//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 - Ten Months 
// Story: Quantum Gallop 
// by Goldfur 
//------------------------------//

Silk sighed in relief as he walked in the door of his home for the past several months.  There was a certain degree of comfort in having a steady job that was not dull, but being a bartender in a griffon tavern was hardly his idea of a life goal.  And while the situation at the bar had improved considerably since he had started there, some nights were still worse than others.  Tonight had been such a night, and he looked forward to relaxing with his coltfriend.

He spotted Destined lying on the sofa, resting with his eyes closed, but just as Silk was about to call out a greeting, the alicorn suddenly disappeared.  There was no flash and bang of teleportation; Destined just quietly blinked out of existence.  Silk was only stunned for a moment until he figured out what had happened, and then he grinned as an idea occurred to him.  He made himself comfortable on the opposite side of the sofa from where Destined had been, faced in his direction, and then waited.  Silk had to be more patient than he had anticipated, but suddenly Destined blinked back into existence and opened his eyes.

“BOO!” Silk said with a toothy grin.

“Waahaaa!”  Destined flailed in surprise and fell off the sofa onto the floor.

Silk laughed as he looked down at the stallion sprawled haphazardly on the rug.  “Sorry about that, Des, but the opportunity was too good to miss, and I needed a laugh.”

Destined grumbled as he righted himself.  “Happy to have been of service.  How come you’re home so early?”

“Early?  For such an expert on time, you sure have lost track of it.  If you have been practicing those time-jumps a lot, you probably have skipped an hour or two.”

Destined looked over to the wall-clock and noted the time.  “Oh, horsefeathers!  I didn’t mean to do that much.”

“I think you managed to jump ahead a whole five minutes that time.  That’s pretty impressive.”

Destined snorted in disdain as he climbed up next to Silk.  “I can jump way further than that!  I’m just restricting myself to very small jumps for a few reasons.  First, I still worry about getting out of sync with History, so I’m reducing the risk with small jumps.  Also, I was concerned about losing too much of the day, as I just did apparently.  Lastly though, I’m focusing on building up my endurance.  It’s taking a lot less effort to do that five minute jump than when I first did it.”

Silk pondered that, then asked, “So, are you going to try to take us home without the power that Blue supplies?”

Destined laughed.  “Not a chance!  Maybe one of these decades, but not anytime soon.  However, my goal is to be able to take our entire team at least a few minutes away from harm in an emergency.  Chrysalis showed how teleportation can be blocked, but I’m unaware of any way to block a time-jump.”

“That’s a pretty good idea, and pretty damn amazing,” Silk said admiringly.  “I have a really talented coltfriend.”  The thestral put his foreleg around Destined and pulled him into a hug and nuzzle.

Destined blushed, but returned the nuzzle before kissing the bat-pony and hesitantly asking, “Silk… did you have any… other coltfriends before me?”

Silk looked at Destined curiously.  “What brought this on?  Yes, I had a couple.  Does it matter?”

Destined bit his lower lip uncertainly.  “Can you tell me about them?”

Silk had an inkling of what was bothering the alicorn.  “Well, my first was when I still a teenager in school.  I’d known that I was gay for a while, but I hadn’t been interested in doing anything about it until I met an earth pony in class who was similarly inclined.  We… experimented with each other, discovering what it was like to be with another stallion.  We had some good times, but when school ended, we went our separate ways.  While we were friends, we really didn’t have much in common, so we parted amicably.  The same can’t be said for the next.”

Silk sighed sadly.  “I was not particularly interested in pursuing a relationship for a long while, so it was a couple of years before I fell in with a pegasus that I met at a dance club.  For a while, we had a good time together, but he slowly started getting more aggressive, and then abusive.  One night it got so bad that I used my sonic blast on him, and then promised to do a lot worse if he ever came near me again.  Thankfully he took the hint and stayed away.  I was rather soured on any sort of relationship for quite a long time after that.”

“Oh.  I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  I learned a lot from both of those, and I made sure that I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.  For a time, I concentrated on making friends rather than coltfriends.”

“So what attracted you to me?  I know I was pretty much in denial about my own sexuality back then, but even so I was aware that your interest was more than professional.  That’s what made me so nervous and excited about visiting you at the spa.”

Silk grinned roguishly.  “Aside from you being drop-dead handsome and sexy?”  He kissed Destined on the cheek.  “I think it was your innocence and completely unfeigned niceness.  I had dealt with a variety of attitudes over the years, but yours was so refreshing.  I selfishly wanted to have more of it.”  Silk chuckled.  “I even made a deal with Aloe and Lotus so that I would always be available to you whenever you visited the spa.”

Destined stared at Silk in surprise.  “So that’s why I never had a problem getting an appointment with you!”

“Yep!  I would have done even more to encourage you, but you seemed to want to come anyway.”

Destined blushed again, even more than before.  Silk found that so adorable!  “You were the sexiest stallion that I had ever met,” the alicorn admitted.  “You started awakening something in me that I had never felt before.  My brother, Flix, and my sister, Pif, are the same age as me, but both were in some sort of relationship before I even got started.  Pif is a changeling and doesn’t even respond to affection the same way as a pony, and she still got a marefriend before I ever thought about a relationship with anyone.  I didn’t really know how to go about having one, so I just started hanging out with you as much as I could.”

Silk chuckled.  “Silly stallion!  That is one way you can start a relationship.  I loved that you liked sharing my activities outside of the spa.  Those weeks before we went back in time were some of the best in my life, and to be able to spend these past few months with you has been an unexpected blessing.  You’ve made this an adventure rather than a trial.  As long as you are with me, I’m happy.”  Silk’s happy smile melded into one of curiosity.  “So what brought on these questions?”

For a moment it seemed that Destined was not going to answer, but he was actually trying to find the right words.  “I have… fallen in love with you, Silk, and I think I’m ready to… go to the next level.”

“You mean you’re ready to have sex?” Silk asked gently.

Destined blushed and merely nodded in reply.

“Are you sure, Des?  It’s a big step to go from coltfriends to lovers.”

“Is anyone really ever completely ready?  Were you?”

Silk shook his head.  “That’s why I said we experimented in school – we were learning too.  I know enough now that I believe I can show you why good sex is called making love, and I would be honored to teach you.”

Destined lowered his eyes shyly.  “Please do, Silk.”

Silk got up from the sofa and gently pulled Destined along with him to the bedroom.  “I will do my very best, but let me say this first.  I love you too, Destined Path.  I have been sure of that for a while now but I have been waiting for you to feel the same way too.  I promise that I will do my best to make that true for the rest of our days together.”

“And I’ll make that same promise,” Destined replied as he sat on the edge of the bed.  “So, how do we start this?”

Silk smiled tenderly.  “How about with a kiss?”  He leaned forward to bring his lips to Destined, and the alicorn met him partway.

They had kissed often enough before, but this time they both let their feelings rise, and they embraced with growing passion.  Then Silk began to show Destined greater intimacies, and the alicorn colt finally learned to be a full-grown stallion lover.


# # #


Pif woke with a jerk and sat up in bed, wondering what had disturbed her.  Citrine was still peacefully slumbering by her side, so that wasn’t it.  There was no unusual weather either.  Then her fuzzy mind cleared and she tasted the heady mixture of true love and lust wafting through the wall from the apartment next door.  She slowly grinned.  “Way to go, brother,” she murmured as she settled back onto the pillow.  She giggled softly.  “Seems like I won’t be getting too much sleep for a while.”


# # #


“My Queen, I have found another,” Bright Spark said to Pif as she exited the DFI building.

Pif’s tired expression lightened.  “Great!  I could do with some good news.”

“Another hard day?” the changeling infiltrator asked as she led Pif away to her discovery.

“Aren’t they all?  I’ve been doing a lot better though ever since you’ve been able to supply me with love gel sandwiches to fortify me during the day.  So which one did you find, Spark?”

Bright Spark smiled happily.  “The one you most hoped to get – one of Princess Celestia’s mares-in-waiting.”

“Excellent!  How did you get her out of the castle?”

“I didn’t have to.  It seems that one of the other mares-in-waiting is celebrating her engagement at a local restaurant, and she invited all the off-duty ones to participate.  Of course, the infiltrator accepted as part of her cover.”

“I gather they are at the restaurant right now?” Pif asked, picking up her pace eagerly.

“Yes.  Depending on how much they celebrate, I estimate that they should be still there anywhere from half an hour to an hour.  I believe the crowded nature of the venue and the necessity for reservations would preclude them from dallying longer.”

“Good.  I’ll get our little trap laid by then.”

Spark stopped outside of a fairly high-end establishment in restaurant row and pointed through the window.  “The mare with the light blue coat and pink mane.  She goes by the name of Cotton Doily.”

Pif nodded after fixing the changeling’s pony guise in her mind, and then she sent a message over her mini-network.  Pif now had seven infiltrator drones attached to her hive-mind, thanks to the assiduous work of Bright Spark who knew the identities of many of Chrysalis’ infiltrators.  As each had been added, it had gotten easier to isolate and assimilate them, and she had a plan worked out to deal with the one infiltrator that had eluded her so far due to being staying constantly in the castle where it was difficult for her to follow and act.

Forty minutes after Pif arrived, the celebration party seemed to be breaking up.  Three of the mares at the table got up and headed for the door, including her target.

‘Everyling – the operation is about to commence!’ Pif sent over her network.

As expected, all three mares headed off in the direction of the castle.  Pif and Spark discreetly started following, and the remainder of the team was given the signal to start the operation.  As the threesome came to an intersection, a large wagon being drawn by two burly earth ponies abruptly turned into the path of the mares.  Surrounding pedestrians dived out of the way, shoving the mares-in-waiting apart.  In the chaos, one of them was shepherded aside into an alleyway which was promptly blocked off by another pony with a cart.

Tea Service and Layer Cake stared after the offending wagon with a mixture of consternation and disgust.

“What do you suppose that was all about?” Tea Service asked.

“I have no idea, but I hope the City Guard apprehends those ruffians!” Layer Cake replied.

Tea Service looked around.  “Where’s Doily?”

“Over here,” the blue mare replied, walking up to join them.  “I was shoved to the other side of the street.”

“Let’s get back to the castle before anything else happens,” Layer Cake said.

“I agree totally,” replied Bright Spark with Cotton Doily’s voice as she fell in with the mares.


The real Cotton Doily was still trying to get reoriented, but just then she sensed a surge of changeling magic and green flames briefly lit the alleyway.  She turned around and gasped at the one she saw standing there.

Doily shook with shock.  “Queen Chrysalis!  What are you doing here, Your Majesty?”

‘Chrysalis’ walked up to the mare and said imperiously, “Transform and report!”

Obediently, Cotton Doily assumed her true form and was about to speak when ‘Chrysalis’ leaned forward to touch horns with her.  The drone’s eyes widened and glowed with the power of the Queen that flowed through her.  Within moments, her knowledge had been gleaned and the connection to her hive severed.  Chrysalis’ form flared once again to reveal Pif’s chrome carapace, and she backed away from the shaking drone.

“Whom do you obey, Infiltrator Bezzet?” Pif demanded.

Doily bowed low.  “I obey you, Queen Epiphany.”

“Resume your normal pony duties, but avoid all unnecessary contact with other Blue Changelings other than those on my network.  Chrysalis must not be made aware that you are no longer hers.  Be prepared to join us soon for a full induction into my mini-network.”

“I will obey, Your Majesty.”  Bezzet resumed her pony form.

Epiphany shifted to her unicorn guise.  “Believe it or not, I’m sure that you will quickly come to enjoy being part of my hive, as have all the others.”  The cart that was blocking the alley was pulled aside by another of Pif’s drones upon a mental command, and the chrome changeling started to leave.  She paused and turned her head to give Doily a warm smile. “Welcome to the team.  And call me Pif.”


# # #


“So you’ve got eight infiltrator drones now?” Lucida asked.

“That’s right,” Pif replied.  “Enough to make a sufficiently large network to safely download the information in Zark’s head.”

“Are you going to do that tonight?”

Pif shook her head.  “I’ll let Doily settle down for now.  Like the other seven, she will be a little disoriented and coming to terms with the change of leadership.  While her loyalty isn’t suspect, her execution of my commands will improve as she gets comfortable with the new arrangement and realizes how much better her life will be without Chrysalis.”

“So – in a few more days then?” Lucida suggested hopefully.

Pif sighed.  “Look – I know that you’re eager to get this intel, and so am I, but it still bothers me that I will most likely destroy Zark in the process.”

Lucida looked at her sister sympathetically.  “I understand, but not only might that information save untold lives in the future, but that particular drone might also be too great a risk to keep around.  He’s not like the other infiltrators; he’s one of Chrysalis’ specially bred drones with unknown capabilities.  I might be a bit paranoid, but there are too many risks involved with keeping Zark.  Remember General Breezon?”

Pif groaned in frustration.  “I know!  That still doesn’t make it any easier!”

“Perhaps we’ll find an alternative.  Forget about my impatience, Pif.  We’ve got until Cinder’s eggs hatch for us to find a solution.”

Pif hugged her big sister.  “Thanks, Lucy.”

Lucida returned the hug willingly.  “No problem, sis.”


# # #


Pif was unwinding after another hard day at the Displaced Foundlings Institute, sprawled on the sofa of her and Citrine’s room, with a love-gel sandwich bolstering her energy level.  She heard the apartment’s door opening, and she could already taste her companion’s emotions.  Something was not quite right.

“Hi, Piffy!” came Citrine’s voice, cheerful as usual, but a bit more subdued than normal.

“Hello, love.  Is something wrong with – GASP!  What happened to you?!”  Pif stared aghast at Citrine’s bruised and battered form, one eye swollen shut.

Citrine waved a hoof dismissively.  “I’m okay – just a little altercation at the tavern today.  Should’ve seen the other guys!”

Pif came over to Citrine to look over her more carefully.  “You’re far from okay.  How did you get so beat up?” she persisted.

Citrine sighed in resignation.  “Three buddies ganged up on me.  If I could have armoured up, I could have coped, but I knew Lucida would hit the ceiling if I went crystal.”

“For Celestia’s sake, Citrine – we don’t expect you to get yourself killed trying to keep the secret!  We could have passed it off as some sort of protective charm or something.  We need you.  I need you!”

“Aw, c’mon, Pif!  It looks worse than it is.  I’ve got friends watching my back too.  The regulars came to my rescue.  Pretty much pounded the punks into paste and plucked them naked.”

“I’m glad to hear that they got what they deserved, but I’m still concerned about you.  Just because you think you’re okay, doesn’t mean that you are.  Come on!”  Pif hooked a foreleg around Citrine’s and pulled her towards the door.

“Where are we going?”

“To Destined’s room.  He’s home already, and he can use a healing spell on you.”

The alicorn was equally shocked at Citrine’s appearance, and he needed no urging to start a healing spell immediately.  After several minutes, the worst of the bruising had subsided, and Citrine could see through both eyes again, even if one was still recognizably blackened.

As he worked, Destined asked, “Why didn’t you go straight to the hospital and get treated?  The doctors there are better at specialist healing spells than me, and it’s obvious that you had to be in some pain.”

Citrine scoffed, “I’ve had worse when I was with my posse in the Crystal City.”

“I doubt it.  It’s a good thing Pif brought you to me, because I detected some internal bleeding.  I’ve stopped it and you’ll be okay now, but you’re not going to work tomorrow.”

“I second that,” Pif added.

“Okay!  Okay!  Stop nagging me!” Citrine said irritably.  “Garth told me to stay home anyway.  Can’t fight you all, I suppose.”

“Could you consider quitting that job?  I worry about you,” Pif asked earnestly.

Citrine just grinned broadly.  “Not a chance, Piffy.  I like my job.  I’ve made a difference there too.  Even the City Guard has noticed that there have been a lot fewer brawls there lately.”

Pif shook her head helplessly, then leaned forward to rest her forehead against Citrine’s, taking a bit of comfort from the positive emotions her companion was radiating.  “You can’t cure everything with a laugh, you know?”

“I’ve been doing okay so far.  You worry too much.”

Pif poked a sore area with her hoof, and the crystal pony flinched.  “I don’t think so, Citrine.  I can’t marry a dead pony, so try to be more careful, please.”

Citrine’s expression grew a little more serious than usual.  “I promise, love.”

“All done!” Destined announced as his horn’s glow died away.

“Thanks, Des,” Citrine said.

“Anything for my future sister-in-law, Ms. Quartz.”

Citrine mock-glared at Destined.  “You cruisin’ for a bruisin’, future bro?  Nopony gets stuffy and formal with me!”

Destined grinned, waggled his eyebrows, and said, “First you gotta catch me!”  He promptly disappeared in a flash and bang of teleportation.

“He’ll keep for later,” Citrine said smugly.  “Right now I think we’re missing some serious snuggling time.”

“Amen to that,” Pif replied as they headed for the door and back to their room.


# # #


Sterling came home as normal after an uneventful evening shift, expecting to find a light meal waiting for him before he went to bed.  Instead he was inundated with a wave of roiling emotions that made him hesitate for a moment before bracing himself and heading directly for the bedroom.

Usually Lucida was fast asleep, and only woke enough to snuggle up to him when he climbed into the bed to get some sleep.  The hippogriff never did anything else, but even in that barely conscious state, she radiated some mild happiness which he ate like a tasty snack.  It definitely helped him to go to sleep easily, especially if it had been a difficult day’s work.  He was happy that he could be a source of comfort to her as she had the responsibility of being the team’s guiding claw, and the big mistake that she had made still weighed heavily on her as she considered the effects the unplanned stay were having on the others.  Sterling had yet to decide if he wanted to fan that pleasure in his being with her into something more, but tonight he might have to do something that might sway that decision.

Lucida was tossing and turning on the bed, the covers mostly in disarray on the floor.  She was moaning and panting, and her scent was overwhelming.  The hippogriff was in the throes of estrus, and if he was any judge of mares after all these years, she probably had been for much of the day.  He wondered how she had managed to do her job if it was this bad.

“Lucida,” Sterling said gently but firmly.

The hippogriff jerked at the sound of his voice, looking up and noticing for the first time that he was there.  She made a visible effort to collect herself, striving pointlessly to conceal her sexual distress.

“Sterling!  I… I didn’t realize that it was so late.”  She attempted a laugh.  “Haven’t made the bed up yet….”

“Stop it, Lucida.  I know that you’re in heat.  How bad is it?”

Lucida’s face fell.  “Can’t hide anything from you, can I?  It… it’s bad.  I’ve never had it so strong before.  I thought that I could get through it like I have all the other times.  I’ve already had three cold showers!”

“So, that implies that you’re a virgin.  It’s not unusual for an unbred mare to have a stronger heat.  It’s your body saying that it’s more than ready to make foals, and it doesn’t want to be denied.”

“Blunt but true,” Lucida conceded even as she shuddered as another wave of desire surged through her.

“Trying to ignore it obviously isn’t working.  You really have only two alternatives – medication or satisfaction.  Like most mares, you apparently have spurned the former, so why not try the latter?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I haven’t got a special someone that I could do that with.”

“That’s not a problem for most mares.  Be honest – you’re nervous because you’re a virgin, and you can’t make a decision because of it.  Making decisions is what you do all the time, and the fact that you can’t is just making the situation worse.”

Lucida sat on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around herself, trying to contain her feelings and refusing to look him in the eyes.  “You don’t pull any punches, do you?” she replied without acknowledging the truth of his statements.

“I’m a soldier, not a therapist.”  He moved up to Lucida and placed a hoof under her chin.  He raised her head so that she had to look at him.  “Lucida, you know what I am and what I do.  I am your friend, and if you wish, I can offer you the relief that you need.”

There was a long silence from the hippogriff as she considered his words.  Finally she asked, “Have you done this with other mares?”

“Several times, although they all asked me first.”  He chuckled.  “Something about being a Royal Guard attracts the mares.  This is the first time though that I have offered before being asked.”

“Why now?” Lucida asked.

“Because I care for you.  I enjoy being with you, and it bothers me to see you like this.”

“So it’s not the chance to have some sex?”

“I believe you know better.  Changeling drones are not driven by sex, as most species are.  Yes, we can enjoy sex, but we don’t need it.  You do though.  I can offer this with pure intentions.  Lucida, let me relieve your sexual tensions.”

Lucida blushed fiercely, but nodded.  “Can I ask one favor?”

Sterling tilted his head curiously.  “What is it?”

“The chances of me meeting another hippogriff, let alone a male one my age, is extremely small, but I’ve often fantasized about having one as a special someone.”

“Say no more,” Sterling said with a smile.  Magic red fire engulfed his unicorn form and in its place was a magnificent hippogriff stallion.

Lucida’s heart leaped as a surge of lust swept over her.  She rose up into Sterling’s embrace and kissed him fiercely, beaks locked together and tongues entwining.  Then she fell back onto the bed, pulling him with her.  She broke the kiss and said hoarsely, “Make me a real mare!”


# # #


Pif sat up in bed, her eyes widening in surprise before she realized what was happening.  There was still just one emotional signature coming from Lucida’s room, but with the unmistakable feelings only generated by a couple.  ‘Looks like I’ll be able to get to sleep tonight after all,’ she thought.  ‘Although, considering Lucida’s needs, maybe not too soon,’ she added with a giggle.


# # #


Four weeks later.

Lucida watched in consternation as Destined galloped past her into one of the empty classrooms.  She followed him inside before he slammed the door closed.  She regarded the cardboard wings that were stuck askew on his back over the jacket that he wore to conceal his real wings.

“Hail the mighty alicorn!” she said with a giggle.

Destined rolled his eyes.  “I caught Cirrus trying to give Captain Cluck flying lessons, so I confiscated the wings as a reminder that Path can’t really fly with them.  Big mistake!  Cirrus immediately declared that I was an evil sorcerer who had stolen Captain Cluck’s wings, and they had to defeat me.”

“So?  You’re trying to tell me that you can’t handle two foals?”

“Two?!  Try most of his class!  You of all people should know that those two have corrupted almost all the foals in his class and they’re all now minions of Commander Trotty and Captain Cluck.  They all decided to join in conquering the evil sorcerer.”

Lucida laughed.  “Yes, those two made school time so much fun that the foals just wanted to be part of it despite turning their noses up at them originally  Cirrus and Path went from being two lonely souls to the center of attention.  They have quite a following now, as you have found out.”

Destined pulled the wings off his back and levitated them to Lucida.  “Well, you can tell them that you defeated me and return the wings.  I’m staying here until it’s safe!”

“Coming to your rescue again, Des?” Lucida asked with a huge grin.

“Yeah, yeah!” he acknowledged with a dismissive wave.  “Return wings now; gloat later.”

“You owe me, brother,” she said as she exited the classroom to look for the mischievous duo.

Lucida looked forward to telling Sterling about this later.  The two had found a new dynamic – not quite lovers, but more than friends.  She had enjoyed sex with him a few times since the night of her heat, but it was a source of comfort and mutual pleasure rather than as passionate paramours.  She confided in him the difficulties and accomplishments of the day, and he did the same.  While she still looked forward to going home again, she was happy for now with a true friend sharing her life.


# # #


Three weeks later.

Pif stumbled into the Broken Beak Tavern, ignoring the stares of the clientele as she headed straight to the bar.  Citrine spotted her and her eyes widened in shock at the sight of her distressed lover.  She practically leaped over the bar to go to the disguised changeling.

“Pif!  What’s wrong?!”  Citrine enfolded her in her forelegs and concentrated on feeding her some of her love.

Pif drank it in hungrily and her shaking slowly stopped.  Eventually she whispered, “Stop, Citrine.  I don’t want to drain you.”

“Tell me what happened to you.”

“Not here,” Pif replied.

Citrine looked up to see Garth staring her way curiously.  “Boss!  Gotta go!”

The griffon nodded.  “If you see Silk, ask him to come in early.”

Citrine supported Pif as they left the tavern and headed home.  The changeling sank wearily onto the sofa before anything more was said.

“Okay, now spill it!” the crystal pony demanded.

“It was horrible, Citrine.  I’ve told you of the misconduct at the DFI, but today was the worst.  One of the new griffon chicks was almost maimed as she struggled against the abuse of the staff.  It was enough to cause a minor revolt among the other orphans, and the staff… they… Oh, Citrine, what they did to them!”  She burst into tears.

Citrine tried her best to comfort her beloved, but Pif was refusing to take any more emotional energy from her.  “Enough!  You have to expose the DFI now.  You owe it to the orphans.  You owe it to yourself!”

Pif nodded.  “I can’t go on like this, but I think I have enough evidence collected to prove my allegations.  I’ll take it to the authorities tomorrow.”

“No, you’ll take it to Princess Celestia!  She has to be good for something!”

Although Citrine’s opinion of the alicorn had improved since her first encounter, this past version of Celestia had not earned that respect as much, and Citrine did not usually want anything to do with her.  It had to take a serious situation for the crystal pony to consider dealing with the monarch of Equestria.  Pif appreciated that fact, and she nodded again.  “Okay.  I’ll take my evidence to her court tomorrow morning.”

“Good!  Now I’m going to see if Silk can go to work early, but I’ll be straight back.  You and me have to work this sickness out.”

Pif smiled at her lover as she headed for the door.  “Thanks, Citrine.  I love you.”

Citrine paused at the door to look back with a happy smile.  “I love you too, Piffy.”


# # #


Pif was unusually nervous as she approached the throne the next day after being announced.  She had detected a Red Changeling among the Royal Guards on duty in the throne room, but as this was happening before the invasion by Chrysalis, if the Guard realized that she was a changeling also, he was probably merely curious rather than concerned.  No, the nervousness was more due to the fact that she was about to cause a massive upheaval in the bureaucracy that had allowed the horrendous situation with the DFI to come about, and Princess Celestia was not going to be pleased at all.

Pif bowed before the alicorn princess.  One day in the future, Celestia would be a beloved aunt, but for now she was a stern ruler, and Pif a loyal subject.

“What can I do for you, my little pony?” Celestia asked formally with a gentle smile.

“Your Highness, I bring evidence of severe corruption and abuse that is prevalent in the Displaced Foundlings Institute.  I seek your intervention to correct this situation and bring justice for the orphans held there.”

Celestia frowned.  “Those are very serious allegations.  I trust that you have the evidence to back them up?”

“I do – far too much, in fact.”  Pif levitated a large stack of papers up to Celestia who took it in her magic.

The alicorn started leafing through the papers, and her frown grew stronger.  Not even a third of the way through, she stopped and turned to her Sergeant-at-Arms and said, “Court is now in recess.”  She looked at Pif and said, “Come with me, Agile Mind; we have work to do.”


# # #


The DFI was raided the next day, and all the staff arrested.  A crew of temporary helpers were brought in to take care of the orphans until they could be permanently dealt with.  It had been decided that the Institute was a lost cause and would be shut down, and to her surprise, Epiphany had been appointed to oversee the transition.

“Me?” Pif had blurted out when Celestia had given her the job.

Celestia had smiled and replied, “Who better than the pony who went to much trouble and risk to expose this terrible situation?  It’s obvious that you care for the welfare of those foundlings, so why not complete the job?”

Pif could not argue with that, and found some satisfaction in being able to personally take the orphans into a better situation.  That was why she was now in the foyer of the Canterlot Orphanage.

“Agile Mind to see Director Guiding Hoof, please,” Pif told the receptionist.

The mare nodded.  “One moment, please.”  She left to go to the director’s office, and returned moments later.  “Director Hoof will see you now.  He has been expecting you, Ms. Mind.”

“Thank you.”

Pif went to the indicated office and stepped inside.  As she closed the door behind her, she took note of the pony behind the desk.  The stallion had a light yellow coat with a very pale yellow mane.  He had a kind face and a gentle smile that she liked immediately.  Then his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized something.

“Well, well,” Guiding Hoof said.  “I did not expect Celestia’s representative to be a changeling.”  He narrowed his eyes and peered at her more closely.  “Although I can’t seem to determine which kind you are.  I would have to say Blue, although that hive is not usually associated with this kind of work.”

“You’ll find that there’s a lot that’s unusual about me, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline satisfying your understandable curiosity.  I was already aware that you are a Yellow Changeling though, and I have no problems with dealing with that.”  Pif did not add that she had met Guiding Hoof in the future when Twilight had introduced them on one occasion, and although the director still maintained his pony guise then, Twilight was privy to his secret, and had explained the yellow changeling’s role in the care of all of Canterlot’s orphans, as well as those from the many Equestrian towns and villages that did not have orphanages of their own.  Guide, as he insisted on being called, was a trusted and worthy protector and nurturer of those entrusted to his care.

“Excellent.  So let’s get down to business, shall we?  Was the situation at the Displaced Foundlings Institute as bad as I have been informed?”

“Probably a lot worse.  I was physically sickened many times by the negative emotions while I was working there to gather evidence against them.”

“I admire your dedication.  Could I interest you in a position here once we have concluded transitioning the orphans to our care?”

Pif smiled.  “Thank you for the offer, but I’m afraid that I won’t be able to take a permanent position because I will have to move on in few months.”

“I see.  Nevertheless I would be happy to have your help until then.  A familiar sympathetic face would aid in settling the orphans into our system here.”

“I think I would like that, Director Hoof.  I only insist that you do not pry into my background.”

“That is not my way of doing things, Ms. Mind.  Your privacy is assured.  We can find where you best fit in once we have completed our immediate task.  Shall we get started then?”

Pif nodded and pulled out of her saddlebag the inevitable bureaucratic material that was involved in transferring the responsibility of so many foundlings into the care of the Canterlot Orphanage.  “As always, everything starts with the paperwork.”


# # #


Ten months and four days had passed since Cinder had laid her eggs.  While the team eagerly looked forward to the imminent hatching, none of them were awaiting it without some regret.  They had all found places for themselves where they were happy and useful, and it was going to be a big change to go back to their old lives.  Nevertheless, only the parents looked forward more to seeing the eggs hatch.

It was the weekend, and all but Sterling were gathered as a family.  They had done so yesterday also, hoping that that would be the day, but unfortunately they had been disappointed.  Once again today they held out hope for a hatching, but the day was rapidly running out and they thought that they were out of luck again.  However, a shout from the bedroom raised their hopes.

Blue rushed into the bedroom, and soon he and Cinder returned, each carrying an egg.  Scratching sounds could be heard coming from the inside of both as they laid them onto a nest of bricks that had been made in the living room.  The purpose of this odd arrangement became clear as Blue backed away and Cinder leaned over the eggs and started belching fire over them.

As the room rapidly warmed, Blue explained, “The heat gives the dragonlings the energy to crack the shells, and it also makes the shells more brittle.  All dragons are born in fire.”

Before the temperature in the room got unbearable, the first egg cracked, followed moments later by the second.  Shards started to break off both as the chicks began to break through, then the top third fell off one egg and tipped over, spilling the dragonling halfway out.  Cinder continued breathing her flames, but of course the child was unaffected.  A species that could bathe in lava was hardly going to be bothered by a little fire.  The second egg split in half, and the other dragonling crawled out into the welcoming flame.  After a few more seconds, Cinder stopped exhaling fire and the watchers got a clear look at the two children.

The first to hatch had a golden hide similar to Cinder’s, and clawed feet like a dragon’s.  However, the face was very definitely pony shaped, complete with a blue mane that apparently was as fireproof as the hide.  As the dragonling wobbled to its feet, it became apparent that it was a female, and her build was very much like a pony’s also.

The second dragonling was a male, and again there was a mixture of pony and dragon traits.  His head was reptilian, complete with a webbed crest and ears.  Golden-membraned wings adorned his back, but he had blue coat of hair all over the rest of his body, and his rear legs had hooves although the front legs had taloned feet.  Unsinged by the flame like his sister, it was evident that he was equally fireproof.

The dragonlings were startled as the assembled watchers burst into cheers and began congratulating the new parents.

“Have you decided on names for them yet?” Lucida asked.

Blue replied, “We’ve had plenty of time to think of some, but we have settled on calling them Eon and Era.”

“Which is which though?” Pif asked.

Blue looked at his mate.  “Cinder?  The choice is yours.”

Cinder fondly watched the hatchlings start playing with each other.  “Our son will be Eon, and our daughter, Era.”



“Time to celebrate!” Citrine declared.  “I’ve got a party ready to go in my room.  Anyone else want to leave this oven and join me?”

There was a chorus of agreement, although Cinder scoffed at the implied complaint about the heat.

The parents each picked up one of their children and they all left the room to cool off in their absence.  Citrine was true to her word and had provided all sorts of party foods and drink for everyone.  Even the hatchlings got a first feed of suitable food sourced on the advice of Cinder.  For a while, everyone ate, drank, and laughed, enjoying the family atmosphere.  The hatchlings quickly tired though, and they were tucked away in Citrine and Pif’s bed while the adults continued to party.  However, eventually the inevitable was brought up.

“I suppose this means that we will head for home now,” Silk said.

“Yes,” Destined replied.  “As long as Cinder doesn’t object?”

The dragoness shook her head.  “The children are strong.  There won’t be a problem.”

“Actually, I’d like to finish off the school year before we leave,” Lucida said.

Several of them looked at her in surprise.

“Weren’t you the one who wanted us to leave as soon as possible originally?” Destined asked.

“I know, I know.  I just feel that I would leave things incomplete if we leave now.”

“We’re going to go back in time – it won’t make a difference.”

Pif cleared her throat.  “Umm… speaking of making a difference, I hate the thought that all my efforts to save the abused foundlings will count for nothing.”

Destined frowned.  “You knew that before you started, Pif.”

“Yes, I did, and I don’t regret it one bit, but that still sucks for the orphans.”

Citrine weighed in.  “Piffy isn’t the only one to make a difference, y’know?  The Canterlot Business Association has told me that they are going to give me an award for my work in bringing about a positive change in the griffon community, and making the tavern a better place to visit for all.”

Pif looked at Citrine.  “You didn’t tell me that.”

“They only told me on Friday, and it’s a silly thing anyway.  I just wanted to make the tavern a fun place to work.”

Silk spoke up.  “Actually they talked to me too after Garth told them that I was Citrine’s friend and she recommended me.  They seem to regard it as a team effort.”

Destined sighed.  “Look, it’s a great accomplishment, but in the end it’s just a tavern and some relatively minor incidents in terms of History.  We have to look at the bigger picture.”

“Des, before we came here, did you ever hear anything about the DFI?” Pif asked.

“Umm… I don’t think so.”

Pif looked around the room.  “Anyone?  Most of us are pretty familiar with much of Canterlot.”  She got a lot of blank looks.  “Who hasn’t heard of the Royal Canterlot Orphanage?” Pif asked.

Only Citrine held up a hoof, which was understandable seeing as she had not visited Canterlot much.  Even Cinder had heard of it before.

“Has it occurred to anyone that the reason why no one has heard of the Displaced Foundlings Institute is that I was responsible for getting it shut down, and that’s how History has always gone?”

“You can’t know that for sure, Pif.  Somepony else might have done something later,” Destined argued.

“You don’t know how tight that group was.  If it wasn’t for my special abilities, I would never have been able to get in and gather the evidence without being discovered.”

Lucida spoke up before Destined could reply.  “Des, there’s another thing we do know about History, and that is Cirrus was introduced to Path by his teacher, which is exactly what I did.  However, we were only able to get the positions because they were short on teachers, and Cirrus and Path’s temporary instructor was Lengthy Numbers who had little interest in the loneliness of a little griffon.  Who introduced them if I didn’t?”

Destined opened his mouth to reply, but found himself stuck for words.  “I don’t know,” he finally admitted.

Blue snorted in amusement.  “Looks like both our time expert and our team coordinator have made themselves part of History whether they intended to or not.”

“What’s your opinion, Blue?” Pif asked.  “Should we go back and cancel out what we all did, or go forward and straight home.”

Blue sat back on his rump and folded his arms.  “I’ll be honest, guys – I don’t care if we have affected History.  I only care that we have foiled Chrysalis and haven’t hurt anypony in the process.”

“But we have no right to make those decisions!” Destined protested.

“Who made you the arbiter of what is correct History?  Our dads and moms taught us to respect everypony and everygriff, and do our best to make life better for all, but they each had their different ways of going about it.  What we did to correct History in one circumstance isn’t necessarily the right way to do it for every instance.  If our going back in time and cancelling out our achievements does evil for so many, how can you argue that it’s the right thing to do?”

Destined pondered that for a while and then replied, “What if we go home and find things have gone wrong because we didn’t go back and erase our interference?”

“Then we go back and fix it, just like we’ve been doing.”

Lucida said, “I think that’s the most telling argument.  We can take advantage of our ability to fix mistakes.  So who thinks we should go straight home?”  She raised a hoof.

Pif raised her hoof immediately, followed by Citrine and Silk.  As soon as Blue put his up, Cinder raised a claw in agreement with him.

Destined looked at all the raised hooves and sighed.  He raised his also.  “I’m still not totally convinced, but I can’t say that you’re completely wrong either.  We’ll see when we get back.”

“Great!” Citrine said cheerfully.  “Now that that’s decided, can we stop being so depressing and get back to partying?  We’ve barely begun celebrating Blue and Cinder’s new kids!”

The others laughed as the tension left the room.  The party was still going when Sterling ended his shift, came home, and joined in the celebrations.  No one got much sleep that night.


# # #


Lucida and Destined finished the final two weeks of the school year.  To her surprise, her pupils gave her a going-away gift, and she was moved to tears.  It had not been an easy ten and a half months, but it had been a truly fulfilling time.

Citrine and Silk had already put in their notice, but it did not stop Garth from trying to dissuade them from leaving anyway.  Citrine compensated his loss a little by recommending one of the regulars for the job, but there was little else that either could do.

Pif wound up her work with the Royal Canterlot Orphanage, but she was still left with one major dilemma – what to do about Zark.

“I give up,” Pif admitted to the others.  “The best that I can do for Zark will still leave him a vegetable after I download his data.”

Lucida clucked sympathetically.  “The hardest lesson to learn is that we cannot win every time.  Zark was always a pawn, and while he might deserve better, his fate was always sealed.”

Pif sighed.  “I know.  Well… I suppose there’s no point putting it off any longer.  Seeing as I can’t take him back with us because it would break my hold on him, I have to download the information now.  I’ve called in all my agents, and the last of them will be here in about an hour.  After I’ve finished transferring the data, then we can leave for home.”

“What’s going to happen to the agents?”

“I thought we’d take them with us.”

“What?  No, we can’t do that.  Eight highly-placed ‘ponies’ all disappearing at once will have a huge impact on History,” Lucida explained.

“Oh.  I forgot about that; I was worrying too much about Zark.  But if I leave the agents here, their link to a hive-mind will be broken without me there as the hub.”

Sterling said, “Believe me, it hasn’t been fun living without the link.  Sure, I learned to live without it, but if I had the opportunity, I’d link up again in a moment.  Without that link, those same highly-placed ponies would cause a stir due to their strange behavior.  Depending on the individual, they might even accidentally betray their nature.”

“Damn!” Lucida swore.  “Why has nopony thought about this before?  Pif – tell me that you can do something about this!”

Pif didn’t seem to hear her though as she had the faraway look that she wore whenever she cogitating a problem.  To Lucida’s surprise, a smile slowly grew on her sister’s face.

“I think I have a solution to two problems, if I can pull it off,” she finally announced.

“Let’s hear it then.”

“What’s one of the most significant differences between ordinary drones, and Chrysalis’ special agents?”

“Umm… they’re all enhanced in several ways… Oh!  They can connect to the hive-mind by themselves.”

“Correct!  While Zark’s mind will be burned out, his ability to connect will still exist.  I can make a mini-hub out of him for my mini-network.  My agents will still be able to link in my absence, and Zark will still be able to be useful.”

“But useful doesn’t mean whole,” Sterling pointed out.

“No, but we already conceded that would always be the case.  The lives of everyone on Equus could depend on getting that information.  It’s horrible but true.  However, if my guess is correct, we might have something new and wonderful as a consequence.”

“What do you mean, Pif?” Lucida asked.

“Wait and see.  It’s not something that has ever been tried before, so I can’t guarantee success.”

“Okay.  I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Thanks for not fighting me on this, Lucy.”

Lucida shrugged.  “I learned my lesson, Pif.  Sometimes you have the confidence to let your team members do their thing without interference.”  She smirked a little.  “As long as you remember that it works both ways.”

“Been there, done that, sis.  Trying not to do it again.”

Over the next hour, Pif’s agents arrived and were fortified with some love-gel sandwiches for their task.  When the eighth finally arrived, they shifted into their natural forms and made a circle around Pif and Zark.  Pif strengthened the links between them all so as to facilitate the flow of information.  There was just one last thing to do.

“Even though he’s under my control, Zark has been keyed to unlock the mind-lock to Chrysalis alone.  Therefore I’m going to take grandma’s form for this purpose.  Don’t be concerned by anything you see.”

“Can we help in any way while you’re doing this?” Destined asked.

“No.  In fact it will probably be very boring because I’ll be taking it as slow as I can in order to minimize the damage to Zark’s mind.  You might want to go and do something else while we’re working.”

“Okay, we’ll probably do that.  I’ll have some refreshments for all of you when you’re done.”

“Great, thanks!  Now, let’s get started.”  Pif’s magic flames flared and moments later she was the exact image of Chrysalis.  “Agent, report!”

The drone had been totally passive until that moment, but he seemed to come alive then.  “My Queen, I am special agent Zark, sent by your future self to correct wrongs done to you in the future.  I have returned your daughter, Princess Gossamer, for the glory of the hive.  Within my mind is stored all the knowledge that will enable you to conquer Equestria.  I am at your command.”

“Release the mind-lock!” Pif/Chrysalis demanded imperiously.

Zark stiffened, as did all the other drones.  Pif frowned in concentration as the information poured out of the drone’s mind and she distributed it throughout her mini-network.  This continued unchanged for a while before Destined headed for the door.

“Let’s leave them to it for now.  Like Pif said, this may take a while.”

“You go.  I’m going to watch over Pif,” Citrine replied firmly, her gaze never leaving her beloved.

“No problem, Citrine,” Lucida said as she followed the others out.

Pif had been correct – absolutely nothing changed for a long time, but Citrine waited patiently.  Seventy-two minutes after they started, the information exchange finally finished, and Pif’s agents relaxed with a sigh.  However, Pif’s concentration seemed to intensify, and Zark collapsed.  The agents watched with interest as their Queen worked on Zark, their expressions flickering as Pif drew upon each of them for her mysterious secondary goal.  Pif eventually sighed and relaxed before changing back to her unicorn guise.  Then she addressed the special drone.

“Zark, how do you feel?”

Zark’s eyes opened and he stood up.  He faced Pif and said, “We are feeling fine, Your Majesty.”

Zark’s voice was multi-tonal, almost as if several were talking at once in perfect synchronization.  Pif smiled in relief.

“What is your purpose?”

“We are our network’s hive-mind,” Zark replied in that same strange tone.

“What is your goal?”

“To enable the Hive to work towards protecting Equus and its inhabitants,” Zark replied with equanimity.

“Are you hungry?” Pif asked with a smile.

That question seemed to rattle the drone for the first time.  “We… are, Your Majesty.”

“Good – so am I.  Let’s go eat.”  She gave a tilt of her head to her agents and headed for the door.  “Coming, Citrine?”

“Of course!  What’s going on with Zark though?  He sounds weird.”

“I’ll tell you along with all the others.”

They all made their way to Destined’s room for the promised meal.  It was rather crowded with everyone in the one room, but they managed to fit.  The rest of the team was curious to see that Zark was apparently okay, and they immediately pressed Pif for answers.

Pif grinned proudly.  “You’re looking at the first-ever multiple-mind personality.  As I said, Zark’s original mind would be mostly burned out, but I built a replacement by using the mind-links with everyling attached to him.  Zark’s mind is actually all of ours in fusion, shaped by what remains of the original.”

Lucida asked, “So this is in effect a whole new person?  Are you sure that he can’t be used by Chrysalis now?”

Instead of answering, Pif said, “Zark, why don’t you answer that?”

Zark faced Lucida.  “We are the gestalt of all those linked to me.  We cannot act against you any more than you could act against yourself.”

“That’s reassuring.  So you’re going to serve as the hub for the other eight while Pif is gone?”

“That is correct.”

“That’s great.  It also explains why you refer to yourself in the plural.”

“We are one, but many,” Zark replied cryptically.

“That’s going to take a bit of getting used to,” Lucida admitted.  Then she frowned.  “What are you doing?”

Zark had suddenly squatted.  He hesitated before relying, “Our body has been programmed to execute a task upon successful completion of the information transfer.  We cannot stop this.”

“Everypony get back!” Lucida ordered.  “Destined and Pif, be ready with your magic.”

Everyone watched with wary concern for Zark, but he only groaned and then stood up again.  Leaving something deposited on the rug.

“Is that an egg?” Citrine asked.

“It sure is,” Pif answered.

“I thought Zark was male?”

“Zark is in male form, but like all drones, he’s infertile.  No, it seems he’s been used as an egg-bearer.”

Citrine looked at Pif with incomprehension.  “A what?”

“Drones can be used as mobile incubators.  If the hive is under threat, or moving, eggs can be stored within the drones and kept there until circumstances are favorable, no matter how long it takes.”

“So why does Zark have an egg?”

Lucida interjected.  “Actually that’s not hard to figure out.  I’m betting that egg has one of Chrysalis’ super-drones that she sent to her past self to improve her hive with the goal of conquering Equus in mind.”

“You are correct,” Zark said.  “That knowledge came to the fore upon activating the egg-depositing procedure.”

“What are we going to do with it?” Blue asked.  “We can’t have one of Chrysalis’ super-drones among us.  It’s too great a risk.”

Pif shook her head.  “Sorry, Blue, but you’ve got that the wrong way around.  The loyalty of drones is not fixed until they hatch and bond with the Queen.  If we take this back to the Chrome Hive, the hatchling will bond with Papa Free.  The egg will be utterly loyal to Queen Gossamer.”

“Please don’t use Dad’s birth name, Pif,” Blue said with a shudder.  “It creeps me out after our experience with his alternate self.”

“Sorry, Blue,” Pif said contritely.

Lucida said, “This is an exciting development.  Rather than enhancing her past self’s hive, Chrysalis has inadvertently given us the means of enhancing the Chrome Hive instead.  We will also have a super-drone to study at our leisure.”

“That’s going to please our parents,” Blue said.  “This calls for a celebration!  Who wants a drink?”  He headed for the alcohol.

There was a chorus of replies, and Blue was kept busy for a while, serving up many glasses of various beers and spirits.  Meanwhile, Pif shifted to alicorn form, gathered up the egg, and tucked it under a wing for safe-keeping.  Then she joined in on a move to the table loaded with food.

As they enjoyed the repast, Lucida asked Pif, “So, what did you learn from Zark?”

Pif finished the mouthful of food before replying, “I’m still processing the data, but I can confirm that Chrysalis is allied with the Zebras.  She is currently based in a Zebrican village.  However, I have learned one more critical piece of information.  We’ve been wondering where Chrysalis has found the power and means to pull off some of this stuff.  Wonder no more.  The Nightmare is responsible.”

“The Nightmare?!” exclaimed Destined.  “As in Nightmare Moon?”

“Yep.  It seems the Nightmare has found another pawn to further its goals.”

“Doesn’t Chrysalis realize that she’s being used?”

Pif shook her head.  “No more than Auntie Luna did until too late.  The Nightmare enhances and feeds on its host’s negative feelings until it takes control, so if we can’t stop the Mad Queen soon, we will inevitably be dealing with Nightmare Chrysalis, and that’s going to make her doubly dangerous.”

“Well, that’s a bit of a downer,” Citrine said sadly.

“That’s why I was going to save it until after the celebration.  Sorry about that,” Pif said.

“I choose to look at this positively,” Lucida said firmly.  “Until now, we have merely been reacting to events.  Now we can start being proactive.  We deserve to celebrate.”

“That’s more like it!” Citrine declared.

There was a definite party atmosphere which continued until the changeling agents prepared to leave.  Most of them had positions that did not allow for their extended absence.  Pif had some final words with them before they departed.

“As I have said already, you are to carry on as much as possible as if you are still following Chrysalis’ directives, short of giving her any really useful information.  Your true purpose is now the reverse – you are to gather as much intelligence on her operations as possible, as well as any other possible threats to Equestria.  I have given you the important events to watch out for so that you don’t otherwise interfere with History, but can still keep abreast of Chrysalis’ plans.  Get out of Canterlot before the invasion and do not return until the Chrome Hive is established and Blue Changelings are loyal to Queen Free.  Above all, don’t let yourselves be caught by Chrysalis; I want you to all have long and happy lives.”

They thanked Pif, and Zark prepared to leave with one of the female agents, having taken the form of a blue unicorn.  

“I live alone,” Bright Spark said, “but it would be of advantage to my cover to be in a relationship with a stallion.  Zark can live with me and fulfil that role.”

Pif nodded.  “Sounds like a good plan.  I think that it will be good for Zark too as he learns more about himself.  Right now he’s a blend of your personalities, but I believe that he will grow to be a true individual, although that is a bit of a misnomer considering his gestalt nature.”  She smiled at Zark.  “Good luck, Zark.”

“Thank you,” Zark said.  “Farewell, My Queen.”

“Call me Pif!” was her last command to the unique changeling drone.

Lucida got up from the sofa and called for everyone’s attention.  “That takes care of the last important detail.  Now if everypony will help clear up, we can be on our way back to our proper time.  I’ve booked cleaners to thoroughly cleanse the apartments tomorrow, and one of Pif’s agents is going to do a final inspection before returning the keys and getting our deposit back.  Blue can collect that again in about thirty-six years.”

There was a round of chuckles.

“Okay, let’s get to work.  The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home.”

Everyone did their bit to clear the plates and glasses, or tidy up various items.  This was the last apartment to be readied, so the task was quickly completed.  As the rest waited for Blue to come back after taking out the trash, Lucida turned to Sterling with a smile.

“Are you as excited as I am at going back to the future?” she asked.

Sterling hesitated, and then shook his head.  “I’m not going back with you, Lucy.”

Lucida blinked uncomprehendingly.  “What?”

“Your future is not my future, and I would not fit in there any better than here.  I’ve decided that I will continue with my duty and stand guard over Cirrus.  If Chrysalis tries for him again, I will try my best to ensure that she does not succeed.”

“But… I thought… maybe…?”  Words failed the normally eloquent hippogriff.

Sterling smiled fondly at Lucida.  “You thought that perhaps we would form a more permanent relationship?  I once seriously considered that also.  After we made love for the first time, I thought long and hard about it.  The truth is, Lucy, you needed the comfort of a companion, and you certainly enjoyed sex with me, but do we really have that much in common?  I am much older than you, for starters, and we have very diverse interests.  I’m also absolutely dedicated to my work, and that would not give me time to properly devote to a family.  There’s a good reason why Red Changelings form far fewer personal relationships with ponies than the other hives.  I am very fond of you, Lucida, and I have enjoyed every moment that we spent together, but you know in your heart that it’s time for us to go our separate ways.”

Tears started rolling down Lucida’s cheeks, but she knew he was right.  She did not love him like that.  He was a friend, a lover, and a protector, but not her soul-mate.  She leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.  “Think of me occasionally while you do your duty,” she said softly.



“I doubt that I could do otherwise, but don’t let your memory of me stop you from seeking out a suitable mate.  Promise me that you won’t turn a blind eye to somepony or somegriff just because he’s not me.”

Lucida sniffled a little.  “I promise.”

Blue returned at that moment, and the two stepped apart.  Lucida wiped away her tears while Sterling called for the attention of the others.

“My friends and loyal companions, as I have just told Lucida, I will not be returning with you to the future.  Instead I intend to continue my duties in this time.”

Pif said, “I suspected that you might stay, which is why I made a point of telling you a lot about future events.  Try not to screw them up for us,” she added with a grin.

“I believe I will know when to get involved, and when not to interfere,” Sterling said with a matching smile.  “For that reason, I will be taking the new name of Steady Gaze so that there won’t be two Sterlings in the future.”

“You realize that you can never reconnect to your hive?” Destined pointed out.

Sterling nodded.  “It won’t be easy, but I promise that I will not.”

“You could always join my mini-network,” Pif offered.

Sterling hesitated.  “A Red linked to a Blue hive-mind?  Such a thing has never been done.”

Pif shook her head.  “No, this is a Chrome network, and we specialize in doing new and different things.”

The Red Changeling paused as he considered her words, but then slowly shook his head.  “Thank you for the offer, but no.  My loyalty remains with the Red Hive, even if I cannot be one with it.”  He smiled proudly.  “I am honored to have met you all and to have served with you.  I wish you every success with your future endeavors.”

“And the same to you, buddy,” Blue replied.

The others added their sentiments and a few parting hugs or hoof-bumps.  Sterling then stepped aside to watch them depart.

“All set, Blue?” Destined asked.

“All powered up and ready to go, Des.”

“Then let’s go!”

Blue fed power into the vortex manipulator, and Destined shaped it to point to their destination.  The group plunged into the time vortex, leaving the room empty but for one unicorn-changeling.

“Farewell my dear friends,” he murmured as a tear trickled down one cheek.  He wiped it away before leaving the apartment, firmly closing the door on it and a chapter in his life.


# # #


Watchful Eyes was still berating herself while sunken up to her muzzle in the otherwise empty hot tub.  The soothing jets were doing little to calm her frazzled nerves as she pondered how Queen Carpacia was going to punish her for her failure.  To her surprise though, the vortex that only moments ago had taken away those she should have been guarding suddenly reappeared.  With no further warning, several forms fell out of it on top of her.  There was a mighty splash, and Watchful found herself struggling to hold her breath under water as several persons thrashed about her.  With a gasp, she made it back to the surface to stare disbelievingly.

“Des!” Lucida sputtered indignantly.  “When I told you to get us back as close to when we left as possible, I didn’t mean this close!”

“Sorry, sis.  Would you believe I forgot where we were after all this time?”

Watchful boggled at that statement.  “How long have you been gone?!” she blurted out.

Lucida looked at the changeling guardian in surprise.  “What are you doing in the hot tub, Watchful?”

“I dived in trying to follow you!  What did Destined mean by ‘all this time’?  And what in Tartarus happened to your feather color?” she asked.

“A-heh!  We had to stay in the past a teeny bit longer than planned.”

“Yeah!  If you call most of a year a teeny bit!” Citrine chortled.  “Get a load of these!”  She pointed in the direction of the two dragon hatchlings who were delightedly splashing in the warm water.

Watchful looked at the dragonlings in shock.  “A year?  Queen Carpacia is going to kill me, then revive me and kill me again!”

Citrine threw an arm around the distressed changeling.  “Aw, we won’t let that happen.  Where would we get another watchdog like you?”

Somehow Watchful was not particularly reassured, but she sighed and stopped stressing over it.  The damage was done; it was time to see what could be salvaged.

“Let’s get out of here and head home,” Blue suggested as he began climbing out of the tub.  “Cinder and I have got to show off our children to their grandparents.”

“Good idea,” Destined agreed and started following suit.

Soon they had all exited the tub and were toweling off.  Destined obliged with some quick-drying spells, and they headed out.  Aloe and Lotus were quite surprised to see Blue and Cinder carry out a hatchling each, but with the experience of long-time inhabitants of Equestria’s most incident-prone town, they quickly shrugged it off and returned to their work.

The sun was just setting, but there was still plenty of light to take in the sights of their Ponyville home town.  It buoyed the spirits of all the time-travelers, and they grew more excited as they approached the crystalline tree-castle.  Lucida was wearing a huge grin as she talked with Citrine about something, but Pif was not paying attention.  As the others made their way into the castle, she paused and opened her mind to hive network, reveling in being fully connected once more.  Then she sought out a discrete mini-network and sighed in relief when it connected.

‘Zark – report!’ she commanded.

‘At your command, Your Majesty,’ came an immediate reply.  ‘Welcome home, Pif.’

Pif’s happy grin was so wide, it threatened to split her face in two.


# # #


“Hey, Dad!  Papa Free!  Guess who I bumped into while in Canterlot!” Blue announced excitedly as he entered the living room where their parents were relaxing at the end of the day before the evening meal.

Path smiled at his son’s excitement.  “I’m guessing that I’d never be able to guess, so give us a clue.”

Blue grinned.  “Better yet, let me introduce you.”

On cue, Lucida walked into the room, still in her new colors.  “Long Path!  Cirrus Ironbeak!  I’m still waiting for that final class project, and I won’t believe that General Mayhem stole it this time,” she said sternly.

Path and Free gaped at the sight of someone whom they had not seen in three dozen years.

“Ms. Lightgiver?” Path said disbelievingly.  “You… haven’t aged a bit!”

“Now, now!  A student should not be complimenting their teacher on their looks,” the hippogriff chided.

Free’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward as if to examine his old teacher more closely.  Then his eyes flew open in surprise and his talons flew up to his beak to choke off a response.  Only a tiny ‘snrk!’ escaped him, but it went unnoticed by Path.

“I have no idea what project you’re talking about, Ms. Lightgiver, but I’m happy to see you again.  Free and I owe you a lot!”

“Who is this Free person?” Lucida asked in apparent puzzlement.

A much louder choked-back sound came from Free, and Path glanced at him in puzzlement before replying, “Cirrus changed his name to Free Agent.  Surely you have heard of him?  Married Princess Twilight?”

“I heard she married a male alicorn.  Surely you wouldn’t have me believe that mischievous griffon could ever be taken seriously by a princess?”

Free couldn’t hold it in anymore, and a laugh exploded out of him.  “HA!  Hee-hee-heee!”

He continued giggling as Path looked at him with consternation, as did Twilight and Roseclaw.

Destined walked in at that moment in his Inevitable Fate colors and wearing his wing-concealing jacket despite it still being damp from the plunge in the tub.  “My dear, what have you been doing to our former students?” he asked with a slightly deeper voice.

“Finding out that Cirrus is still his irrepressible self, apparently,” Lucida replied.

“Instructor Fate?  You and Ms. Lightgiver?  So is that what happened to you two after that one year?”

Free totally lost it then.  “Bwa-ha-ha-haaaaa!” he whooped with laughter, pounding the floor, tears streaming from his eyes.

“Will somepony tell me what’s so funny?” Path demanded.

Lucida walked up to Path and hugged him.  “It means you can’t fool Papa Free for long, Dad.”

Finally Path realized how familiar Lightgiver’s voice was.  “Lucida?”

“Yes, Dad,” she replied with a grin.

“What happened to you?  Why do you look like my old teacher?”

“Because I am your old teacher.  I am Ms. Lightgiver.  Don’t you remember what my real name means?”

Path looked at her in shock, and even Free calmed down to listen curiously.

“Ms. Lightgiver was our teacher for a whole school year!  What happened?  And since when did you have a cutie mark?” Path asked.

“It’s a long story, Dad,” Destined said as he shucked his coat and let the color illusion drop.  “We’ll tell you all about while you have dinner.”

Twilight said, “I’d like to hear about that cutie mark first.  I never knew that Free’s teacher had one.  Although hippogriffs are half-pony, I haven’t met one with a cutie mark before.  Is it even real?” she asked Lucida.

“Yes, Mama.  I got it literally just before we went back in time.  It surprised the heck out of me.”

Free put an arm around Lucida and started steering her towards the dining room.  “You can satisfy your mother’s curiosity while we eat, Ms. Teacher.”

“Think you can pay attention in class, Commander Trotty?” Lucida asked with an eyebrow arched skeptically.

Free chuckled.  “As long as Captain Cluck doesn’t need my help.”

Path stuck his tongue out at Free, but laughed anyway.

Their puzzled wives followed, wondering what craziness was about to be unleashed this time.


# # #


Blue, Lucida, and Destined took turns relating an abbreviated version of the events of the latest history change that they had to fix.  Free was dismayed to hear what had happened to his alternate self, but absolutely livid when he learned the cause.

“Chrysalis tried to have my parents killed to get me back?  When I get my talons on her, she’s going to regret ever laying my egg!  Death is way too good for that bitch!”

“Calm down, Papa,” Lucida said soothingly, giving him a warm hug with plenty of love.

Free sank back into his chair with a groan.  “Alright, but I meant what I said.”

Destined said, “Stopping their murders and catching the agent was a simple task once we knew what had happened.  Pif was able to get a huge amount of information out of the agent, and he’s now Pif’s loyal minion, so please don’t think of harming him if she brings him here.”

“None of this explains why you and Lucida were our teachers for so long though,” Path protested.

“Well, you know that Cinder was pregnant?  She laid the eggs, and refused to risk them in the time vortex.  We had no other safe option than to wait until they hatched.”

Twilight sat bolt upright, her ears sharply bent forward, eyes wide as saucers.  “Eggs?  More than one?  Hatched?!”

Blue called out through the door to where Cinder had been patiently waiting out of sight, with Citrine and Pif helping to keep Eon and Era quiet and amused.  “That’s your cue, love!”

Cinder walked in with a grin on her face, the dracopony hatchlings clinging onto her back.  Twilight bolted out of her chair and around the table, almost colliding with Roseclaw who had done the same.  The two started squealing with delight, and picked up a grandchild each, and hugged and cooed over them, and pointing out to each other the characteristics of their hatchling, and comparing to the other.

Blue and Cinder just watched and smiled proudly as Path and Free came over to have a closer look also.

“Congratulations on being grandparents,” Blue said to them.

Path put an arm around Blue’s shoulder.  “What’s it like for you being a parent for the first time?”

“Kind of awesome.  Also a little weird.  It’s a bit like they were born twice – once when Cinder laid their eggs, and a second time when they hatched.”

“I suppose when you have a dragon for a mate, you’re going to have more than a few weird moments in your life,” Path conceded.  “As long as it’s a good kind of weird, I think you’ll survive.”

Blue chuckled.  “I think we all grew up in a weird family.  What’s a little more?”

“True.  Now, let’s see if I can pry one of them off my wife for a moment.  So what are their names?”

“Mama Roseclaw is holding your granddaughter, Era, and Mama Twilight has your grandson, Eon.”

“How old are they?” Free asked.  “They look too lively for being just hatched.”

“They’re a couple of weeks old.  It’s amazing how strong they’ve gotten in such a short time, but I suppose that’s their dragon heritage.”

“It’ll be interesting to see how much of them is pony, and how much is dragon, aside from just their looks,” Free commented as they watched Path take Era into his forelegs, careful to not get raked by her claws.  “Take it from a changeling raised by griffons with an alicorn for a wife – you ain’t seen nothing yet!”


# # #


By mutual consent, they decided to put off a thorough debriefing until the next day, preferring instead to enjoy some quiet family time.  After nearly a year away, the time-team wanted nothing more than to just spend a relaxing evening chatting with their elders.  Eventually Cinder left to put two tired children to bed.  Free and Path excused themselves for the moment, saying that their wives had had their turn, but it was time for the grandpas to tuck in their grandchildren.  They were gone for quite a while though, and Lucida and Destined were beginning to wonder what was taking them so long.

Suddenly the doors to the living room burst open and two figures leaped into the room.

“Never fear!  We are here!” proclaimed one.

“Let evildoers beware!” exclaimed the other.

The time-travelers stared in disbelief at Path and Free.  Path had cardboard wings with a few feathers sticky-taped onto them, and a paper beak taped to his muzzle, while Free was wearing his status cape and with a paper pony muzzle taped over his beak plus large soup cans over his talons and paws.

Lucida cracked up and started rolling on the floor, howling with laughter.  Destined guffawed too, while the rest chuckled in amusement, having only heard about the adventures of Captain Cluck and Commander Trotty from the others.

Free looked at Path and said, “I believe our work here is done, Captain.”  He held up one foreleg.

Path hoof-bumped him as he replied, “Indeed, Commander.  Let us away!”

They made a dramatic exit, leaving Lucida still helplessly giggling on the floor.

Destined wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes.  “Three dozen years, and they still haven’t completely grown up.”  He shook his head in wonder.  “Thank Celestia!”


# # # # # # # # #