Number Crunch sat in her office looking over potential business proposals for the town. The town needed industry to bring in money from outside, and it had a fairly good sized industrial district that had plenty of buildings sitting vacant. It seemed a match made in heaven, but there was a hiccup in that.
There were no shortage of companies that were already hard at work trying to figure out what kinds of products would be most marketable to ponies. The problem was the lack of finalized product designs. Most were in concept stages, and those that weren't were still in need of testing. Virtually no company had a product ready to begin mass production as of yet.
Getting industry rolling, and having ponies making paychecks that they used to buy things, was an urgent issue. Not only did the town need to demonstrate its economic viability, but delaying too long with this could make ponies lose interest in engaging in the economy. It had been only a few weeks since they had been stopped from trying to turn the Charleston area into a farming commune, they couldn't be allowed to fall back into that. If they did that they might never get back on track.
She sighed as she continued to consider the options. The best thing to do at the moment was just to interest as many companies in doing tests of their products in the area, that might help at least drive public interest until production could begin in earnest. Once they had enough interest she could market the town as a production site. She started picking out the most promising of the proposed products and began prepping letters and emails.
"Ms. Crunch? Miss Wild Growth is here to see you. Should I let her in now or should I schedule her an appointment?" Kelly said as she slipped her head into the office with a hand gripped on the door.
Wild was here? Number didn't mind spending time with a friend, but she had to attend to business. She couldn't just ignore her responsibilities every day.
"Let her know when I will be getting off and that I'll be happy to meet up with her after. I can't really spend too much time on non-work related matters during my shift today," Number instructed as she continued making notes.
"She actually asked me to tell you that this is a money related matter," Kelly added on.
Number stopped what she was doing as her eyebrows rose. She had already told Wild that as a sign of trust she didn't want Wild doing business here, and she meant to maintain that trust. Still, perhaps she could offer advice on whatever this was about. A consulting fee would have to be charged just to certify this as her working, and having the bank get some profit for the time she spent. Business was business after all.
"Alright, send Ms. Growth in and I'll see what I can do for her," Number said as she stacked some papers neatly to the side with her magic.
Kelly departed the doorway and a moment later Wild walked in and shut the door firmly behind her. She looked a little distressed, but not angry. Was this actually about money or was that just an excuse to discuss personal matters?
"What can I do for you, Wild?" Number asked she touched her hooves together on the desk while the younger mare took the seat across from her.
"I need your help and advice. I need to grow my money to where I can fund a large amount of research. I know I make a lot, but I have a feeling I'm going to need much more than even I currently make," Wild explained in an anxious tone.
"There are many ways of doing that, and I can act as a financial consultant on that if you wish," Number said as she considered her friend's expression and posture. "What exactly are you looking to fund?"
"How noise proof is this room?" Wild asked as she looked around anxiously.
Number let a concerned frown appear on her lips. "I haven't checked, but I'm pretty sure what's said in here won't be overheard without some pony having their ear directly on the door. What's this about that requires secrecy? You don't seem the cloak and dagger type."
Wild let off a sad laugh before speaking in a near whisper. "I might have to learn to be. I want to fund medical research, and I know that requires no secrecy. I also want to help fund ETS research, and I know that is something nopony can be allowed to know I'm doing."
Number's eyes went wide as she glanced at the door and window now concerned about eavesdroppers herself. She couldn't be officially tied to anything involving ETS research, neither of them could. She turned back to her friend and spoke in a near whisper as well. "I'm beyond shocked right now. That's a major about-face from you. Just yesterday you were staunchly anti-Shimmerist and today you're basically signing up for your membership card with us. That doesn't just happen like that. What's wrong?"
"It's private information," Wild said in a low voice as she stared downward.
"I'm your friend first, a business pony second, and a Shimmerist third in terms of dealing with you right now. Much as what you're saying you want to do might please parts two and three from that list, the first thing on that list means I must look out for your best interests. I can't do that if you aren't open with me about what's going on," Number pleaded. She was being completely honest; this was out of the blue and that was a sign something major had happened. She would normally be very happy to have Wild Growth working with the Shimmerists, but she wasn't sure that was something Wild actually wanted.
Wild sat sitting quietly for a moment and Number could see tears start to well up in Wild's eyes. Not knowing what else to do Number got down from her seat and walked around the desk to place a comforting hoof on her friend's flank. Wild looked first at the hoof and then to Number and broke down crying before she reached down and grabbed Number in hug that was near bone crunching.
"It's my mama! She's got Parkinson's disease and that's something there is no cure for other than ETS. I just want to make her better," Wild sobbed onto Number's shoulder.
Number tried her best to resist trying to squirm free of Wild's grasp. It wasn't that she objected to being hugged, having a pony being willing to hug her was appreciated, but it was the fact she enjoyed having her bones intact and the ability to breathe. Why did earth ponies have to be so ridiculously strong? How much force was in Wild's grip? How much force could her bones take? Number wished she knew those numbers as they seemed pertinent at the moment.
"Wild...grip...tight...,"Number managed to say with a few pained grunts.
Wild gasped as she released her grip and fell to the floor from her seat. "Sorry, it's hard to remember how fragile everypony else is compared to me sometimes."
Number rubbed her chest and took a few deep breaths. She wasn't struggling to breathe so that seemed fine. She wasn't sure if she wasn't bruised though.
"I'm okay, you're just really strong and weren't thinking," Number said as she tried to put on a reassuring smile. She'd check with the clinic later to make sure she actually was okay. For right now she had to comfort Wild, and unfortunately break her of a possible misconception about what was possible anytime soon.
"Wild, I hate to disappoint you, but I don't think there is any real hope of getting a new ETS spell made for years at least, and when I say years I mean decades if not centuries. The magic involved is just far too complex," Number said with sympathy to the crying green earth pony, hating that she wasn't doing anything for encouragement.
"I need something to cure her though," Wild sobbed as she sat with her hind legs spread out in an undignified manner. "Parkinson's research has gone on for years already without any cure coming from it. What in the hell are you all even working towards if there isn't ever going to be a way to turn humans into ponies again?"
Number frowned. "It isn't that the spell will never exist again, it's that it isn't happening anytime soon. We believe that humans are all better off as ponies, and we understand that it will take time to reach a goal of an all pony world. The fanatics out west might think they can make something happen sooner, but we're realists here. If we were like the Shimmerists out west the government wouldn't be willing to deal with us at all."
Wild deflated even more where she sat and hung her head. "What am I supposed to do Number? My mama is going to be suffering in a few years. She's likely suffering right now and hiding it."
"There's nothing stopping you from investing in medical research. We just got magic thrown into the equation of medicine and we don't even know yet what the Equestrians might share with us. Perhaps there'll be new breakthroughs that weren't possible before," Number offered.
She chose not to even mention the ETS research. As she suspected, that wasn't Wild's real desire, and she wasn't going to take advantage of her friend to get funding for that. She was going to be a good pony, and good ponies didn't take advantage of their friends.
"Maybe, I guess I can hope," Wild said with a shake of her head. "Do you think maybe the Equestrians would be willing to cast the spell on request? It's for a good reason, and she actually wants to be a pony from what I understand. I haven't confronted her about that yet."
Maybe their goals lined up a little. "That's one of the options that Sunset--our Sunset--was going to try to push, trying to pressure our government and Equestria into letting humans who want to be ponies be ponies. She figures that in time every human would eventually want to be a pony once enough did it."
Wild wiped a tear from her eye. "I could care less if it turned out that way or not, but I want my mama happy and well. If I can help with anything involving that I will."
Number sat and considered the options. She'd have to sit down with Wild and Sunset Blessing to discuss everything, but there were possibilities if they took care. Wild wasn't just any earth pony, Wild was an earth pony that other earth ponies idolized and humans took note of, she had the potential for major celebrity status. Celebrity status could be a strong voice of public opinion.
"There may be some things you can do to help, if you're really interested. We'll take time to discuss those later," Number said after much consideration. "For now we should see about helping with medical research, and before that ways of expanding your personal wealth."
"Thank you, Number," Wild said as she looked up and gave a sad smile.
Number shook her head. Wild needed to completely aware of what was involved. "Don't thank me yet. I can't grow money at the speed you can grow trees. This will take time, and by time I mean years. There is no quick fix, no matter how much you want one. You have to be in this for the long haul and get heavily involved in the corporate world. Business can be ruthless and amoral, which means you have to learn to be ruthless and amoral when needed. If you're committed to this path though I'll teach and help you."
Wild sighed. "Whatever it takes. I just want to do right by my mama and all the other people that are in situations like this."
Number nodded and couldn't help but feel sad for the loss of innocence Wild would have to endure along the way.
If she sat very still the pain wasn't too bad.
That didn't mean that there was no pain though.
Melissa lay in on the same stretcher, which everypony called a bed, that she had spent her last three weeks on. Rudra had rolled a TV in every night to try to give some distraction. On and off it would distract her, but tonight it couldn't bring any distraction from her thoughts. The fact that the movie now playing was The Last Unicorn actually made them worse, it seemed to have gotten a surge in popularity lately given how often it aired on every channel. Whoever chose to start that trend needed to be given a broken leg.
Tonight was probably her last night as a pony. And she lacked the same peace that she had when she had endured what she thought would be her last night as a human. No calm acceptance, just silent dread.
Across from her Dan sat watching the television with feigned interest. She could tell he was actually intent on her, and he was watching her from the edge of his vision, even though his eyes didn't turn her way. Dan was good at paying attention to things in his peripheral vision.
She wondered what he was thinking about right now. Was he hoping this worked for her? Was he hoping that this failed? Was he angry with her for having made this choice? He had been closed mouthed about it since she had told the Equestrians she would do it. He had been her primary companion these last few weeks, and she wondered if he thought he was losing his best friend. She certainly couldn't help fearing if she was going to be losing him.
She suppressed the urge to sigh. Sighing made her breathe deeper, breathing deeper made the pain worse. Even miniscule movements were capable of causing great pain. She was so tired of being in pain all the time.
What was her life going to be after tomorrow? She didn't know what would come next for her if this worked. At this point there was so much of being human that seemed strange and alien to her. She supposed that was much the way she had felt about becoming a pony while still human. Perhaps that part wouldn't be so bad. It would be like riding a bicycle, you might not do it for a long time, but you never really forget how.
The bad part was that she didn't feel like she had a life or purpose to return to. She didn't know if her friends from before were humans or ponies at this point. She didn't know if she would want to return to her boring old job working at Costco, or if it would be available for that matter. Her apartment had probably already evicted her. She had been running late on rent as it was before ETS, and her landlady had already been threatening it.
Where could she possibly go? She couldn't return home to her mom. She promised herself she would never go back there again, that she would never endure her mom's passive aggression and emotional abuse, much less her mom's constant drunken stupor, ever again.
Her dad was probably off the table too. His service in the army was probably keeping him constantly moving on the road right now due to everything happening. He had no real home to take her in to. Among the first things she should do when she had hands again was try to get in contact with him though, to let him know she was alright, and tell him all that had happened. Hearing from him again was at least one thing to look forward to.
There was no life to return to, no purpose, nothing. All this procedure was accomplishing was freeing her from pain. She was greatful for that, but feared the cost. As a night pony she felt purpose, purpose that she had always lacked in her life before ETS. She was a protector, a guardian, and that gave her meaning. When she returned to humanity would she have the same drives or would she lose her meaning and direction again? More than anything else that scared her most.
It was all too much for her.
"D-D-Dan, I'm scared...," she said softly as her vision fogged behind tears.
Dan turned towards her with a look of uncertainty and anguish on his face. "It's okay to be scared, but you've endured all this for weeks, and you'll be okay after all this is said and done."
"What am I g-g-going to be after tomorrow?" She wept. She wasn't talking about being a human or pony.
"If everything goes right, and these Equestrians don't fuck it up, then you'll finally be pain free," Dan said in a firm tone that she was uncertain was meant to reassure her or himself.
"I da-da-don't n-na-know where I'm supposed to go...after," she breathed.
"You can stay with us if you want. The Enclave won't turn you away," Dan said in a quiet voice. He then stared menacingly at some imagined foe. "If they try I'll fight them. I'm not turning my back on you. I'll protect you, no matter what."
Melissa whipped her head around to stare at him. She instantly regretted the quick motion as she closed her eyes and shuddered in pain. Then reopened her eyes to look at him. There was an urge to smile at the offer, but she was still troubled.
"We know hu..mans and ponies think different. I don't...know how I'll think tomorrow...," she said worriedly. "Might not...want to."
To her absolute shock, Dan started started beating his wings. A moment later he did a wobbly flight over to her bed. Not having two legs must have thrown off his balance a great deal. With him being bed-bound for the last three weeks it was amazing he was even able to get into the air. He came down on the bed across from her, and the impact of his sudden landing shook the bed and made Melissa whimper yet again. Dan took a moment to regain his breath after the sudden bout of exertion before he met her eyes.
"Mel, you don't need to reply, because I don't like seeing you in pain as you talk, but I want you to listen to me," Dan said as held her gaze firmly, yellow eyes meeting yellow eyes. "We formed the Enclave because we knew that night ponies weren't up to task based on our basic instincts. We wanted to make sure other night ponies didn't end up like us while trying to protect. Tattered has done a good job with bringing us legitimacy and leading our ponies, but much as I hate to admit it both she and I are still subject to the same messed up instincts that the Equestrians like to criticize us for. We need a human to tell us when we aren't thinking straight. I can't believe you will forget what brought us to this, or that will stop mattering to you. We still need you, Mel."
"I was listening in from outside and I agree with Dan," came Tattered's voice. Melissa looked up, ignoring the pain, and saw both Tattered and Rudra standing at the door. Tattered was giving her normal look of pity and Rudra was scowling at Dan.
"Mr. Castillo! What are you doing out of your bed?" Rudra yelled as he marched over to the bed.
Dan looked sheepishly at the night pony doctor. "Um, I flew over here. Mel was upset."
"Oh, you flew? Well then, we shall have to begin a rehabilitation regimen for your flight," Rudra said with an instant improvement in his mood. "Now fly back to your bed, and I will discuss with Nurse Mist tomorrow how we shall proceed with that. Hopefully we can get you out of this place soon."
Melissa got one last sad look from Dan as he backed up in the bed to clear some space before spreading his wings again and launching back into clumsy flight back to his bed, doing a light crash into the pillows.
"You fly like a drunk bumble bee," Tattered said to Dan with a laugh.
"I'm doing more flying than you do, you lame penguin," Dan grumbled as he settled himself back into bed.
"Not for long, I'll be flying again tomorrow with luck. We can figure out flying again together," Tattered replied to him as she spread her wings with unabashed glee.
Talk of flying made Melissa want to cry again. She had already accepted she was never flying again, but this banter between them was just further reminder she was going to be something else soon. That there would be a divide between them that wasn't there before.
She tried to control her weeping but she caught the attention of all three of the others.
"Sorry, Mel, probably not the best thing to be talking about around you," she heard Dan say.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Tattered echoed, looking ashamed of herself.
"It's...okay," Melissa replied in a whisper. It was a lie, nothing was okay, but what else could she say?
"I know it's not the same, but maybe after you are human you can get a pilot license or something," Tattered offered in a hopeful tone.
It wasn't even close to the same thing. It was a pathetic substitute for flying with your own wings and magic. Of course, she was a pathetic creature that couldn't fly already. When she didn't reply Tattered walked over to her and propped herself up by her forelegs on the bed.
"Dan's right though. I really could use your help once this is all said and done. Even if you won't be a pony anymore you still shared your blood and pain along with us. You know what night ponies are prone to do and how we can't let them get hurt like we were," Tattered said gently, then averted her eyes away. "I'm ashamed to say I know nothing about what kind of human life you had before, but I do really wish you'd stay on with us after going back to being human. We built this group together, and we have purpose together. You still can have that same purpose with us here."
Melissa tried to raise her head to better look at her friend. She only lifted it about a centimeter before realizing she couldn't do more without crying out in pain. Purpose was a strong word, and maybe it was the one she needed to hear. She had no other home to return to, the Enclave was her home, and with the Enclave she had purpose.
"I-get...my own...office," Melissa said as she forced a smile through the pain.
Tattered smiled back at her. "I will make sure of it."
Tom sat on a floor with a fork gripped in his magic, casually stabbing at the leafy greens of the salad in front of him. He had no idea where his wife had found the stuff to make this, but he wasn't going to refuse it. It was a million times better than hay. Sitting here eating it with a fork felt like an almost human activity, and it brought some warped feeling of comfort.
A few feet away from him Sunset Blessing sat with her fork and salad both levitating in front of her as she ate. Having no trouble redirecting her magic to do multiple tasks at once. Phobia and Rosetta were both upstairs eating privately. Phobia preferred to eat with just Rosetta.
After Sunset finished chewing her most recent bite she turned and addressed him. "How much improvement is she showing? Has she even left her room yet since the other day?"
Tom shook his head. "Not really. She went to the bathroom a few times. Rosetta had to escort her there and back each time or she wouldn't leave the room. She won't even let me get too close to her. Rosetta says she is going to try to get her to come out on the porch for some fresh air tonight."
Sunset scrunched up her nose in frustration. "Yes, she wouldn't let me get too close either when I was giving them their food. I understand it, but we have to get her beyond this. Has Tonya come by? She was supposed to, but didn't mention it to me. Tonya's been oddly reserved the last few days and I'm starting to worry about her too."
"She was by for a little bit yesterday. I heard Rosetta let her in, and both she and Wild were here that night. Wild and Rosetta started yelling at each other before Tonya arrived. Don't know what all was said, I fell asleep early," Tom said before biting down on another bit of leafy greens.
"I'll just have to talk to Tonya about it when we go to bed tonight," Sunset said absently.
Tom didn't know how to respond to that. How was he supposed to take comments about how his wife was sleeping with some other pony, a mare at that, and likely doing much more than just sleeping in the same bed? Of course, it was hard to picture the pony that sat across from him as the woman he had known for so long. Of all the ponies that behaved differently after their transformation there was no more dramatic change than Sunset Blessing. His wife was all but a memory, replaced by this alien that had her voice and some memories.
Sunset must have picked up on what he was thinking. "Tonya is scared I'm going to be getting back together with you."
He looked up in shock. "Are you wanting to get back together with me?"
Sunset closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, definitely not, we're too different from one another now. I'd like to make peace between us though, maybe even be friends, for our daughter's sake."
"What happened to you, Charlotte?" Tom said as he set his fork down. "How did you change so much? I look and listen to you, I hear your voice and recognize it, I even recognize your scent, but what is being said sounds like something from a complete stranger. Phobia is more familiar to me than you are, and she changed sex."
Sunset looked up at him and he saw that fanatical fire in her eyes that had become so common as of late. "I made myself what I need to be for the future of our species. I'm not proud of everything I've done, but I'm proud of who I am. I'm Sunset Blessing, and ponies need Sunset Blessing, not Charlotte Gilmore. Charlotte was a weak-willed coward and bigot that is best forgotten."
"Funny how you talk about how you're no longer a bigot when you make it abundantly clear you look down on humanity," Tom said while frowning at her. "Or those who think it better we never left it."
"I want humanity to rise up and become something better, and we're something better. God gave us a gift," Sunset said as she stomped one of her hooves in protest.
"Not everyone is so convinced as you are, Charlotte," Tom said flatly.
He was now a pony for life. He had lost all hope for a return to humanity the night Phobia had been raped. To add salt to his wounds he hadn't even been able to stop the monster until it was too late in the process of getting his cutie mark. It was a cruel twisted joke, and his misery was the punchline.
He sat watching her as she angrily chewed her food. She looked up at him with an evil eye and said with a full mouth. "Are you wanting a response to that? You can probably imagine it for yourself. I'm trying hard to keep my temper in check and not fight with you."
"I was actually waiting for you to correct me about saying everyone instead of everypony," Tom said giving her a smug grin. Finding some perverse joy in the fact she had missed him saying it.
Sunset's gaped at him for a moment and then broke down into laughter. "Oh that, don't worry about that. I've actually been considering whether we should try to encourage ponies to use the old terms. It makes things feel more inclusive with the humans, making them more comfortable with us. A little bit of language can be sacrificed for the sake of that. You can consider yourself ahead of the curve, Tom."
Tom raised a brow at that. "You're actually encouraging ponies to be more humanlike in something? Maybe you aren't completely lost after all."
Sunset snorted at him as she set her salad down beside her. "I make plenty of concessions, it feels like all I ever do is make concessions." She paused and sighed before looking back at him with the edges of her ears drooping. "Speaking of which, there's going to be a rehumaization center opening here in a week."
His heart about stopped at that news. His gaze hardened, and he resisted the urge to scream at her. "Are you just trying to be deliberately cruel. You're telling me this right after I got marked just to rub it in that I won't be eligible for it? Are you ever going to be satisfied that I've hurt enough?"
"No, I'm not trying to be cruel," Sunset said with a shake of her head. She actually did look sorry. That didn't mean anything though. She could grin on the inside. "I'm sorry you aren't going to be getting your wish, that's just the way things are. I'm sorry about the circumstances that stopped that from being available for you, and I think I would be sorry even if it had been different."
"I don't buy it," Tom snarled back. "I might not know everything there is to know about Sunset Blessing, but I know that you're dead set on us all being mind controlled ponies. Don't you think you can fool me with sweet words. I'm not stupid."
The red unicorn mare let her nostrils flare as she stood to her hooves. "You listen here, and you listen good. I keep our ponies safe and work towards a better future for everyone. I think that future is best with us all being ponies, that is absolutely true. Ponies are not mindless creatures, and though our instincts might be a little off right now that will even out eventually, and it doesn't constitute being mind controled. If we were all mind controlled, as you like to claim, then we'd all be on the same page. The fact that you and I are even having this argument is a sign we are free thinking creatures."
She was breathing heavy and paused to catch her breath before continuing, "The reason I'm going to support that damn center is I learned today that those who are rehumanized retain some of their magic, if only a small amount. I'm hoping that if I can encourage humans who have been rehumanized to have large families. Then eventually humans can share in the same types of gifts ponies have, even if it is absurdly long process that would have been shortened just by making them all ponies to begin with--like it makes sense to do--but whatever works. I want to see the world blessed!"
"So, it's still all about your long term goals, rather than what they want? It's still about making a magical world that wasn't meant to be. You never stop do you?" Tom snapped back.
"What they want? You don't know anything about what they want," Sunset fumed back and pointed a hoof at the door.
Tears started to flow in her eyes as she continued. "Do you know how many people there are out there that are stuck in-between human and pony that honestly want to be ponies? The government won't let them get what they want. There are full humans that want the same. The government definitely isn't going to let them get what they want either. And do you know what I have to do with those stuck in between? I have to sit there with a smile on my face, knowing full well that they're better off as ponies, and try to encourage them to rehumanize; because that's what the fucking government wants. Fuck you for saying I don't care about what they want."
Tom just sat for a moment as she laid down and started blubbering into her forelegs. There would never be peace between them on this subject. She'd never convince him and he'd never convince her. However, even with all the hurtful words that had been said, the tempers that had raged, and the damage that had been done, even after all that it still broke his heart to see her sobbing like this.
He quietly stood up and walked over to her. He laid down next to her as he began running a hoof down her mane as she cried. He might have hugged her, but there was still a divide between them that made such intimate contact inappropriate. She was only his wife on technicality.
She kept on crying. It was hard to imagine Sunset Blessing crying like this, but he could imagine Charlotte Gilmore crying like this. It stirred memories in him, memories of other times she had been distraught back when she was someone he knew.
"Do you remember Mat...Phobia's first day of kindergarten?" He said to break the tension.
Sunset lifted her head up and looked at him. "How could I forget? When he...she didn't get off the bus at our bus stop I was terrified. I was so frantic that my baby was missing."
"And it turns out that...she...got on the wrong bus and was out in the middle of nowhere with a bus driver who was getting increasing frustrated that she didn't seem to know where she lived," Tom said with a sad laugh.
"I wanted to kill that driver," Sunset said with an equally sad laugh. "Asking a five year old for directions and expecting them to know."
"Or the time she was riding her bike with that other boy and the two of them got it in their heads to play chicken with one another," Tom said as he recalled the event.
"If it weren't for the fact she ended up in the hospital with a concussion after that I would have murdered her myself. So scared of everything yet so stupidly brave," Sunset said in a nostalgic tone.
"She gave us a lot of scares growing up," Tom said as he glanced up at the ceiling, wondering how much of this Phobia or Rosetta's pony ears could pick up.
"That she did," Sunset agreed. "She made it through all that though. She'll make it through again. It hurts me so much knowing what happened."
"I thought you we're going to kill the pony that did that to her. I know I wanted to. I think I only released him to you because I expected you to roast him alive," Tom said as his voice hardened, remembering his rage and the desire to keep crushing Swift Strike harder against the wall until he was truly crushed.
Sunset glanced over at him and then down at the ground. Then she whispered just loud enough he could barely make it out. "I did kill him...or at least, had somepony kill him for me."
Tom stared down at her in shock.
She continued In a harsh whisper that rose in volume with each new sentence. "That bastard hurt our daughter, he violated her. She finally got to be a mare and he desecrated her marehood. Nopony does that to my family and lives, NOPONY!"
"Charlotte...," Tom was at a loss for words. His wife had just admitted to murder. He had just admitted to her a moment before that he expected her to do murder, but hearing her admit she did was a whole other matter. This truly wasn't his wife. Charlotte would never murder someone, but apparently Sunset Blessing would.
He thought about how Phobia flinched away from him and everyone that visited her. He wasn't going to cast judgements on Sunset Blessing , he couldn't without casting judgements on himself. It was probably the most human thing she had done since becoming a pony, vengeance.
He looked down at his recent christened cutie mark, a shield. What was the full meaning of that mark? Shields were for protection. All that he had left was to protect his daughter.
Sunset stared up at him with eyes that clearly expected judgement and he considered her. For all their differences they still had Phobia that they both cared deeply for. Nothing could match the rage of a parent defending their child.
He bent down and gave Sunset Blessing a hug and spoke softly to her.
"We'll keep her safe, together."