//------------------------------//
// Chapter Twenty-Three: Vix-Lei,  Night Blade, Xvital 
// Story: Picking Up the Pieces 
// by Evilhumour 
//------------------------------//



Chapter Twenty-Three





Vix-Lei



The sun was just coming up as Vix-Lei yawned and stretched, before she looked over to where Wind Breaker had been the night before. Night Blade had let her sleep for about half the night while he kept watch, then she'd taken over. Somewhere along the line, Wind had fallen asleep himself, but she'd still kept an eye on him.

Her heart ached for her friend and the sadness and disappointment he'd suffered, and she'd wished she could say something more to him to help him feel better. But she was learning, and she could tell that right now, most of all, he needed his space.

There was a slight rustling, and then she saw Night coming out of his tent, wincing a bit as he moved.

"Rough night?" she asked quietly.

Night nodded, then looked over at Wind. "How's he doing?" he asked quietly.

"Slept like the dead, near as I can tell," she said. "Still breathing though, I double-checked."

Night nodded, and was about to say more, when Wind's head rose and he shot them both a dirty look. "I can hear you both, you know," he said flying down to them.

Vix-Lei cringed. "Sorry we woke you," she said.

"You didn't wake me," Wind said as he landed next to them, shaking himself off. "I've been up for a while." Looking down, he sighed, before muttering, "I guess it was too much to ask that we found the right one on the first try."

"Right," Vix-Lei said. "So what do we do now?"

"We try again," Night Blade said. "It may take some time, but we'll do everything we can, Wind. In the meantime, I suggest we eat, and then head back to Essex."

"I don't know," Wind Breaker said. "There are countless griffons out there; the odds of me finding my parents are incredibly slim." He let out a low, long sigh. "And I don't know if I want to find them. I rushed into this pretty hard without really thinking. And as you guys said, we're more like family than anyone who just gave me up or had me stolen away."

"That may be the case," Night said. "But I promise you, no matter how long it takes in the end, or how many other things we have to do in the interim, we will not give up. You're our friend, and this is important to you. So we'll keep going until we find something."

"Again Night, I appreciate this but I had a long time to think this over last night," he chuckled, holding up an empty pack. "I cannot begin to tell you how tempted I was late night but every time I picked a bottle up, I just thought; is that how I wanted to show myself to my future possible family? After I had run out of bottles, it got me thinking to what I said before; did I even want to find them or know them?" He let out another tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really think I rushed too fast in this; I still haven't really got through my head that the Hatcheries are gone and I'm legally allowed to be here, let alone I could find my parents. I still need to think of what I want and stop just running ahead at the latest drop of information."

Vix-Lei smiled and reached over to pull him into a hug. "No matter what you decide, we're here for you," she said.

Wind nodded as he returned the hug. "Thank you," he said, with Night giving them a friendly nod.

For a while there was silence, and then she gave a small laugh. "I think we should take care of all the broken glass, though," she rubbed the back of her head.

"Yeah, that was kinda in the heat of the moment last night," he chuckled awkwardly.

"I'm impressed that you were able to do it, Wind," Night said, placing a wing on their friend's shoulder. "I know they were a sense of control for you."

"They were and me too," Wind laughed again, rubbing his arm. "It helps if I don't really focus on it..." He chuckled again, squeezing his arm before he broke eye contact.

"So what say we take care of this, and then feed our faces?" Vix-Lei asked.

Both males nodded, and then the trio set to work.





It took some time, but they managed to get as much of it as they could. Finally, Vix-Lei stood with a spine-popping stretch, and looked around.

"Did we miss anything?" she asked.

"If you did, we'll take care of it," another voice said before a set of griffons came out of the bushes nearby, with the lead one continuing. "But we appreciate the effort."

"Gareth," Night Blade acknowledged, and then gave a nod to Gwendolyn, whom he could also see in the group. "I see you got Vix-Lei's message. Good to see you again."

"You too," the disguised changeling returned. "And if you're all done here, we've got a little surprise for you."

Vix-Lei nodded. "We were going to have breakfast first..."

"Not a problem," Gareth replied. "You three eat, we'll finish up here."

Food and cleanup followed, and once they were done, Gareth and his companions led them down the hill to a clear area, where to their surprise, they found a pair of chariots waiting for them.

"My friends and I are giving you a lift back to Essex," Gareth explained. "There aren't any official docks we could take off from, but we pulled a few strings to get a hold of these. Figured you could use the ride, after all that walking you've been doing lately."

"Much appreciated," Night Blade said.

The two males climbed into one chariot, while Vix-Lei took the other, and soon the griffons had all hooked themselves up and were ready to fly.

Then they were off, and Vix-Lei let her head hang back, her mane blowing in the wind.

Gods and goddesses, that breeze feels good, she thought to herself.

She looked in the direction of the other chariot, and saw Wind and Nighty looking a lot more relaxed than they had been, which made her smile.

So glad you two are getting along like this, boys, she thought.



Night Blade



By the time they got back to the docks in Essex, it was mid-afternoon, and the trio disembarked from their chariots. Once they were out, all the other griffons detached themselves and headed into town, but Gareth and Gwendolyn stayed behind a little longer, Gwendolyn taking Wind and Vix-Lei aside while Gareth and Night stood together, watching them.

"Again, I cannot thank you enough for all the help you've given us," Night finally told his companion.

The disguised changeling smiled. "'Tweren't no problem," he said. "You needed the help, and my friends and I were glad to do it. If you're ever here in the Isles again, just give us a holler."

Night nodded. "We'll take you up on that," he said, before looking over to see Wind Breaker accepting a hug from Gwendolyn, who was speaking quietly to him, before the pair separated and she came back over to her husband.

"Well, gotta fly," Gareth said. "See you all again sometime, I hope."

Night nodded, and watched as the pair left.

"So," Vix-Lei said as she came up to him, Wind Breaker by her side. "Think we should check into the hotel again, then head back in the morning?"

"That would probably be the best option," Night said. "It'll take at least a few hours to file a flight plan so we can leave, and we might as well get a good night's rest before we go."

Vix-Lei nodded. "I'll take care of the hotel this time," she said. "You boys go talk to Gray Cloud, then find a place where we can have dinner, I'll meet you there."

Both males nodded, and then she left.





It was half an hour later when they got settled into a booth. Things had gone smoothly so far, but Night couldn't help but notice that Wind had still been unusually quiet for a long while.

"You okay?" he asked.

Wind flicked a talon across the table. "Just... thinking," he said. "About stuff." He sighed. "Wondering how things are going back home. It's been a few days since we heard from them."

Night nodded understandingly. "Well, we'll find out soon enough," he said.

"Evening, boys."

Both of them looked up to see a familiar griffon walking up to them, and Wind nodded. "Chief Gordon," he said.

Gordon nodded back, then sighed. "Heard the news from up north this morning," he said. "I'm sorry we didn't actually find her this time. But we're not going to give up until we've exhausted all the possible options, and if we do find something, we'll let you know."

Wind nodded again. "I appreciate that," he said, his voice audibly trembling. "Thank you for everything, Chief."

Gordon tipped his head, then smiled. "You're very welcome, son," he said as he placed some gum on the table, which Wind Breaker happily took. 

The pair exchanged a bit more small talk, and then the chief had to go answer a call elsewhere, leaving Wind and Night by themselves. Finally, Wind sighed.

"So, what are we going to do once we get back home?" he asked. "I mean, I know most of us have personal stuff to take care of, but... well, I don't really have anything else to do now. I'm effectively out of work, and aside from that, I can't just sit around in a hotel forever."

Night shrugged. "Good question," he said. "Technically, we're all still in protective custody, and I'm surprised the Guards even allowed the three of us to leave Canterlot. I am certain that we can find something for you to keep busy with once we return though."

"At times like this, I kinda wish I had something like your talent emblem to tell me what I'm supposed to do with my life," Wind said, resting his beak on his balled up talon.

"It's not that easy or simple," Night replied. "A talent emblem represents what we're good at, not what we have to do with ourselves. You were in the doctor's office when Vix-Lei and I were discussing this very topic a few days ago, but our emblems don't have to limit us to what we got them for."

"Still would be nice to have a guide at least," Wind said.

"Still isn't that easy; Page and I got lucky in retrospect," Night shook his head. "It was a tradition to pass down the family sword to the youngest, I was fortunate that Deep gave it to me instead of my nephew. And Page works and lives in the Library. We were in the right place at the right time for ours to appear. Most aren't that lucky and it is a real self examination and true understanding of who you are before you get your talent emblem or cutie mark. If you were a pony, you might be a blank flank now and only get yours when you discover what you're good at, like we did... and like our predecessors did."

Wind straightened at that. "Right..." he muttered. "I remember that talk."

"And if all else fails, you can spend a lot of time at the library," Night said. "There's plenty of stories and histories you can enjoy yourself with."

Wind smiled. "I'll think about it," he said. Then he tilted his head. "Maybe I can find some of the ones I remember hearing when I was just a cub."

"And maybe I can help you find some of the ones I enjoyed reading then too," Night told him.

"Besides Wind," Vix-Lei said as she slid into the booth. "You can always try traveling to see what fits you. There is a whole world beyond Canterlot and as corny as it sounds, it's just magical to experience it all. Was kinda planning on traveling more if Canterlot didn't work out, but then I met you guys and ended up on the wildest ride of my life." She flashed a smile at them both. "Still don't know what I'll do next but I'm sure it will be a blast with you guys in it."

Night nodded and smiled. "I certainly agree," he said. Then he looked more serious. "Are things all set with the hotel?"

Vix-Lei flashed him a thumbs-up. "Got it covered," she said, and Night and Wind both nodded in return.

It was then that a waiter came over to ask for their orders, and they were quickly preoccupied with food for a while. When they'd finished, the three settled their bill, then exited and headed back to the hotel for the night.





They were well-rested by the time the sun rose, even Night, to his surprise. He still grumbled a bit, but the others weren't bothered by it this time.

"According to the flight plan, if we leave on schedule, the time zone differences mean we'll be getting back in Canterlot a little after sunrise there," he told Vix-Lei after they'd checked out and headed back to the restaurant for breakfast.

"Sounds good to me," Vix-Lei said as she began to make her plate. "You know, it reminds me of one of my people's legends."

"Oh?" Wind asked as he filled his plate with pancakes and other sweets while Night settled on some mango juice as well as mango slices.

Vix-Lei nodded. "I know ponies have their own legends about their goddesses moving the sun and moon, and Rex is convinced it's just gravity, but according to our legends, there's this chariot that one of our gods flies across the sky, and it's what moves the sun. Then there's some who say it just creates the illusion of the sun moving. They say stuff like that about the moon too." She shrugged. "Personally, I don't know what's more accurate, but it's fun to read and compare the different versions. What I do know is that according to Dad, us minotaurs were inspired to create our first airskimmers by the stories about the sun and moon chariots."

"Moon chariot?" Night asked, ears perking up as they sat down at the table. "Can you tell us more about that?"

"Well, according to the legend, one of our goddesses flies this chariot representing the moon, or that is the moon, across the sky at night, just like her brother flies the chariot that is or represents the sun during the daytime," Vix-Lei said as she started to cut into her sausages. She had taken a big plate of the breakfast options offered, scrambled eggs with bacon and others odds and ends. "The moon chariot is all silver and is pulled by flying reindeer. The sun chariot is pulled through the sky by a team of red oxen that burn like fire. They also say that the god flying it has to be careful to keep it on its path through the sky, so it doesn't get too far away and make the planet freeze, or get too close and set everything on fire." She shrugged. "Supposedly, our sun god let his own son pilot the chariot once, and he lost control, making things freeze and burn until his father took back the reins. Though I've also heard that he did just fine until some monster flew up and freaked out the oxen, and that's why the sun went wild that day."

"I'm guessing that was about a thousand years ago?" Night asked.

Vix-Lei scratched her head. "More like a little over two thousand or so," she said. "Long before what you-know-who pulled. The moon wasn't affected, as far as I know. Or if it was, the version I read didn't mention it."

"There is so little we know about that time," Wind sighed. "I mean, there might be some records but we already know that the most of the information of the past is wrong, or at least misinterpreted." He grimaced. "And that's going to bug me until they get it fixed and have the truth printed."

Night Blade nodded in understanding. "With that aspect of your Element, I can see why it would bother you," he said.

Vix-Lei suddenly looked worried. "Does my telling you these stories bother you, with that?" she asked.

Wind shook his head. "No, it doesn't," he said. "Stories that are meant to entertain, or to explain a culture's point of view, don't bother me. I've been trying to figure this side of things out, and as far as I can tell, it's when somepony - or other being - is deliberately trying to mislead people, or is presenting something as the truth because they don't know any better, that I get bothered."

"Oh. Phew." Vix-Lei looked relieved. "Didn't want to be hurting you, Wind."

"It's okay," Wind told her. "If you were, I'd make sure you knew." He tilted his head. "Wish I knew why mine affected me so much more than yours," he muttered.

"Maybe it is a balancing thing?" Night said with his friends looking at him curiously. "You were always honest to begin with, but you were given alcohol to suppress it. So it could be you are just getting back into proper order with your Element surging now."

Wind looked thoughtful. "Could be," he said, then nodded. "It makes more sense than anything I can think of. Thank you."

"It's no problem Wind," Night said. "I'm glad I could help you. I just hope I'm right."

Wind nodded. "The impressions I'm getting... I'm pretty sure you are," he said.

Then he glanced at the wall and back to his friends. "Also, we've got maybe half an hour until lift-off time," he said.

The other two nodded, and began focusing on their food, Wind doing the same.

Once they'd settled things there, they headed back to the docks, Vix-Lei stretching as she went.

"You know, in some ways, it's been fun here," she said. "Just getting to see new places, meet new people. But it'll be nice to get back home."

Both males nodded in agreement.



Xvital



Xvital yawned and stretched as she got out of bed for the day, her ears twitching as she heard voices in the other room.

Then there was a tapping on her door. "Xvital? Are you decent?"

"Sort of," Xvital said. "Come on in, Page."

The door opened, and Page poked her head in. "Good news," she said. "We just heard from the guard, Night's family's airskimmer is due to arrive at the docks in about an hour."

Xvital froze for a moment, then grinned. "Well all right," she said. "Give me a few, I'll be out so we can go meet them."

Page nodded, and closed the door.

Soon enough, Xvital, Page and Rex were all on their way to the docks, with members of the Cadenza guards still around them, though mixed in with those from the other districts. The city had finally calmed down for the most part, the last of the celebrating griffons finally gone on their way, but the trio were still persons of interest.

As they approached, one Guard looked up to see a shadow approaching and started to shout a warning, but Page had already felt her coming. "It's okay," she said. "She's a friend."

Moments later, Serrated Dagger landed on the street, folding her wings and looking relieved. "Good, I'm not too late," she said.

Rex bowed from where he was standing. "Miss Dagger," he said.

Serrated smiled. "Rex," she said. "Page, Xvital. How are you all this morning?"

"Good enough," Xvital said. "How are you?"

"Excited," Serrated said. "When we heard Night was on his way back, we all wanted to come and meet him, but..." She hesitated a moment, then continued. "We didn't want to overwhelm him. We still felt at least one of us should be here though, and I volunteered first."

All three nodded but frowned when one of the guards walked forward to Serrated. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we will need to inspect that." he said, pointing towards the rolled up tube case she had on her back.

Without hesitation, Serrated handed it over while giving Page an embarrassed look. "Sorry, Deep asked me to hoof this over to you so Night could get it," she said as the guard opened the tube and took out the painting with his magic. Inspecting it, he noticeably blushed before returning it to the tube and then giving it over to Page with his partner grinning and elbowing him.

"Do we want to know Page?" Xvital asked with Page blushing and shaking her head.

"No, I really think this should stay between Night and I," she said with a giggle and a swish of her tail, giving Xvital a nice hint to what it was. Page, for all her nice and kind outward appearance, truly did have a fiery strike within her. "And the painter."

Xvital nodded, and that settled, the four and their guards headed into the docks and to a waiting area not far from where the airskimmer would land.

They made small talk as they waited, watching the skies. Finally though, they saw what they'd been waiting for, the ZRX-29 Nova. Descending, it came in for a landing, and once its engines had turned off and the door unsealed, they watched as their friends emerged.

First came Vix-Lei, carrying her bags and for once wearing a shirt though, without any sleeves, with Wind behind her. Finally, Night emerged, blinking a little in the sunlight, before his head turned to Page and he immediately hurried over to her.

"It's so good to see you again," he said as he pulled her into a hug.

Page hugged him back. "It's good to see you too," she said. "All of you."

Xvital stood back and let the couple have their reunion, then saw Wind looking at them with a smile. "Hey," she said. "How are you?"

"It's been a trip. Not what I hoped for but I'm okay with it. Mostly," Wind said. "But it's good to see you all again." He nodded to her and Rex, and Page as well, before his eyes drifted over to Serrated, and he looked at her in surprise and curiosity.

So did Night, when he finally drew apart from Page, and he blinked in surprise at the sight of her.

"Hey, little brother," she said shyly.

Night blinked again. "Serrated?"

Serrated nodded. "It's me," she said. "Long time no see, Night."

Night looked as if he were trying to figure out what to say, and finally cleared his throat. "So it has," he said. "How... how are you?"

"Doing well," Serrated said.

The two looked at one another rather awkwardly, and Xvital was about to say something when Vix-Lei suddenly came around Night. "Serrated... Dagger, right?" she asked. "What brings you out here this morning?"

Serrated ducked her head. "My family found out Night was coming home, and we felt at least one of us should be here to greet him," she said, repeating her earlier words. "I volunteered first."

"Ah. Well," Vix-Lei held out a hand. "Nice to formally meet you then."

As they shook hand and hoof, Wind Breaker trotted up and, when Vix-Lei had let go of Serrated's hoof, he held out a talon of his own to shake. Serrated smiled and took it, and looked at the two.

"It's good to meet the rest of my brother's friends too," she said. Then she looked back at Night. "We have got a lot to catch up on, you and me," she said with a smile on her face, placing a wing over him. "If you feel ready."

Night smiled back. "I believe I do," he said before chuckling. "I'd hug you back if I could but I can't right now. My wing wasn't actually fully healed and I was advised to not move it more than needed."

Serrated instantly looked concerned. "What happened?"

"Sharp Point," Night said with a grimace. "I fought him in the Everfree Forest several months ago, and sustained a few injuries in the process. I thought they were all healed, especially after the Harmony wave, but apparently not, as my recent exertions showed me."

Serrated hissed. "Well, we'll make sure you get it properly treated," she said.

Night nodded. "I appreciate that," he said.

Xvital nodded too. "I wish we'd known about this sooner," she said. "I know Tizoc's doctors checked us all over, but..."

"But they might have missed something," Night said. "I'm almost wondering if it wasn't something our enemy left that caused them to flare up. I know he stabbed my wing at least once..."

"Whatever the case is, we will have a top expert looking you over, Night," Serrated promised. "As well as your friends if that's okay with them."

All of them nodded.

"That would be appreciated, especially for Page as now she doesn't have a reason to avoid doctors anymore," Night said with the mare giving him a pointed look. "What? It's true."

Page gave him another look, then sighed. "I suppose you're right," she muttered. "But the elders of my hive already took care of that for me while you were away. They're still rather paranoid about letting non-changelings treat any of us, and as the Queen's representative..."

Wind raised a talon. "Technically, I've already had some tests back in the Isles," he said. "They'll be sending the results here. Not that I'd object to a second opinion, but I'm... not eager to repeat that experience." He shuddered. "Getting stuck with needles is not fun."

"And as good as your elders might be Page, I still think it would be good for you to have the best doctors money can buy," Xvital said. "I'm already due for a check-up with Tizy's personal doctors but if I can get a second look, I'm not going to pass it up."

Page sighed. "All right..."

"Come on," Serrated said as she beckoned to them. "I can lead you there."

Everyone nodded, and they headed out of the landing area, the guards still following behind them.

"So, how are things back here?" Wind asked as they walked to the hanger area. "And what is that you're carrying Page?"

"Well, the celebrations are over," Page said. "But the political situation with the guards is... still a little shaky."

Night looked at her in concern, and she continued. "The story came out while you were away. Apparently, someone caught two of the Captains in a... compromising situation, and decided that the Captain-General was breaking the anti-fraternization rules," she said. "Internal Affairs confronted her about it. She chose to go on leave rather than accede to their demands, but they've been harassing her ever since. Her guards found out about it and started protesting outside their headquarters in return, including your oldest brother and his son."

Night looked astonished, and so did Wind and Vix-Lei.

"When the news came out, there was a rather wide outcry of support for the Captains in question," Rex said. "According to the latest reports in the newspapers, there is to be a court hearing tomorrow, where Captain-General Gentle Step and Captain Memorizing Gaze will meet their accuser and settle things openly. Naturally, we are among the civilians expressing support for the Captains, but given the situation, it has been suggested that we... not be present for the event."

"As for this..." Page gestured to the tube, then blushed. "It's a little something for Night's eyes only. You can understand that, right?"

Vix-Lei gave her a wink and a thumbs-up. "I gotcha, girl," she said with Night looking confused, but thankfully no longer hurt that he wasn’t part of the loop.

Laughing and chatting, the seven headed into the city, Xvital smiling as they went.

Ah, I've missed having us all together, she thought to herself.

"So you are just going to walk past your own mother, just like that?" Xvital ducked at the sudden and unfamiliar voice, as before she saw Vix-Lei spin around to look at the much small minotaur walking up to her.

"Mama!" she cried happily, reaching down to hug the new arrival only to pull back when the relatively short minotaur glared at her.

"Don't you mama me, young lady," she wagged a finger up at Vix-Lei who was now backing up nervously. "First you leave home with not so much as a word and then when you decide to let us know you are alive it is because you are half naked while joyriding in a stolen speeder and wanted for such terrible crimes!" She groaned, leaning into a confused Serrated. "It's enough to break a mother's heart."

"In my defense, the being wanted part is because my friends and I were being framed," Vix-Lei said weakly, holding up her hands.

"And who did I learn that from?" she asked angrily, back into Vix-Lei's face once again. "Not from my only daughter but from your brothers! Herakles, Argus and Eusebios were all willing to vouch for you, but where were you when I learned this? Out of the country, again!" She began to cry, leaning on Page now. "It is like you are ashamed of me; want to do all you can to avoid me."

"Mom, that's not true," Vix-Lei said, bending down to place her hands on her mother's shoulders but she turned away.

"It's enough to break a mother's heart to know that your own child you haven't seen for so long leaves when they know you are coming," she cried with Page patting her back.

"Mama..." Vix-Lei looked aghast as she leaned in closer to her mother. "I feel a lot of ways about you, but ashamed has never been one of them. I-"

That was as far as she got before her mother reached up and grabbed her ear, twisting with a steel grip. "Vix-Lei of Ledra, was I finished speaking?" Vix-Lei quickly shook her head, wincing as her mother continued to twist her ear. "You and I are going to have a nice long talk afterwards, but I think it's time you introduce me to your little friends first."

Vix-Lei nodded quickly, still wincing until the shorter minotaur let go of her ear. "Everytaur, this is my mother, Ianthe," she said. "Mom, these are my friends. Night Blade, his sister Serrated Dagger, his marefriend Page Turner, Xvital, Rex and Wind Breaker."

"Ah, I heard so much about you from my daughter's brothers," she said it sweetly until the last words, giving Vix-Lei an angry look which made her gulp. She walked over to Night and Wind Breaker and tsked. "Such skinny boys. Come, I have a breakfast prepared and with eight children and a husband, I always make more."

"We appreciate the offer but we wouldn't want to intrud-" Night began only for Ianthe to shush him.

"You wouldn't be intruding dear," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder as well as Wind Breaker and began to push off into the minotaur section of the Canterlot. "Come, you both are far too thin. I will put meat on those bones of yours."

"Vix-Lei, I am scared, should I be scared?" Wind Breaker asked.

In response, Ianthe whacked his beak with her wooden spoon, and Xvital looked nervous. Where had she even been hiding that? she wondered.

"...yeah, that's a reasonable response," Vix-Lei said with a sigh. "Come on, everytaur. Once Mom makes up her mind about feeding sometaur, there's no changing it."

"Watch how you talk about your mother, young lady; I can still punish you like when you were younger," Ianthe said as she gave Vix-Lei a look.

Vix-Lei cringed. "Yes, Mama."





The trip to the minotaur embassy didn't take too long, and Xvital looked up and let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

"It's the most fortified building in the city, except for the castle at the very top," Vix-Lei said. "We build things to last."

Before they could approach the door though, it opened, revealing a tall minotaur with a graying mane, who looked out at them and nodded. "Vix-Lei. I see your mother found you."

"Yeah," Vix-Lei said, smiling up to him. "Guys, this is my dad, Shipmaster Petros."

Xvital stepped forward to offer her hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir," she said.

"The honor is all mine," Petros answered, taking her hand with his own and squeezing it, showing her where Vix-Lei got her strength from. "But you should all come in, my younger sons are looking forward to meeting all of you too."

He led the way inside, with Ianthe bringing up the rear - probably to make sure none of them tried to sneak off, Xvital thought wryly to herself. They followed him into one of the dining rooms, where seven other minotaurs were already seated. Looking at them, Xvital recognized Herakles, Argus and Eusebios, and three of the others must have been Baltsaros, Marinos and Pyrrhus. The shortest of them, sporting a bright orange tie (which she suspected was the cause of Vix-Lei's facepalming as she also spotted it), was obviously the youngest, Yanni.

"Heya squirts," Vix-Lei called out to her brothers, with her older brothers not lifting their heads while Marinos, Pyrrhus and Yanni made the mistake of actually reacting to her words. Groaning and laughing, each of her brothers got up to pull her into a hug with Vix-Lei thudding their backs back as she returned each hug.

"It's good to see you again sis," Yanni said, the shorter minotaur grinning. "How's it going?"

"Got to ride in a ZRX-29 Nova a little while ago, baby brother," Vix-Lei told him as she ruffled his mane.

At that, one of the larger minotaurs actually looked up. "Really?"

"You didn't crash it, did you?" one of the smaller trio asked, sounding concerned.

Vix-Lei shook her head. "I said I got to ride in it, not that I got to pilot it," she said.

"And our family's insurance agent thanks you for that," Night Blade said, though the smirk on his face showed he was at least somewhat joking.

"A wise decision," the smaller minotaur said, before approaching him. "I'm Marinos."

"Night Blade," Night told him, reaching out a hoof.

A full round of introductions followed, before everyone got started to get seated. The guards were invited by Ianthe to join them but they had managed to safely refuse by telling her they were still on duty. She accepted it with a huff and went into the kitchen to fetch more of the food, missing her family's awed reaction.

After she was gone, Xvital noticed Baltsaros looking at his sister. "I see you finally improved your style, sis," he told her, tilting his head at her vest. "Good timing, too."

Vix-Lei let out a tired sigh. "Am I never going to live down my wardrobe choices?" she asked.

"Probably not," Herakles remarked from where he was sitting. "Still better than Yanni's."

Vix-Lei gave him a stink-eye and muttered something that Xvital couldn't quite make out, but she was fairly certain it involved the word "twerp". Herakles just laughed though.

"So, what all have you been up to?" he asked. "How were the Isles?"

"Could have been better," Vix-Lei said. "Did you know they have towns without official docks?"

That got a round of "Ooooh"s from her brothers, and she nodded. "We had to walk five days, almost three hundred kilometers, to get from the town we landed in to the one we were going to after that. Over rough roads."

"Fortunately, we made some friends along the way who were willing to fly us back south afterward," Night interjected. "No skimmers, but the passenger chariots they had were comfortable enough."

"Still, no aerial docks," Petros muttered, rubbing his chin which drew the attention of all of Vix-Lei's brothers and Vix-Lei herself.

"What are you thinking, Dad?" Vix-Lei asked, sharing concerned looks with Herakles and Argus.

"I-" he began only to stop talking when Ianthe walked back in with more food.

"Sit, everytaur," she said in a no-nonsense tone. "Eat now. Talk business later." She gave her husband a look who nodded his head towards her.

Everyone else quickly nodded, then watched as she began handing out plates, some a little more forcefully than others.

"Here," she said as she set one in front of Wind Breaker. "Eat. Eat!"

Wind Breaker accepted it, but gave her a nervous look. "Um, ma'am, I am a valley griffon, so I'm always going to be kind of small," he said.

"Bah." Ianthe waved it off, squeezing his arm. "You still need good nutrition, boy. You are just bones, eat up!" Wind nodded and did so under her watch gazing. Night made a mistake of accidentally snorting, with Ianthe turning her gaze onto him. "You too; so thin and small. Eat."

"Yes ma'am," Night folded without even trying to fight back as he began to eat with none of the fancy noble way of doing it.

Ianthe then turned her head towards Page who shook her head at the large amount of food on her plate. "I'm sorry ma'am but I already had an early breakfast and the background love in the air already filled me up before you came back in. I will try to eat as much as I can but I cannot promise to eat everything."

Ianthe waved it off. "Changeling biology, I know. You do what you can, dear."

Page looked relieved before delcitaly picking at her plate, eyeing the table undoubtedly for any hot sauce.

Xvital accepted her own plate happily, and she saw that Rex did too, as did Serrated, who beamed when she saw the orange juice accompanying it and thanked Ianthe.

"It is my pleasure, miss," Ianthe replied. "Now, eat up!"

Serrated did, though not before trading looks with her brother. "This is very good. Almost like Generous Spoon," she said with Night nodding his head. "She's our family's cook; been with us since she was around Night's age."

"Your mother not do the cooking?" Ianthe asked.

"Mother and Father were always busy with running the family business and working with other members of the nobility," Night Blade said a little stiffly. Then he sighed. "While I cannot vouch for any of my siblings' skills, I myself couldn't do much more than sandwiches until recently, when your daughter offered to help remedy my lackings in that area."

Xvital could tell Page was clearly surprised by this, but pleasantly so, if the smile she was giving off was anything to go by. Ianthe, on the other hand, was looking at Vix-Lei critically, her eyebrow arched. "Is this true?" she asked.

Vix-Lei nodded. "I taught him how to make omelettes while we were away," she said. "And a few other basics on the way north."

"That's good, very good Vix-Lei," Ianthe said with a smile. "I know that working with your father was difficult for you in the past but maybe this is your true calling, even be a true career." Xvital tensed as she saw all of her brothers either sigh, sink into their seats or look like they wanted to leave, giving her a bad feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen.

"Ianthe," Petros said with a warning tone, with Xvital seeing Vix-Lei dig her fingers into the table and clearly biting her tongue. "Let us not do this now."

"Do what?" Ianthe said with a huff, looking at her daughter. "We can cook together back at home and you can put all this silly comedian nonsense to rest."

"Here we go," Argus muttered as he sunk lower into his chair as Vix-Lei slapped her hands onto the table.

"Mama," she hissed, suddenly sounding angrier than Xvital had ever heard her since they'd met. "Cooking is something I'm good at. But comedy is who I am. I'm the new Wise Oracle - the new Bearer of Laughter - for a reason!"

For a moment, there was silence, and then Petros spoke softly. "The Wise Oracle, as in one of Equestria's six Virtues?"

"Exactly," Rex said. "We six, like the Virtues of old and the goddess-Princesses before them, bear the long-lost Elements of Harmony - Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. Together, our friendship unlocked the powers that defeated the monster that had been holding Equestria in its sway. Vix-Lei is our friend, and a vital part of our team, for she keeps our spirits up."

"She was really helpful when the person I thought was my mom turned out not to be her," WInd Breaker said with Xvital hissing at that news. "Both Night and her really helped me with it; I think I’d have had a relapse without them around."

"Laughter also helps brings matters into perspective," Xvital said, while giving Wind Breaker a look that said they would talk about this later. "The point is, while Vix-Lei's sense of humor may have seemed insensitive at times, it was meant to be her way of helping, and it did help us out a lot."

"Mama, mom," Vix-Lei had walked over to her mother and knelt before her, placing a hand on her mother's shoulder. "Look, I know I didn't leave on exactly good terms and I kinda made a mess of things back home. I know there are apologies I need to make to you and Dad for how I acted and I know that this isn't the future you had envisioned for me but this is who I am, Mom. I... I..."

Ianthe studied her daughter critically, and then placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're the only daughter I've ever had, Vix-Lei," she said. "There were many things about you that I could not understand. But you are still my child, my eldest, and I love you. I will try to understand you better, if you will forgive me for my failures."

"You've got failures?" Vix-Lei said with a snerk, with Ianthe cuffing her head lightly though she was smiling.

"Failures to understand that you are your own person," she said. "And not a carbon copy of your father or I. I had such high hopes for you, but I failed to see that you are uniquely you, my little Vix-Lei. Now that I know better, I am going to try better to see you for you." She smiled. "Stand, Vix-Lei. Go eat. You do not want this meal to go to waste now, do you?"

"It certainly won't," Vix-Lei said with a grin. "Might go to my waist, but never to waste."

Ianthe let out a laugh of her own. "Ah, now that one I get!"

With that, everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, and settle back down to focus on their food. But as they ate, Petros was clearly still eying Vix-Lei curiously. Finally, he set his empty plate aside, and asked what must have been on his mind. "So tell me," he said. "They say that Equestria's Wise Oracle was known for her master planning due to her ability to see the future. Yet you say you are Bearer of Laughter. I think something is clearly missing in translation."

Vix-Lei still had her mouth full, but Page spoke up. "Over the course of our travels, we learned from the spirits of our predecessors that King Blueblood had acquired most of his information on them second-hoof," she said. "He may have been a good ruler in the long run, but he didn't truly understand what he was hearing about the Virtues."

At that, Wind Breaker snorted. "Didn't understand is right," he said. "He mixed up my predecessor with her brother. Though he got the hat right."

"And if the talent he thought was Pinkie's focus was right, it would have been Argus who was her successor, not me," Vix-Lei spoke up, having finished chewing. "She had a sixth sense, all right, but that was just something that ran in the family, not her Element."

"My own predecessor, the Lady, and Xvital's, the Magi of Stars, were the ones whom he came the closest to getting right," Rex noted, looking over at the Shipmaster. "Miss Rarity Belle is the Lady, who inspired others with her selflessness, while the Magi of Stars was indeed a powerful magic-user who loved knowledge."

Pyrrhus looked interested at that. "What about the one who sealed a demon in a rabbit?" he asked.

Page groaned and face-hoofed. "When we get the go-ahead to start officially releasing this to people outside our friends and family, that is one of the first stories I am going to have fixed," she said. "As Fluttershy herself said, Angel Bunny was not a demon of any kind, just a normal, bad-tempered rabbit."

"Said to you?" Ianthe asked.

"We met their spirits when we earned our Elements," Night Blade explained. "And on one other occasion."

"This isn't something we're telling everypony, but Captain Memorizing Gaze talked with me and said we had permission to tell our families about certain events we went through, as long as we swore them to secrecy," Page said. "Eventually, a public announcement will be made, and everypony can talk about it freely then, but until then, we'll have to ask you not to keep it quiet."

"My lips are sealed," Argus promised, and the others all nodded in agreement, including Serrated, as Xvital noticed. A second confirmation, she guessed - she'd been there when Page swore the other mare, and her sister, to secrecy while telling them they could share some of this with their parents.

"So, your predecessor was named... Fluttershy?" Petros asked. At her nod, Petros continued. "The Stern Warden. How does that match with any of the Elements you described?"

"Her Element, and mine, is Kindness," Page said. "We're the moral center for our respective teams."

"I see," Ianthe said with a nod. "Like our lady Vesta, Goddess of home and hearth. She is the one who keeps the peace in her family."

Page looked surprised, but Vix-Lei nodded too. "Now that you mention it, that is a good comparison, Mom," she said. "And like Rex once said, his is based on agapé."

Nine minotaurs suddenly looked at him with very impressed expressions on their faces, causing him to blush. "It is what it is," he said. "We inspire with selflessness, out of a desire for the best for others." He looked at Wind Breaker. "Tell them of yours, my friend."

"Honesty," Wind said. "We - Applejack and I - inspire it by staying honest with ourselves." He glanced up at Ianthe. "Switching topics briefly, I think I heard a story once about a minotaur who went on a long voyage, and had this huge bow - do you know the one I'm talking about?"

Ianthe nodded. "The Odyssey," she said. "One of our great legends, about a 'taur whose loyalty to his people was only matched by his love for and loyalty to his family, and his refusal to give up until he was home again, even after twenty years away. His wife and others were just as loyal to him as well."

Wind Breaker looked very happy. "Thank you," he said. "I found this one big bow in an armory while we were traveling, and it reminded me of the story. I've been trying to remember more about it ever since."

"I am glad I could help you," Ianthe told him with a smile. "If you are going to stay here longer, I could tell you the story."

"I'd appreciate that," Wind told her. "Maybe not right this second, but when we have the time. We were kind of on our way somewhere else when you met us." He gestured to Night. "He needs his wings checked."

"Well, I will be here for a good long while," Ianthe told him with a smile, which he returned. "When you are ready, come see me."

"I will," Wind promised.

"So," Argus said, looking around and drawing their attention to him. "Four of you have had your Elements described, and of the remaining two, I can deduce that miss Xvital is Magic."

Xvital nodded as she flicked some fire into being with her tail hand. "The balance between the other five," she said. "For friendship is magic."

There was some mild snickering from one of the minotaurs, she couldn't tell who, but one look from Petros made it stop before Argus spoke again. "That leaves Loyalty as yours, Mr. Blade?" he asked.

Night Blade nodded. "Loyalty is the one who protects the others, even at cost to themselves," he said, with a hoof resting on his scar. Xvital noticed his sister had looked terribly sad at his comment and she could tell that Serrated really did care about him. "It took me a while to truly understand what it meant."

"But you did in the end, and that's what counts," Wind said. "We all had some trouble with realizing ours. Well, except maybe Rex but then again, it is Rex."

"So... he'd be successor to the Warrior?" Herakles asked. "I mean, you already said four of the other names, and I guess Windy here, from his comments, is the one who got the Stallion of Dedication's Element?"

"Right on both counts," Wind told him.

"The Warrior... wasn't that the one who led a bunch of lightning-spewing fighters into battle?" Yanni asked.

Night shook his head. "Another misunderstanding," he said. "They were the Wonderbolts, a team of aerial stunt fliers that she wanted to join, but she died with her friends before she had the chance."

"Now I wish I could have met her," Marinos said with a grin on his face that got Ianthe frowning. "Stunt fliers, huh?"

Night Blade nodded. "I didn't hear anything more about them, unfortunately. But since I had never heard their group's name before, nor of any who served such a purpose, I can presume they are are no longer an active team in the present day."

"That's disappointing," Marinos said. "They sound like they'd be fun to watch."

Night nodded. "I expect they would be."

Conversation turned to other things from there, and finally, once everyone had finished their food, Xvital rose. "As fun as it's been getting to know you, we really need to head on to the hospital so Night can get his wings checked," she said.

Petros nodded. "The pleasure has been ours," he said. "And as my daughter's friends, you are more than welcome to come and visit with us some more when you are ready."

Xvital nodded back with a smile.

Gradually, everyone rose from their places, and after a final round of goodbyes, they made their way out the door. Vix-Lei lingered a bit, giving her mom one more hug, before joining them. With Xvital and Serrated in the lead, and the guards still behind them, they headed out into the streets.

"I've got to go guys," Xvital said as she spotted several Cuanmiztlan guards approach her, with Shorn Ones hiding around no doubt. "Tizoc and I are going over stuff regarding my future responsibilities today and I need to head over to our embassy."

"That's perfectly understandable," Rex said, tipping his head. "I have plans to head towards the Library for some research for my classes. Perhaps you could assist me Wind Breaker."

"Yeah, I can do that," Wind said. "Page, which way are you going?"

He glanced at her, then at the look on her face. "Page?"

Page grimaced, then turned to Night. "As much as I hate to leave you again so soon, I need to go have words with one of my people," she said, turning to the older nox pony. "Serrated... take care of him for me, please?"

"Sure thing," the other mare said, nuzzling Page. "You might want to give him his gift first, though."

Page nodded, then picked up the tube Serrated had been giving her. "A little something Deep and I had prepared for you," she said, levitating it over to Night. "But you should open it in private."

Night accepted it. "I will," he promised.

With another round of goodbyes and promises to reconvene at their hotel later, or at the library if they could manage it sooner, the seven split up. Page led Wind and Rex off in the direction of the library, Vix-Lei having chosen to stick with the two Nox Ponies, and Xvital headed to her embassy.

As she watched her friends going, she smiled. It's good to have everyone home again, she thought.