Halfling
By Dee Pad
=====================================================================

Chapter 24: Where the Heart is

=====================================================================

The group of mares briefly watched from a distance as Chrysalis took her time speaking with her no doubt former captain. Wraith was now in no condition to fight back, and now, after three days of stress and turmoil, the group of Ponyville residents could finally take a much deserved breather.

"I guess this is it, huh?" Rainbow Dash commented as she looked in Chrysalis's direction.

Winter fell back onto her haunches with a long, loud sigh, managing a smile as she cradled her rescued baby in her forelegs. "Yep. We can finally go home now. You guys have no idea how badly I want to just lie down in bed right now."

"Well, I know the first thing I'll be doing when we get home is take a long, hot bubble bath," Rarity said with a wistful sigh.

"Are you guys nuts?!" Pinkie blurted out in disbelief, startling the group. "We just pulled off a crazy rescue mission! We gotta celebrate! A 'Welcome-Home-Glad-Your-Safe-Have-Some-Cake' party!"

"No offense, but a party is the last thing I want right now," Winter told the excitable mare with a bemused look. "Although, a big slice of cake sounds pretty good right about now."

Everypony turned their eyes to the changeling draped over Applejack's back. Shade was finally beginning to stir from his state of unconsciousness, his green eyes groggily opening. As his vision came back to him, he noticed the several mares staring at him—some with relieved smiles, some with worried frowns.

"Rise and shine, lazybones," Applejack said to him with a smirk as she helped him down and onto his own hooves.

Shade held a hoof up to his head. "A little lightheaded," he answered. His condition was made evident as he kept one hoof over Applejack's shoulder to keep himself upright. He forced a lighthearted smile at seeing everypony safe and sound, assuming that everything must have gone well. "Word to the wise: you don't get used to being kicked in the head."

Shade had a quick look around, still a little worried about Wraith. However, it didn't take long for him to notice Chrysalis some distance away talking to him. As he stared at the two changelings, he felt something gently rub against his neck. Winter was nuzzling into him lovingly, not only happy to see that he was okay, but happy to see him at all; she hadn't had a chance to show her relief until now. With a warm smile, Shade nuzzled back, making sure to give his son a little love, too.

Winter pulled away—though reluctantly—to gaze into her lover's eyes like she so enjoyed doing. "We're going home soon."

Everypony turned to see Guise hobbling his way over to the group, though keeping a safe distance as he wasn't entirely comfortable around the six ponies that were giving him suspicious glares.

Chamella looked at Shade curiously. "So, can you explain what Guise is doing here? And why was he helping us?"

"I'm curious about that myself," Twilight added as she stared imposingly at the red-maned changeling. "Last we saw him, he was trying to brainwash Winter and then tried to kill you."

"It's... kind of a long story," Shade told them. "But the gist of it is that he wants to leave the Changeling Kingdom, and he agreed to help me find Snowflake if I agreed to bail him out if he gets himself into trouble."

Applejack raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Now, when you say 'leave the Changeling Kingdom,' what exactly does that entail?"

"I'm not going living anywhere near you lot," Guise said disdainfully. "I don't need a bunch of goody-goodies breathing down my neck. I'm going to try not to cause trouble, but I can't really make any promises."

There was a moment of silence as the group exchanged looks of skepticism. Twilight then looked to Shade. "Can we trust him?"

"'Trust' is a strong word, but he did basically save my life. So I owe him one," Shade said.

"Don't you think that you guys, of all people, should be willing to give him a second chance?" Chamella pointed out. "Even if he has selfish motives, he still helped us out."

Rainbow Dash gave the ivory pegasus a quizzical look. "After what he did to you? Are you sure?"

A genuine, happy grin creased Winter's lips. "After everything I've been through—everything we've been through..." She sidled up next to Chamella and pulled the female changeling in close with her wing. "I think anypony can earn a second chance."

Shade was a little caught off guard by how friendly Winter was being with Chamella. Obviously they must have been through just as much as he had, if not more; it wasn't too farfetched to think that they might patch things up for the sake of saving Snowflake.

"I think that's a good point," Fluttershy agreed. "I mean, if we can give Discord a second chance, why not, right?"

Once again, Guise rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, thanks. You have no idea how much this means to me," he groaned sarcastically. "Look, I'm not gonna be holding hooves with anypony, or standing in friendship circles, or any crap like that. I'm gonna live how I wanna live. Just making that clear." He was about to head on is own way back toward the hive's caverns, but as he looked at the dark, menacing entrance, Guise's crimson eyes suddenly shot wide as he remembered something. "Oh, crap, Glory!"

Shade stood at attention at the mention of the name. "Oh, right! We promised to go back for her! We have to—"

As Shade and Guise were about to start hurrying back toward the cave, Chamella reached out and stopped them. They stared at her, confused, worried, and, in Guise's case, a little upset that she was preventing him from going to her. Chamella gave the two a silent, somber, and remorseful frown, shaking her head slowly. The tension slowly lifted from Shade and Guise as they caught her meaning, their worried expressions quickly becoming depressed and defeated.

Shade stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the ground. "She's... the reason Snow is safe. She even wanted to come with us back to Ponyville when this was all over."

"Until Wraith..." Guise growled, but trailed off, staring back to where the object of his ire and Chrysalis were.

Guise looked at the yellow pegasus briefly, but turned his eyes back downward. "No, it's just... She was the one who let me out of the dungeon. I... I never got around to thanking her, that's all."

Winter looked down at Snowflake, who was snuggled into the fur of her neck. The little guy seemed worn out and sleepy, but as far as she could tell, he was completely unharmed through all of this. At least Winter knew now who was responsible for his well being. "Now I wish I would've thanked her, too," Winter said quietly and solemnly.

The conversation was interrupted by a flash a bright, green magic from Chrysalis and Wraith's direction. By the time the light died down, Chrysalis was already on her way back toward them. Her expression was difficult to read and most of the ponies couldn't tell if she was angry or distraught. Once she had rejoined the others, she let out a long sigh.

"So, what's Wraith's punishment, huh?" Pinkie inquired. "Are you gonna lock him up in the dungeon? Exile him from the Changeling Kingdom? Make him eat a bowl full of pine cones?"

Pinkie's expression dropped quickly, looking a little awkward and uneasy now as she stared up at Chrysalis's stone-faced visage. "Oh..."

"That's a little... extreme, isn't it?" Fluttershy commented, instinctively taking a step away from Chrysalis.

"Your princesses can rule their way, I will rule my way. If left alive, I have no doubt that Wraith would continue to cause me trouble—and you all as well. He obviously wouldn't want to stick around here after this, so he'd very likely try and worm his way into your homes to get his power back. Though I can't say how well he'd be able to keep up a disguise without his horn. The point is he's too dangerous to just lock up, and after what he did to me all these years, he got exactly what he deserved. My kingdom and my people will be better off with him dead, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't try and force your own sense of morality on me."

Chamella lifted a hoof of her own to stop the alicorn. "Just let it go, Twilight. Please? She helped us out. Besides, it's really none of our business."

Chrysalis gave Chamella a smile. "At least one of you understands. You're a rare breed, aren't you, Chamella? I wish more of my subjects were like you."

Chamella was a little caught off guard by the compliment. "Oh, uh... Thank you?"

"Now, I suppose you'll all be needing someone to guide you back to the forests so you can go home," Chrysalis inferred, showing her impatience with their continued presence.

"Um, how long is it going to take to get back?" Winter asked pensively, recalling the struggles she'd had to deal with over the past three days.

The queen thought for a moment before responding nonchalantly. "Should take maybe an hour or so."

"An hour?!" Rarity gawked. "We've been navigating these tunnels for days, and you say it'll only take an hour?!"

"Give or take fifteen or twenty minutes, but, yes. It certainly helps when you know these caverns like the back of your hoof."

Chamella rubbed her foreleg awkwardly, feeling more than a little embarrassed as she looked apologetically at Winter. Thankfully, the pegasus gave her a forgiving and reassuring grin.

Hearing the groans of annoyance and haggard eye rolls amongst the mares, Chrysalis muttered thoughtfully to herself. "Maybe I should make the path to the throne room a little more pronounced..."

Shade, Chamella, and Guise never thought they'd be relieved to see the oranges and golds of the forests of the Changeling Kingdom, but here they were, smiling involuntarily to finally be out of those stagnant and humid caves. Their pony companions were equally relieved, breathing in the comparatively clean air. All of them were very eager to get back home, but none more than Winter.

"Well, here you go," Chrysalis said impatiently. "Now if you'll all kindly get out of my kingdom..."

Chamella turned around to give the queen a grateful smile. "Thank you for helping us, Your Majesty. It means a lot."

Chrysalis rolled her eyes at the praise, trying desperately to hide a bashful blush. "You have no reason to thank me. I really didn't do anything but point you in the right direction."

Chrysalis stared at the pegasus, unsure how to feel. She certainly wasn't accustomed to receiving thanks from ponies. Her gaze shifted slightly to the half-changeling colt cradled in her foreleg. Snowflake held tightly to his mother as he looked up uneasily at the changeling queen. "I suppose I could argue that I did it for his sake. He is a changeling after all, even if he doesn't look it." Chrysalis leaned down closer to the foal with the intention of giving him a light pat on the head. However, Snowflake buried his face into his mother's crimson mane in an attempt to hide himself from the tall, imposing queen. Chrysalis straightened up again, scoffing at the child's reaction. "Fine, if that's how you want to treat your queen. I didn't want you as my subject anyway."

Shade turned to Guise. The red-maned changeling was staring off into the distance, seemingly at nothing in particular. "Do you have any ideas as to where you want to go?"

Guise inhaled a deep breath through his nose, but didn't look at Shade. "Nah, not really. Figured I'd just look at any place I wound up at, maybe sneak around in disguise to get a feel for the place before making a decision." Shade glared at him, which Guise noticed from the corner of his eye. "Don't look at me like that. We already talked about this. I'm not letting you or anypony else rein me in."

Guise waved him off dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I remember, give it rest. But if things go well, we won't have to see each other again, so chill out." He took a few steps forward, spreading his wings in preparation to leave.

He paused for a moment, glancing over his shoulder to see Winter and Chamella looking at him. They seemed a little conflicted, particularly Winter.

Guise rolled his eyes with a scoff. "I'll try not to lose sleep over it," he responded sarcastically.

Guise simply stared at her for a few silent moments. Her face was an uneasy mix of gratitude and disdain, but considering what he did to her in the past, he couldn't really blame her for still not trusting him. Snowflake was staring at him, too, though in much the same way he had with Chrysalis. Guise breathed a long sigh. "Whatever. I had my own reasons for helping out, so don't be too thankful."

Guise didn't respond to her, only staring at her quietly. He didn't really see any reason for Chamella to be so warm towards him, but decided to leave it alone. Flittering his wings, Guise took off, weaving up past the tree canopy and disappearing through the autumn leaves and branches.

"Wasn't he a prisoner?" Rainbow Dash pointed out to Chrysalis. "You sure you wanna just let him leave?"

Chrysalis shrugged indifferently. "As long as he's not in my kingdom, I couldn't care less. Besides, he did have a hoof in bringing down Wraith, so I suppose I owe him at least his freedom."

"Speaking of which..." Chamella said, looking curiously up at the queen. "What are you going to do now, Your Highness?"

Chrysalis remained quiet for a moment, her lips turning down in a dejected frown as she thought it over. "I've been pondering that myself. After my failure in Canterlot, I sort of fell into a mild depression. I began to question whether or not I was fit to continue ruling." Her expression and tone suddenly became more resolute and confident as she continued. "But now I've seen what failure brings: cocky individuals who think they can do better than me, and who think of nothing but themselves. And if I want to regain and maintain the respect of my subjects, I need to ensure that this doesn't happen again. So, that being said, I think I need to plan another invasion." Noticing the several reprimanding scowls she was receiving from the six multicolored mares, she cracked a smug smirk. "What? Did you think that I was going to change just because you helped me out of a bind?"

"You don't have to do this, Chrysalis," Shade told her, earning a haughty glare as she looked down her nose at him. "It really wouldn't be difficult to just sit down with Princess Celestia and work something out."

"I thought I made it abundantly clear last time we met that I have no intention of forming any sort of allegiance with those insipid ponies," Chrysalis hissed, paying no mind to the fact that those ponies were within earshot. "I still fully intend to take Equestria's throne for myself. I'll not be satisfied with simply giving my people the lives they deserve. I want the changelings to stand as Equestria's dominant and most feared people, with me at the head."

"You know we're not going to just stand by and let you do that," Twilight warned her, her friends standing alongside her militantly.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes at the ponies' attempt to be threatening. "Oh, please. I won't be making the same mistakes I did back then. And besides, these plots take time to concoct. It'll likely be some time before I'm ready to actually do anything, especially since you'll be expecting us this time."

Twilight and the others lowered their guards slightly, but continued to watch her diligently.

Chrysalis smirked playfully. "Or maybe I'll launch an attack tomorrow. Who knows? We're changelings; we could be right under your nose and you wouldn't even know it." Seeing the bemused and aggressive stares she was getting, Chrysalis's mirth quickly made way for annoyance. "Alright, I have a kingdom to rebuild, so get lost while I'm still in a gracious mood."

With that, Chrysalis gave her two former subjects a well-wishing smile before turning her back to the group and returning to the caves.

"We'll be ready for her when she shows up again," Twilight stated to Shade, Chamella, and Winter.

Chamella shook her head in disappointment. "I really wish she'd just see things our way." She turned to Shade, who was watching as Chrysalis disappeared into the darkness. "I guess you don't really care either way, do you, Shade?"

Shade inhaled a deep breath through his nose, his expression difficult to read. "I think there's some good in her. She might come around some day."

Chamella's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I thought you said the changelings were irredeemable."

Her childhood friend gave her a soft smile, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Maybe some of them are, but I know now there must still be some changelings who are willing to take a chance at peace."

Chamella and Winter both had a feeling they knew who changed his mind about that, but didn't say anything, only silently thanking her for what she did.

"I think we should get back to Ponyville soon," Fluttershy interrupted. "You three aren't exactly in great shape right now, and it's going to take a few hours to get back home."

Now that she had said that, Shade and Chamella in particular started to become a little more cognizant of their physical discomfort from their injuries. Winter held Snowflake tenderly, the colt beginning to grow tired as he nestled into her neck for a nap. Finding the idea of putting all of this behind them quite appealing, they all agreed with Fluttershy's suggestion and started making the long trek home.

It was approaching evening in the small town of Ponyville, but the weather was fair and the atmosphere rather peaceful. Folks were just starting to make their way home from a long day's work, and would likely be looking for some other activity to eat up the rest of this picturesque day. Children were outside playing, couples going for romantic walks, others just taking in the scenery.

Ponyville never looked so beautiful, so inviting, as it did at this very moment. Shade, Chamella, Winter with Snowflake, and Twilight and her friends all stood with longing and relieved smiles as they crested the hill overlooking the quaint town they called home. It was hard to believe that this was real. Shade and Chamella almost felt like this was their first time coming here all over again.

As much as they were all enjoying the view, Rarity took up the lead, glancing over her shoulder to her friends. "Let's not dawdle, everypony," she said, her nonchalant tone belying the excitement and impatience they knew she was suppressing. "I'm sure we'd all like to get back to our homes and get ourselves tidied up."

Without a word from anypony, they all followed her lead, descending down the hill with smiles on their faces. Once within the town limits, the group of ponies, changelings, and one half-changeling foal started receiving a few curious looks from passersby. It certainly must have been an odd sight to see the lot of them all together like this, even though they were friends. Or perhaps it was the state they were all in, with dirtied coats, disheveled manes, and a few of them with visible cuts and bruises, not to mention Chamella's bandages.

The crowd's confusion may have also stemmed from the fact that they had all been missing for several days. Twilight and her friends were pillars of the community and local heroes; their absence for any noteworthy length of time would certainly not go unnoticed, particularly the princess. As a result, the group was met with quiet murmurs amongst the crowd of gawkers, a few even being bold enough to approach Twilight and asked where she'd been, to which she simply replied by saying that they didn't have time to elaborate.

As much as they all wanted to return to their houses and get some well deserved rest, they decided it may be best for Winter, Shade, and Chamella to stop by the hospital first—at the behest of their concerned friends—so that they may have any injuries looked at. However, as they begun to approach the Ponyville Hospital, they were suddenly stopped by a voice calling out from above.

The group barely had time to look up before Winter was suddenly blindsided by a hug from her mother Autumn Maple, being careful not to come in too hot and risk hurting her grandson.

Winter was quite caught off guard by the unexpected embrace, her mother sobbing joyous tears into Winter's dirty coat. At first, she was confused, but quickly assumed that her mother must have figured out—or at least presumed—what had happened. Winter smiled lovingly, hugging her mother right back. "Hi, Mom. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

Autumn's relieved sobbing never ceased long enough for her to respond, but she had willpower enough to release her daughter and instead take hold of Snowflake, who hugged his grandmother tightly.

Instead of Autumn answering the question, their attentions were directed to the grandmother's husband, approaching with his usual stern and corrective gaze. Oddly, he was accompanied by Spike, Derpy, and Sweetie Belle who, in contrast to the tall stallion, were smiling ecstatically.

Sweetie Belle immediately leapt at Chamella to give her a hug, which the changeling happily returned. "I'm sorry, Chamella. I couldn't keep your promise."

"It's okay," Chamella assured her. "You did the right thing. You basically saved all our lives by telling them."

Nimbus walked up to his daughter, his expression unmoving as he stared into her amber eyes. Winter felt all the remorse and regret double back on her, her ears folding back in shame as she turned her own gaze away from her father's.

However, instead of receiving a stern talking to as she was expecting, Winter found herself pulled into another relieved hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay, sweetie," he whispered compassionately, running his hoof over her messy, crimson mane.

Although a little surprised by his sudden display of affection, Winter had the wherewithal to wrap her hooves around her father's back. "You're not mad?"

Nimbus pulled away, keeping his hooves on Winter's shoulders and inhaling deeply through his nose to discreetly force back his tears. "Oh, I'm livid, absolutely."

"But now's not the time for scolding. Although, I want you to promise me that you will never do something so reckless and irresponsible ever again," he commanded with authority, though there was certainly care and worry evident in his voice.

His daughter nodded. "You don't have to worry about that, Dad. Trust me, I've learned my lesson."

Nimbus let out a sigh, letting his blood pressure level out. "Good. You had me worried sick, Winter. I'm just glad that you and Snow are okay."

Nimbus cast an instinctive glower in Shade's direction, making the changeling instantly regret his curiosity. But much to his surprise, Nimbus grinned at him. "Yes, I'm glad to see you're alright, too."

Shade managed a smile, feeling a touch of camaraderie between him and his girlfriend's father.

"After all, I told you I'm not letting you get out of being a father to my grandchild."

Shade's smile persisted despite the comment. As intimidating as Nimbus was trying to be, he was still grinning, though Shade suspected there was still some seriousness to the comment.

"So how did you figure it out?" Winter asked, though now that she thought about it, there were some pretty obvious hints. "Well, I guess we haven't been home for a while. Plus, our house is probably still a bit of a mess."

Spike stepped up to fill in the gaps. "Yeah, they rushed over to the library pretty quick when they saw the state of your place. They wanted to ask Twilight for help, but obviously she wasn't home sooooo..."

"I had to try and calm them down," Spike told them, defending his decision. "I know you didn't want Princess Celestia to get involved, and they probably would've went to her if they couldn't get you."

"Honestly, as horrified as I was by the news, I did feel a little better knowing that you and your friends were helping them, Princess," Autumn added with a grateful smile as she cradled her weary grandson.

"And what are you doing with them, Derpy?" Rainbow Dash asked the wall-eyed pegasus accompanying them.

"Spike asked for my help in tracking down the changeling spies," Derpy answered proudly.

"Oh, that's right!" Twilight chirped as she remembered the task she'd given her draconic assistant. "How did that go?"

"We got 'em all locked up at the police station," Derpy elaborated. "We even got Nimbus and Autumn to help out."

Winter stared at her parents incredulously. "Really?! You guys went after the changelings?"

"Well, I'm certainly not dumb enough to go running off to the Changeling Kingdom," Nimbus replied with his signature reprimanding glare, prompting Winter's ears to droop slightly. "But I wasn't going to stand idly by and do nothing when those miscreants were hiding among us. Uh, no offense," he said, seemingly directing that last part to Chamella more than Shade.

"Yeah, you should've seen it," Spike continued with an amused chuckle. "We had one of 'em caught, and Autumn and Nimbus did the whole 'good-cop-bad-cop' thing to get him to tell us where the others were. And you'll never guess who was the 'bad cop,'" he said, looking at a bashful Autumn.

"Hey, I'm a mother. I know how to get misbehaving troublemakers to fess up. You know that better than anypony, don't you, Winter?" Autumn stated with a giggle and a knowing grin.

"Well, however your goal was accomplished, good job, Spike. And thank you all for helping him out," Twilight thanked the dragon and the three pegasi with a grateful smile. "But we're sort of in a hurry. We'd really like to get to the hospital."

"I am," her daughter responded. "At least, I think I am. It's more for Shade and Chamella." She pointed out the bandages around Chamella's left flank and the fact that the female changeling had been keeping that leg off the ground.

"Are you sure you're not hurt?" Nimbus insisted. "That looks like an awful lot of blood on your hooves."

Her parents exchanged concerned and worried looks, but chose to trust that their daughter wasn't hiding anything for their sake. In any case, they didn't want to hold them up any longer. If they had injuries that needed tending to, then the sooner they made it to the hospital, the better.

The hospital lobby was not as quiet as one would figure. Despite repeated shushes from the irritated receptionist, the group of colorful ponies and one dragon loitering within the lobby were surprisingly energetic and rambunctious. The receptionist would have expected such behavior from impatient foals, but not a bunch of adults. Although, given who exactly these people were, perhaps it shouldn't have been too surprising.

Pinkie Pie was enthusiastically regaling the events that had occurred in the Changeling Kingdom to Winter's parents, as well as Spike and Derpy, focusing specifically on the large group of soldiers that they had encountered when they met up with Shade. Unfortunately, since their time with Shade had been brief, she couldn't really elaborate on what happened with him after that until they found him again, embroiled in his skirmish with Wraith.

It was at that point that Rainbow Dash had eagerly took over narrative duty, detailing the ensuing battle as they had seen it. Despite the annoyed looks she and her friends were receiving from the receptionist and the other ponies waiting in the lobby, the cyan pegasus swooped and twirled around in the limited airspace of the lobby as she playfully reenacted specific moments of the fight, shadowboxing and kicking the air while Pinkie Pie interjected with occasional sound effects. Of course, Rainbow Dash was sure to mention that she had gotten the final blow in before leaving Wraith to Queen Chrysalis.

The whole while, as they listened to the two exuberant mares' retellings—no doubt with some minor exaggerations—Autumn and Nimbus found their reactions ranging from curious, to worried, to scared, and even a little excited. Despite his previous scolding, Nimbus couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter for actually surviving the whole thing and accomplishing what she had set out to do. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't still going to get a stern talking to about her recklessness, but he was certain now that his little girl was tougher than he'd ever given her credit for.

As the excitement was dying down, the storytelling was interrupted when the doctor entered the lobby through the wooden double doors leading further into the hospital. He was also accompanied by Chamella and Shade, as well as Winter, who was holding a smiling Snowflake. Their friends and family all rose to get the news. It was difficult to ascertain how well their examinations had gone based on their facial expressions; they didn't seem particularly enthused, but also not too upset.

The unicorn doctor adjusted his glasses, going over the notes on the clipboard he carried within his magical grasp. "All things considered, it went well. Given everything they've told me, their injuries could have been much worse."

The doctor nodded. "Which is why they should consider themselves extremely lucky. First off, Chamella's injuries, for the most part, are minor. Some negligible cuts and bruises, with the wounds from the bite she received being the worst of it. But even that isn't as bad as it looks. It'll heal just fine in due time, I just recommend avoiding putting pressure on that leg where possible."

"And I don't see it being too much of a hindrance at the boutique," Rarity added.

"I guess it's probably worse than I bite from Opal, huh?" Sweetie Belle commented, shuddering at the thought of a changeling's sizable fangs digging into flesh.

"Shade probably received the worst of it," the doctor continued as he glanced at his notes again. "He has a couple of cracked ribs and suffered another blow to the head." The doctor gave the changeling a reprimanding glower, still none too please about how he had snuck out of the hospital. "To err on the side of caution, Shade will be staying here for a while so that we can monitor him to see if his condition worsens. Personally, I don't think we have much to worry about on that front, but you never know."

The doctor grinned as he playfully tousled the tuft of green hair on the head of the tyke in Winter's possession. "Snowflake is perfectly fine; no injuries whatsoever. He is a tad malnourished, but nothing that a good meal can't fix." His expression suddenly became more serious. "Winter hasn't suffered many physical injuries either, just the usual scrapes and bruises. Mentally, on the other hoof, is another story."

Autumn and Nimbus exchanged worried looks before turning back to the doctor. "Wh-What does that mean?" Autumn asked pensively, noticing how Winter's expression had fallen as she turned her gaze away.

"Based on what Winter has told me, it's possible that this whole ordeal may have caused her some psychological trauma. I'm concerned about the long term effects she may experience as a result. It's possible she may suffer from a case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the future."

Autumn looked at her daughter with deep worry. "That's... Oh, my. Winter, are you alright, dear?"

Winter managed to force a weak smile. "I'm... I'm fine, Mom. I think I can get over it."

Winter rubbed the side of her neck apprehensively, looking away again and noting the crowd of people present in the hospital lobby. "Like I said, I'll tell you later."

"I've arranged, with Winter's agreement, for her to see a psychiatrist once a week for the next few weeks," the doctor explained. "Hopefully that will help her cope with any emotional issues that she might be dealing with. I've also recommended that she talk with her friends and family in order to receive their emotional support; keeping these things to one's self could lead to further problems."

Autumn tenderly approached her daughter and grandson, wrapping her hooves around her lovingly. "We're here for you, sweetie. You don't have to deal with these things alone."

Winter closed her eyes as she returned her mother's embrace. "I know. Thanks, Mom. But right now, all I want to do is get some grub."

Autumn gave a soft smile. "If you want, I can cook you all up a big dinner. I think you've earned that much."

"No offense, Mom, but I need something to eat, like, now." Winter told her with a giggle. "Anypony wanna join me for Hayburger?"

"Sounds good to me," Twilight agreed as she and her friends started heading for the exit.

"Ah reckon we should all head back to our homes and get ourselves cleaned up first," Applejack suggested, noting the dirt and grime that was still present in all their coats.

"Guess I'll have to pass on dinner," said Shade with a hint of disappointment. "I'm supposed to stay here."

Winter gave Shade a quick kiss before she made to follow the others. "I'll come right back to see you, okay?"

Shade stared silently up at the ceiling, the glow of the florescent lights barely noticeable and not offensive to his eyes in the slightest. They weren't the only light source in the room, however, as the iridescent, orange luminescence of the sunset softly bathed the pristine, white walls in a beautiful glow of color. It almost reminded him of the colors of the Changeling Kingdom, though right now, he wasn't too sure how he felt about that.

Shade exhaled a long breath, sighing deeply. This wasn't exactly how he was hoping to spend his time after he got home. Being confined to the firm, thin mattress of a hospital bed wasn't nearly as inviting as his own plush, cozy bed. But worse than that was not being able to spend his first night home in bed with the pony he loved. Served him right, he figured; this could simply be considered his punishment for his reckless behavior. But all in all, he really had no room to complain. He counted himself lucky that he managed to get out of the Changeling Kingdom with only a couple of cracked ribs and a mild concussion.

There was a quiet knock on the door to Shade's hospital room, and it slowly opened immediately afterward. Shade cracked a grin when he saw a stroller roll into the room, his little, halfling son strapped securely into it, sucking contentedly on a pacifier and tightly clutching a ragged, plush bunny in his tiny hooves.

Pushing from behind was, of course, the tyke's mother and the love of Shade's life. Winter had gone off for something to eat with the others a couple of hours ago, but Shade could see exactly why she'd been gone so long. Winter's mane and coat were looking pristine, her alabaster fur shining brighter than the walls of the hospital, and her scarlet mane groomed to perfection and gleaming like silk. She almost looked like a completely different person compared to the one he'd left the Changeling Kingdom with. She obviously spent a lot of time tidying herself up to get rid of the dirt, grime, and stains. Shade had only taken a quick soak in the hospital's shower, but then again, he didn't have a coat of fur to maintain and work knots out of, or feathers to preen.

"Hey," Winter greeted softly and with a loving smile. She extended her right wing, using her ivory feathers to hold a somewhat greasy, brown, paper bag with a picture of a yellow oval and horseshoe on it. "I brought you some Hayburger."

Shade smiled fondly. "Thanks. The food they give you here isn't really filling. Or appetizing."

Winter rolled Snowflake over to the left side of the bed as Shade propped himself up in preparation for his meal. After spending the last few days eating nothing but bugs and bland mushrooms, some greasy fast food was sounding pretty good. Winter passed Shade the tray on which he had eaten the meal the nurse gave him, putting the contents of the bag onto it: a cardboard container of small, horseshoe-shaped fries, a medium cup of cola, and a namesake hayburger, complete with tomato, lettuce, cheese, ketchup, and of course, hay. Shade was quick to take a bite of the burger, and although he wasn't as fond of hay as his pony neighbors, the melding of flavors created by the other ingredients was leagues above anything he'd eaten recently, including the hospital food.

Winter giggled in amusement hearing Shade's blissful moan as he chewed, mostly because she and the others had done much the same at the restaurant. She pulled over a nearby stool to sit on, then reached into the bag once more, removing a plastic spoon and a small container of applesauce with Hayburger's logo on it. She popped out Snowflake's pacifier and started feeding her son his dessert while Shade ate his supper.

"Where's Chamella?" Shade asked with a mouthful of food. For a second, he wished he hadn't asked that. He didn't want Winter to think he needed her to be there, especially since he knew there was—or had been—some tension between them. However, much to his relief, Winter's smile persisted unwaveringly.

"She went back home with Rarity. I asked her if she wanted to come with, but she wanted to give us some privacy."

Having not actually gotten all of the details about it on their way home, Shade decided now was as good a time as any to ask about that. "What exactly happened between you two? I don't think I've ever seen you so friendly with each other."

Winter chuckled quietly. "Oh, you know, when you're constantly saving each others lives, you tend to grow a little closer. You don't have to worry about us, Shade. I know I haven't really treated Chamella with much respect since I've known her, but that's gonna change from here on out."

Shade looked down at the little colt with applesauce smeared on his chin. "And are you okay with her being Snow's godmother?"

A happy and relieved smile creased Shade's fanged lips as he popped a few fries in his mouth. Second to everypony getting home safe and sound, he was pleased to hear that the two mares had resolved their differences. He never wanted to be put in a situation where he'd have to choose between them, and if they hadn't made up, it was entirely possible that that scenario may have popped up at some point. Thankfully, it looked like he'd be able to avoid that now.

"So, how are you feeling?" Winter asked Shade, a loving grin on her face, but with some noticeable concern.

"Been better," Shade said with a chuckle as he lightly rubbed his chest. "But the pain and discomfort is well worth it."

"Hm?" Shade lifted a hoof to his mouth. He'd almost forgotten that Wraith had broken his left fang off. But Winter was right; the jagged and sharp remains of the tooth had since begun to wear down and smooth out, turning the uneven edges into soft bumps as it gradually grew back and would eventually taper back into its characteristic pointed shape.

Winter's mood suddenly shifted when the topic was turned to her, a melancholy look on her face. She saw the sympathetic look Shade was giving her, knowing by his quiet and careful tone exactly to what he was referring. He was in the room when she explained to the doctor the things she'd seen and the things she'd done, so it was only a matter of time before Shade inquired about it further. The pegasus let out a quiet sigh. "I'd say I don't want to talk about it, but I know I shouldn't bottle it up. Still, I'd rather not go into detail."

"Don't worry about it," Shade told her understandingly. "If you're not comfortable talking about it right now, you don't have to. I just want to make sure you're not beating yourself up over it. As far as I'm concerned, you didn't do anything wrong."

Winter couldn't help but smile weakly. "Chamella said the same thing. And, honestly, once I finally saw Snow again, I feel like I was able to put it out of my mind for a while. But like the doctor said, who knows how this might affect me in the long run? I mean, P.T.S.D.? That's a scary thought."

Shade was quiet for a moment, not really sure what it all actually meant, but he just wanted to reassure her right now. "Well, just remember that you have people around you to support you. Not just me, but our friends, too."

"It's easy to say that, but there's really no telling if it'll actually help. I'm gonna try not to think about it too much, but I can't really guarantee anything. Hopefully the therapist the doctor recommended can give me some useful advice." Winter spooned another mouthful of applesauce to her son, the colt happily clamping onto the plastic utensil with a contented moan. She and Shade both stared curiously at Snowflake. "You think this is going to have any effect on him?"

Shade eyed the baby up for a moment as he thought about it. "I don't know. He looks pretty content. Is he even old enough to realize what happened?"

Winter shrugged uncertainly. "I guess he's only a couple of months old. He might not ever remember any of this when he's older."

Shade watched Snowflake eat, but had a sullen expression had his face. "It's probably better if he doesn't. After what happened to Glory... I don't even want to remember that."

An air of silence fell over the family of three as Winter fed their foal the last spoonful of applesauce. Both Winter and Shade contemplated the events of the last few days. It was hard to believe it was only a few days, and not just because their sense of time was skewed within the dark caverns of the changeling hive. Winter let out another sigh.

"You know, I was worried about a lot of things when I was pregnant. 'What's the baby going to be like?' 'Will I be a good mom?' 'Am I ready to be a mom?' Even after he was born, I started telling myself that I had to act a certain way and do certain things to prove that I could be a good mom. But now I know that that was pretty much the exact opposite way I should have been doing things."

Shade gazed at her silently and sympathetically. He didn't say anything. He waited for her to finish her thought.

"Even with all the things I was worried about, I was not prepared for what ended up happening."

"None of us were," Shade assured her. "And you can't act like it's your fault. Even if you were acting a little..."

Winter stared at him as he paused, clearly trying to choose the least offensive word he could think of. Winter chose to finish the thought for him. "Crazy?"

Shade shrugged, a little relieved that she was the who said it, not him. "Yeah, let's go with that. That really had nothing to do with Wraith showing up out of nowhere."

Winter rocked her head back and forth uncertainly. "Yeah, but it was my dumb and reckless attitude that made it so difficult. If I had just had the common sense to ask Twilight for help, it would've been so much simpler."

"At least Chamella had the sense to not listen to me and tell somepony before we left. She could very well have saved all our lives. Yet another reason for me to be grateful to her."

The two of them once more went back to simply staring at the oblivious colt carelessly playing with his stuffed rabbit. All the trouble they went through for him, all the times they could very well have lost their lives, and Snowflake was just playfully going about things as if nothing had even happened.

Winter looked back up at Shade, her face serious and concerned, not just for herself, but for both of them. "I know I've asked this plenty of times, and it might be a bit late to ask, but do you still think we're ready to be parents?"

Shade didn't really take much time to think about it, flashing a reassuring smile. "After everything we've been through, after the lengths we've had to go to protect him, I think we're pretty much ready for anything," he said with a laugh.

Winter smiled back. As much as she wished none of this had actually happened, she couldn't deny that some good did come of it. And she couldn't disagree with Shade either. She may have gone to the Changeling Kingdom with one mindset and come out with another, but her objective and purpose were the same throughout. Her shame and remorse for the way she'd acted never overrode how much she cared for and loved her son, and if she had to, she'd do it all over again if it meant keeping her baby safe. Shade may have had a point; maybe they really were ready for anything.

Winter looked at Shade, gazing deeply into his emerald irises as if looking for something as he stared back into the amber eyes he'd fallen in love with. Shade could tell there was definitely something on her mind, but she wasn't smiling. If anything, her face was deadly serious with a hint of hopefulness and even some uncertainty. Shade could only stare back at her in silence as he waited for her to speak her mind. And after a few minutes of silence just gazing into one another's eyes, and with no hint of jest, she finally asked the question that was on her mind.

Halfling

by Dee Pad

Chapter 24 - Where the Heart is