I was on the bridge with Xenith at my side. She was silent so far, and it was starting to unnerve me.

“Bit for your thoughts?” I ask her. She blinks a couple times before looking out the windows of our new mobile command center.

“I am contemplating what you said before we got onto this great machine.” She tells me, “That with what you said after we landed has stirred my thoughts.” She says before giving a small yawn.

“You must be exhausted.” I point out to her.

“Yet I will not rest until I have Little Pip with me again.” She says to me before yawning again.

“That is no way to help this world. How can you expect to help if you fall asleep when we get there? Come, let’s get you to somewhere you can sleep for the next little bit. We still have a couple hours left before we arrive at New Apploosa.” I tell her.

“Very well then.” She says before standing once more. She stumbles, and I am at her side, steadying her without a word.

“General, can you send for someone to escort us to a room to rest in?” I ask the stallion in the command chair.

“Yes,” He answers before putting a hoof up to his headset, “Night Feather, report to the bridge.” He says into the small device. After a few minutes a Pegasus mare enters the bridge before saluting the general with the metal tail of her armor.

“Night Feather reporting as requested.” The mare says.

“Fly steady soldier.” The general says returning the mare’s salute with one of his own. The armored mare moves into a different stance.

“Please escort the Prince and Miss Xenith to some quarters to rest in.” He tells the young mare.

“Yes sir.” The mare says with another salute. The general returns it swiftly before we follow the mare out into the hall, and down into the belly of the Thunderhead.

“Miss Feather,” I say remembering the name slightly.

“Yes Prince?” She asks me.

“Are you related to a Unicorn mare known as Feather Touch?” I ask her.

“Yes, I am one of her descendants.” She answers, “If I may ask, why?” I chuckle.

“Feather Touch was my Head maid back before I was imprisoned on the moon. I asked because your voice is almost exactly the same.” I say before Night stops in front of a door.

“These are your rooms, the general has ordered me to bunk you both in my room as there are three empty beds.” Night says before sliding the door open with her hoof.

Before the door opens all the way I catch a spark of a magic plasma weapon. I shoved Night out of the way, and took the shot that was meant for her, and felt the plasma burn into my chest plate. I light my horn to retaliate, but Xenith moved in, and incapacitated the assassin that was in wait at our room.

I burst into the room, and ignite my horn to fill the room of blinding light to any other aggressors that waited for me.

I hear one other pony yelp at the sudden brightness that only they could see.

I turn to the pony, and slam them into the metal wall of the room with my magic, causing the pony to black out.

“Night, I want you in here to guard Xenith as she rests.” I tell the enclave mare at the door before picking up the two would be assassins in my magic, and exiting the room before retracing our steps back up onto the bridge where the General was sitting with a fresh hot beverage of some sort.

“These two thought it would be a good idea to try to kill me and my friend.” I say before tossing them in front of the general with little care. The one Xenith had hit groaned into the flooring, and the other was still unconscious.

“You have my apologies prince; I will take care of these two personally once we have arrived at New Apploosa.” The general says before pressing a button on the side of his chair.

After a few seconds six ponies trot into the room, and stand in front of the general with salutes.

“Take these two to the brig. They tried to harm our guests.” The general orders the six dark blue armored ponies. Said ponies salute again before taking the two assassins away from the bridge.

“How much longer until we arrive?” I ask the general.

“Hour and a half at most, but with the raptors tugging us at their full power we’ll most likely be there in 45 minutes.” He tells me. I nod in acknowledgment.

“Send someone for me once we arrive.” I say before leaving the bridge to head back to the room I was sharing with Feather, and Xenith.

“As you say Prince.” The general answers before the door slides shut behind me.

The walk back to my room was uneventful, and I was glad for it. I was already tired of using violence as a means of negotiation.

I entered the room to see Xenith sleeping next to Night Feather on the same bunk.

I smiled at the sight before taking off my armor and royal attire, before I laid down on one of the other bunks, and falling asleep.

I wake up to a pounding at the door to my shared room. Night was the first to wake up fully, and get to the door to see who was at the door.

“The general sent me to inform the Prince that we have arrived at New Apploosa.” I hear from the doorway.

“He will be up soon.” Feather replies with a hoof salute since she was out of her armor.

“Take him to the hanger instead.” The other Pegasus says before leaving.

“Prince?” Feather asks me.

“I heard, but thanks for asking anyways.” I say as I drag myself out of the cot, and don my now scorched armor.

“I have a question.” Night Feather says. I gesture with a hoof to tell her to continue.

“Is there any way I would be able to go with you on your journeys?” she asks me. I look to her before shifting my eyes over to Xenith before moving back to Night.

“I have a better idea. I’m going to ask if I can have this ship, and I need someone that can keep her and her crew running. If I acquire this ship for myself would you be willing to be her new general?” I ask her.

She looks shocked in the least. She sputters for an answer as I wake up Xenith with my magic. The Zebra rolls out of the cot, and stands up and stretches, giving me a rather pleasant view that I averted my eyes from without much difficulty.

“How long was I asleep?” Xenith asks me as she stands up straight.

“A couple hours at most, but I can tell that it was well deserved.” I say as I sling my rifle over my neck, and look to Feather to see she is fully suited up in her black Enclave armor.

“Then let us go.” Xenith replies before we feel the ship shudder as it starts to slow to a stop.

We all break into a light trot down towards the hangar. I was feeling a little giddy at the idea of a literal flying fortress of my own.

It took a few minutes for the ship to stop fully near the town of New Apploosa. We had made it to the hangar during that time, and I jumped out of the open bay doors at the end of the hangar where the ship met the sky.

Xenith was already on my back by then, and we dived for the small town beneath us.

I see Night come up next to me with her helmet off, and nod to her with a small smile before we both pull out of the dive.

I made my way into the railcar wall town, and landed in the center of it.

Before much could be said from the town’s ponies Pyrelight gave a happy trill from overhead before landing on my shoulders.

\Hello my friend./ I say to the phoenix.

\I’ve been waiting for your return./ She replies as she nuzzles my neck from behind. I ruffle my feathers from the heat Pyrelight pressed into my neck.

“Prince, we have company.” Night says before I look to see Little Pip and her friends approaching, as well as Ditzy Doo and a small unicorn filly. I wave to them, and they wave back.

“They’re friends.” I answer Night as Xenith slides off of my back.

“Heya there Artermis, how was the talk with the High General?” Calamity asks me as he trots up in front of me.

“I’d say I managed to get us a new ride.” I say as I look up to see the New Cloudsdale fire a harpoon into the ground below her to act as an anchor to keep itself in place.

“What!? Ya’ll mean to tell me that ya got the New Cloudsdale’s General to give ya his services?” Calamity asks in shock. I look down to the group before me, and nod.

“Yes, but it will not stay that color if I get the pony that I want to be in charge of her, and she will be renamed as well.” I answer to the befuddled Pegasus before me.

He promptly faints from the apparently unbelievable feat that I just accomplished.

“I think it is time you explained the how.” Ditzy says as she gets closer to me, and then gives me a hug. I smile, and hug her in return.

“Well,” I say as she lets go of me, “Xenith and I simply flew up to the New Cloudsdale, and told them who I am. The general was very willing to lend me his services.” I say as I look up to the giant arcanotechnological marvel that was looming over the small town.

“Prince, why did you really come back?” Little Pip asks me. I look to her with a little surprise at how she saw through my lies fairly easily. And I am a master at deception.

“I have given my reasons, but if you Little Pip wish to know more, then it will have to be in an area where only you and I can talk freely.” I tell the young mare before me.

I notice a few of the pegasi from my ship drop down, and land next to me.

“Prince, the General would like to speak with you.” One of the soldiers says to me.

“Then he can do so on the ground.” I reply as I look back up to the thunderhead.

“He said it was either you come to him, or we leave.” The soldier replies with a bow to me. His wings spread in front of him. I extend my wings before looking down to the soldiers near me.

“Then tell him that I will be there soon. I have a few things to take care of here before I can speak with him.” I answer. The soldier nods before the small group of pegasi take off back to the ship.

“Night Feather, if you are going to be joining me I need you to change the color of your armor.” I tell the mare that had sworn herself to me.

She nods before asking, “What colors would you prefer Prince?” I look over to her.

“The colors that represent Equestria, before she was poisoned.” I answer. Night nods at my answer before taking off to my ship to do as I asked.

“Mommy, who is that?” I hear a little filly ask. I look to where the voice came from, and see the small child next to Ditzy looking at me with a tilted head.

“He is the one that healed me, and fixed my body to look good again.” Ditzy tells the young filly.

“Do you think he could...” I couldn’t hear what she whispers into her mother’s ear. Ditzy looks to me after the filly was done telling her mother what she wanted me to attempt.

“Prince, is it possible to regrow a unicorn’s horn?” She asks me. I blink a couple times.

“That depends on how much of the horn is left.” I answer before looking to the little hornless filly.

“May I see?” I ask her as I lay down in front of the filly. The child shies away from me, but Ditzy pushes her to be in front of me.

“Go on Sweetie Pie, he won’t hurt you.” Ditzy says to her adopted daughter.

I smile gently to the scared filly, and she slowly moves her hoof to part her hair out of the way. I look upon the remnants of her horn to see that she had sawn it off on purpose near the base. There was barely enough for my spell to work on her. I look into Sweetie’s eyes.

“I can fix it, but it will hurt quite a bit.” I tell the young child in front of me.

“I could give her an anesthetic spell so she wouldn’t feel it at all.” Velvet Remedy tells me as she tends to the still unconscious Calamity.

“No, the body would never be able to tell that the horn was regrown without the pain telling it that it did so.” I answer before looking back to Sweetie.

“Do you want me to heal it, and have you face the pain to be able to use magic again, or do you just want to leave t as it is?” I ask her. She looks terrified at the idea of having to sit through the pain as I heal her, but she slowly nods either way.

“Okay, I will do the spell only at your home though. I don’t want to get distracted by something out here.” I say before standing up, and using a simple force spell on myself to push the dirt on my coat back down to the ground.

“Prince, you have a few more pegasi on the way down.” Little Pip tells me. I glance at the soldiers for a couple seconds before saying, “Miss Doo, please go home and wait for me there, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I tell the grey mare.

“Okay, just don’t take too long.” Ditzy tells me before letting her daughter up onto her back, and trotting on towards her home.

I look up to the second small group of soldiers to see that they all have pure white armor with a simple red cross on the chest plate. These were medical ponies.

The medical pegasi land, and bow to me with their wings spread before the forward one spoke to me.

“Prince, we have been sent by the general to offer aid to this town.” The lead tells me.

“That is very generous of him. Now, remember that not all the ponies here see very many pegasi, so I suggest removing the helmets while you are on the surface.” I say to them.

“But the air-” I cut off his rebuttal.

“Is just fine, I have been breathing it for long enough to tell if it were toxic or not, and the only thing wrong with the air is that it is uncared for.” I say to him with a small smirk.

“Tend to your duties medical pegasi; I have something to take care of before I go to see the general.” The white armored ponies all bow once more before trotting off, and offering assistance to anypony who would accept it.

I turn to go to Ditzy’s home, and see that Xenith was there looking at me with what looks to be confusion.

“Yes Miss Xenith?” I ask her. She looks me in the eye.

“I find it hard to believe that you are simply here to help when your cutie mark is that of the night.” She says with her eyes narrowed.

“Xenith, this is a talk for later when I don’t have an injured pony to deal with. I will tell you and the others my story only after my previous meetings are finished.” I say before walking around her, and heading for Ms. Doo’s home.

I watch as ponies from this small town look on at me in wonder, and fear. I could understand their emotions, especially after what the false goddess had created.

I make it to Ditzy’s home, and find that it also doubled as a store. I read the name to the store, ‘Absolutely Everything,’ and chuckle before heading inside.

I see that the inside of the store was similar to that of a hardware store. Random objects were hung from the walls, and what seems to be quite literally everything, from small trinkets to what looks to be a single cannon that fired anything from it, literally anything. This item was labeled the ‘rock-it launcher.’

I then cast my gaze to the griffin that was guarding the store from one of the corners. I tilted my head slightly at the sight of the non-pony being that was looking at me warily.

“Oh, you’re here!” I hear to my side where there was a door that I had previously assumed was to a broom closet, but was actually the home part of Ditzy’s shop.

“Yes, is Sweetie Pie ready?” I ask her. She nods her head with a worried expression.

“As much as she can be right now.” Ditzy answers with her right eye wandering away from focus. I nod to her and follow her into the small living room of her house shop mix.

“This spell will take probably five minutes, but since Sweetie had purposefully removed her horn it may take me half an hour to regrow her horn. Now if she still had the removed piece of it I could just reattach it to her remaining horn without the painful process of regeneration, and she wouldn’t have to rebuild her fortitude for magic.” I explain as we enter the unicorn filly’s room.

“I… I think I still have my horn.” Sweetie says quietly before moving to the small metal cabinet that works as her dresser.

Opening the middle drawer, she removes a small silver colored horn from said drawer before holding it out to me.

“I hope whatever caused you to remove it is not a problem anymore, because I can only regrow it once, and reattach it once.” I say before my horn lights in a brilliant lightshow.

Silver’s horn slowly moves from the filly’s hoof back to where it was before it was removed from its home.

“Hold still.” I say gently before infusing my magic into the horn to make it heal back onto Silver’s forehead.

It took three minutes before the horn was completely fused back into place.

Silver bell had fallen asleep from the magic bursting back into her after so long without.

“She is fine, but she will need to rest for some time. I will return when I can to check on her from time to time. Until I see you again Miss Doo.” I say before leaving the store.