Anon groaned as he slowly returned to consciousness. His vision came slowly, almost as if his eyes wanted another few minutes of rest before being used. Still, he managed to open his crusty eyelids. The first thing to assault his eyeballs was bright, shining white light. He immediately regretted his decision but tried to push through the pain and blearily blink through the haze he saw.

Slowly, his vision came back to him, revealing a white light directly above his head. The ceiling and floor were also white, but there were several posters on the wall that all held some positive affirmation or motivational quote on them. However, what caught his eye was the veritable mountain of flowers and other gifts stacked in the corner of the room. Anon's brow furrowed slightly at the sight, but before he could think on it any longer, he heard a gasp from his left.

"Honey?" Celestia's weary, yet hopeful voice spoke up.

Anon turned his head to the side, an effort that felt strangely taxing on him, as if there was a soreness that reached the entire right side of his body. His eyes soon met with hers, and then all he could see were tears.

"You're awake!" She cried, darting forward and pulling him into her embrace.

Anon smiled into the hug, happily returning it with one of his own, although he immediately noticed that something felt... off. Celestia, sensing the immediate tensing of Anon's body, gently released the hug and fixed him with a sorrowful gaze.

"Honey... I know this is going to be a lot to take in but... you were hurt very badly." She explained.

Anon nodded as he slowly looked down to his right arm, finding that it simply wasn't there anymore. He felt a sudden pit form in his stomach as he attempted to move digits and a limb that simply weren't there anymore. He stared, wide-eyed and in shock, at the ghostly feeling of his arm still being there, but clearly not being there at the same time. It took him some time to realize that Celestia was still speaking to him.

"-and we had no choice but to amputate... honey, I swear to you, we will have the finest prosthetic made for you. With a few spells to mimic feeling and motor ability, it will be as if you never lost it." She finished, looking at the stump that was Anon's arm.

Anon continued to blankly stare at where his arm used to be.

"Honey?" Celestia worriedly asked, gently leaning in and cupping his cheek with her hoof.

Anon was shaken from his shock by the touch, and slowly looked over to Celestia, "I... my arm..." He whispered, his mind still struggling to process what he was seeing.

Celestia felt tears spilling from her eyes as she pulled Anon into another hug, "I know... I know, honey. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

Anon numbly hugged her back, his eyes gazing blankly up at the ceiling at his wife sobbed into his shoulder. If he could feel anything at all, he would have felt the tears streaming down his cheeks. Celestia held him for a long time, their cries drowned out only by the gentle beeping of the heart monitor. Eventually, and with precious little tears left to shed, they pulled away from each other, both sniffling and rubbing their eyes.

"I... wow, this really happened. I just... fuck." Anon muttered, looking down.

"Honey, I promise you... we will fix this." Celestia replied, taking a shaky breath.

After another few moments of staring at his amputated arm, Anon slowly looked up to his wife once more. He saw the shimmering in her eyes as she looked at him, her gaze a desperate plea for him to be okay. It was as if she couldn't bear the thought of him mourning, even in the face of his loss. Try as he might, he knew that he couldn't bring himself to bring her down with his sorrow. He wanted to see her smile again, to brighten his own mood, if nothing else.

However, before he could say anything to calm his wife or reassure her, a sudden thought entered his mind, derailing any and all other thought processes he was going through.

"Where are Chryssi and Luna?" He asked, suddenly looking around his room.

"They're in the next room over. They've been watching over the foals. We've been on rotating shifts for the past twelve hours. In fact, they should be here any second." Celestia replied, smiling at him.

Anon's eyes suddenly went wide, "The... foals? A-are they..." He began, but before he could say anything else, the door opened, revealing both Luna and Chrysalis.

"Lulu! Chryssi! Anon's awake!" Celestia called, waving the two equines over toward them.

Anon turned just in time to see the two forms of Luna and Chrysalis rush into the room. He barely managed to open his mouth before both mares were upon him, hugging him tightly or planting loving kisses all over his face. Much like her sister and Chrysalis, Celestia joined in the group hug, although her gestures of affection were much more restrained than that of her sister, who planted a flurry of kisses all over Anon's face.

"You're awake! Oh thank Faust!" Luna cried.

"We were so worried!" Chrysalis added, hugging Anon's chest.

Anon smiled at the mares all around him, his own happy tears threatening to spill free. He managed to control himself enough to speak, although he was barely overheard over all the happy sniffles of his wives.

"W-what happened? Are you guys all okay? Are the foals okay?" Anon asked, a bit of worry creeping its way into his voice.

Much to his surprise, the crying and sniffling of his wives immediately turned to joyous giggling, as they finally released their holds on him.

"They're in the next room over. They're being monitored but they are healthy and beautiful." Luna explained.

Anon let out a shuddering sigh of relief, a beaming smile forming on his face, "Oh thank God... thank God." He whispered, leaning back into his pillow with a grateful sigh.

It was at that moment that Anon realized that Chrysalis was still laying atop his stomach, her bright green eyes staring into his. He was suddenly struck with the realization that Chrysalis looked much like she did before the fight with Tirek. There were slight differences, such as the holes in her legs being completely gone. Her horn was now missing its jagged edges and had a gentle curve to it. Where her mane and tail were previously riddled with holes and loose ends, she now looked regal, and even graceful. Each strand of hair held a darker blue color that contrasted beautifully against her green elytra and black chitin.

The only thing that remained from her transformation, it seemed, was the sheer amount of fluff on her chest. Anon found his eyes drawn the plumage of black, and without thinking, drifted his hand over until it rested squarely in the center of her chest. The contact made Chrysalis raise both her eyebrows as a green blush adorned her cheeks, but she made absolutely no effort to pull away or rebuke his touch.

"C-Chryssi... what... what happened? You look... different." Anon asked, looking up to her in confusion.

Chrysalis smiled as Luna and Celestia approached either side of the bed once more, "It's... quite a long story, Anon. Honestly, I'm still trying to make sense of it, myself."

"You mean that's never happened before?" Anon asked, clearly confused.

Chrysalis shook her head.

"We have a few theories, but until Twilight can run some tests, we really aren't sure. Best guess we have now is that Chryssi managed to enter some kind of empowered state of being after she saw you sacrificing yourself to save us. It wore off about twenty minutes after she brought you to us." Celestia offered.

Anon slowly nodded, before a sudden realization hit him, "W-wait, that reminds me. What happened to Tirek? Did we win? Do you guys have your powers back?" He hastily prattled off.

Celestia smiled as she placed a gentle hoof on Anon's arm, "Honey, don't worry. There's a lot you need to know but not right now. You were hurt very badly in the fight. Rest assured, we did win. Twilight was able to defeat Tirek with her friends. That's all for you to worry about in the future. For now, you just need to focus on regaining your strength and resting." She instructed.

Anon sadly looked down to his missing arm, a crease of sadness forming on his brow, but before he could even begin to get too lost in his melancholy, both his wives nuzzled his cheeks, halting his mind from focusing too much on his loss.

"Would you like to see your foals, Nonny?" Luna asked, her teal eyes sparkling up at him.

Anon held her gaze, his eyes watering as he was reminded of exactly why he was willing to sacrifice his life, let alone his arm, in the first place.

"Yes..." He croaked, struggling to hold the tears back.

Luna smiled, as she departed, Celestia following closely behind. They disappeared behind the door with a giddy step in their gait, leaving Anon along with Chrysalis for just a few moments. She watched the sisters depart, a fond smile on her face, before her attention was wretched back to Anon as he spoke.

"Thank you." He said, quietly.

Chrysalis turned to look at him, her brow furrowed in confusion, "For... what?" She asked.

Anon snorted, "For saving my life. If it weren't for you... well, I'd be a lot worse off than just missing an arm." He replied, looking down at his missing limb with a frown.

Chrysalis pursed her lips, "I did what was right... just like you did when you took me and my kind in and gave us a chance... gave me a chance."

Anon slowly looked up to meet her eyes with his own, but contrary to what he was used to seeing, there was a distinct softness in her gaze. Her eyes used to carry an intimidating aura that made him just the slightest bit on edge around her but now, all he could see was gentleness behind those beautiful eyes.

"I guess we saved each other." He mirthlessly chuckled.

"Are you saying we're even?" She playfully questioned.

Anon nodded, "About as even as we can be, given the circumstances. Hell, if anything, I owe you one." He snorted.

Chrysalis smiled as she leaned in and nuzzled his cheek, "I beg your pardon, Anon... but I believe I still have a debt to pay, if you'll have me." She responded, her touch sending a wave of endorphins flooding Anon's system.

A shiver of excitement rushed through Anon's body as goosebumps trailed all along his neck and chest. He couldn't help the urge to return the touch even if he tried, and so with a small grunt of effort, he reached out with his good arm. He gently cupped Chrysalis's cheek, his thumb reaching up and rubbing her ear, much like he always did with either of his wives. While the contact was clearly telegraphed and easy to anticipate, Chrysalis couldn't help the blush that engulfed her face and neck as he touched her.

"Did they tell you?" Anon asked, curiously.

"Tell me what?" Chrysalis replied, already sure of the answer.

"That we all want you to be a part of our herd." Anon stated, plainly.

Chrysalis let out a shuddering sigh, "They... wanted to wait until you were awake... didn't want to get anypony's hopes up in case..." She trailed off.

Anon nodded, "Well, I'm awake. Mostly in one piece, too." He offered.

The lighthearted attempt at humor managed to get the intended reaction he wanted, and as Chrysalis giggled at the small joke, the door opened once more, revealing none other than Celestia and Luna, both holding swaddled foals in their magical aura. Anon instantly sat up more in his bed, prompting Chrysalis to crawl off of his lap and allow him to get into a comfortable position.

As Celestia and Luna approached, both with beaming smiles on their faces, Anon couldn't help the nervous tension that build in his chest. He idly fidgeted with his hand while he waited patiently for his wives to present him with their children, but his heart hammered in his chest as every possible thought of what could have happened ran through his mind. Possible complications, birth defects, missing limbs or magical abilities all flashed in his head, despite his wives' previous assurances, as he silently observed.

However, sensing his fears and nerves, Chrysalis gently placed her hoof on his shoulder, "They're fine, Anon. Don't worry." She whispered, encouragingly.

While he didn't verbally reply in any way, some tension did leave Anon's body as his wives reached his bedside and levitated their respective bundles in front of him. Anon gulped as he looked down at his children, but the second he laid eyes on them, all he could feel was relief and total bliss.

First to catch his eyes, due in no small part to her bright, fiery orange mane, was his and Celestia's daughter. The little filly bore a coat that seemed to be just a few shades darker than her mother, but as she softly snoozed away, Anon couldn't help but feel like she had his eyebrows. A smile split on his face as he watched the foal yawn ever so softly, her dark brown eyes opening just a tad. Anon couldn't stop his eyes from watering as he watched the little filly with her nub of a horn just poking through her mess of a mane.

Before he could get too emotional, he quickly looked to his and Luna's foal, finding a little colt with a dark blue coat that almost matched his mother's. His mane was a lighter shade of of navy blue, but aside from that, he looked strikingly similar to his mother, by Anon's reckoning. Much like his sister, the little colt had a horn on his head just below his messy mop of hair. Below that, however, sat a pair of piercing green eyes that stared back at Anon with the utmost of curiosity.

Anon stared at his two children for what could have been less than ten seconds, but for him, time may as well have frozen completely. As he stared down at the two gifts of life that he helped create, all he could feel was love and pride. Tears freely spilled from his eyes as he stared at his children, the sheer beauty of the sight compounding on him and making him wish he could stay in that one single moment forever.

He choked back a sniffle as Luna rested a wing on his shoulder, "Honey, are you okay?" She asked, worriedly.

Anon wiped his eyes with his good hand, "Y-yeah... it's just... they're so beautiful." He croaked, his eyes refusing the cease their waterworks.

The joyful tears were infectious, and within moments, both Celestia and Luna were crying alongside him, the three sharing a gentle moment as they looked down at their creations.

"Do you want to hold them?" Luna asked, looking up to Anon through her tears.

Anon vigorously nodded as he held his arm out to take the little bundle from his wife. After a moment to decide which one for him to hold first, Celestia and Luna agreed to let him hold the colt, while the filly continued to sleep in her mother's telekinetic hold.

Luna gently placed the little colt in Anon's embrace, allowing him to set the foal down in his lap as he cradled him with his arm. As Anon looked down at his son, the little pony stared right back up at him, his eyes wide in awe and wonder.

"H-hey there, b-buddy..." Anon managed, through his sniffles, "I-I'm your dad." He said, offering his best attempt at a smile, given his emotional state.

Luna laid her head down on Anon's thigh, just beside her foal and smiled, "I was hoping to name him Artemis... but we wanted to wait until you were awake to make it official." She stated, looking up to him with a hopeful smile.

Anon smiled, looking down at his son, "Hey... little Artemis." He said, gently rubbing the little colt's ear with his thumb.

Artemis tilted his head to the side, giving Anon better access to his ear as the little foal cooed in happiness from the touch. Anon let out a shaky breath, the overwhelming joy in his heart threatening to make him cry again.

After a few minutes of lovingly holding his son, Anon looked up to Celestia, finding that she was practically beaming as she levitated his daughter over to him. Luna plucked little Artemis out of Anon's lap, giving her sister room to give him their filly. Much like the colt, Anon gently cradled the filly in his arm as she was placed in his lap, her chocolate eyes opening up to see him. The little filly seemed even more intrigued and interested in Anon then her brother, going so far as to reach out with her little hoof.

Anon silently gasped as the little filly reached out to him, almost as if she were trying to boop his nose. With a glacial pace, Anon moved his hand and gently held her hoof in-between his thumb and index finger. As if she were happy to have more contact, the little filly pushed her hoof further forward, allowing most of her foreleg to slip into Anon's hand, allowing him to gently stroke his thumb down her foreleg as he stared into her eyes. After a few moments of teary-eyed contact, Anon glanced up to Celestia, his mouth open to speak, but she beat him to the punch.

"I was thinking of Dawn. She's the beginning of a bright and beautiful new chapter in our lives." Celestia offered, looking hopefully to Anon.

Anon nodded, before looking down to his daughter as he let go of her foreleg and brought his hand to her ear, "Hey there, Dawn... I'm your dad." He whispered, lest he choke up.

Celestia couldn't help the happy tears that shed and ran down her cheeks, and she practically bounced in place from pure happiness as Anon gently scratched behind their daughter's ear. Dawn, much like her brother, tilted her head to the side to let Anon scratch at her ear easier. Her eyes fluttered shut as the little filly practically passed out like a light switch from the gentle contact. Anon chuckled at the positively adorable display before glancing up to his wives once more.

"They're... just perfect. Two perfect little unicorns... I-I can't believe it... God, this is just the best day of my life." Anon announced, struggling to keep himself from bawling yet again.

Celestia and Luna both raised their eyebrows before sharing a knowing look with each other.

"Oh, did you not notice, Nonny?" Luna asked, teasingly.

Anon tilted his head to the side, "Notice what?"

"They aren't unicorns, honey." Celestia added, smiling excitedly.

Anon's brow furrowed, "Aren't... unicorns," He parroted, looking down at Dawn in confusion, "But... they both have horns." He replied.

Celestia and Luna giggled, "Yes, they do both have horns, but... why don't you unswaddle Dawn just a bit and take a look." Celestia suggested.

Anon hesitantly complied with his wife's instructions and partially unraveled the blanket from his daughter. As soon as her barrel was exposed to him, his jaw dropped. There, attached to her withers and covered in a soft plumage of feathers, sat two beautiful wings. Anon slowly looked up to his wives, finding Luna already holding a slightly unswaddled Artemis in her magic, his small wings on display as well.

"T-they're... both... alicorns?" Anon asked, still struggling to process whether or not his eyes were deceiving him.

"The first ever born." Celestia replied, lovingly.

"Wow..." Anon breathlessly whispered, re-covering his daughter, let she get cold.

"Never before in history has an alicorn been born. They've always ascended from normal ponies. I'm not sure if there's something magical about them, or something magical about you." Chrysalis spoke up, a soft smile on her muzzle.

Celestia and Luna both nodded, prompting a weak chuckle from the man as he looked down at his children.

"Hell... I'm nothing special. I'm just an ordinary guy." He replied.

"On the contrary, I think you're more remarkable than you give yourself credit for, Nonny." Luna shook her head.

"You stood up against Tirek when he had the magical might of almost all of Equestria at his fingertips. You did something that we couldn't do... and you saved our children in the process. Honey, you are the most special stallion in the entire world and we're so lucky to have you in our lives." Celestia protested, leaning in and pulling Anon into a hug.

Following her sister's lead, Luna quickly darted in, placing Artemis next to his sister on Anon's lap as she hugged him as well. The family held each other close, but not close enough to squish their foals. They were precious, after all.

As she watched from her spot at Anon's legs, Chrysalis smiled. The amount of love she felt radiating from the family was enough to make any changeling drool, but she still couldn't feel any hunger. Instead, she felt a warmth in her chest that only made her smile at the scene before her. That is, until she felt a magical aura gently pushing her from behind. Startled, she turned her head to see both a golden and sapphire aura pushing against her flanks.

Chrysalis blinked in surprise before turning back to the family to see both Celestia and Luna's horns lit up in their respective colors. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, both princesses pulled away slightly from Anon while their magic shoved her forward. She gasped from the sudden shock, but just as quickly, it was over, and she felt both Celestia and Luna pull her into the hug as well. Blankets of soft wings enveloped her and Anon as the alicorns giggled to themselves, the closeness between them only serving to make the moment that much more special.

Chrysalis looked at the family now embracing her as if she were one of them, both her hearts beating faster in her chest. However, to her surprise, it was Anon who drove the final nail into her coffin as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, his hand coming up to her cheek to gently caress her and hold her close. She soon felt both Celestia and Luna follow suite, just barely managing to not tangle their horns up as they held each other close.

"I think it's time we made it official." Anon mumbled, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the warmth and closeness of his family.

"What will Canterlot think?" Chrysalis whispered, a tremor of fear in her voice.

"They will be happy for us. You're a hero now, Chrysalis." Celestia smirked.

"If anything, they'll be jealous. They all saw your modeling pictures. Now they'll know you're no longer available and I'm sure the nobles will be just devastated." Luna added.

A small chorus of chuckles and giggles ran through the group before silence reigned over them once more.

"I... I swear to you all that I won't waste this chance." Chrysalis declared, holding back her happy tears.

"We know you won't." Celestia assured her, squeezing her tighter with her wing.

"I think this calls for the ceremony, don't you all?" Luna smiled, lifting her head enough to look at the rest of the group.

Celestia pulled away as well, followed quickly by Anon, "I don't think I know what ceremony you're talking about." Anon said, looking back and forth to his wives.

Celestia and Luna giggled, "It's simple dear. Just look into her eyes." Celestia instructed.

Anon hesitantly complied and stared into Chrysalis's eyes. She met his gaze with one of longing and compassion, a fact that made them both blush.

"Now lean forward and kiss her." Luna ordered, nudging Anon forward with her wing.

Contrary to his past reservations, Anon had no trouble leaning in and pressing his lips against the Changeling Queen's. The contact was soft and chaste, but the passion carried through in full force. Chrysalis couldn't help the wave of excitement and happiness that coursed through her entire body as she kissed Anon, her wings buzzing excitedly under her elytra. She couldn't quite describe his taste, but the closest thing she could compare it to was a saltlick, a fact that made her that much more excited by him.

For Anon, the kiss was remarkably gentle and sublime. While everything about Chrysalis screamed "predator", the meek softness of her lips could have fooled him completely. Despite her fangs being a prominent feature on her muzzle, she was extraordinarily careful with them, ensuring that she didn't poke his lips in any way that would be uncomfortable. Her taste, unlike either Celestia or Luna, was very subtle, almost as if it didn't want to be associated with anything in particular yet. However as the contact persisted, he noticed the faintest hint of kiwi.

The kiss lasted less than ten seconds, but as the man and changeling pulled away, they both knew that something special was shared between them. They took a moment to simply savor each other's taste and presence, before Chrysalis turned to Luna. She had less than a second to brace herself before Luna planted her lips on hers, kissing her even more deeply than Anon had.

Much like before, Chrysalis felt a wave of excitement rush through her body and her hearts raced in her chest. She could taste a strong hint of blueberry, which just so happened to be her favorite flavor of fruit. The kiss lasted nearly as long as it had with Anon, but when Luna pulled away with a *pop*, the dark alicorn playfully booped her muzzle as she pulled away, making Chrysalis giggle.

Last, but certainly not least, Chrysalis turned to Celestia. The solar diarch smiled as she leaned in, their lips colliding almost as intensely as the previous kiss. If her hearts were beating any faster, Chrysalis might have had a heart attack, but the ecstasy and love she felt absolutely trounced any worries she had about something silly like loosing one of her hearts. As she anticipated, the taste of vanilla was heavy throughout the kiss, leading to the smallest sense of a sugar high from the contact.

As Celestia pulled away, the family shared a moment to look at their newest addition. While Chrysalis was blushing all over her entire face, chest, and ears, she couldn't have smiled brighter. It was a moment of happiness and tranquility, knowing that they would have each other, no matter what life threw at them.

Ayyy. We did it! We did the thing! Chryssi is now an official part of Anon's herd. Who could have seen that coming? lol

I hope you guys enjoyed that one. I was really excited to write about the foals and I think they came across as adorable as possible haha. We've still got a couple more chapters to finish up though, so don't think the story is over just yet. We still need to get Chryssi fully acquainted with her herdmates...