//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifteen: Sweet Surprise, Memorizing Gaze, Gentle Step // Story: Picking Up the Pieces // by Evilhumour //------------------------------// Chapter Fifteen Sweet Surprise Sweet Surprise closed the door as she left the Captain's Room, still mulling over Mist Flight’s plan. It was borderline grounds for severe disciplinary actions if not worse for all of them but she had agreed to do this, not only for Misty but for Gentle as well. That said, she was not going to let go this easily and decided to go to the source of the matter. Passing by a Royal Guard, she told them to pass a message on to Even that he was to take charge while she was out, using his full name and rank to stress that she was being completely serious. From there, she teleported her way through the city along the old road of the original city towards the stronghold of the Internal Affairs. Back during the reign of King Blueblood the First, a new seat of government had been established on a smaller mountain near Mount Canterhorn, including a series of guardhouses to hold the vastly expanding Royal Guard; the presence of these vast armies that had been trained and built up there as the Guard grew during the wars led to it being renamed Mount Legion. When the city of Canterlot had been rebuilt in its original location, new government facilities and guardhouses had been erected, and once complete, the politicians and guards had returned there, leaving the temporary facilities on Mount Legion vacant until a few smaller groups, including the Internal Affairs department, had chosen to move back into the old buildings, citing that they were still in perfectly good shape, so why not make use of them? This had led to the IA offices being a virtual fortress; that, along with a fair number of its members being former Guards, was undoubtedly the reason why most of their agents had a stuck-up attitude combined with a superiority complex, something that didn’t help their generally poor relationships with the five publicly known Guard divisions. Nor did the fact that the line of division and who had authority over the other had never been clearly defined, which led to great animosity between IA’s members and the actual Guards. Still, she was a Captain and she would not be dismissed out of hoof. She marched her way into the reception room, with the agents passing by giving her dirty looks. Standing in front of the desk, she glared down the Earth pony and stated in her most official voice she could manage, “I am here to see the Commissioner of the Internal Affairs.” The Earth pony gave her a pointed look before opening a ledger and making a show to go through it before flicking her eyes at Surprise. “Do you have an appointment, miss?” Sweet Surprise glared. “I am Captain Sweet Surprise, Full Moon of the Luna Guard. Your Commissioner will make time to see me, miss...” “That’s Deputy Commissioner Iron Gates,” the Earth pony snapped back. “And if you don’t have an appointment, you’re not getting in - not even King Well Banded himself can see the Commissioner without an appointment.” “Excuse me, but do you take me as a fool?” Sweet asked, raising an eyebrow. “First off, the actual Deputy would not be working the front desk like this. Secondly, per the bylaws set down when the Guards were restructured following the attack on Canterlot by Chrysalis and her hive, any Captain can request a meeting with any civilian if deemed necessary. As you are not Guards of Canterlot, you are subject to fulfilling my requests as instructed or I will lodge a formal complaint over this violation and every other violation you have been committing while we were talking; identity fraud, abuse of power, falsifying regulations and anything else I can think of.” For a moment, the Earth pony said nothing, then set her ledger down. “Congratulations, Captain.” She sounded almost smug, but Sweet Surprise could tell there was something more to it. “You’ve just proven you aren’t an impostor; very few outside the Guard, or even the Captaincies, would know everything you just said.” Rising up, she gave Sweet Surprise a look. “But the fact is, I am Deputy Commissioner Iron Gates, and nopony would dare claim to be me if they didn’t want to find themselves in chains before the day was out. While you’re right that normally I wouldn’t be at the front desk, events have led me to be filling in here today. And it’s a good thing too, because I doubt any of our agents would have been willing to stand up against a pony in a Captain’s armour.” Bristling at that slight, Sweet lowered her head a fraction. “And you are lucky that I am the more tolerant one of the Six Captains of Canterlot; my colleagues are less willing to be treated this way and would not take it as well as I have,” she said. “Now, shall we finish up here so I can have a word with your superior?” Iron Gates kept up the stare for a bit before tilting her head and scribbling a note down,  passing it to her. “Top floor, present this to the guards and you will be permitted inside.” “Thank you,” Sweet Surprise said, moving to the elevator before the other mare spoke up. “Ma’am,” the agent said, looking slightly guilty. “If I am to guess, this is about our request to the Captain General and the Captain of the Hidden Guards about speaking out about the prohibition of relationships between members of the Guards, including the Captain General and Secret Protector themselves?” “Yes,” Sweet said bluntly. Iron Gates nodded. “I expected as much. Let me make myself perfectly clear then: while I do understand the reasons for these rules, and I am expected to uphold them due to my position, I personally have no objection to the Captain General and Secret Protector being together, as long as they keep their relationship professional while on duty.” Sweet blinked in surprise. “That’s… good to know.” Iron Gates nodded. “I respect our Guards, Captain. I have family who served in the Guards - my father, my uncles. But when there are Guards who break the rules, who assault civilians or other Guards under the color of authority… that’s where I and my fellow agents come in. We do what it takes to find those truly corrupt Guards and shut them down, and make sure that all the other Guards follow the rules. And I know that if there’s anything the Captain General and her fellow Captains are not... it’s corrupt.” She tilted her head. “Though those two could have been a little more… discrete the other night.” “I have several questions about that night myself,” Sweet said, frowning as several things began to bother her. “But regardless, I thank you for being helpful today.” “I do try my best, ma’am,” Iron Gates said before going back to her work with Sweet moving to the elevator that had a unicorn inside. “Hello ma’am,” the agent said as they closed the doors with their magic. “We are still having issues reconnecting with the newly repaired Blas Bridge and we are relying on the older methods for the moment.” “I understand; back at my home, we had to use candles for several days after the blackout,” she told the young colt. “Top floor, please.” “Yes ma’am,” the agent said as he pulled up the elevator with some strain on his face. “I must say, ma’am, I did not know that you lived with somepony although I do understand the benefits of having a roommate.” Sweet started to say something, but thought better of it. “Yes,” she agreed with a smile creeping onto her face. “It does come with more than a few benefits.” The agent looked at her curiously, but didn’t ask what she meant, instead just continuing to raise the elevator. Finally, they had reached the top floor, and Sweet disembarked with a quick “Thank you”. Moving briskly, she headed down the hall towards the Commissioner's personal office with the guards standing to the side and, after taking a moment to compose herself, knocked on the door that she noticed had no plaque saying their name. “Enter,” a voice barked from within. Using her magic to open the door, she stepped into the clustered office. It was perhaps the size of her bedroom although the window was far larger, taking up the entire wall opposite the door with the sturdy desk taking almost the entire length with barely any room to walk behind it. There were rows upon rows of filing cabinets with almost no photographs or certificates that could allow her to place a name on the stallion looking at her. He had to be almost twenty years older than her, around her dad’s age. He had a gruff face that seemed most comfortable with a scowl. She would place him as a former Guard, perhaps Royal, due to his well kept coat and mane and his horn being filed to the regulation length set by the Royal Guards. “Ah, hello Captain Surprise,” the stallion said, standing up to greet her. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” “Commissioner,” she said, keeping her features neutral as she approached him. “I have recently heard your requests to the Captain General. I would like to know why you have placed sudden scrutiny onto her.” He snorted, shaking his head at her. “I’m sorry but when did I become under your authority?” She was unperturbed by this, keepingher focus steady on him. “The Captain General’s record is without blemish or one founded complaint against her.” “Rules are rules,” he said, shaking his head to show he had no regrets in his actions. “Or are you in favour of having your Guards comprising themselves because their special someponies could be in danger from something or somepony?” “That is not the point,” she said sharply. “That is the point; that was what I had brought the notice to the Captain General for,” the commissioner said. “Guards respect her; hence the order from her would have the greatest effect opposed to either you or your counterparts.” Sweet snorted, feeling herself being pushed into a corner. “Considering the other pony in question is a Captain himself, I know he is more than capable of handling himself against any threat that comes his way.” “Captain or no captain, the fact is that he is a fellow Guard, and therefore just as subject to the rules as any other Guard,” the commissioner said, his eyes narrowing. “And if I am not mistaken, those under the Captains’ purview might fall under the “same restrictions. So if you do not want to lose your position due to being involved with an employee of one of the hospitals-” He was cut off when one of her Guards entered the room and whispered into her ear that the griffons’ celebrations were out of control. “Excuse me, but I have duties to attend to,” she said. “Good day, Commissioner.” As she turned to leave, she gave him one last look, seeing a plaque saying the name Hardy Rule. “And for the record, my wife only works part-time at the hospitals and on a volunteer basis; her private psychiatric practice, which is not under my official purview as Full Moon of the Luna Guard, takes up most of her time.” With that, she walked out the door, feeling that she was missing something very important but filing it away for later. She had not achieved what she had come here for and Misty’s plan was happening faster than she had anticipated. Opening and walking out the window to the surprise and horror of the agents around her, she used her special talent to transform herself into a pegasus and made her way to her part of the city; she just hoped that her husband and wife were okay. Memorizing Gaze Biting his lip as he looked out the window of the Captain’s Room, Memorizing Gaze watched as the Guards did their best to keep things under control in the rest of Canterlot, including three of his fellow Captains - Violet and Standing Wall had been out there since shortly after he had learned the full story of Gentle Step’s sudden departure and Mist Flight’s plan that had emerged in response, and Sweet Surprise had expected to join them once she’d finished her own business on Mount Legion, the exact nature of which his Guards had yet to find out. Blazen Sun, on the other hoof, had opted to coordinate the Guards’ efforts to keep the peace from his desk, assigning Lieutenant Steady Lance to act in his place out in the city. Still, the lack of Royal Guards was very noticeable with only a small sign of the purple of their armour visible. Most of those he knew were actively helping with the griffons at the moment, but still with what Mist Flight was planning it would be felt as the Royal Guards were very good at crowd control. And if he was being honest, this plan was bothering him as it was close to purposely putting innocents at risk as well as the fact he was not sure how Gentle Step would react to it, or how furious she would be with them, or him, for allowing this to happen. Of course, his biggest worry was the Queen and her safety; he could tell she was still in the Grand Library, which he knew was one of the more fortified strongholds in the city, but he couldn’t help but be concerned in case any of the wilder celebrations came her way. He also knew his younger brothers would do all they could to protect her if something did happen and the library was invaded; still, the possibility of it and what might happen as a result, especially after she’d just finished restoring the other two Pillars, was nerve-wracking. “Easy, lad,” Blazen Sun said from his desk, and Memorizing looked up, startled. “Your friend miss Turner will be quite safe, I’m sure.” “You could tell what I was thinking?” Memorizing asked, surprised that a non changeling could do so. The older stallion nodded. “You were clearly worried about somepony, and I figured it had to be either your lady love or miss Turner, what with her being the key to you keeping in touch with your Queen and all. Considering Gentle Step survived Tartarus, I doubt she’d have any trouble even if she were out in this mess, so it had to be miss Turner you were thinking about.” Memorizing let out a sigh. “You’re right, I am concerned… I know she has some of my Guards with her right now, but I can’t help but be worried. And not just about her; Xvital, Rex and Vix-Lei were all out on their own errands earlier, and were still out when the announcement came; Night Blade and Wind Breaker were at the library earlier  but actually went back out into this mess when they got the news, what with Wind being one of the griffons affected by it.” Blazen Sun sat up straighter. “They did, did they?” he mused. Rising out of his seat, he walked over and clapped a hoof on Memorizing’s shoulder. “Well, I wouldn’t be too worried about those two. Their own skills aside, our Guards know to keep an eye out for them and help if they get into any trouble. And their other friends too.” Memorizing Gaze gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you sir, I needed that.” “Not a problem,” Blazen Sun stroked his beard. “And in case you are wondering how I was able to read you so easily, need I remind you that I have many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren?” Snorting, Memorizing rolled his eyes. “If that is the case, then I will have to look at recruiting stallions such as yourself.” “There are not many like me anymore, lad,” he let out a sigh, his entire posture and emotions showing grief. “My wife passed away many years ago alongside most of my generation, including all those who became Guards when I did.” He let out another sigh. “Every year that goes by, there are days when I wonder if I shouldn’t retire, leave the task of keeping Equestria safe to the next generation and live out my days in peace and quiet… maybe do what Gentle’s predecessor did and write my memoirs. More than a few of my family have told me they feel the same way; they’d prefer it if I had some time to rest and relax in my golden years. But... I can’t bring myself to do it just yet. If I retired now and then we lost some of our own soon after, I’d never quite be able to convince myself that I couldn’t have done something to keep them alive longer, had I remained on active duty.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them and gave Memorizing a very serious look. “And deep in these old bones, there’s something tells me that, even with that Nightmare gone, there’s still one Tartarus of a storm coming our way, one that will affect all of Equestria. If we can survive that… then, maybe, I’ll give retirement some serious thought and let Steady Lance take over; I know he’s more than qualified, and I can’t think of a single pony who’d object when that time comes. But until then, I’m staying right where I am.” Memorizing nodded, then his ear twitched as he had a message passed through the Hivemind. “Good news,” he reported. “My Guards just confirmed that two of the Six are safe back at their hotel, and they can see Night Blade and Wind Breaker flying that way. Xvital is still in the Cuanmiztl Kingdom’s embassy, and Page Turner is still at the library; both areas are safe.” “Xvital,” Blazen Sun repeated the name, eyes settling into an uneasy look. “She is a whole complicated matter in and of herself, politically. What with being one of Equestria’s heroes now, but also the future Queen of the Cuanmiztl Kingdom… and considering all six of them need to be together to use their Elements like they did, if she goes back to her homeland on a long-term basis, it could very well leave us in a lot of trouble if we need to call on their powers again suddenly.” Memorizing frowned, this problem was something he was still trying to resolve on his own time. “We could always set up a chain of high speed pegasi and teleporting unicorns, or something similar, between here and the Cuanmiztl Kingdom for rapid transport for her… of course, there’s still the issue of alerting her in the first place.” “And what if something were to happen to either team, or if our relationship with the Cuanmiztl Kingdom goes south?” Blazen Sun asked. “No pun intended.” “Multiple redundancies in the first case, and I have no idea in the second,” Memorizing said with a sigh. “All we can do is hope for the best, and do our darndest to make sure nothing like what the Nightmare pulled with Prince-King Tizoc during his arrival happens again. At the very least, as long as her friends still call Equestria home, Xvital herself would be willing to help in order to protect they and their families - at least three of them have kin here of some kind.” “And if she becomes a mother herself, do you think that she will abandon them for a land that’s not her own? Trust me, no mother would leave her children behind when there is a serious enough danger abound.” “Abandon, no. But the ties that bind she and the others… those ties are as strong as blood,” Memorizing said. “At the very least, she’d do something to make sure they and their families got to safety.” “Then there is the matter of her own Element,” Blazen Sun said. “It is a relic of our past, an important piece of history, one sixth of what appears to be a very powerful weapon, more than likely the holiest object for those who revere the Magi of Stars. If word gets out that she plans to take it to another land, the protests would be wilder and fiercer than what we’re witnessing out there now by far. The Rising Sun and Gibbous Moon would be furious with me and Surprise if we allowed it; they might even call for us to be removed from office or have a complete flush of the Celestia and Luna Guards.” “Indeed,” Memorizing replied with a sigh, thinking of the extra duties the Solar and Lunar Captains had to their goddesses as the official leaders of the faith. Of course, neither Captain ever acted on it and had the next in line run the religious side of things. “But the fact is, she’s not an Equestrian citizen, and legally we don’t have the right to force her to stay without charging her with something - Gentle Step is toeing the line as it is by insisting she stay here in Canterlot long enough to attend classes at the Academy to get control of her magic. And if we tried to have her brought up on any charges just to keep her here, that would ruin any chance of her ever willingly helping us, if not starting a war in the process. Even if we offered her dual citizenship between here and the Cuanmiztl Kingdom, I doubt we could convince her to stay here anywhere near full time, and there’s no way she’d ever choose to end her relationship with the Prince-King for us - I’ve felt their love for one another, it’s among the strongest I ever felt in my life.” He shrugged his shoulders. “In essence, we’re damned if we let her go, damned if we try to make her stay.” “It’s a complete mess at the moment but we just have to hope that things turn out in a way we can work with,” Blazen Sun said. “Yeah. And then there’s the matter of Wind Breaker,” Memorizing told him. “I haven’t had the chance to read his file myself, but according to what my Guards found during the raid, he’s one of the griffons who was stolen from his homeland as an infant and brought here illegally. I’d be very surprised if he didn’t want to go back to the Griffish Isles just to try and find any blood family he might have and stay there.” “Why would any griffon want to stay here after everything we’ve put them through?” Blazen Sun asked. “I have a feeling that the griffon population of Canterlot alone is about to drop by at least three quarters of its current size, if not more, from emigration.” “And almost overtake the population of the Griffish Isles and Griffonstone,” Memorizing said. “And I doubt that the King told their leaders that he was planning this.” He let out a groan. “I swear, if it were within my power, I’d punish the Nightmare for everything it’s put us through by binding its powers and making it handle all the paperwork and diplomatic chaos we’re having to deal with now.” Blazen Sun let out a bark of laughter. “That would make for an interesting punishment, wouldn’t it!” “Yes,” Memorizing Gaze said, a faint smile on his face now. “It would.” Then he sighed again. “And there’s another thing: the minotaur Vix-Lei. She’s got family back in the Minos Islands; even if some of them are here in Canterlot to discuss expanding our air force, there’s no way they’re going to stay forever, and she’ll want to go back at some point, if only to visit. At least Page Turner, Rex and Night Blade are all Equestrian natives, so we don’t have to worry about them going to other countries to live.” Blazen Sun nodded. “Yes… the Badlands are technically part of Equestria, so even if miss Turner has to go down there to meet their Queen in person, she’ll still be on our soil.” There was a gleam in his eye that Memorizing wasn’t entirely sure he liked; he had the feeling the other Captain knew more than he was letting on, but he kept silent. “Speaking of miss Turner, I’ve been wondering… what was that you were writing about her to Violet at the end of our meeting the day before the Pardon?” Blazen Sun asked him. “Oh, that?” Memorizing blinked. “Nothing major - just that she’s apparently a fan of Violet’s book on amulets, and they may want to discuss its subject matter at some point, when they have the time to just sit back and talk without some situation or another coming up to interrupt them.” “Ah.” Blazen Sun nodded with a grandfatherly smile. “Yes, that would undoubtedly make our dear enchantrix quite happy. I believe she is working on her next book, Gaze.” “Yes, she is currently going over the draft for the third chapter, in fact.” Memorizing said with Blazen Sun giving him a bit of confused look before his expression turned disapproving. Catching it, Memorizing realized what the older stallion was thinking. “I’m not poking into her personal papers,” he said. “I know she’s loyal. But I also know that the other day, one of my Guards had to fetch the folder with that draft from her desk for her when she was on her way out for the day, and she told him what was in it and why she needed it.” “And he told you then?” “Standard protocol,” Memorizing replied. “It was part of his end-of-day report.” “I see,” Blazen said looking a bit more at ease. “To be honest, I did think you had your Guards going through our personal affairs.” “She’s loyal; there is no need,” Memorizing said. “Now, if she’d been acting suspiciously, our first inclination would be to check via some of our more… subtle identification spells, to make sure there wasn’t an impostor around, or that she wasn’t under the effect of some kind of mind-altering magic. If those were proved to not be the case, then we’d go more in-depth in our investigation.” Blazen Sun raised an eyebrow. “Has that ever happened with any Captain?” “There was one incident where we were suspicious enough to dig a little deeper,” Memorizing Gaze replied. “A few hundred years ago, long before even my parents were born. It turned out to be nothing, but there’s always that chance. Unfortunately, we have found a handful of lower-ranked Guards over the centuries who were… not whom they seemed to be when they first joined. They were quietly arrested, tried and sent to prison.” “That does not sound very on the level,” Blazen Sun said. Memorizing sighed. “Unfortunately, there have always been a few ponies out there who were… less honest than others. One of my predecessors found a few who only joined the Guard because they were part of a bigger scheme; when we found out who they were and what they were up to, we not only arrested them, we took out a larger organized crime ring at the same time that was trying to infiltrate the Guard, to make it easier for them to get away with things. IA is supposed to deal with Guards of that kind, but in these instances, my people caught them first.” “I never heard of this before, although that is part of your division’s role, to keep such things under wraps,” Blazen Sun said contemplatively. “It is,” Memorizing said, looking off to the side. “There is a wide range of sealed documents that I am not allowed to talk about or share for a long time, although with the Pardon, there is an actual day now that it can be unsealed.” “That is good; you deserve to have your deeds recognized,” Blazen Sun told him. “And I am sure Gentle will be quite proud to see it as well.” “She probably will,” Memorizing said. “Assuming she doesn’t wring all our necks for putting civilians in danger with this first.” “I think she will have faith in us to keep the peace,” Blazen Sun replied. “And I have faith that she will return to her position soon enough.” “I hope so,” Memorizing replied. “Ever since we were little, all she wanted was to serve in the Guard… I didn’t have much choice, what with my bloodline, but it was always her dream even before she knew I was slated to join the Hidden Guard.” “Oh?” Blazen Sun looked interested. “And what brought this on?” “In Gents’ case, she’d seen them in action once and knew immediately that that was what she wanted to be,” Memorizing said. “In my case… well, you know how my Guard was formed. Our hive has an even longer history, and long, long before Chrysalis’s time, one family was bred to have specific traits that made them ideal protectors for the Queen and the other two Pillars of the hive; when my ancestors betrayed Chrysalis and were formed into the Hidden Guard, King Blueblood decreed that the intended Royal Protector in every generation would always be their Captain. And since I was born the intended Royal Protector, a duty I’ll have to take up again sooner or later, I eventually succeeded my father into this position.” “Interesting,” Blazen Sun mused. “What about your lieutenant? Was she…?” “Goddesses, no,” Memorizing said with a chuckle. “That rule applies to the Captain only, we choose our lieutenants based on pretty much the same criteria as the other five Guard divisions. Ruby might be a bit scatterbrained at times, but she knows what she’s doing, and I’d trust her with my life.” “How scatterbrained?” “She is a bit loose with the details and doesn’t hold the best disguise, but at the same time she knows how exactly to blend in when the time calls for it.” “I see… and just how loose with details is she?” Memorizing sighed. “Well, apparently Vix-Lei stumbled onto one of our planned raids on the Hatcheries last night, and Ruby inadvertently let slip a few of the codenames we use for the Bearers when she told one of the other Guards just who had found them. Fortunately, Vix-Lei was the only one in hearing range who wasn’t a Guard, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Though she was… not amused by her own codename, from what I was told this morning.” “Dare I ask?” Blazen Sun remarked. “Bad Driver.” “Ah. Yes, I can see given her family’s affinity to skimmers… fitting, after the chase she led Sweet on a few months ago, but still one she would not be happy with. Out of curiosity, what are the others?” “Wind Breaker, given his proclivities, is ‘Drunk’ - that’s the other one Ruby let slip by mistake. Though if he ever kicks the habit like I’m told he’s trying, we may have to change it. Night Blade is ‘Grumpy’-” “Yes, he certainly is,” Blazen Sun said, amused. Memorizing Gaze rolled his eyes. “Page is ‘The Librarian’, Rex is ‘Doggy’ - one of my people suggested ‘Voofer’, but I vetoed that because it was too absurd - and Xvital is ‘Thief’, but again, we’ll probably change it at some point since she’s gone straight now.” “Ah.” “Honestly, Page is the only one who probably won’t be offended by hers if she finds out,” Memorizing said with a sigh. “Of course, we were in a hurry when we came up with them during that whole mess. Still, we could have done better.” “Perhaps, perhaps… but what’s past is past,” Blazen Sun told him. “True.” With that, Blazen Sun returned to his desk, leaving Memorizing to stand by the window, looking out over the city and at the growing chaos. Ah, Gent… if only I weren’t on duty now and you were not under scrutiny, I’d be at your side in a heartbeat, he reflected. I just hope we can get past this soon. Sweet Surprise It was long after dark when Sweet Surprise finally teleported back to her home, and she was exhausted. Fortunately, the chaos outside had finally settled down, and while there were still one or two enclaves of partying griffons out in the city, their gatherings had been confirmed as being considerably lower-key compared to what had been going on earlier; anypony or griffon who had been confirmed as causing injury to anypony or damaging city or public property in the midst of everything, either deliberately or accidentally, had been rounded up and were in holding cells for the night, and they had been informed of exactly why they were being held and reassured that, despite what some of the angrier griffons had claimed, the arrests were not the Guards’ attempt to “keep them down”. Meanwhile, those who had behaved themselves and avoided causing trouble had been helped to safe spots if they so desired. As she stood there on her porch, doing her best to catch her breath, the door opened to reveal a familiar pegasus. “Are you okay?” Sound Mind asked worriedly as she came out onto the porch. “Hot Rod and I heard about everything going on out there…” “Just tired,” Sweet reassured her wife, who drew her into an embrace despite her armour. “It’s been a long day.” “I can imagine,” Hot Rod remarked as he came up behind Sound Mind in time to see Sweet take her armour and send it back to her study. “Some of the bonfires got out of control in my station’s territory; we managed to shut them down before they spread to any of the buildings, fortunately, but it was a close call.” He waved them inside and guided them to the dining room. As she sat down, Sweet was surprised to find a large bowl of salad in the middle of the table, and her smile grew when she realized it was her favorite style: lettuce, carrots, cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, red onions and two kinds of olives. Plus dressing. “We saved dinner for you,” Sound Mind explained as she sat down beside her. “Hot Rod and I knew you’d be hungry after a long day of dealing with all that ruckus out there.” “Thank you,” Sweet said with a big smile. “Have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to have you both?” “Yes, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again,” Hot Rod said in a joking voice as he joined them. “I still can’t believe that all this came when you couldn't make up your mind to who you wanted to date?” Sweet groaned playfully, blushing as she began to eat her late night supper. “You two will never let me forget, will you?” “Never,” Sound Mind said as the pegasus traced a wing across her back. “It’s a very cute story, one our children will just love.” “When either of us finally get pregnant,” Sweet grumbled, with both Sound Mind and herself giving Hot Rod a look. “I’ve been doing my best, you both know that,” Hot Rod raised his hooves in defense. “You’ve put me through a thorough check, Sweet, so don’t get any more ideas.” “I’m just making sure that everything is good,” Sweet shot back, frowning at the earth pony. “I-” “Both of you, stop,” Sound Mind cut in, giving them both pointed looks. “First off; It’s late, so no fighting. Sweet, we have the best doctors thanks to all the benefits you have and if there was anything wrong with any of us, it would have been found years ago. Hot, you know that Sweets want to be a mommy and she gets a bit cranky at times over all the failed tries.” “Hey,” Sweet began to protest when Sound placed her hoof over her mouth. “Ssh,” Sound said, causing Sweet’s ears to flicker. “We’ll all bring new lives into the world together, in good time.” “Yes Sound; sorry,” they chorused, with Sweet feeling very silly, brushing her mane out of her face. By the small snorts of laughter coming from Hot Rod, he no doubt felt the same. “Good,” she smiled, placing a kiss on Sweet’s head before wrinkling her nose. “Why do I never remember not to kiss either of you before you’ve had a shower after a long day?” “Because I’m so cute?” Sweet widened her eyes and wiggled about, causing the pegasus to laugh. “Just eat your supper, silly,” she chided her wife. “Then go take a shower.” Sweet nodded, then dug back into her salad as her partners went to get some ice cream that she failed to sneak bites from. About half an hour later, having finished her food and thoroughly rinsed off all the sweat and grime she had picked up during the day, she headed into her room, where she found her spouses eagerly waiting for her in bed. This was truly the best part of the house in her opinion; it had so much of all three of them in one place. From the dresser mirror Hot Rod had picked out, to the little lamps Sound Mind had set on one of the dressers and the duvet Sweet Surprise had chosen for her own decorative touches; their walls also included their wedding photo and a copy of the certificates each had been awarded when they’d attained their current positions. There were even the same pieces of paper she had used to ask them out, proudly framed up there as a memento. Smiling at her own actions that night, Sweet was still surprised that everything had worked out as well as it did. “Coming to bed?” Sound asked, with Hot rubbing her empty spot on the bed. Smiling, she joined them, cuddling up next to the large earth pony, kissing both of them as she used her magic to cover them all up. Gentle Step Meanwhile, in her private study at home, Gentle Step was lost in thought. She had teleported home almost immediately after leaving headquarters, sealed the doors to her house to ensure she wouldn’t be followed by anypony, and gone upstairs to contemplate what had happened. She had still been thinking when she’d heard the King’s announcement regarding the Hatcheries, something that took her by surprise with its timing. About an hour later, her ears had twitched as she heard another sound outside. Going to the window, she had been pleased to see the noise had not come from her property, but just across the street that had griffons celebrating. It seemed, despite how quickly things were getting out of control, they knew better than to go onto her lawn. Studying the scene outside, she knew that there was supposed to be a patrol of Royal Guards in the area, and wondered where they were. Mist Flight wouldn’t have had changed the route for anything that wasn’t absolutely major and while some would call this a major event, the planned route would in fact be completely beneficial. That meant something was up. Walking over to her helmet, she activated the communication spells and listened into what her Guards were doing. Her eyes went wide at what was going on and despite the matter, she smiled at what was happening in front of the IA building on Mount Legion. She knew that tomorrow would be a very interesting day.