//------------------------------//
// Chapter 16 - Preparations 
// Story: War of the Unfoals 
// by NPP6 
//------------------------------//

	The trio and their siblings had been drawn aside to a room that had a magical fire dancing in the hearth. The alicorns sans Nyx were also present, as were Black Diamond and Applebloom’s husband.
The lattermost held the attention of the room as he spoke, “To understand, you need to go back a couple months. If Demon Blood hadn’t foalnapped Nyx and Sweetie Bell, things would have turned out differently.
“You see, this all comes back to Thunderlane. He threw a party, a little over a week after the attack on Ponyville Elementary. His brother had been planning to ask Scootaloo, but then the attack happened and he never got the chance. Thunderlane didn’t know about one of his friends spiking the punchbowl, and unfortunately neither did Rumble. He woke up the next day and has decided that alcohol might not be for him.
“Had he invited Scootaloo, they both would have woken up hung over, and consequences would have been discovered right about now.”
Rainbow’s fidgeting stilled slightly as she made eye contact with Midnight and he signaled her to calm down and wait. She instead focused with the rest of the room on her young protégé and pseudo-sister.
The orange filly had dazedly walked over to the small crib that had been conjured in the corner. “So… they’re… these are my foals?”
“If you want them.”
“Hold on,” Twilight turned to Midnight. “Isn’t it a bit premature to state something like that so unilaterally? It is ultimately her parents’ decision after all.”
Midnight laughed to keep attention on him and away from the steel in Rainbow’s gaze. “If her parents try to dispute it, I am prepared to grant Scootaloo emancipated minor status on the spot and grant her legal custody of the foals anyway. After that, only Nyx could do anything about it.”
“Nyx?” six confused voices echoed the name.
Luna cocked an eyebrow. “Surely thou didst not think anypony else could have been her patron?”
“B-But… Nyx, she’s… she’s just a filly.” Twilight voiced the thought of those who’d spoken with her.
Celestia sighed. “Twilight… She has her cutie mark. In the eyes of both Equestrian and Magical Law, that makes her an adult. With her heritage from both Luna and you, she would already be an active princess even without her alicorn status.”
Midnight nodded. “To be honest, I’m fairly certain that she’s bonded to the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the same way I’m bonded with my Shadow Rangers. It’s a situation that cannot be easily changed, and I would ask that you not try, it makes Nyx something of a trump card in a little something I’m working on.”
Twilight looked hesitant, but before she could reply another voice rasped out, “I want them.”
The room turned to Scootaloo again. “They’re mine, I choose them. I want them. These are my foals. You’ll stop anypony from taking them from me, right?” She was looking at a now shaky Rainbow Dash.
Midnight didn’t even want to guess at what the mare must be going through right now emotionally. It was obvious to anypony who knew the secret in her past what she was reliving. It was an almost eerie parallel to the failure that had nearly cost her her dreams. The polychrome mare closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. When they opened, there was a light in them. If it was history repeating, then this time she would get it right.
“Of course squirt. Anypony tries to take these two from you I’ll kick ‘em out of Equestria myself.”
Scootaloo relaxed visibly at the support from her idol and the echoes coming from her friends. “Thanks, all of you…” She hesitated a bit before asking, “Rainbow Dash… would it be alright… is it okay if my foals call you ‘Aunt Dash?’”
The speedster was obviously trying not to cry as she nodded. “Yeah… That’s fine… Heh… think I’ll actually like that Scoots…”
The three oldest ponies in the room traded looks before shimmering telekinetic fields pushed the mare and filly into a hug that they were both avoiding in their attempts to “Be strong.”
After a teary moment, Scootaloo turned to the colt, surreptitiously wiping the tears from her eyes. “Okay, can’t just keep calling them ‘the foals,’ what’re their names?”
Her answer was a shrug. “Up to you, they don’t have any.” To the general confusion this caused, he shrugged again. “None of us had names; they only give you one of those when you’re a real pony.”
Celestia cleared her throat to break the silence that followed that little ray of sunshine. “Scootaloo, you are their mother now, the magic running through Equestria that guides naming should be whispering to you already, just listen to what it says.”
Scootaloo walked back over to the cradle, gazing down at her children. “Dust… Dustup. The filly’s name is Dustup. And the colt… Blitz. His name is Blitz.”
“Dustup and Blitz.” Celestia summoned a copy of the necessary Extradimensional Adoption, Extradimensional Naturalization, and Alternative Universe Parental Counterpart forms and passed them to Raven entirely out of habit. “Excellent names. I’ll make sure everything is taken care of on the Canterlot end – for all of the foals.”
Fortunately Twilight happened to be the pony who was standing where Raven usually was in reference to Celestia. This not being the first time the older alicorn had accidentally given her paperwork intended for her assistant, the purple mare simply smiled and began filling out forms she hadn’t even known existed.



Death was sitting on a hill watching Ponyville while he waited for his destruction to come. As he sat gazing at the incomprehensible town, he felt the familiar presence of an old friend.
“I felt your power from Everfree. I trust you have not come for me?”
“No, not tonight. As a matter of fact, I’m waiting for somepony to come for me.”
“It can only be that stallion then, has he cheated you again?”
“No, tonight it seems he decided to launch a foray into my wife’s territory. His apprentice however seems to be making a habit of defying me.”
“And what could this filly do that would let her defy you?”
“It was her time and I came for her. She insisted on a scant few more minutes to finish the fight, and her time passed. I was unable to claim her.”
“What? How?”
Death cocked an eyebrow as he turned. “You didn’t rhyme.”
“That Hope and Death might go to war, can you think what might scare me more? Forgive me a little slip of rhyming, if only because of timing.”
Death smiled. “Your own apprentice was involved. Black Diamond was saturated with Necromantic energy. It was purged from her system before I could take her. I have no idea what’s going to happen now.”
“You need not worry about Applebloom, to Necromancy she is immune. But what can be said for the Ranger… I’m afraid that to that I’m a stranger.”
“So am I… About Applebloom though, you are aware?”
“I am aware who she’ll cast down. I also know of Sunny Town.”



As conversations broke out amongst those gathered in the room, Midnight gently inserted himself into a conversation between Twilight and her friends, “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Dash for a minute.”
The pegasus in question nodded sharply. “Just let me let Scoots know.”
As the mare trotted off, the stallion signaled his Captain. She was waiting by his side when Rainbow met them at the door. To her questioning glance, Midnight merely nodded.
Once they were in the corridor, Midnight’s horn glowed briefly. They turned a few corners and then entered another room, one of the many generic ones in the castle that were there simply to take up space and make the structure larger.
“Black Diamond,” Midnight began, “There is something going on that it’s time you knew about. Scootaloo is in a very precarious position right now, which she absolutely must remain ignorant of. There are a number of forces working to save her, but tonight’s events are going to complicate things.
“Rainbow, before you ask, because I know you’re thinking about it; Declaring her an emancipated minor would bring the contract due, not void it. You’ll need to let the others know that as well.”
The mare nodded. “What about her parents’ plan?”
“It’s still viable. More so considering we can spin things to look like it contributed to tonight’s decision – not difficult considering it probably did.”
Diamond raised her hoof. “So what trouble is Scootaloo in?”
Midnight sighed. “Please understand that I wasn’t keeping this from you out of mistrust, but… I didn’t want to face you with yet another impossible choice. Especially after… never mind.” He took a breath, closing his eyes as he considered options and angles. After a moment, he decided to simply go for it and told her.
There was no elegance to it, despite the delicacy. There were no complicated words, despite the intricacy. And there were absolutely no emotions in his voice, despite the fire burning within. He couldn’t afford for anything to set Diamond haring off. Her simply killing the problem was not something that would be helpful right now.
“Why tell me?”
“So that you can help.”
“You would have already told me if that was it.”
“Diamond… I may have to ask you to kill again.” Not helpful now was not the same as not helpful.
There was silence as Diamond considered her answer and Rainbow stared at the pair in shock. “…I trust you Midnight. You’ll be my conscience, right?”
“Yes.”
“And… if it… if it lets her out…”
“She’s not even quite real yet.”
“She’s closer.”
“…What happened?”
“The colt. When I scared him straight.”
“You let her out?”
“I showed him her prison. Hoped that would let him know what was waiting for him.”
“That was incredibly dangerous.”
“Worked didn’t it?”
“…It terrifies me how much I’ve rubbed off on you.”
“I am your Shadow. I couldn’t be happier about that.”
“Uhh…” Rainbow was doing a very good Fluttershy impression, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else even as she raised her hoof. “When you guys talk about killing ponies…”
Diamond sighed and settled in to set off yet another string of nightmares she’d no doubt have to fix.



Applebloom locked eyes with her husband as they sat down in a corner of the room. “What you were sayin’ ‘bout names… Do you have one?”
The colt hesitated before shaking his head. “No.”
“Alright, who’re yer parents? We can get them to give you one.”
“I… Applebloom… I’m not… I’m not a Ponyville Foal.”
“Whatcha mean? I thought all y’all were from ‘round here.”
“We are, I…” He sighed before leaning in and whispering his parents’ names in her ear. At her shocked gasp, he pulled back and nodded. “I told you, one day. That’s all that kept me from existing.”
Applebloom stared at him for a moment. “Okay. Okay. We’ll go see ‘em then, get yer’ parents to name ya.”
“Applebloom…”
“It’ll be okay, not like they’re gonna attack their own son after all.”
“Applebloom, we don’t need to–”
“Yes we do. You need to at least let ‘em know you exist. Everypony needs family.”
“I… Thank you Applebloom.”