//------------------------------//
// 17 - Cessation/Commencement 
// Story: Bat's Academy 
// by Meep the Changeling 
//------------------------------//

Sherbert - 10th of Plantation, 29 AE

Kuromane Prison, Neighdo - Neighpone

This place sucked. I mean, obviously. It’s a prison. Prisons are not supposed to be super happy nice funtimes land. They are supposed to suck.

That said, this place sucked a bit more than it should have. It was the little things. The way the air conditioning only cooled the room just enough to be noticeably slightly better than miserably hot and muggy. The lumpy mattress. The incessant sounds of every other person imprisoned here.

In Equestria, when someone is awaiting trial, they hold you in a jail cell at the police station for a while. Apparently in Neighpone, they actually check you into a prison.

I wish someone had told me that before I turned myself in.

Well, that wouldn’t really have changed anything. I still would have felt I had to. I killed two people and accidently burned down a building that’s thousands of years old. They deserved it, and the building wasn’t totally my fault, but well… I wasn’t a soldier or anything.

I didn’t have the legal authority to dish out justice. I’d done a crime. So… Yeah.

The cell was tiny too. Very tiny. And lonely. And lacking a phone. Or a mage gem. Or a dragonfire candle. Anything.

I had no idea what happened since I was put in here. No idea when my trial would be. Not one hint about Kazumi’s fate.

Kaz… Did you make it? Please have made it.

The sound of hooves walking down the granite hallway distracted me from my thoughts. I turned my ears, seeking any clue as to who was coming. New prisoner? Guards delivering lunch? Book cart?

“It’s not necessary to deliver this in person, Ma’am,” a voice I recognised as Asshole Guard No 4 said loudly.

“No, but I am here, and I can, so I will,” a mare’s voice informed adamantly.

“Ma’am, what if the Kaiju-”

“The Navy reported they are retreating back into the deep ocean twenty minutes ago. A.L.I.C.O.R.N. units are on standby. It’s fine,” the mare repeated, her voice drawing quite close to the shimmering green forcefield which formed my cell’s door.

Wait, there was a Kaiju warning? Awww, I was hoping to see one before I left-

Oh. Um… Hmm. I might never leave Neighpone now. That’s a thing to think about.

A series of three loud knocks on my cell’s door frame snapped me out of that line of thought. I could see the familiar blue uniformed unicorn shape of Asshole Guard No 4 through the green haze of the force field, standing behind the mare he’d been talking to.

I’d never seen her before.

She was tall, with a very athletic build, Pinkie Pie pink fur, and a metallic gold mane and tail, each given an athletic cut. The interesting part to me was her horn.

It had been removed, and replaced with a precisely cut piece of white crystal. Combine that with the tight black catsuit uniform she wore, which had a series of other small white crystals embedded in it, and she was instantly recognisable as an A.L.I.C.O.R.N. pilot.

“Uh, hi,” I greeted with a little wave.

I REALLY didn’t want to be rude to someone tough enough to survive that horn-control-link implant process.

She nodded at the guard, who tapped the panel next to my cell’s door. The field shimmered and then dropped.

OH SHIT! She was pissed that I’d burnt down her alma mater or something! Think quickly! She doesn't have magic outside her mech anymore, so she can’t just disintegrate you, but she’s stronger than you, unless we go super, and that would kill her. Maybe if we-

The mare reached into a barrel pocket of her uniform and pulled out a folded sheet of paper, and held it out to me.

“Take this and go to the lobby,” she ordered. “You’re being sent home.”

I frowned and looked at the paper, then back at the mare. “Um… Explain?” I asked, one ear drooping back.

“You’re not a Neighponese citizen. We can’t keep you prisoner here. So you’re being deported. Equestrian forces are in the lobby and ready to take custody of you. These are your discharge papers. Don’t lose them,” the mare repeated more clearly.

I nodded and took the paper with my magic, holding it down near my left shoulder. I’d been surprised when they hadn't clamped an inhibitor ring around my horn when I arrived. And then less surprised when it turned out the cells were lined with zinc plates, and therefore basically absorbed any spell you threw at them.

“Thanks,” I said with a polite nod. “Um… But why did they send a pilot to deliver these?”

The mare smirked. “Kid, you need to watch more international news,” she chuckled, only to frown and hold a hoof over one ear for a moment. Turning to leave and glancing at the guard. “Make sure she goes the right way. Oh, and kid, you’ll want to read those papers before you turn them over.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” He said, snapping a salute as the mare jogged off.

“Thanks!” I called after her as she vanished down the hallway, moving at a speed which suggested something was wrong, but not ‘the Kaiju regrouped and are coming back’ wrong.

Man that had to be a really stressful job!

I remembered the way out so I stepped out of my cell and began to walk. Asshole Guard followed along behind me, probably just for protocall’s sake. It’s not like I could leave this part of the prison without getting through a checkpoint. Well, without using my training.

You’d think they’d have a separate prison for people trained in infiltration and escape artistry.

I unfolded the paper as I walked. It was a single straight hallway. I’d be able to read it and still walk.

I unfolded the white paper, and frowned. It was just normal white office paper, with normal government text on it, two seals, and three signatures. A standard government doc-

The ink on the page suddenly reflowed, forming new words, converting the document into a letter in the blink of an eye.





Miss Sherbert,

This is called Eyes Only Ink. I trust you are familiar with it, after all you were trained by Captain Rojā. However in case you are not, only you will see this message as containing this text. To everyone else these are normal prisoner discharge papers.

As a part of your training, a test you never passed, Rojā hacked your messenger gem. This is standard for all of his disciples. A way to teach the importance of vigilance, security sweeps, and also of subtle ways to gather information on your targets.

This particular hack also serves him as a teaching aid. The hack turns on your messenger gem’s diary function, and records everything to see, think, and experience. Because of this, he presented me with the events surrounding your imprisonment from your own eyes, and also used you as your own character witness.

Before I go on, I must state very clearly that you are being deported as a criminal. This is something you must not dispute. The story has been spun to make you sympathetic, your wife was murdered, you killed her killers in a passionate rage. Most Equestrian newspapers are on your side, calling Neighpone barbaric for not having laws in place to protect vengeful lovers on the grounds of temporary insanity.

You will be fine. Maintain this story. It is critical.

I am aware of the circumstances around the truth of the matter. I know you killed Mai in self defense. This is unambiguously self defense. The charges against you have been dismissed. The ones which at present have not been dismissed are as follows:

Murder in the First Degree of Master Hioshi Xii
Arson in the Second Degree resulting in the destruction of a cultural landmark.

I am aware that you killed Xii in self defense, and in service to me and my family line. He was a traitor and a criminal. I congratulate you.

I am aware that the fire you set would have been very minor if not for the interference of that thing. Discord censored whatever it truly was, but it’s clear you faced a being of great power.

However, I can not drop the charges against you. The House of the Flying Horse is a nationwide organization, with a dojo in most every major city. The odds of other Dojo’s leaders being members of Xii’s conspiracy is extremely high. As I am required to say why I have pardoned a pony of a crime, pardoning you would tip them off.

Until my operatives have scouted each Dojo, and a mass arrest has been made, we must pretend we have no idea of the circumstances around your heroism. I apologize for this inconvenience. There will be a formal, international press conference as soon as possible exonerating you of all charges. In the meantime, silence must be maintained.

Here is what will happen to you now.

Since she is here in Neighpone at the moment, I am releasing you into Princess Luna’s custody. She has been informed of the truth behind your actions, as have her Knights. Officially, you are being deported. You may retrieve your belongings, but must then leave Neighpone by nightfall, in the Princess’s custody.

I am sorry that you will not be able to study for your Mastery at Bat’s Academy, but there’s nothing I can do there. However, I have solved the other problem relating to the attack and your imprisonment. I have given you an honorary High School Diploma, it’s being mailed to the proper channels. Nopony will know you didn’t finish your schooling.

I wish you luck in your future endeavors, and I thank you for ending a threat to my nation. When we can openly speak of your heroism, we shall discuss a proper reward.


Her Imperial Badflankedness,              


Emperor Mysuki Segata






He tapped… My… Messenger gem… SON OF A WHORE!

I grit my teeth, and did my best to keep myself from screaming in rage. How the hay could I have missed that!? He even showed me how to tap one myself! Arrrrrrrgh!

I couldn’t even be mad at him for it. This was MY fault. Though um… Good thing I didn’t notice. Also good thing that Rojā apparently knew the motherbucking Emperor! How the hay had-

Captain. She called him Captain.

Luna’s mane… The dojo was just a cover wasn’t it!? They are all active, practicing, government sanctioned special forces operatives. That explains Tami pulling rank on the cops, the frequent disappearances. They reason they all left on the day before the papers were talking about an attack on a nuclear plant…

My line of thought was interrupted yet again as the guard and I reached the security checkpoint. Getting through was a minor hassle. Show papers, guard stamps papers, writes thing down, stamps papers again, gets the box full of my stuff, hoofs it over, opens the secondary door.

I stepped out into the bland, white, sterile lobby. It was brighter out here than in the cellblock. I felt like I should be blinking, or otherwise adjusting to the light, but I didn’t have to. Everything was fine.

I used to still need to do that, even with my bionic eyes. Guess this was another perk of being a bit eldritch.

The first thing I noticed aside from the smell of disinfectant and floor cleaner, was the very awesome, yet off sight of Princess Luna and the Knights of the Rampant Moon just chilling in the shitty ‘waiting room’ chairs against one wall.

Princess Luna. Lyra Heartstrings, Octavia Melody, Vinyl Scratch, Bonbon, Meep of Amber, and Colegate. The Alicorn Princess of the Night and Dreams, four vampire knights, a sterile changeling Queen, and a friendly wendigo, just sitting there. Bored. Chilling. Literally chilling in Colgate's case.

It looked like everyone was just waiting for a doctor to come out and say ‘It’s okay, none of you have cancer’.

My brain locked up. Seeing your personal fillyhood heroes just sitting there, waiting for YOU will do that.

They all sat up right as I walked out of the cell block. I watched as Luna stood up from her way too small for her chair and walk over to me. Lyra had to reach over and hold her chair while Luna stood up so the legrests wouldn’t stick it to her flanks. I wanted to laugh at that, but I couldn’t.

Luna trotted over to me and flashed me a quick knowing smile before her face contorted into a serious expression. Her knights stood up and began walking over to me too.

“Orange Sherbert, you stand accused of murder and arson,” Princess Luna said in an extremely formal voice. “Our friend, Emperor Mysuki, has released you into our custody. We have been informed of the circumstances, and are willing to grant you mercy as you were heeding the call of justice.

“However, in light of your training as a spy, you are not subject to Civilian Justice within the court of Equestria.”

That fact hit me like a slap. “W-wait, what? Why?!” I asked, ears perking in alarm.

“Our sister long ago decided upon a threshold of combat training after which anypony, regardless of their affiliation with our military, is to be treated as a soldier or operative. You pass this threshold, and thus fall under Military Justice,” Luna explained, her formal tone remaining, though she shot me a wink which said ‘I’m doing a thing’. “As the Princess-General of Equestria, I am willing to grant you a pardon for your crimes, though with a condition.

“In exchange for your freedom, and the full dismissal of all charges, I will require you offer your services to me as a Knight in my service.”

I blinked once, laughed, and then passed out.





I came too sometime later, immediately jumping upright. I regretted that, because it turned out I was on a bed in the prison infirmary, and my head smashed painfully into the surgical light.

“OW!” I yelped loudly, reaching up to rub my head.

That had been one heck of a dream. I guess I ate some bad beans or something. The food here did taste like the cook had been taught how to prepare food by reading books on mechanical basket weaving.

“Are you okay?” A mare’s voice asked worriedly.

I turned around to find myself looking into Vinyl Scratch’s purple tinted sunglass. IT WASN'T A DREAM! WUT DO!?

My eyes widened sharply. “I um, I- er, Y-yes!” I stammered, grinning stupidly.

“Cool,” Vinyl said with a grin of her own. “That looked pretty painful.”

Vinyl turned around to yell out the open door. “Hey, Moonbutt, she’s awake!” She called.

I felt my eyes widen in pure horror. Oh, my, goodness! She did NOT just call Princess Luna-

Princess Luna trotted back into the room and gave Vinyl a smile. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her,” Luna said before turning to look back at me. “Are you okay? Feeling ill?”

Ears fully laid back in shock I pointed at Vinyl with a hoof. “Sh-she just called you-”

“Moonbutt,” Princess Luna said with a casual nod. “It’s my nickname. She’s one of my best friends. It would be more weird if she called me by name.”

“If it helps, she calls me Nomsferatu,” Vinyl snickered, her lips opening just enough for me to see the tips of her fangs..

“Took me a while to come up with a good one,” Princess luna agreed with a huge grin.

“But… But that sounds so insulting!” I said in shock, still not able to process the casual-

“That’s the point,” Lyra added from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. “We’re all friends, we know it’s playful teasing. Sure, that’s not your average everyday ordinary friendship.”

“It’s advanced friendship,” Luna finished before clearing her throat. “At any rate, I need to finish offering you that pardon.”

“A-and a job?” I asked, nervously fumbling with my hooves.

Princess Luna nodded. “Yes. As a person with military equivalent training, who committed a crime of passion, legally you can go to jail, or join the Guard. I’m offering you a third option because I’ve been meaning to expand my Knights via adding a B-Team, and I don’t have a ninja yet.”

“Shinobi,” I corrected via reflex.

“Isn’t that just the Neighponese name for it?” Luna asked with a small frown.

I shook my head. “No. A Ninja is an assassin. A Shinobi is a spy. I trained to be a spy.”

“Ah!” Luna said with a small nod. “Regardless, while Lyra does have some espionage skill, my Knights do not have anyone formally trained in infiltration. Additionally, I saw the security camera footage of your fight with that psychopath. You’re highly skilled.”

“All of us would like you to join, actually,” Lyra said, flashing me a smile. “You can handle yourself well, you’ve got power above the pony norm, and well, too much of our group sucks.”

My ears and tail stood on end in a mixture of shock and rage.

“SUCK!?” I snapped, jumping off the bed and acrobatically landing in front of Lyra to stare into her eyes. “What are you high!? You six took down an Equestria and Zebrica wide foal trafficking ring, in just three months, using only-”

“Vampire joke,” Vinyl said with a deadpan smirk.

…

I facehooved. “Luna damn it,” I groaned.

Luna snorted. “Sure, why not? I damn thee, terrible joke!”

The Knights of the Rampant Moon were the exact opposite of what I had imagined… Which was kinda good, because they were like, normal people. But still… Why?

“But seriously, it would be nice to have a member who could feed us in a pinch,” Vinyl added. “And you’re as good at hoof to hoof as any of us, and while Lyra’s a great scout-”

“I’m not good at infiltrating,” Lyra finished.

“And what’s more, I really have been meaning to start supplementing our team for about a decade now,” Luna admitted with a light blush. “I need to not be my sister and work on normal time scales, not Alicorn time scales. So… What do you say? Will you accept?”

I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The whole reason I’d come here was to become someone worth having in my family. And I had always pictured this training as step one. Step two? Got to college and attend the Archeology class Lyra taught and use that to get in close with her and then join this exact group.

Now I could skip that. Yay! I was SO DONE with school!

But on the other hoof.

I frowned and turned around to look at Princess Luna. “I would love to, I um, I sort of wanted to join your Knights as an end goal. But can we wait for a while? I need to stay and- Oh… Right… Deported,” I said trailing off as it sunk in that this was it. “Y-you can’t come back to a place that deported you.”

These were my last moments here. In the place which frankly had become my home.

I’d thought that at the worst I’d spend a year or two in prison, and then could go back to the Academy and keep training. But no. I was being deported. With the context being ‘burned down historical site’, I wouldn’t be allowed to reenter the country for… A long time.

If the Emperor didn’t manage to flush that cult out, then I could NEVER come back, EVER. I wouldn’t get to finish training. Or even live with my friends for another year.

All I had left for me was the Princess’s job offer.

“Yes, I’ll take it,” I said before anypony else could say anything.

Luna nodded in satisfaction. “Excellent. Then I, Princess Luna, in the name of Justice, Honor, and Companionship, hereby induct you into the Order of the Rampant Moon, and dismiss all criminal charges upon your name. Welcome, Lady Sherbert.”

“Witnessed,” Vinyl said simply.

“Witnessed,” Lyra echoed. “Yay, that’s the legal crap done!”

I blinked once. “T-that’s it?” I asked with a frown.

Luna nodded. “Yes. We’ll do a formal ceremony later,” she promised. “But now, we need to go to your former home and pack your things. You have to be gone by sundown.”

I nodded once. My heart felt heavy. I wasn’t ready to leave yet…

“Y-yeah. Let’s go,” I said sadly. “Oh, um. Can I make a call first? I need to know what happened to Kazumi.”

Luna’s ears drooped sadly. “It would be best if you spoke with Nurse Tilk and your uncle about that in person. Come, let’s get packed. I’m teleporting us all home. The sooner you pack, the sooner you’ll be there.”

Sherbert - 10th of Plantation, 29 AE

Kōmoriakademī, Neighdo - Neighpone

I didn’t have many things in my room. I always knew I was going to leave, I just never knew it would be so hard to do.

Princess Luna and her knights had politely chosen to wait in the hallway for me to finish packing. I was hoping that Master Rojā would have been there, but he wasn’t. I’d gotten to say goodby to Cho and Yoshi, but Tami and Rojā were nowhere to be found.

On the upside, at least Rin was there to help me pack.

I closed my eyes to hold back a few tears. “I’m going to miss you a lot, Rin,” I said as honestly as I could.

“I’d go with you but… My family’s here,” he said sadly. “We’ll keep in touch.”

“We will,” I agreed.

“You bet your flanks you two will,” Ash said from behind me as she packed up her mage-stuff. “Or do you forget that I know how to teleport myself and others, and that your Uncle literally invented the teleport watch and you can totally just ask him for one so you can visit your friends and he won't say no?”

I paused, blinked once, and turned to look at Ash. “I’m being deported. I can’t come back here. Ever,” I said dryly.

Sure, it wasn’t true. I’d be allowed to once they finished wiping out Xii’s cult… However many years that took. I still had to keep the illusion up though.

And it really did hurt to know I couldn’t come here for years at the least.

Ash looked at me like I was an idiot. Her horn flashed white-blue, and Rin appeared between the two of us in a flash of arcane light.

“Oh look, he can teleport to you,” Ash said with a straight face before breaking out into hysterical laughter.

“Not cool, Ash!” Rin complained.

“Oh yeah, he can,” I said, blushing bright pink with embarrassment.

“That’s right, he can,” Ash said between giggles, flashing me a grin. “And I’m sure that Master Rojā will teleport or fly over to say hello when he can too. He wont like having missed saying goodbye.”

My room’s curtains billowed as the black suited batpony swooped in through the window and landed atop my bed.

“I didn’t miss a thing, what are you talking about?” Rojā asked, flashing Ash a grin before turning to look at me. “My apologies, Sherbert. I was looking for an answer where one sadly doesn't exist.”

I nodded and trotted up to the edge of the bed and reared up, giving the stallion a tight hug. “It’s okay. I’ll miss you.”

Rojā returned the hug. “It’s not okay. I failed you. You have the potential to be a master of several arts, but the path will be forever closed to you,” he sighed.

The curtains billowed again as Tamiko flew through them with a cry of “Dynamic entry!”

Rojā and I ducked, the cyborg mare flying over our heads to crash extended hoof first into the wall.

“You two set that up, didn’t you?” I asked with a grin. “‘I’ve passed situational awareness tests.”

Tami laughed. “It was for old time’s sake, Sherbert,” she said as she stood up. “Though, for drama’s sake… I hear you are interested in pursuing blade combat as your mastery. Is this true?”

I gave Rojā a deadpan stare. “I both love and hate you for tapping my gem,” I said before turning back to Tami. “Yes. I did. Why?”

Tami nodded and walked over to Rojā. “Rojā, we both know that I stayed in this outfit for the battles. Those are not things I get to do anymore. Oh, um, Sherbert… I sort of got fired for letting you go. Not that I hold it against you, just, you know, updates.”

I frowned. “Buck… I’m sorry,” I said giving her a brief hug.

“You mean from being a real ninja, right?” I whispered quietly into her ear.

Tami gave me a proud smile, clearly happy I’d worked it out, and nodded once. “Yes. I could stay here and teach but… That was never my calling. Rojā, you’re my best friend. I know how broken you are because you can’t finish her training. But it’s okay.

“I’ll do it. Sherbert, with your permission, I would like to accompany you home, and continue to teach you, as a peer.”

I blinked in surprise.

Rojā’s hoof immediately gripped my shoulder. Tightly. He was VERY upset about this.

“Please,” he said. “Let her. You have so much potential. I felt from day one that it would be a shame to waste even a drop of it.”

“Give me a few decades, and we’ll see what you can really do,” Tami promised with a smile.

How could I say no to that?

“I’d be happy if you did,” I said giving her a second hug. “T-thank you. Kazumi would have liked this. She-”

“Liked me,” Tami said with a nod. “I know. Rojā showed me the recording… I’m sad you didn’t get to say anything in happier times. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of vanilla sex, but I would have given it a shot with you two. I mean, you can kick my plot in the ring! If that’s not romantic love, then what is?”

“D-did I just hear a mare equate fighting with bucking?” Lyra called from the hallway.

“Yes,” Rojā, Rin, Ash, and I answered in unison.

“That’s weird. You’re weird,” Lyra said poking her head around the corner… Then grinning and holding out her hoof. “Hi! I’m Lyra. Big fan of weird things.”

Tami trotted over to shake Lyra’s hoof. “I’m Tamiko, rocket powered cyborg ninja. Currently Sherbert’s personal trainer. Hopefully a member of her little herd one day.”

“Rocket… Powered… Cyborg?” Lyra asked her head tilting incredulously while her eyes widened in the same way Dash’s did whenever she said ‘so awesome!’. “Luna! We’re taking her too!”

“Well, by powered I mean I have integrated rockets to help with speed. My actual power supply is a microsingularity made from a tiny bit of Neutron Star Matter,” Tami said with a happy grin, clearly delighted to find someone interested in her systems.

“You’re powered by WHAT!?” Meep yelped.

“We can hire more than one pony today, right?” Colegate asked.

“Yes,” Princess Luna decided as she trotted over to the doorway to peek inside. “Yes we can! Hello! Would you like another job as a warrior?”

Tamiko froze, blinked once, took a step back, then started for several long seconds at Princess Luna. “I- I hardly think I’m worthy of working alongside an Alicorn, Luna-kami,” she said, bowing low and spreading her wings.

Luna rolled her eyes. “I say you are,” she said simply. “In fact, I say you’re on par with any of my knights, socially speaking.”

Tami immediately stood up. “As you wish, Ma’am!” She replied, offering Luna a salute.

I smirked. That sly mare. Using the Neighponese view of Alicorns as deities to get them to stop sucking up to her.

“So,” Luna offered again. “I’ve been meaning to make a second team of knights within my order. If Sherbert qualifies, one of her teachers who is now out of work also qualifies and could use a job. Would you like a job?”

“What kind of job?” Tamiko asked with a hopeful smile. “A getting to hang out with your retenue job, or a field agent job?”

“A ‘join my knights as one of their peers’ job,” Princess Luna clarified with a smirk. “I’m offering you a knighthood. Please don't faint.”

“Yes please!” Tami squeaked with a blush, still a little star struck.

“Cool! Go pack your things. We’re leaving as soon as Sherbet ready to go,” Luna ordered. “We’ll get you inducted into the Order officially as soon as citizenship papers go through.”

“I, um, I’ll get back to packing,” I said, walking back over to my open suitcase.

Today was turning out better than expected. Of course… There was the small matter of Kazumi.

If Uncle Sky wanted to talk to me in person about her… Well, it couldn’t be good.

Sherbert - 10th of Plantation, 29 AE

Deck 13 Medical Bay, USS Phoenix - Phoenix

I’d teleported to the Pheonix many times. Uncle Sky had a teleport pad in his house to commute out to work. I’d expected Luna to take us to the central receiving pad inside the Phoenix. The place anyone teleporting to the changeling city would go for security reasons.

Nope. She took us all directly to her apartment.

Yes. Apartment.

Princess Luna, rented an apartment, in a changeling city, made out of the hull of an ancient wrecked starship.

Because ‘Changelings treat me like a normal pony and this place is far away from the horse apples that is Equestrian politics.’

Sure, a good reason, but… An apartment! For a PRINCESS! Whatever, if she liked it I guess that’s all that really mattered.

Whatever. It wasn’t really important. What was important was this conversation.

I’d walked down the familiar route to the Deck 13 Medical Bay, knocked on the door, and Immediately been told ‘You and Kazumi were in a herd with Ash, right? You’ll want to collect her as well. We’ll wait.’ by Tilk.

When a doctor tells you something like that… It’s never good.

So I’d gone back to Luna’s room, where Tami and Ash were waiting, and getting to know Luna’s wife Lightstep (Who is way bigger than you think she’d be, even though it’s common knowledge that she’s a giant.). I figured if they thought Ash should hear whatever Tilk and Sky had to say, that I should have Tami come too.

After all, she was going to be added to our herd. Kaz had asked me to. So Tami obviously meant a lot to her. I was going to respect Kaz’s wish. Tami would be a part of my family, to honor Kaz’s memory.

The three of us had just gotten back and sat down in the medical bay. Sky had set some chairs up next to Tilk’s office. For once, besides the five of us, the bay was empty. Must have been an extra safe week.

“So um… What happened to her?” I asked at last, looking at Tilk, hoping that she would at least say Kaz didn’t suffer.

The changeling nurse shifted in her chair, making the red cross cutiemark she spray painted onto her flanks shine in the light. “We did the best we could,” Tilk began. “She arrived already clinically dead. I’m afraid that I wasted about ten minutes trying to ressessatate her before I found the dart.

“Kazumi’s fur is oddly fluffy and deep. The dart got buried in it as I maneuvered her onto her back to try and restart her heart. If it weren't for the poison, I could have revived her. I have no idea what exactly it was, but I was able to analyze the effects it had on her body.

“That’s when I called your Uncle for help.”

Sky nodded. “Yeah, she asked me to whip up some medical nanobots to counteract the poison. That stuff is NASTY. Rips the body apart on the cellular level. Turns out it does it faster than my bots could repair her and also resisted being neutralized by the same bots.”

I sighed. “Yeah… It will do that. I know what it was. Rojā taught me how to make it.”

Tilk gave me a frightened look.

I shook my head. “I’m never using it. It’s beyond inequine. It’s genuinely evil. I- I should have called. Told you she was poisoned. This is my fault.”

Luna… I’d killed her I’d bucking killed her!

I started to cry. Ash leaned over to hold me close.

“It’s okay, Sherbert… It’s okay,” she said as soothingly as she could.

Tilk stood up and gently placed a hoof on my shoulder and then looked me in the eyes. “Sherbert, it’s not your fault. And the situation isn’t as bad as you think it is,” the changeling informed. “You see, Kazumi was cybernetically augmented by me before. Remember?”

I frowned. “Explain.”

Tilk sat back down. “Well, we were able to save her brain. The poison doesn't attack it very quickly, and between my surgical skills, and your Uncle’s nanites, we were able to keep her brain intact long enough for me to open up her skull and access the interface for her artificial joints.”

Sky nodded. “We were able to successfully accomplish a consciousness transfer into a spare positronic brain we keep for the androids who live here. You know, like Lyra’s sister’s wife, Amber? We figured we could store her inside one of those, and fix her body up, then put her back in. But um…”

“That didn’t happen,” Tilk admitted with an embarrassed ear droop. “I was going to call your father and ask if he could clone her a new body, in which case we could bring her back in a few months. But Sky remembered that Kaz hinted at wanting to go full cyborg a few years ago so instead we-”

“Built an android body to go with the brain?” I asked my heart soaring with hope. “Is she okay?! Where is she?”

Oh please, please please please be fine!

Sky scratched the back of his head nervously. “Well… It’s not all good. We got her a body. We even got her to my friend who was able to get her appearance correct. Problem was well… Her mind and the positronic brain didn’t mix.”

The hope exploded into a ball of pus.

“O-oh…” I said staring off into the abyss.

Tilk sighed. “It was the spells she had placed on herself to deal with a past trauma,” she elaborated. “They threw the entire meld out of whack. Her soul wasn’t sticking to the hardware, so she’d be fine for a few minutes, then die again, and then the soul anchor would pull her back, and she’d live for a few painful moments again. It was tartarus.”

Sky nodded twice. “So, we did the only thing we could do. We had my sister dispel the mind controls.”

“That was a… Mistake,” Tilk admitted. “Sherbert, Kazumi is alive, but um, we should REALLY have looked at her mental health records a bit more because those spells were put on her on her own request after eight years of her therapist failing to make a dent in dealing with her trauma.

“Even worse, turns out we can’t take her mind back out of the android body we built for her because of the way those spells damaged her and her new body. She’s fused to it. Digitally and physically. So we can’t clone a body for her and then mind control that body so she wont remember the incident.

“She’s alive, but she’s regressed to how she was immediately following that… Evil. She remembers you. There’s no amnesia or anything, but well… Um… Turns out that as an android we can’t put those same spells back on her.  I’m sorry for mentally crippling your wife. She’s in isolation room two.

“You should- She needs help. She should be fine with enough time, since she remembers getting over things before but… It’s going to be a rough few years. She’s too afraid to be in the same room as anyone else right now. But-”

“But I’m an exception,” I said standing up and looking for the room’s doors. “Which door is it?”

Tilk turned and pointed to a door to my left. “That one. She actually asked to see all of you. Well, you and Ash. I’m not sure that Tami should go.”

“She wanted me to join their herd,” Tami said respectfully. “It might be a good idea if I joined them.”

“Oh, then yes. Go ahead,” Tilk said as she trotted over to the door and pressed a button near it to turn on an intercom. “Kazumi? Sherbert’s here. She’s coming in.”

Tilk opened the door slowly. The room inside was nice. Brightly decorated. Lots of soft things. A big comfy bed.

And Kazumi. She looked just how I remembered her. You couldn’t tell she wasn’t organic anymore. But even if you could, I wouldn’t have cared.

My mare was sitting in a scrunched ball in the corner of the room, as far as she could get from the door. Shaking. Shielding as much of her body with her wings as she could.

I walked over to her. She looked up, one eye opening. She saw me. She didn’t shrink away in fear, or make a sound, she just kept watching. Her eye twitches back and forth as Ash and Tami followed me in. She didn’t react to them either.

But that was a bad thing. Because she was still balled up in the corner, terrified out of her mind.

I finished walking over to her and wrapped my forelegs around her in a tight hug.

“I’m so sorry, Kaz,” I whispered, holding her close.

Ash walked up on my left and gave Kazumi a hug as well. “We’ll do everything we can to help you get better, okay?” Ash said as lovingly as she could.

Tami slowly approached. Kaz turned to look at her as she did, and squirmed slightly.

Tami gently wrapped one foreleg around Kaz as well. “It’s okay. It’s me. Remember? You wanted me to join you three? I promise I’ll help you too.”

Kazumi hesitated for a moment, then finally moved, pulling us all as close to her as she could with a super tight, extra strong android strength hug.

I didn’t care that it hurt. Kazumi needed me. She needed all of us.

“Girls,” I began. “From this day on, we’re family. We’re finding a nice house in Ponyville, on the outskirts, then were taking her there, and were doing everything our power to fix our little bat.”

“You didn’t have to say that,” Ash said firmly. “Of course we will, that’s obvious.”

“Right! You don’t leave family in this state. Do you think you can leave with us today, Kaz? We’ll protect you,” Tami said soothingly.

Kazumi paused for a while. A long while. Then she nodded once, and squeezed us all in a group hug again before letting go.

It was bittersweet to see poor Kazumi like this. Almost an animal, but clearly still a person. I couldn’t imagine what it was like for Tilk to be near her. The poor changeling must have been vomiting every few minutes from tasting her fear and distress.

But, she was alive. Disabled, yes, but alive. And there was nothing wrong with her that our love couldn’t repair with time. I had a good job now. I’d make plenty of money, so would Tami. Ash would always be available to stay home and help care for Kaz whenever the other two of us were working. No matter what Kazumi needed to feel safe, we would get it for her, and at least one of us would always be there.

The four of us would all be happy and healthy one day. I could feel it.

I bent down and gave Kazumi a kiss on her lips. “Come on love. Let’s go home,” I said gently.


The End