"Sonic!"

The filly and I ran at each other and hugged. When we first met eyes I was just so excited to see her alive and so relieved that my hard work for her was not in vain that I had to put the energy somewhere. Even if we knew we couldn't savor it but for a moment, for just that second the two of us had no sorrow.

"I didn't know if anyone was coming for us!"

"I am so happy to see you," I whispered, looking her over. "Are you ok? Where are the others?"

"You look awful!" she replied.

"Yeah - wolves with wings, ice dragons... I'll have a story or two to tell when we get back but seriously where is everyone? We need to leave right now!"

Before she could say anything I had to stand up slowly... all around behind her little pony heads poked their way out from the crystals and pathways. This mission had been nothing but acting without a plan, but I could never have been prepared for the impact that so many sets of scared, curious and innocent eyes - each one wondering if I was their salvation - would have on me. All of them were asking themselves if I was for them or against them; I wanted nothing more than to tell every last one of them individually that I was wholly and emphatically for them. Unlike in my dream aboard the train on the way here they could see me. They could hear me and perceive me.

"Who is it?" a few whispers asked. I started to count. One, two, four, seven, ten... oh my gosh there's fourteen - one more time... "Is Rainbow here to save us?"

"That's not Rainbow - it's a stallion. But he doesn't look scary at all... he looks really nice."

"I've seen him before, he's really cool," whispered another.

"Is this the stallion you told us about Scootaloo?" asked another.

"Yes!" she replied, sending me a beam of confidence. Then from behind one of the crystals came the paint colt Pipsqueak. He looked happy to see me - he remembered me.

"Pipsqueak at your service, sir!" he told me, running right up to me.

"And I am at yours," I whispered.

"Well is it true sir? Is Rainbow really coming to save us?"

"Rainbow is here to save you," I told them, settling on Scootaloo's eyes. Many of their eyes lit up with excitement, including her. "She came out here with a broken wing to find you all. She can't even fly but that didn't stop her from coming out here for you. She's taking your friends back right now herself."

"She did? And they're ok?" whispered Scootaloo with a smile while the rest of them gasped. "I sent them out to scout a way outta here but they never came back..."

"Yes and yes... Rainbow and I found them. They were sucked up into a vortex right outside but they're ok... she's pulling all four of them back on a sled she brought out here."

"A sled? No fair that sounds fun!" one of them said stomping his hoof, a colt - I was deeply concerned with how loud he was and I whipped my head around to look for him as two fillies shushed the colt from either side. When I saw no sign of the evil one I turned around with a renewed sense of urgency. I had to take this moment to win over their trust.

"Mr.? Excuse me but... how is she going to save us if she's saving our friends but not us?" asked one frightened pink filly with a blonde mane and an adorable voice.

"Rainbow is going to save you through me," I told her, and many of them gasped wondering what that might mean. "Not long ago I was a kid just like you all, and Rainbow saved me when I was in trouble. I'm going to take what I learned from her and use it to save you."

"You are?" they asked.

"Absolutely... in fact I'm gonna take you all back to your families right now."

"We miss them," said one filly hanging her head and the rest of them followed suit.

"I just wanna see my mom," offered a sad grey colt with a white mane.

"I'm going to get all of you back to them, but I need your help," I started in the softest and most generous tone I could muster. "I need you to please be really quiet and follow me so I can get you out of here and back to your families. The guy with the white eyes... he is not our friend. If you see him anywhere... please, no matter what you do, *do not* look into his eyes. Do you understand?"

"He's creepy," muttered one blue filly with a white mane and tail.

"Yeah... I thought he was cool but he's actually mean. Really fun cave back there though... you wanna see it?" asked a jet black colt.

"No, but I'll take your word for it," I replied, looking over my shoulder...

I knew this couldn't wait any longer. I'd been trying to think of a plan this entire time but was coming up completely blank. If I can't come up with something soon we're all doomed... I pulled Scootaloo close and whispered so the rest couldn't hear me.

"I really need your help..." I told her. I was trying so hard not to appear to them that I was deathly afraid but I wasn't doing a good job of it. Thankfully he didn't seem to be anywhere near us at the moment but I knew that wouldn't last long. "Is there anything you can tell me that could help us get out of here? He can read my mind... I don't know what to do Scootaloo. Anything I think of he'll know about immediately if he can see me."

"Tell me about it. He knows I don't trust him," she replied. "What is he anyway?"

"Some ancient evil spirit. Maybe kinda like Discord but other than that I don't know much other than there's bad blood between him and the Princesses."

She glanced back at the rest of them - she seemed to understand on an deeper level what was actually going on here, more so than the others. She was probably older than most of them which could explain some of it, but she had also assumed responsibility for all of them and it was weighing heavily on her.

"I'm so happy what you told us about Rainbow," she said, suddenly looking up at me with despairing eyes. "Can I - can I tell you something he told me?"

"Oh no," I uttered. The thought that he would tell her anything was such a horrible one, and whatever this was it was deeply personal and was eating away at her. "What did he tell you?"

"He heard me thinking about you and Rainbow... and he said neither of you actually care about me."

"What?" I whispered in disbelief. "Scootaloo you know that's not true... I know you're smarter than that, what else is going on here?"

"Well that's what I thought," she stuttered, dropping her head and covering her face. "Rainbow has been like my big sister... and I always thought if she ever got a boyfriend that I'd totally hate him. But you then I met you, and I like... *really* liked you. You were so nice. But he told me you were just like that to impress Rainbow."

"Scootaloo," I whispered, shaking my head. One could say I was losing sight of the bigger picture and should have addressed this later - and that may or may not be true, I'm not not sure - but seeing this gorgeous filly like this I suddenly had one purpose in my life - ease her pain. "I thought you said you didn't trust him?"

"Well I don't! But honestly it does seem like some stallions are kinda like that... and I saw how much Rainbow loves you and he said now that Rainbow had you she would eventually stop pretending she needed me... that he's seen all this in so many ponies' minds before - that most ponies her age only actually care about one thing, and its not kids like me."

I couldn't believe this. She really did give this some serious consideration. That a filly as wonderful as her could doubt herself like this was hard for me to comprehend. The important thing for me was that she didn't seem to believe it, but as I knew all too well the fact that she could entertain that it *might* be true was what was hurting her so much.

"He said there's nothing special about me..." she said, covering her eyes. "He sees everything. He knows I can't fly very well, that it's taken so much longer to get my cutie mark, that my home life is-"

"Stop."

Rubbing my forehead with my wing, I couldn't listen to this anymore. Not that I was angry with her in the slightest but I didn't come all the way out here to hear this. For so many reasons I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was learning more and more about her every second we spent together but at the same time so much about myself suddenly made sense. This was a problem for me for over a decade and I would be dead before I let this filly suffer the same fate.

"Deep down, he is-" I started, thinking to myself. As soon as I spoke her sadness seemed to be overtaken by attentiveness, ready to weigh what I had to say so I knew I had to make this count. "He is... miserable and he hates himself."

"R-really?" she asked.

"He is jealous of ponies like you and he wants everyone to be as gloomy and self-loathing as he is. You wanna know what he just said to me?"

"What?"

"First of all, he said... well he told if he had me in here a few days ago he could've convinced me I'm worthless. And to give up. You wanna know what he meant by that?"

"What? But you're not - why would you think-?"

"When I was your age Scootaloo - younger even - something really bad happened to me. I didn't know why it happened or what I did to deserve it, but it hurt me so, so much. And on one hoof given the nature of what happened it really seemed like it had to just be because I am in fact just a worthless pony and a waste of everyone's time. "

"How could you have thought that?" she asked, horrified.

"I couldn't think of anything. What else could've been the reason? It was so hard because I loved my friends so much and I could see how great they were, so maybe it was really was just me who was a useless piece of garbage. But on the other hoof I knew in my heart that there had to be some other reason because my best friend in the whole world, the most awesome pony who ever lived - when I was leaving she gave me this single feather from her wing... and she gave me a look I'll never forget because I knew then that I meant something to that filly... she was a real friend and she lifted me up to a place so high that ever since then I've never wanted anything in the world other than to lift her and now you and all of my friends to that same place and even higher if I can."

"Who- who was that filly?"

"I think you know her very well."

"R-Rainbow?"

This was the most I'd ever talked at once in my life to anyone other than Rainbow but I could see now I was having a meaningful impact on her it just fed my passion for her.

"We're in the Valley of White Death on the ends of the earth - the coldest and worst place there is here in this world. Let me tell you something Scootaloo, that same filly who is a mare now didn't come out here with a broken wing for me. She came out here for you, for all of you. That's because she wants you and she needs in her life the same way I do - she's on her way back now, if I was only interested in her I'm not sure what I'd still be doing here. You said I look terrible, well you're worth looking terrible for... and Rainbow looks worse than me, trust me. When she talks about you, her love gushes through everything about her; her eyes, the way she talks..."

"S-she... she does?" I was overwhelming her now but I couldn't stop.

"Absolutely. She told me how you are like a little sister to her and how she sees my love in you. I look at you and I see so much of her and myself in you... you value your friends and your relationships above all other things. Believe me I don't take that or any other part of you for granted, you're like the female version of me just younger and ten times better. And that aside what of kind of selfish and apathetic excuse for a pony would I be if I planned to keep Rainbow all to myself and not share her with ponies like you? If Rainbow and I are gonna have a life together when this is over... then you need to a big part of it, and if I'm not serious about then everything that I am is dead already. And now that I've said all this... I just have one question."

I didn't mean to flood her heart with all of this at once but it was clear I had done just that and she was about to lose it. Knowing what it was like to be a foal in need of the one you looked up to; I could never be a substitute for Rainbow but since she wasn't here I was going to try my hardest to be the next best thing and I stared into her as deeply as I could.

"Do you believe me?"

Her answer came in the when she buried herself in chest. When I wrapped my head around her I knew that the answer was most definitely yes. What it took me twenty years to truly learn, she understood now... Maybe that made it all worth it.

Suddenly... a noise bellowed over the crystals near us and we all got down on the ground. Orange and white lights scattered around us like sparkles, lighting up the cave.

"Come now..." he muttered, in a kind of muffled taunting growl. He was getting near us but not right on top of us nor did it seem like he'd located us but that didn't stop me from immediately losing it. "Don't make me call upon a more vulgar display of power to find you."

I turned to the kids and held my hoof over my mouth as a reminder to keep quiet and continuing to lose the battle of hiding my true feelings. Think, please for the love of heaven just - I hadn't had the slightest idea what do do other than sneaking the kids out without getting seen; the problem was I didn't know what he was capable of or if he would resort to something much more terrifying to find us. Please let me think of something... please give me an idea... I got an answer, but not from the voice in my head - rather a whisper from Scootaloo.

"I've got an idea."

I pointed both of my ears straight forward at her and waited for it.

"If I think of one thing and focus just on that... I don't think he can see any of my other thoughts... It will be really hard but if I try hard enough... I think I can distract him while you get the others of here."

"What?" I asked, scrambling to figure out where she was going was this while he appeared to be getting closer to us. I had wondered something similar when I was with talking with him, which he himself commented was a question few ponies had thought to ask - but I was failing to understand why it would be her who would do something like this.

"If I run out there and let him see me, it will give you a chance to get them out of here... then you can come back and clobber him... if he's looking at me then he can't hear your thoughts."

"W-what?" I asked again breathlessly, shaking my head and remembering what he had sworn to do right before I met her. "No, absolutely not - I'm not letting you get near him like that-"

"Hmmm..." we heard his voice call, seemingly pointed in our direction.

Scootaloo glanced that way and then back at the kids. Then she gave me a look I'll never forget... and started to back away from me.

"Scootaloo... w-what are you doing?"

"Follow him!" she whispered to the kids.

"Scootaloo... no!!!" I cried in a muffle. I lunged toward her but the sound of my hooves against the ground made too much noise and I knew if I kept forward I'd give them away and the rest of them would be doomed... she started beating wings fast like a hummingbird and floated quietly across the cave, away from the entrance and away from us. I watched her frozen in place, my mind spinning hysterically in every which way.

She flew just out of vision from us as I sucked in a giant breath and held it... and then... she crashed into a crystal. It made quite of bit noise, followed by total silence. I blinked rapidly in serious danger of fainting and started moving in her direction as quietly as I could, setting every hoof down as gently as I possibly could. I weaved slowly through the crystals when suddenly I heard it.

"Ah... just the filly I was looking for."

Stopping dead in my tracks, I was about to cry out and rise up to let him know where I was; but then he continued to talk softly, which surprised me since I thought he'd be invading her mind instead or worse.

"What are you doing?" he asked her quietly. I couldn't see anything, only hear. "Can you not hear me in your mind? I see that image of him and rainbow mare in your head. You seemed to come away from our little talk about them with a more enlightened perspective, but I must say this is a step backward."

Standing up as tall as I could I peered my head around a crystal to steal any glimpse of what was happening. I couldn't see him - but I saw her. She was standing there with her head down and her eyes closed tightly, breathing in and out. His voice had gotten very quiet, as though maybe he was trying to hide his voice from me, though he didn't know close I was.

"I've always had some difficulty reading the minds of children, which I freely admit is a mystery to me; one would think the simpler mind would be easier. Are you trying to use that image to shield me from your thoughts? Clever girl, but it won't work. You can't hold it forever."

I was in utter shock. She was sacrificing herself for us. And it seemed to be working - he was totally preoccupied with her. My erupting feelings didn't allow me to stand there and contemplate it - I turned around and sure enough fourteen eyes were staring right back at me, eagerly awaiting my next move. I put my hoof on my mouth one more time signaling them to be quiet... then I turned my head and started ever so slowly down a path through the crystals towards the main entrance. With occasional glances back at them I begged and begged for them not to make any sound and to my surprise they did not. They were so quiet I barely even heard their hooves hitting the cave's floor.

"That is a very clever trick," I heard him tell her after some silence, which I had taken to mean he was trying to get inside her head. The silence and not hearing what was going on was what tortured me so intensely. His voice was getting further away, but I hung on every word in case I needed to do something. "You have held this for quite a long time, even I must say it's quite impressive... but you're going to crack soon. I think that stallion's whereabouts might interest you, if you care to listen. I wonder if you've seen him in here yet."

That was the last thing I heard that I could understand. Every second I couldn't hear them I was paralyzed with fear; I knew I couldn't leave them out of my ear's range. I had to get these foals going on their own and go back for her. My mind could only think about that now - I had no idea what was going to happen but I had to be there. I had the thought if I could get these going towards the entrance I think they could handle getting themselves out on their while I went back for her.

"Pipsqueak," I whispered, talking really fast. "I'm going back for her. I need you to listen to me very carefully - lead them on and follow this direction towards the entrance. The walls will narrow on you and eventually you'll see huge cliffs on all sides in a dark snowy blizzard with a big tornado - as soon as those things are in your sight stay where you are. Do not wander out into the open towards it. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head up and down urgently. I had to trust them as I had trusted Scootaloo. With no time to spare I started back in the direction of Scootaloo and spread my wings, flying down the path we'd recover some distance quickly. Thinking was not really something I was doing anymore as every action was driven entirely by my desperation to protect. I glided to the ground after weaving through some turns. His voice could be heard again, but in the very short time I'd spent out of earshot it now spoke with a menacing anger.

"What are you trying to hide from me? I've had just about enough of this. Look into my eyes. Now."

I heard a small cry escape from Scootaloo which upon hearing I hurled myself into the air again well above the crystals to spot them; locating her orange quickly I could see from where I was hovering that she was facing me with her head turned to the side and her eyes shut tight in a grimace, refusing to look at him who was standing right in front of her with his back to me. I'm not sure if he heard my flapping or what but suddenly he turned around and looked up directly at me with a surprised and angry expression.

"You!" he growled.

When he bellowed at Scootaloo opened her eyes and looked up to see me. But when he swung back around to face her, she instinctively glanced in his direction and their eyes locked...

I didn't have time for a gasp - I shot forward. She fell into an anguished trance... staring straight into white death itself while he began to move in on her. I was screaming through the air. He picked her up with both of his white claws and held her up in front of him as the life started to fade from her face. And then...

All 800 lbs of my body slammed into his at full force with my shoulder leading the way. Her and I fell to the ground fairly close to the collision but he was sent flying through the air so fast that it seemed only a blink of an eye had passed between me hitting him and him crashing into a large crystal that shattered into a million pieces upon contact. When the noise and the raining down of shards all around subsided I slowly lifted my head, only slightly lackadaisical - my shoulder burned but that was seemingly about it. S-Scootaloo? I thought to myself as I started looking around desperately for her.

"NOOOO!!"

She was on the ground right beside me... she wasn't moving. Her body looked limp. But before I could do anything the cave ground suddenly started to shake like a violent earthquake. Without warning a crystal crashed into the ground near where we were and shattered into thousands of shards. It was hard to tell if it was ice or stalagmite but it didn't matter - I looked up and observed two more emerge from the darkness above and fall to the cave floor, each one of them twinkling with spear-like points aiming for anything in their path.

I laid down and digging my head underneath her I shoveled her onto my back before taking off. Giant sparkling icicles surrounded me in every direction as they dropped from the ceiling while the cave walls rumbled and roared; I was weaving and dodging constantly and the extra weight on my back made turning so much harder in this dim atmosphere lit only by somewhat luminescent crystals. I wasn't thinking about anything at all other than for Scootaloo to be ok. Every action - every turn, lift, and drop - was a reaction.

After a particularly violent dodge she started to slide off my body I knew full well that if she hit the ground or a crystal from this height it was certainly over for her. I had to take the risk and propelled her off me and up into the air. I got underneath and caught her, readjusting her with my wings as I noticed a wide swath of huge crystals starting their descent just in front of me that I flapped violently in a frantic race to beat. The whole mountain seemed to be collapsing and they were dropping right into the spot I was blasting towards.

"COME ON!"

I ducked my head and they barely missed us though I felt them graze my tail - I blasted through the narrowing tunnel towards the entrance passed through it; there waiting at the mouth of the cave were the rest of the kids huddled together looking up into the blizzard. Landing beside them I laid down on the ground and eased her gently off my back into the dust of snow.

The loud noises were over now but for the valley's winds aloft. The rest of the foals closed in around us in a tight circle. All of us were still. No... No no no no no... It was the single bravest and most incredible action I'd ever seen. But I should have never let her do it. I started breathing into her mouth, moving her gently with my nose. I don't believe it. I cannot... I will not... If this was true... then it was all in vain. If this was true...

"He's crying," they whispered among themselves.

"See how he loves her..." gasped others.

My head dropped and my throat began to close.

"S-Sonic?"

Everyone gasped. Slowly her eyes started to open. She took in a breath. The sight of the other foals safe twinkled in her eyes and then she turned her face towards me, after which a weak but affectionate and gracious smile came over her. My dying spirit's freefalling descent was halted immediately - this had been its only chance.

"Scootaloo, w-why did you..." I stuttered at a total loss for words. "Y-you didn't have to - th-that was the most incredible, the most courageous -"

With another breath her smile got a little wider and her resolve a little stronger, and now my spirits were rapidly rising.
She coughed a little, then shined with gratitude.

"Not gonna lie... I could totally go for another hug if you're up for-"

If she had anything more to say she didn't get the chance; I raked her into my front legs and then rolled over on my back with her, burying my head into her and wrapping my wings around for maximum affection. My hero Rainbow had created another hero for me to look up to and I was at her service. The other kids awed, many of them wanting in on this - but then a young filly's voice asked something with something else obviously on her mind.

"Excuse me sir, but who are they?"

Scootaloo rolled off my stomach; the filly who asked was fixed on something and we all turned our heads and ears that way. I rolled over and stood up and the fifteen of us peered up through the vortex - standing on top of the cliff and barely visible in the darkness were the silhouettes of five cloaked ponies, the mere sight of which breathed a surge of excitement through my ailing body that was already fueled by Scootaloo's unbelievable heroics.

"That's my team," I proclaimed.

My mind was spinning. A silence and indecisiveness ensued as all eyes were on me now as the kids awaited my command. But I was totally overwhelmed in the moment that came with an incredibly powerful sense of duty... and pressure. It was almost to the point of paralyzation. After everything we've been through... It's happening, I told myself as I came to grips with it. All of them were now in my possession. What would their families say if they could see us now? What would the princesses say? It was absolutely imperative for me to manage this roller coaster of emotions and stay focused.

A light but icy breeze passed through my mane as I looked up into the abyss of snow flurries for the stars; now that I was back outside I realized I'd taken the cave's relative warmth for granted. I'm so in love with them Rainbow, but I know I've got to keep that energy towards getting us all back.... there's gonna be a time for hugs and snuggles but it's not yet, I told myself forcefully. As relieved as I was that Scootaloo was ok and as grateful as I was to cradle her I had to resist the urge to indulge until I'd seen this through and got them all back safe.

Following a quick glance back at the cave I started to process through everything that was happening so I could do a full reassessment of the situation. We had to get them up and over that cliff. Then there was still the issue of how we were going to get them all back. Having just flown through the cave with one foal on my back flying was noticeably more difficult and I knew that up there in the valley the winds were going to be a huge factor. Fourteen of them among six of us meant two of us were going to have take three of them. Carrying a second foal would make things even harder if hopefully not impossible, but carrying a third?

I suppressed these thoughts and set them aside. Doing a full 360 around the circle of foals surrounding me I gazed directly into every one of their faces and absorbed as many of their thoughts and feelings as I could. Reveling in each and every one of them I finished off with a long glance in the direction of my team members and reinforced to myself that this wasn't over and resolved to the best of my ability to recommit myself to their cause with laser focus.

Then I went to work. In front of us was a large open patch which the vortex swirled over. On all sides were steep, rocky cliffs and directly behind us a towering mountain. Snow drifted off the mountain and the cliff tops down into this pit where it was mostly assimilated into the white tornado. It's winds reached most of the area directly in front of us but it did reach to the cliffs themselves. If we could walk along the bottom hugging the cliffs as we went, I gathered we could safely make it to other end of this bowl. Then we'd have to climb up that side somehow, but we'd worry about that when we got there.

Bringing my nuzzle into the saddle bag I pulled out the twenty feet of enchanted rope I was supplied with originally and the additional that Rainbow left me with before she departed.

"Can you help me tie these two together?" I asked Scootaloo and Pipsqueak. "This is enchanted rope," I told them, to which they reacted with great interest - I was trying to remember exactly what Princess Luna said about it on the train. "It's really strong, but gentle on us."

Pip leapt forward in a flash more than eager to help, who I privately thanked for leading them out here; but Scootaloo staggered forward a little slower - her desire and willingness was just as strong but she was still reeling, and I wondered if there was anything I could to do to help her. We pulled the ropes tight in either direction testing it's strength, then I addressed the whole of them. "Here's what I'm thinking - we're going to tie the top of this rope to me first, then we're going work down and tie each one of you so you'll all be attached to me when we started climbing. I'll help each one of you but you need to let me know if it's too tight because I don't want it to hurt. Do you understand?"

They all nodded their heads. All of them were clearly afraid but they were wholly trusting in me and they readily accepted everything I was telling them, which was an extremely powerful fuel for me - Scootaloo and Pipsqueak in particular seemed to be on fire and were passionately devoted to my every word and action. It took several minutes but with their help I had something of a makeshift harness with all of us connected, each one spaced out by about two foal's lengths or so. Scootaloo I did not have walking behind me like rest of them - she was secured but with enough rope so that she could ride on my back instead since she was not up to full strength. That way also she could help me and watch over them as we moved.

We started at the right edge of the bottom of the pit up against the rocky cliffs were and we moved our way around the tornado; it was working, as aside from light breezes we had no exposure to it's winds. Most of them were watching it to our left as it we passed by it though I was primarily focused on my team as I waited for them to come into clearer vision in the darkness. The giant cliff just inches to our right was totally unclimbable and rose at about a 90 degree angle, but I studied the one on the far side and hoped for a better situation. The bottom of it looked difficult but doable - the top of it however it steepened out and looked impossible for us to climb without some kind of assistance from the top.

"How are they all doing?" I asked Scootaloo over my shoulder. I didn't want to go to fast, but my step had quite the spring.

"I-I think they're g-getting cold, but ok so far," said Scootaloo. I immediately remembered that we each had a cloak in our saddle bags, but only one. That meant my team members and I were going to have to give them the cloaks that we wore and fly back unprotected. I asked her if she wanted to reach into the saddle bag and put on the one I had, but she declined - she didn't want to be the only one wearing one.

We arrived at the base of the cliff and the adrenaline started flowing while studying the cliff. I had never rock climbed in my entire life, and our bodies weren't equipped for it all though I knew some goats were excellent rock climbers. The wind seemed to pick up and more snow was blowing in my face now. It didn't look like the figures of Thunderlane, Clear Skies, Buddy, Merry May or Blossomforth had discovered us at the bottom yet, appearing as though talking to each other. I turned around to address the kids; most of them were deeply afraid with their heads pointed directly upward.

"You guys are doing so great," I told them genuinely, wishing so badly I could take away their fear. "We're going to get up this cliff. Try to follow me one by one and be very careful. If one - " I started to say that if one of them were to fall, it could cause a chain reaction and take the rest of us down with them; I stopped myself however as I feared that would put too much pressure on them. One of the fillies - a pink one with a turquoise mane and tail positioned in the middle of them - started crying, and I was afraid others were going to follow.

"I want to go home," she stuttered.

Walking to her I knelt down right in front of her so we were eye level, touching my hoof to her shoulder.

"What is your name?" I asked gently.

"A-Aquamarine," she replied.

"Aquamarine," I told her, looking around at the rest of them as well, "You have done such a good job thus far, and I promise you this... I'm not going to let you fall, and I'm going to take you home. All of you. I just need you to keep doing whatever I tell you. Do you understand?"

They all nodded their heads and I gave them one last look of confidence that took all my strength to do so before I turned around again, feeling Scootaloo lay her head against my mane. Keeping it together in front of them was as hard as anything I'd experienced out here thus far.

With my head pointed squarely at the top of the cliff, I again stared up at my team members before I finally saw what looked like Blossomforth's dark figure react with a jump, her eyes widening directly at us. The five of them quickly lined up with urgency, all looking down directly at us. I could only imagine how they were actually reacting to seeing us. They tried shouting something but I couldn't make it out in the wind and the noise from swirling vortex behind us. Then I saw what looked like a rope falling down from where they were standing; it continued down until it was about half way down the cliff, right where the really steep part started. It was tied into a circle so I could step into it for them to pull us up in. We were going to have to climb high enough to reach it.

"Scootaloo," I remarked over my shoulder, looking at the task in front of us that was no doubt extremely risky. "If we can climb up to that rope they let down, do you think you help me step into it?"

"I'll try," she replied, looking on with a daunted expression.

"Thanks. You've been beyond amazing," I whispered.

"Well if I've been amazing then there like isn't a word to describe what you've been."

"Keep an eye on them. Let me know if anyone slips."

Leading the way I started reaching hoof after hoof and stepping higher and higher on the rocks, working my way up with my body sideways as much as possible. It wasn't a fast process - many of the places I was stepping were dusted with snow and I had to balance myself on uneven or narrow stepping places. The only plus was that their smaller hooves and bodies made it easier for them to climb and balance compared to how it was for me. On top of this I had to let them catch up one by one each time I advanced. Managing this rope and makeshift harness was indescribably more difficult than I anticipated, having to step over it and the like - we had tied it around my chest and neck so I could utilize all four of my legs. If something happened and one or all of them were to slip and hang down I had to be prepared to hold up all of them somehow, hoping they could regain their hooves on the cliff before I fell and sent us all hurling below.

"Don't look down!" I reminded them occasionally.

We made our way up - twenty feet or so, then thirty, then several minutes later we hit forty. Scootaloo was encouraging me and giving status updates throughout - but the cliff was getting steeper, and when we got to forty and above it took a turn for the worse that led me to question heavily this decision; climbing was getting much harder and the amount of focus and attention to detail I had to maintain at all times was exhausting me to dangerous levels. Finally, when I had nothing left on which to step I was stuck in an extremely difficult position stretched out with my front hooves higher than my back ones.

"Tell them to stay where they are," I muttered to her, stealing a glance downward. Normally height is a wonderful and empowering thing for a pegasus, but now it was terrifyingly scary; a fall to the bottom from this high up, if we didn't get sucked up into the tornado that was spinning right behind us, was going to end in tragedy. Every breath I took now was a painful one as the adrenaline had mostly worn off; my body was wracked with pain and the effort needed to maintain balance was excruciating.

"Sonic!" I heard Thunderlane's voice call from above. Now we were close enough to hear them.

Managing to lift my eyes upward I beheld his face and Clear Skies' clearly; they were both every bit as grave and anxious as mine. The rope was just above me, and there was a place to step my both of my front hooves and my back right hoof up but there wasn't anything else I could step up onto fully for me to be high enough to step through it. This was where the cliff was getting the steepest, and I gathered above this there was nothing more to climb with.

"You're amazing!!! You're doing so well!!!" he screamed down to me over the wind. "This is the most incredible thing we've ever seen!"

I was so cripplingly afraid and yet so focused on not slipping that I was barely able to take any consolation from his encouragement, though I tried to. "Can she tie that rope to you?" I heard him ask.

"No!" I shouted back up between breaths, shaking my head. "Scoot... Tell him there isn't a place to step up to once I grab it," I whispered to her so I didn't have to spend energy trying to yell.

"Can you let down any more rope?" she added at the top of her lungs.

"No, because we need to be lined up like this to pull you up - they're all behind me ready to pull," he replied through the noise. "We threw it down right here because there's one last place you should be able to stand right above there - you see it?"

"What is he talking about?" I muttered, unable to take my eyes off my front hooves. She raised her head as high as she could trying to get a glance.

"It looks like there's one last rock jetting out you can get up on to tie yourself!" she replied.

I lifted my head again to try to see what they were talking about for myself. I saw what they were referring to, and I figured if I grabbed the rope with my mouth and stepped on this one small place in between it I might be able to propel myself up to it. But this was going to be an unbelievable risk. If I stepped up all at once with the rope in my mouth and the kids all fell, then I wouldn't have the strength to both hold them while simultaneously hanging on to the rope with my mouth and my hooves not firmly planted into something and it seemed highly likely that would happen if I stepped all the way up there at once.

"Should we take our chances with the tornado?" asked Thunderlane.

"No," I shuttered to Scootaloo - I was in such a predicament that even thinking about anything other than keeping my balance was extremely stressful to the point of almost impossible. "I was in it," I said, having to speak in intervals. "It's too strong... miracle they made it over ok," I told Scootaloo to tell him.

As much as I regretted coming up here now, playing with the tornado was a numbers game I thought we were sure to lose - someone out of fifteen of us was going to get seriously hurt or worse. If it came to it though and we did fall I would do everything in my power to get us into the vortex on the descent to give us a fool's chance.

"He says no!" screamed Scootaloo Thunderlane.

"If I make it all the way up there... do you think I would jerk Pip off his perch or is there enough loose rope to cover us?" I uttered in a whimper.

"It's gonna be close!" she replied.

Closing my eyes I begged and begged for a way out of this, though I knew there wasn't one. How did it come to this... This was our only option and the anxiety from the realization hit like a train. This was my doing. I had to either steer us out or sink with the ship, which meant them and everyone's incredible resilience and determination along with me.

"Tell Thunder," I told her while I emphasized long inhales, "when you yell pull... to heave us up... once I'm in the harness. Let the kids know what we're doing so they're ready."

Stealing another glance down at the foals, one last time I took in their terrified expressions knowing full well each one of their lives depended entirely on me while noting the weight of the filly I loved like a little sister on my back. Each of their family members' lives depended on me too... along with Rainbow's, the team's... probably all of Ponyville for that matter. If I failed now then they'd all carry it the rest of their lives. All of it hung on my getting up to that last balance-able spot so I could tie myself to their harness while not letting the weight of possibly fourteen fouls falling down at once take me along with them should one of the, lose their balance in the act.

"Sonic you got this!!!" cried Thunderlane. "You're the most legendary stallion who ever lived and we all know you can do this! We're all ready to pull when she gives the signal!!" called Thunderlane.

We were about to find out what this enchanted rope was capable of. Looking up one last time I noted the exact location of the rope, the place I needed to put my back hoof to push off of and envisioned my front hooves reaching up to the final perch once I secured the rope in my mouth. All there was left to do was hope and pray I could do it. I closed my eyes and tried with all of my heart to prepare myself for what had to be the most daunting and difficult 3 seconds of my entire life. A long moment passed of me breathing in and out with my face against the rock with my eyes closed, thinking of my first and greatest hero and the part of her that I carried with me for ten years. Please help me... Scootaloo wrapped her legs around my neck.

"You ready?" I asked her.

"Yes... and Sonic, I - ... I- "

"I know," I whispered. "Just don't forget that I told you back there." Three more deep breaths. "Here we go. Here we go!" I spat. "On the count of three. One... two... THREEEE!!!"

Blasting off my back hoof I launched up and off my right hoof and bit down on the rope so hard it felt like I chipped my teeth and I slammed my front hooves down and pulled myself up while simultaneously flapping my wings as hard as I could for any extra lift. I lost the rope in my mouth and fell forward flat on the perch - I had made it - but I felt the rope behind me tightening - knowing that meant a chain reaction was coming I scrambled to fix my legs and pushing up and off the ground I leaned forward and stepped into the harness. Once my head and front legs were through I leaned forward as I prepared for the rope behind me to get extremely heavy - I put all of my weight into my front so I could push off my back legs to hold myself in place.

"PULL!!!!!!!" screamed Scootaloo.

Almost at once I felt the tension in the harness carrying the foals behind me level off as the new harness from above tightened, but before it could squeeze me to death I suddenly was blasted high off the perch and up towards the clifftop.

"AH I CAN'T GET A GOOD GRIP!" I heard from an supremely distressed Thunderlane.

"DIG IN!!! DIG INNN!!!!" cried Blossomforth.

"I'M TRYING!!" exclaimed a hysterical Merry May.

Amidst their violent screaming we were steadily moving upward; I scrambled to look below me and saw all fourteen speechless foals looking up at me hanging as freely as I was. Desperate to do something I turned my body in air so my hooves were touching the cliff and I pushed off and up furiously as if I was climbing straight up the cliff. The enchanted rope seemed to be holding up and we were nearly to the top when suddenly the rising slowed down almost to a halt.

"I'M LOSING!! HELP ME! HELP MEEEE!!!" screamed Buddy.

"ME TOO!" seconded Clear Skies.

"WE'RE ALMOST THERE!!!" I shrieked. "WE'RE SO CLOSE!!!!"

We came to a halt in the air. The tension shifted and it seemed like we were about to start a descent as I frantically prepared to kick off the cliff and launch us back towards the cyclone. Then all of a sudden the rise resumed inexplicably. Throwing my front hooves over the edge I reached the top and drove my legs into the ground. Roaring loudly I thundered forward as the harness from the front suddenly went limp and several dark figures streaked by me on either side. After several more impassioned steps forward my body finally gave out and I collapsed into the snow on my back from total exhaustion. Scootaloo and Pipsqueak both fell into my stomach. With my last drop of conscious energy myself and the two of them immediately turned our heads back. We saw the entirety of the foals and the team... safely behind us. A glorious, thunderous declaration from my triumphant friends echoed throughout the valley.

"WE DID IT!!!!"

"NEVER GIVE UP!!!! NEVER GIVE UUUUUPPPPP!!!!"

"WOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"HALLELLUJAH!!!!"

Barely awake and sucking wind with every second with my head and ears in the snow, I was conscious enough to be treated to the best sounds bites my ears ever heard. Though I couldn't yet see what was going on I heard the deafening victory yells, the celebrations, the euphoric laughter, and felt the two heads of the foals on my breast digging in with the sweetest gratitude, which I instinctively responded to with both hooves resting gently on each one. I was almost too exhausted to have experienced any of it but it was still maybe the second happiest moment of my life. The words "awesome", "incredible" and many others of the like were all over the place along with many others I'd never even heard as the positive energy had empowered every foal into celebrating with them.

"Dainty!! Bee Bop!!!" said Merry May after which voice of one happy filly apparently named that cried her name in return.

"Hey! We know you - you're Rumble's big brother!" proclaimed a terribly excited group of colts.

"Heyyyy, that's right!!!" laughed Thunderlane.

"You're all here!!!" remarked a giddy Blossomforth. "I'll take these two angels!!!!"

"Alright!!!! You ready to go see your family?" offered the voice of Buddy.

"You all are just so cute!" gushed the voice of Clear Skies.

It was all the most glorious music to my tired soul. We're doing it Rainbow... With one final effort... maybe, just maybe we'd return to those magnificent white clouds in the blue sky looking over all of these children playing happily in warm green pastures. And Scootaloo flying through the sky with the best set of wings anyone ever saw alongside Rainbow's.

"Sonic! Wake up!" she giggled.

My body was still sore. But my breathing was coming back under control and my cognitive capabilities seemed to be improving. Opening to my eyes to a beaming Scootaloo looking like she was on cloud nine was more than I could ever ask for in recovery. Leaning up I beheld with my own vision five of my best friends playing and laughing with twelve slightly confused but rapidly improving kids. Knowing their hard work and faith in the mission was paying off with these results was a surreal and wondrous feeling. After sharing the appreciation with both Scootaloo and Pipsqueak I staggered up off the ground.

"Let's get you guys untied." One more effort... and we're all home free... if he did survive, we can all take him on together as a race.

When the three of us had helped each other get our bodies free from rope I noticed the noise from the playing and the camaraderie seemed to have stopped, replaced mostly with the moaning valley winds that seemed a little calmer now than they had been the previous countless hours. With Pip and Scoot on standing at either shoulder of mine I turned around and saw seventeen pairs of eyes glowing directly at me. In a line across my five team members stood with foals on either side; from right to left Thunderlane had four colts, Blossomforth and Merry May each had two fillies, and Buddy and Clear skies both had one of each.

A strange feeling came over me as I took in their expressions... each one was shining with a depth of feeling I'd seen in only one other pony in my entire life, encompassing awe, appreciation, friendliness, and gratitude among others. This was an odd and unfamiliar experience for me to be the recipient of such profound expressions from anyone other than Rainbow, let alone all of them, but I realized what I saw represented exactly how I felt about all of them so if I couldn't accept the feelings in return it wouldn't be right of me. Unable to deny it was a spectacular and wonderful feeling, I gave it all right back to them standing there in the snow with my own gentle smile. As long as they understood how great they were and they shared equally in this, I was ok with anything.

"Sonic..." muttered Thunderlane, shaking his head with a step forward. "Your constant and passionate devotion to these kids and this team... the way I - the way we feel about you... there aren't words..."

"You're incredible," muttered Blossomforth, overcome with emotion and looking down at the ground. I started to choke up as it was suddenly too much for me as well.

"We love you, Sonic," said Merry May, and Buddy and Clear skies shook their heads in unison.

"Well I could leave you with anything in this world..." I started, before I too choked up and had to take several breaths to get it under control. I started thinking about all of the things we'd been through together and all of the horrible conditions they and I had to endure up to this point, which was the worst aid to my keeping it under control. Trying to give a speech with these feelings flooding through was almost impossible, but I needed to try wading through this so they could hear what I had to say.

"If I have inspired you... it's because all of you have inspired me. I mean you say I'm incredible, but Scootaloo, and Pip down there, you all - look, I'm only comfortable if you all know and appreciate how spectacular you all have been. I know how hard this has been for all of you... and how hard you've all tried... with this mission, every one of you has contributed so much... and believe me, I remember every last bit of it and I'm never ever gonna forget any it. What I'm just trying to say is," I paused again, hiding my crying face in my wing. "I'm just trying to make my heroes and my friends proud. Rainbow as you all know is my ... well, she's so, so much to me and she always will be... but I'm standing here... and I see... five of the greatest and best friends a lonely stallion could ever-" I took another breath, losing all control at this point. "With fourteen of most beautiful children in the wide world- "

The lot of them were kind enough not to let me keep making a fool of myself. They moved in and surrounded me on all sides where we all joined together for the longest and most therapeutic group hug that ever occurred. Further strengthening everyone's reluctance to end it was the fact that it shielded us from the cold and everyone warmed up tremendously on the inside and the outside. Scootaloo, Pipsueak, and Thunderlane were the most intimately involved with me directly, but the love and appreciation flowed unrestrained through the entire group from one pony to the next.

After a time when I had regained my ability to talk I set my both wings on Scootaloo and Pipsqueak and happily sang their praises to the rest of them.

"You want to use the word incredible - you should have seen Scootaloo down there... she had the most ingenious, the most heroic, the most unbelievable - look, she's blushing but we when we get back I'll tell you all about it." The foals nodded their heads in unison, and my team members watched her with excited curiosity as she laughed it off with embarrassment. "And this guy here," I said, looking at Pip. "He led the entire group of them out when I went back for Scoot and did a great job. All of you... every single of you was unbelievable," I gushed, looking around at all of them.

"You know," started Blossomforth, raising an eyebrow in Thunderlane's direction. "I gotta admit... Thunderlane distracting that dragon king for us to all escape... that was awesome, there's no two ways about it."

"Awwww," teased Thunderlane. "I knew you'd come around!"

"And it was Buddy's idea to swing back and forth on that feeding station that set us free," I added with a smile in his direction, to which the green stallion lowered his head bashfully.

"Let's not forget the wolves with wings, guys," said Clear Skies, and the kids' faces lit up with shock as they looked around at one another.

"Heh... I think I wouldn't mind forgetting them actually. Epic fight though, just epic," replied Thunderlane. "Merry May, you really pack a punch - we saw you over there!"

"Yeah... about that," she laughed, twirling her hoof around in the snow.

"Then you guys all got us over that cliff while I dangled from a rope doing nothing," I remarked. "I'll be honest there, I thought we were going down for a second but you guys really dug deep-"

"Oh - so did we!" interjected Buddy, shaking his head up and down violently with the rest of them.

"Seriously, how did that happen? I don't doubt the rope is enchanted, but..." mused Blossomforth thoughtfully.

"I was in the back!" exclaimed Buddy, at a loss. "I had my head down, pulling as hard as I could but it honestly felt like something - or someone - came up grabbed and helped us pull. Was it a - maybe a - geez I don't know, an... angel, or something?"

"Far from an angel," replied a more distant male voice from the wind.

Everyone gasped and swung around to see who or what had said this. Immediately the dark silhouette of a cloaked pony emerged through the flurries, walking forward and throwing back his hood with a thrash of his neck. There was no mistaking him.

"Whitewash!" we adults all exclaimed in unison... otherwise completely and utterly speechless.

"It was you!" shouted Buddy, pointing a hoof at him. "I couldn't see from all the snow we kicked up- but you came up and helped pull!"

"Yes, I did," he replied calmly, though his voice was strong as usual. "And yes, I heard everything. And no, I wasn't here the whole time, I found you right before you all started pulling. And yes... I'm really, really ... " he took a breath and looked away for a moment - "sorry... especially to you," he continued, pointing to me, "and you," he added shamefully, looking to all of the kids, "and also you," he finished, gazing towards the five.

Standing in the snow at a slight distance, he was just separated from our group. Though we were all shocked and surprised, the kids' feelings were a little different than ours as many of them wondered how we knew him or if he was friend or foe, though I think many of them did recognize him. If I speak for my team members, which I'm sure do, I'd say the rest of us were deeply in love with him. This was an image of Whitewash I had never seen. He always looked so tough and unwavering but now there were strong feelings all over him that he couldn't hide.

On one hoof I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all unsurprised to see him, but on the other I always knew there was a soft spot in him. I saw the look he gave his brother at the train station that day when he was saying goodbye to his friends - who here with us now - and remembered the words that Thunderlane had advised me on that platform. It's not really his fault... I'll you about it later,, they rang in my head.

"You know..." he started, going back and forth with his gaze between the lot of us and the darkness of the valley. "No one gave us - gave you all, anyway - a chance to get this far. I least of all. I'll spare you the self pity but I've been dealing with some stuff before we came out here, and anyway I've been nothing but anger and negativity out here. And this hasn't been easy for me, but that's no excuse. You all were going through the same thing, but I stuck out for all the wrong reasons. We all fought the wolves and the dragons, we all put up with the abuse from Spitfire and the Wonderbolts..."

"Ohhh boy," lamented Thunderlane as he looked around at all of the foals surrounding him. "I really want to say something about the Wonderbolts right now, but I really shouldn't with all these foals here..."

"Cover your ears kids," smirked Blossomforth.

"Heh... maybe we can dance around them when we get back," he continued.

"Look - trust me," offered Whitewash sympathetically and forcefully taking back full control of the conversation. "I hear you on that - believe me, I think we all do - us seven anyway. But as I stand here now, and I look at all these kids, and you six... I know now this is about so much more than hating the Wonderbolts."

"Yeah..." said Thunderlane, looking away with guilt. "Just... forget I said that."

In my heart I was indescribably endeared to this white stallion and I'm sure it was highly visible on the smile that was forming on my face. I had suspected so strongly there was something driving his being so cold, something that wasn't rooted in selfishness or anything he was responsible for and I was moved nearly to more tears with his confession.

"Aww... Whitewash," gushed Clear Skies tenderly. "The important thing is you came back! You saved us all!"

"Yeah," he remarked, his eyes shifting sideways for a moment before coming back. "But as Sonic pointed out, you all have been saving each other this whole time. For what it's worth, when I left I was very conflicted. On the one hoof as much as I hated it I bought into the Wonderbolts' despair... I told myself we had no business out here and my little brother didn't deserve to have his big brother - well, you ge the point. And I threw all that anger and guilt at the Princesses where it didn't belong."

"You're not the only one here with those feelings," remarked Blossomforth. "You forget we all left for a time too. Except him," she said, motioning to me.

He paused, taking a few breaths. He was quite the contrast to me... whereas I was horrible at keeping everything together and my emotions did whatever they wanted, he wasn't crying or choking up even though it looked like he was near that point. Then he brought his eyes to mine and I had spoke to soon - a tear fell from his eye right eye when he didn't look away.

"On the other hoof, I thought... what if Sonic stayed out here and found something. I could've been there to help, but wasn't... and a foal that would've been saved would've been - and it would been because of me. I thought, what is my little brother gonna think of me when I come home, how sad is he gonna be for his - ... when you look at me, Sonic, it's like you're trying to understand me. Not so that you can use it against me, but so you can use it for me. The whole time you were just trying to help me and I was giving you nothing but the ice cold shoulder... because I'm just a coward, I guess."

"My friend," shaking my head in disbelief and walking towards him. "You are anything but a coward. You have made us all *so* happy."

"I am a coward," he reinforced, shaking his head shamefully. "I never stuck up for you when Spitfire was treating you like garbage. Thunderlane did. Blossomforth did. They did. I second everything they just said about you, Sonic. But I never gave a word to your defense. I kept all of you down too. Though I'm gonna try my best to make it all up to you right now if I can. I promise you that. You got any kids I can carry?"

Whether he wanted it or not, I ran forward and threw myself around him. I didn't take him for the hugging type but I couldn't help myself; I had so much love to everyone it seemed like I was drawing from a source as infinite as the sky, and Whitewash was next in line.

"Yes!" I cried, as finally a genuine smile came over him. "YES!" I repeated forcefully in response to it. "I always knew," I whispered, looking him over.

"You always knew?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well I'd say you were right. And I thank you for that. Hey, I know you two," he said, pointing behind me in Thunderlane's direction. "You're friends with my little brother!"

I looked back and the two of them looked over at us curiously - it was clear Whitewash was hoping they'd come forward without offering to take them himself, but I figured I could help him with that.

"You two will want to ride with him," I told them. "He might be the toughest pony here. You should've seen him in our big fight against the wolves," I told them, knowing and believing it very genuinely. At hearing that they both looked at each other excitedly and ran forward. For the rest of us, seeing these three accept each other seemed like the best thing for us before we tackled the last leg of this mission together.

"Wasn't there supposed to be eighteen?" he asked fearfully.

"Rainbow has the other four," replied Clear Skies.

"Rainbow? I thought she-"

"She walked out here. With a sled. To drag four of them back herself."

"You're not serious. How did she get past the giant black hole in the front?"

"She found another way in!" I informed him.

"Wow... just - she's the toughest pony who ever lived, all I gotta say," he replied shaking his head.

"Eccccuse, me ssssir," piped Pipsqueak to me, with chattering teeth. "You wouldn't be able to sssspare a bbbblanket would ye?"

We looked around at the rest of the foals - the shivering had begun to settled in. All at once the whole atmosphere seemed to monumentally shift as the sense of duty draped all around us. We knew what this meant. Turning our attention down the dark valley that had been working against us all for so long, one fact rang clear. It was time. All there was left was to fly them back ourselves through this wind and snow. One last, gallant effort... and our dreams would be a reality and we could start our new lives as the best of friends.

"I think we should let them use our cloaks as blankets... let them eat our last bit of food and leave everything else here. We need to fly as light and fast as possible," I remarked, which the rest of them agreed with a nod. My words hung in silence as everyone started to prepare themselves. Scootaloo and Pipsqueak finished off my oats while I stepped out of my cloak and helped them both onto my back. I couldn't get rid of everything though. I reached my snout into the one saddlebag I knew where it was.

Pulling out the small blue feather, I turned to place it in an unsuspecting Scootaloo's hooves. She was not prepared for it at first... seeing the worn, small piece of her hero from a time when she was at least as young as the youngest foal in this group hit her hard, as I knew it would.

"There's no one else in the world I would trust this with."

"Oh Sonic," she burst, smiling profoundly at it - and then at me. "I promise I'll keep it safe for you until we get back."

"That's not what I meant," I replied, and her head shot back up in bewilderment.

"Wait... what?"

"If I offered you that feather to keep permanently... would you accept it?"

She stared into me, disbelieving my words. But my heart was made up if she would take it.

"M-me?" she stuttered. "I-I ... B-but Sonic... Rainbow, she - "

"Rainbow gifted me this feather when I needed it most," I replied, finally remaining strong for her as her mouth fell freely. "It's mine to do with as I please. I carry that feather with me everywhere in my heart, whether I have it in person or not. Until right now at this very moment, I would never have ever thought of ever giving this to anyone other than the filly who gave it to me. But now I see that it belongs with you, if you will accept it. That way - and this day may not come again - the next time you hear his voice in your head, the next time you remember that he told you I don't care about you, you can look upon this and decide for yourself."

Six of my best friends began to circle around me for one final time before take off, each of them now with two foals on their backs. Scootaloo and Pipsqueak were ready on mine. Thunderlane stepped forward. The five of the others and him traded a long glance, then they all came to rest on me. He continued towards me with a rapidly deepening expression. I returned it in full force, remembering all time all that he's done for me. All the time he's made me laugh, even out here. All the times he's supported me. I love you so, so much... my dear friend...

"Lead us home, Sonic," he said, speaking for all of them. "And... invite us to the wedding. And preferably wait to for me to be present when you propose."

One last time I had to take this all in as still didn't seem real. Just hours ago it felt like this moment could never come and was a joke for me to even entertain, to keep hoping for. We were finally leaving this valley... with fourteen healthy children. Most of all I had to savor the thoughts of feelings of all of them so I could call upon them when my body and spirit weakened in this final stretch. The triumph of the previous victory still lived in us, as did the triumph in all of our victories - but we knew and understood that the biggest effort of all for one another had to come now, and the after that we could celebrate for a lifetime. In trading these looks with one another we reinforced our commitment and strengthened our respect.

It was conscious on all of our minds that the defining moment of our lives was almost to it's conclusion. We'd beaten all of the odds because we never stopped seeing the value in each other. We'd grown so powerfully and incredibly close.

"I'm so proud of you all," whispered a now sobbing Clear Skies, which led to Merry May and Blossomforth tearing up again instantly as well.

"Me too," they both said.

"Geez... I don't stand a chance against that," muttered Thunderlane, covering his welling eyes with his wing.

"Me too," said Buddy, leaving Whitewash.

"And me."

"I'm getting really cold. Ready if you all are," said Thunder.

They all looked to me. We were ready for take off.

"Let's all go home," I told them.

Just then I suddenly became aware that the night had gotten so quiet that it felt like all of the wind surrounding us had stopped. There was no drifting snow, no faint moan from a breeze above us. There were winds that could be heard in the mountains well above us, and gales perhaps down the valley - but where we stood it had grown deathly quiet. Until... A strong and eerie gust could be heard from down below the the cliff.

All at once everyone seemed to become conscious of the silence that wrapped over us like a black cloud. My sense of security began to freefall. All of us looked in that direction as still as statues.

"I've read a lot of books, and uh... gotta say that's usually a bad sign," whispered Thunderlane. "Sometimes it's not... Sometimes it's coincidental. But other times it is indicative of something powerful and usually not good. You know, I was meaning to ask you Sonic. What, uh... what exactly did you find down there anyway?"

"Guys... I don't hear that tornado anymore," remarked an increasingly nervous Merry May, who's feelings were quite mutual among all of us.

Suddenly in the dead quiet strange whooshing noises could be heard swirling around in the pit; we were far enough away from the cliff's edge that we couldn't see what was down there, but I wasn't interested in finding out. In fact I found it horrifying. I realized I never saw his body; I had been so concerned with Scootaloo and then getting them all up that the way it played I never actually did get around to thoughtfully considering what did happen down there.

"Let's go," I muttered.

Before we could move - which we did not - a glow of light suddenly started to appear on the sides of the cliffs and mountains rising over the back and the sides of the bowl from which we had came. It got stronger and brighter with more time, as though some shining ball of light was coming up slowly from the bottom. The kids began to gasp, holding each other with fear and grabbing tightly to their adult's neck.

"What is this new devilry?" whispered Whitewash.

All eyes turned to me for answers. But my face was locked in that direction. No... I thought to myself. This can't be happening. Please... Scootaloo and Pipsqueak both leaned in and held on tightly.

"Sonic let's go!" she begged into my ear.

Then - totally without warning - there was a tremendous sound of wind and an explosion of light and sound. We all looked up... There in the sky, just above us, he appeared. His body glowed with a shining aurora in the dark sky like the moon in a sea of black. He was still the same - the same handsome purple stallion head, a black robe that now had streaks of white, white claws, white feet, upright on two legs... and two lifeless white eyes. He hovered still where he was without using his white wings. Only now he was surrounded by what seemed like a hundred tiny white stars, moving in different directions all around him and twinkling brightly.

We all stood in speechless silence. He stared forward intently and with a purpose at first, as unmoving as a stone. Then his trademark smirk - arrogant, unsettling, and subtly insidious - formed across his face as he turned down to look at all of us. Opening his claws with his palms facing upward and without opening his mouth, he addressed all of us in our minds.

Before we get to introductions, since you all are wondering what these are... this, I would say, is merely something I've been saving for a rainy day. You can think of it as my prized collection. Why yes... I am interested in adding to it.