In the forest, all the trees began to blend together. “Naiara, which way?”

Several seconds passed with no answer. I looked over at her. Her eyes jittered as she ran, and she mouthed to herself. “I can't believe Atesh would go that far. It's... it's...”

“Naiara!” My shout seemed to reach her, as her head rose for a moment. “Which. Way?”

“Right, right. It's, uh...” Blinking, she shot me a sheepish smile, before pointing to our right. “That way.”

“Okay!” No time to get angry now. We have to get out of here. “You know there was nothing you could have done, right? It wasn't your fault.”

“I don't know whose fault it is, or even who's wrong.” Naiara stumbled over a thick root. “Atesh... Atesh has never been like this before. And it's all because of Lethbridle.”

“That was Amber's idea, not yours,” I reminded her.

“We helped!” she snapped back almost going over another root. “We broke Lethbridle on Amber's orders, turned the people homeless, and screwed up a lot of other people's hopes, including my clan!”

“We also stopped the Raiders, and crippled Peanut's slaver operation. Nobody made Atesh take Plottawa afterwards. His job was done after the tunnel collapsed.”

“Amber never paid up on that!”

“Blame Rockhaunch for that! He took her caps.”

“He had reason.”

“No, he has a kleptomaniac streak. Regardless of the outcome of Lethbridle, that money was not his to take. He threatened Bernstein. In essence, he mugged her at gunpoint. Well, crowdpoint.”

Naiara halted in her tracks, spinning and glaring at me. “So, what? We're just supposed to pretend that this is all okay? Everybody does whatever they want?”

My wings shifted uncomfortably inside the uniform. “No, of course not. We can't say that this is how we wanted things to turn out. It is, however, how things have turned out. Things are going to change after Lethbridle. A lot of people will do things they never thought they would do, for reasons that wouldn't make sense to them a week ago.” Like listen to Undertow. “We can't bury ourselves in the mistakes of others. We can only recognise that we might have to react to them. Whatever Atesh is doing now, it is not in the same 'best interests' of your clan as a week ago. The change is in him, not the clan. You saw that in Peanut's office. He is the one who has strayed, not you. If you want to help, help him realise that. Don't bow to his wishes if they don't make sense any more.”

We held each other's gazes for a few seconds more, before she turned away, resting her forehead against a tree. “Oh, what's Cept gonna think? He's closer to Atesh than I am. Hell, he's closer to the clan than I am these days. He should be told. He'll know what to do better than me.”

“You see? That is a sensible course of action. You can work with Cept to find the next step, and help each other to get there. Your clan is still your clan, and they still need you, Naiara.”

Breathing in slowly, Naiara lifted her head from the tree trunk. “When did you get so good at pep talks?”

“I've got a little sister who is occasionally... moody,” was my sly remark.

Despite herself, she smiled. “Yeah, okay. Let's go see her too.”

We turned back to the right path. “Wonderful choi-” My words died on my tongue.

There, through a clearing in the trees, silhouetted against the cloud cover, was the shape of a Pegasus.

“BREEZE!” I didn't even question it, just took off straight for it.

“Cassiewaitno!” Naiara's cry was left behind with her.

She's okay! She's... she's flying! The wind stung at my eyes as I sped up towards her. Laughter threatened to bubble out from between my lips, but some impish desire squashed it down when I saw that she was looking away from me. I'll sneak up and spook her, it'll be hilarious!

Then the pegasus in the sky half-turned, enough for me to make out a few features, even in the low light.

Her Plottawan uniform.

The unfamiliar lines of her face.

Her Pipbuck.

The laughter within me morphed into anger. She still hadn't seen me, and twisted unnaturally when I blasted up behind her. “WHO ARE YOU, AND WHY AREN'T YOU BREEZE?”

The stranger Pegasus' voice was clipped, sharp. “What? Who's Breeze? Who're you?”

“Who am I? I was the only other Pegasus around for miles. Why are you here, why are you wearing a Plottawan uniform, and why do you have a Pipbuck?”

Her sneer grew. “Why is any of that YOUR business? Why are you wearing a Plottawan uniform?”

My judgement was not the best at that moment. “To blend in with the Plottawans in the forest. What does it matter? Who ARE you?”

Running a hoof down her face, she folded her front legs across her chest. “This is getting us nowhere. If you want to know who I am, introduce yourself first. You're not the only one here who's surprised to see another Pegasus. I was given to understand that we're something of a rarity these days.”

Oh. I see. The world began to slow down and make sense again. “You're from the Stable, aren't you?”

Shock flittered through her eyes for the smallest of moments, before she quashed it beneath a smug smile. “That's correct, I am a Stable pony. I suppose the Pipbuck gave me away?”

“Among other things.” I rubbed at my hoof, where a Pipbuck would have been, were I from the Stable. “You are not the first dweller from Stable 61 who I have come across.”

“Hmm, so the Doublehorns survived then? Excellent. They always were... wait.” Her look was calculated, guarded. “No, not the Doublehorns. You've had the misfortune of meeting Snowflake, haven't you, my dear?”

I didn't say anything, but she continued as if I had. “Even now, that girl manages to cause me grief. Even out here. You wouldn't think it possible outside of my Stable, yet here we are. She has been a thorn in my side from the day she was born.”

“Your Stable?” Words from the Doublehorns, down in the Lethbridle bunker, came back to me.

“Indeed. I am no mere resident of Stable 61. I am its leader, its guide, its Overmare.” Her chest swelled with each declaration.

“Oh? I heard 'former'.”

My challenge dropped her self-adulating awe into a sneer. “I am past, present, and future. I will lead the Stable until I die. Not even Snowflake's actions can disrupt that, regardless of what that buzzard, Roc, believes. Even out here, leadership finds me. Plottawa will give me back my Stable, and I will open its doors to this land of opportunity.”

“Land of opportunity,” I took in the pervasive cloud cover, the dead forest, and the miles and miles of inhospitability around us, “...really?”

“Doubters such as yourself will be disproven, dear Wasteland Pegasus. On that topic, I still don't have your name.”

It was my turn to give a smug grin. “I'm the mare who played you for information, Willow Wisp,” she twitched at the name, “and all without telling you who I am.” I popped my hidden blades. “Now then, since you have already revealed your intent to hand Stable 61 over to Plottawa, which I can't allow, I'll be taking that Pipbuck from you, Overmare.”

Fruitlessly attempting to hide the device behind her, she backed off a couple of metres. “What good could my Pipbuck possibly do you?”

This is a lot like the first time I met Snowflake. Talked about Pegasi, Pipbucks were gonna change hooves, they both suck at hiding things... “I know somepony with an affinity for gadgets. She'd be thrilled to get her hooves on it.”

Willow Wisp moved further back as I approached. “Hmm, this 'Breeze' no doubt. You are aware that, by doing this, you are making an enemy of Plottawa, and Stable 61?”

Yes? My heart, she weeps at the thought. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.”

Her grin turned feral, but it was still there. “Why do you say that?” My poker face failed me, and she seized the opportunity. “You called me the 'former' Overmare, and you have been utterly nonplussed about Stable 61 and Plottawa. The Doublehorns told you of my current status, no doubt, but they would not have been so blasé about the danger. Yes, I see now. I know why you even know of the Doublehorns at all. Snowflake wasn't met in passing, was she? You know her personally. She's an acquaintance, perhaps even a friend?”

I couldn't stop myself. “Not a chance.” Damnation, Cassiopeia, you foolish filly. Why not just tell her that you're travelling with Snowflake while you're at it?! The victorious smirk she wore confirmed that I'd said too much.

Throwing caution to the wind, and to ensure that I gave nothing more away, I charged her. She couldn't react fast enough to dodge, and we grappled.

It was a short fight. Every move she made was to avoid my blades. Every move I made was to get the Pipbuck. After mere seconds, I managed to trigger the release of her personal computer, and it slipped from her wrist.

Both of us dove after it, shoving and shouldering, but it was too late. The Pipbuck reached the tree line...

...and was snagged by the cloaked zebra waiting there.

No! That's just as bad! The Overmare forgotten, I divebombed the zebra.

Lips curling, they gathered their stealth cloak around them and the Pipbuck with a flourish, and disappeared.

Roaring, I turned to take my vengeance on the Overmare, but she was already winging away towards the other Plottawans, drawn by the commotion. “Another time, my dear!”

Impotent, I could do nothing but take flight back towards Naiara. Towards safety.

I was so close!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Emerging from the forest into the dawn light, Naiara broke our silence. “So what was that back there?”

“What was what?” I groused, knowing full well.

“You just took off mid-sentence. Cassie-lass, what did your Pegasus eyes see?”

A quick glance over to her showed that she wouldn't let it go. Sighing, I ground out the words. “I saw another pegasus, and foolishly assumed it was a somehow-healthy Breeze. It wasn't. My hopes overrode my eyes.”

“So there's a third Pegasus around, then? Who was it?”

My reply was incredulous. “Snowflake's Overmare.”

Cackling in disbelief, Naiara slowed down. “You're kidding.”

“No, I am not. Also, she apparently hates Snowflake almost as much as I do.” That, at least, is a development worth pondering.

Blinking to herself, Naiara lined up her questions. “Is she with the Plottawans?”

“Yes.”

“Because of Snow?”

“No. She believes they will give her back her Overmare status in the Stable.”

“Really?”

“Indeed, but...” My hoof tapped the underside of my wrist, at the strap of my bracer. “She may find it more difficult now that her Pipbuck is in Atesh's hooves.”

This time, Naiara stopped cold. “What? How did that happen?”

Ego on my part, combined with a generous portion of bad luck. “I tried to take it from her, but we dropped it in the confusion. One of your clan was waiting in the treetops.”

“Well... shit.” Kicking at the dirt, Naiara started jogging again. “I'm not sure I like the idea of Atesh getting into that Stable, at least as he is now.”

Nor do I. “We'll have to deal with that when it comes. For now, Atesh's attention seems to lie elsewhere. Let us hope it stays there, and at least it will keep Willow Wisp busy in attempting to retrieve the Pipbuck, rather than any other action.”

“So she'll keep going after my clan?” Face falling, Naiara turned round eyes on me.

“...Yes. Sorry, but I think it might be the best thing for the moment. They have a stalemate at Plottawa, and the longer it goes on, the longer the Plottawans are not gathering new slaves, or selling off the ones they have. The same goes for your clan. We couldn't have removed either side without the other gaining control of the compounds again. For now, they need to be stuck with each other for the slaves' sake.”

“Mua leija.” She groaned. “This has not been a good trip.”

There was no real way to debunk that. “My apologies, I did not mean for things to turn out as they have.”

A raspberry blew from her lips. “'snot your fault. Well, maybe that last part, but there's plenty of bad to go around. Let's just get back to Sprinkles Supplies. I need to see Cept, to tell him about Atesh, and to see Breeze, to make sure she's okay.”

I've already been cheated out of seeing MY Pegasus already, I'm not waiting any longer. “Could not agree more. Let me check to see if the others are back yet.”

Fishing out my communicator, I flipped onto my back. After stabilising it on my belly, my hooves flicked the power on.

The speaker crackled before I could key the mic. “...is Amber Bernstein, broadcasting again for Cassiopeia Venatici and/or Naiara. Please respond. Over.”

We exchange raised eyebrows, before responding to the businessmare. “Amber? Why are you contacting us?”

Impatience oozed from the speaker. “Excellent, you finally respond. I have been asked to transfer you through to your allies the moment you are on the line.”

“What about?” Neither Naiara nor I could do more than shrug.

Amber didn't bother to explain. “Patching you through now.”

I notice you aren't signing off, Bernstein, not that it matters with your little spies in Breeze's system. I can assure you that that will change soon.

The next voice on the line was more familiar, and somewhat more welcome. “Hello? Naiara? Cassie?” Undertow's watery words were washed out, blowing winds in the background muffling the sound.

Both of us managed a smile at this. The times, they are a-changing. “We're here, Undertow. Amber informs me that you wish to speak with us. Is everything okay?”

“No,”

I gasped along with Naiara. Please not Breeze.

“It's Bosco.”

Relief at Breeze's safety went to war with this new concern. “Bosco? What about him? He is with you, yes? Is he hurt?”

Silence followed for a few seconds. I landed next to Naiara, both of us crowding in close to the speaker. Naiara affected a gentle plea. “Undertow, please speak to us. What's happened to Bosco?”

“It's... um... it's complicated.”

“'Complicated'? I repeated.

“Mm.” If she were in person, I had no doubt that Undertow would have been speaking with her chin resting on her chest. “We found the last Memory Orb underneath Neighlway, but... we also found something else. Or Bosco did, at least.”

“What did he find?” My heart rate was rising again.

“The Silver Fog creatures. They were there. They... did something to Bosco. He... panicked.”

“Panicked how?” Naiara cut in, frowning.

Another crackle came through the receiver. “He ran away. We couldn't catch him before he was out of sight. We don't know for sure where he is now, but we have some ideas.”

“Hoofshine?” I ventured.

“Yes,” Undertow's speech became slightly more bubbly. “we think he might go there, or back to Sprinkles Supplies. We want to check those two first, before we look anywhere else.”

An internal groan threatened to deafen me. I know what you're gonna say next, Deep Diver.

“Cassie, your wings can get you to Hoofshine Harlots much faster than any of us. Could you check there, and Naiara tries Sprinkes Supplies?”

“And, of course, Wings is all tied up with the sky carriage and can't go, yes?” The caustic nature of my reply couldn't have been mistaken, even through the radio.

“Um.”

“You know this is keeping me from my sister, when she needs me the most?” Do you recognise what you are asking of me, Undertow.

From the timidity of her response, she did. “Yes. I'm sorry, but this is for Bosco. You are the only one who can get there fast enough.” Her bubbliness diminished. “Cassie, he's... he's all alone, and scared. Terrified. He needs you. Please help him.”

Naiara's doleful jade eyes pressed the point home. “Breeze is safe. You know that. It sucks, but Bosco might not be. She won't blame you.”

There's really only one answer I can give. You know that, and I know that. Make no mistake, though. I AM going to be unpleasant about this, all the way back to Breeze's side. “Naiara, why are you still here?”

Her head cocked to the side. “Huh?”

My jaw and lips set firm. “If I find out that neither of us were at Breeze's side when she woke up, I will visit such pain unto you as you have never known.” I switched to talking into the mic. “Undertow, the same goes for Cept. If he is not there for Breeze in my stead, I will strongly consider castration. Without anaesthetic.”

Shocked silence won out from all sides.

Oh, for the love of— “NOW!” I ordered.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“No, no, Atesh. Unicorns are certainly the ponies you should be coveting. All that magic must make them so very useful, yes? Too bad not a one of them has invented a 'get off your voluminous flank and actually do something useful' spell. That would have been just wonderful, but instead they leave it all up to the other ponies. Earth ponies do the heavy lifting, and Pegasi are there for the long-range. Truly, Unicorns are the pinnacle of ponykind, Atesh. Truly.” Clamouring at the injustice of the situation had become my way to distract myself from the injustice of the situation.

While I couldn't deny that I was the only one who could make the trip in such little time, it did not dull the sting of flying away from Breeze second after second.

Ugh, making friends is hard work. So much... compromise. Hopefully Naiara is near Sprinkles Supplies. If she has been dawdling...

The thought wasn't fair to her, or worthy of me, but I was not without my own limits. Travelling to Plottawa had taken hours. We had passed midnight, and now dawn, and still I was separated from my sister. Finding Bosco quickly was paramount. Whatever was wrong with him would be taken care of, but hopefully it could wait until we rejoined the others.

I wonder what happened to you, Bosco. To come this far north, you must have been running full tilt for hours. What could have scared you so badly?

A sudden brisk squall had me shivering. I descended to a few metres above the barren landscape, trying to draw what little warmth I could from the dust and rocks. If there was a change, it was marginal.

Complaining about it got me the rest of the way to Hoofshine.

Touching down in the snow outside the brothel, the crunch audible in the biting air, I took in the situation. Hmm, the door is on the other side from the wind, so no hoofprints to show Bosco has been here. I'll just have to check inside.

Perhaps help myself to some tea, too.

Keying 'Cefar' into the pad, the door unlocked. Knocking my hooves against the door frame, to dislodge the snow, I headed inside.

It wasn't warm, what with our being absent for several days, but it was more hospitable than outside. The bright and summery colours did much to give at least the impression of warmth.

I took a few minutes to brew some coffee, judging it a better choice than tea, given the flying I still had to do, and strolled down the halls to my room.

Looking in, I found it quite... empty. Everything I owned was either strapped to my legs, or in mine or Breeze's bags at Sprinkles Supplies. Given that Snowflake was the one who had gifted us these rooms, I hadn't felt comfortable leaving anything here.

Wait a moment...

I was mistaken. I, or more likely Schwarzwald, had left on the floor a few dried drops of something that caught the light from the hall.

Blushing, I fetched a wet rag from the kitchen, scrubbing at the floor until I was sure that the... spillages had been removed. I'll have to be more careful about that.

Breeze's room was in much the same state as my own, but I spotted a few nuts and bolts kicked into a corner. I couldn't help but smile at them. Even when you're supposed to be sleeping, eh, sister?

Naiara's room, and her dresses, lay undisturbed, as did all the other ground floor rooms. That only left the master bedroom under the bar. It, too, yielded no Bosco. The bathtub was still drained, the bed was made, and the stores showed no evidence of recent use.

Returning to the bar, I pondered what to do next.

If Bosco isn't here, I should head back. The others should have arrived by now.That sounded great to me, as I was looking forward to returning. But, before I could even take a step, another thought slithered its way into my mind, unbidden. He could have gone to Cefar, and I'm closer than any of the others. Another trip this far north would take a long time. I could make it there in a few hours, verify if Bosco is there, and THEN head back. It would save a second trip, at the cost of a few hours more away from Sprinkles Supplies.

I sighed heavily. Decisions, decisions. Except to leave now would be leaving the search unfinished, and Bosco is still out there, as Undertow said, alone and scared. Could I leave him by himself, just to get back to Breeze a few hours sooner?

What would you say to me about that, Breeze?

“...Sometimes you irritate me so much, sister.”

Washing my coffee cup and rag in the sink, I headed back out of the building. After resetting the pass code, the ground was left behind.

The treetops on the way to Cefar were fuller than those near Plottawa. They didn't look completely healthy, but they did have some foliage buried under the dusting of snow. If I flew just above them, my wings would kick up tiny flakes to be sucked into my wake. Pretty, but not what I'm here for.

Rising higher, there was a slight thinning of the air, and my speed increased. Half an hour passed like this, and I began to have hope that I would see Cefar in my sniper's eyes any moment.

Instead, I got an eyeful of frost as a sudden rush of snow barreled into me, carried on strong winds. The flurry halted almost all of my momentum, and I had to shield my face to even see a short distance in front of me.

Beating my wings thrice as hard for a third of the gain, I wheeled around to look for a place to land. Splashes of pastel colour drew my attention to my right. There, roughly one hundred metres away, lay the half-covered remains of some unnatural structure.

Having no other options for getting out of the wind, I headed for it. Just as I was coming in to land, one lucky snowflake got passed my guarding hooves, and hit me square in the left eye. Grunting at the sudden sensation, I blinked rapidly to melt it away. Unfortunately, this still took up enough of my attention for my hind leg, with its greave-widened diameter, to clip the top of something metal, twisting me over and down. The snow cushioned my fall, but my back and wings still felt the impact.

Groaning, I opened my watering eyes to see the miniature blizzard dying away. Excellent timing, as always. Tilting my head back, I looked at what had caught my hoof.

The metal sign, faded by legible, read “Welcome to Snow Pegasus Park”, with a guideline of 'ages 4 to 12' in smaller lettering underneath. Around the words, pictures of happy foals clambered atop colourful apparati.

“A... play area? This far out?” Flexing the snow from my wings, I stood up and took stock.

Snow lay piled on top of everything, to one degree or another, but there was a long plank of wood, with red hoof holds at each end, and a pivot on the middle base, also in red. Further along was a green triangular frame, from which hung yellow seats on chains, which swayed gently in the fading wind. In the centre was a blue circular device, big enough to fit several foals, again with several bars to hold on to. Finally, off to the side, was a large orange cube made to look like a house, with a spacious hole where the front door would be, to allow access to the presumably hollow inside.

In another situation, it would have been a lovely place to visit, but at that moment I was utterly unconcerned with the visual appeal.

Several hoofprints remained in the snow in front of the playhouse.

Shrinking back behind the metal sign, I ran through the options for my next move. Only one set of prints, I could take them. Unless they have backup... A quick circle spin showed no other prints in the snow besides my own. Just one then. They haven't attacked yet, either. Better yet, they might have seen Bosco. I think I can risk it. “...Hello? Can you hear me?”

“C-Cassie?” The voice was young, very young, but still reminiscent of...

“Bosco?” Jumping around the sign, I rushed up to the playhouse. “Bosco, is that you?”

A very pregnant pause descended, before the distorted voice finally responded. “I... don't know.”

Undertow's words came back to me. “The Silver Fog creatures. They were there. They... did something to Bosco.” I tapped one hoof on the playhouse roof, but didn't look inside. “Bosco, are you hurt?”

“I don't know.” He responded, more coltish than ever.

Not a good sign. “Undertow told me that something happened. What—”

“I DON'T KNOW!” The voice from inside rose several more octaves.

“Okay, okay,” Trying not to press, I backed off and sat on the pivot game. “I'm right here. It's just Cassie, nopony else. Will you please come out and just... talk to me?”

“...nopony else,” Even with the foalish voice, the melancholy was blatant, “Alright, I'm coming out. Please don't freak out.”

A pair of slate grey hooves emerged first, followed by a mop of charcoal mane, and finally the rest of the tiny, shaking colt came after. Shivering, the little thing stood across from me, one eye covered by his hair.

Several thoughts ran through my mind at the sight. That's not Bosco. Oh my, that is Bosco. He's so little! He's so cute! WHAT HAPPENED?! “I... I...” Had nothing, petering off into silence.

Stubby legs shuffling slowly, he walked towards the seesaw. “I didn't want anyone to see me like this.”

Finding my voice, and resisting several inappropriate-but-adorable urges, my leg swung off the beam, so that I was standing in front of, and also over, him. “Bosco, you look... so young. How? Did the Silver Fog cast an age spell on you?”

His sad smile threatened to break my heart. “No, Cass, no they didn't. Um... I did this.”

“But... you can't cast spells, you're an Earth pony.”

Sniffling, and brushing at his eye with a teeny hoof, he moved around me and sat down on the seesaw. “No, I'm not. I'm not a pony, Cassie.”

More concrete doubts began to press at the back of my mind, but I pushed them back. “What are you saying, Bosco?”

His head dropped until it was resting on the handle. Whatever meager adulthood was left in his voice vanished as he squeaked out “Cass, I'm a Changeling.”

My jaw dropped. You poor thing. “Bosco, I... didn't know."

He laughed. It was a veteran's laugh, half-death and half-resignation. “That makes two of us. Those things under Neighlway knew, though. The whole time. Six years I travelled by myself, just me and those Orbs, and they didn't even tell me.” The squeaks turned to cracks. “Why didn't they tell me, Cass? Why did they do this to me?” And then to sobs. “Why didn't they help me?”

“Oh, Bosco, come here.” Wrapping my hooves around him, I pulled the quaking little ball of pony-Changeling into my lap, and let him cry it out.

I had little to offer him except my warmth, and my hoof stroking his unruly mane, until he calmed enough to continue. “The Silver Fog... Changelings told me that I'm one of them, but I don't know what that means. I don't have any idea how to be a Changeling. I just...” moisture soaked into my coat again, “...I just wanna be Bosco again. Go back to before all this happened. Changeling aren't good guys, Cassie. I don't wanna be a bad guy!”

His words hit me deep inside. I'd whispered them to myself over and over, night after night, quietly so as not to wake Breeze, for years after I learned the truth. I can't imagine what you've been thinking, out here all by yourself. 'Scared and alone' doesn't even come close. But... you don't have to be scared. “Bosco, let me tell you about Breeze and my parents.”

And I told him, everything that I'd told Undertow: The separation between Breeze and I, what had happened to our Pegasus parents, how much it hurt in the quiet moments, and everything in between.

He listened, curled up in my lap, without a word of interruption. Only when I was done did he speak up, in a voice much closer to the one I knew. “Wow, Cassie, that's... wow. So you and Breeze are—”

“Raiders by birth, yes.” I booped him on his itty-bitty snout. “And that's the point, Bosco. We're Raiders by birth only. Everything after that, has been what Cassie and Breeze decided. Breeze can do more on technology with her hooves than any Raider can do, or even any Unicorn can do with magic. I am, to toot my own horn, as far from a slavering sadistic monster as a pony can be. Our Raider blood does not define us, nor does our pegasus blood. Nor does your Changeling blood.”

Considering this carefully, he shook his head. “But what am I supposed to do about this, Cass? I don't know how to be a Changeling. I only know how to be Bosco.”

“Then that's all you have to be.” I replied, emphatic. “Being a Changeling doesn't take away your choices. In fact, in this case, being a Changeling gives you more choices. If you want to be a new pony every day, you can do that. If you want to be the same colt I know every day, you can do that too. It is entirely up to you. The only thing you HAVE to be, is Bosco. Just like the only thing I have to be is Cassie. Even staying as Breeze's sister was a choice, one that I have never regretted, not really.”

He studied his grey hooves intently. “But which is the better choice? I don't even know where to start.”

I laid my hooves over his. “I know. Having too much choice can be even scarier than having no choice, I'll wager. Whatever you choose, that will be you choosing to be the Bosco you want to be. There's freedom in that, and in being a Changeling. And no matter what, you won't be alone. I'm sure will be right there to help you out, but I can tell you for certain at this very moment, that I will be by your side for as long as you want or as long as you need. I won't let you be alone in this. I know how much that would hurt, and I don't want that for you.”

Curling his hooves around mine, he snuggled back into my chest. “I... still don't know anything: Why this happened to me, who I was before those six years, and what Changelings really are.”

“I'll help you find them. I promise.” Holding him around the belly, I spread my wings. “Now then, do you think you can stay like this for a while? A little fuzzball like you should be small enough for me to carry back to Sprinkles Supplies.”

He jerked in my grasp. “Like this, but the others-”

“...don't have to see this.” My cheek nuzzled against his. “I'll take us down a little ways out, and you can try your Changeling magic to look like whatever you want. I'll wait and help until you get it right. Right now, though, I really wanna see Breeze. She might have woken up by now.”

Eyes still wide and grip still tight, Bosco managed a nod. “I... okay. Let's go see Breeze. I want her to see her okay too.”

Planting a kiss on the back of his head, I kicked off into the sky. “Thank you, Bosco. One last thing, if you wouldn't mind. The things I told you? Undertow knows, but can you please keep it a secret from the others. I'll tell Wings, Naiara, and Schwarzwald when I'm ready, but I won't tell Snowflake, and I CAN'T tell Breeze. Ever. Will you keep this between us, and Undertow?”

A hint of his usual bashfulness returned. “Not my secret, Cass. Wouldn't dream of it.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Level Up!

Perks gained:
Stuck In The Middle With You – Auxiliary abilities are boosted across the party.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Notes:

I guess we're gonna have a little overlap in the next chapter too. My bad.

This is the first, and probably only, chapter to not feature Snowflake outside of a reference point. Wasn't so bad. I'll get yelled at by my editor for it, but what are you gonna do. Not my fault she got stuck in La Buque... wait...

As always, a big thank you to Kkat, Kyts, Y1,
Auramane, Cascadejackal (he did the original cover art, which is still on the Fallout Equestria wiki), and you, the readers. Please read and comment, and pass the word along if you like the story.

That’s all for now, folks. Please keep reading, commenting, and spreading the word on Old Souls. I really appreciate your feedback, and welcome back.