just chat if you so desire.

This chapter's dedication song is an older one but with all the changes in their lives that so many of the characters in the chapter have experienced it seems right. The YouTube address for this chapters dedication song can be found at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zlUEhxDDhg