Rainbow Dash sat on the highest balcony of Twilight's castle, feeling the cold breeze blow through her feathers. Ahead of her, the sun peeked above the horizon, sending light and shadow cascading across Ponyville.
A soft groan behind her got her attention. Immediately Rainbow turned and rushed to the bedside where her daughter was waking up.
"Mm." Tempo's eyes opened. "Rainbow?" She yawned.
"Morning, kid." Rainbow sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?"
Tempo sat up. "Sore. Hungry."
Rainbow chuckled. "I can help with one of those. Spike took the train home overnight. He's making waffles downstairs now."
She paused.
"We found the jar. Twilight thinks that's him, so good job." She propped her elbows on the bed. "You saved the day. Who knows how long it would have taken for us to figure that out. Or how many more times he'd have tricked Princess Luna."
Looking around, Tempo asked, "Where's Mom?"
"She's looking after the—" Rainbow stopped herself from saying 'victims'. "After the friends. She wanted me to stay here until you woke up."
Tempo looked at Rainbow. "Are they going to be okay?"
"Yeah, of course." Rainbow stood up. "We've dealt with his friends a bunch. Just... not this many at once. The Nightgrasp's magic, it uh... sorta messes up the mind. But they'll be moving around in a few days and ready to go home in about a week and a half. They'll be themselves again before you know it."
"Wait, where's Dapple?"
Rainbow motioned her head towards the door. "He's downstairs. Fluttershy took him to one of the back rooms away from everypony else."
Tempo's eyes widened.
Raising a hoof, Rainbow quickly added, "No no, the Nightgrasp didn't get him. Just his house got damaged and the inspectors will have to make sure it's safe." She rubbed the back of her head. "Our house too. It looks like it got nearly caved in. We'll probably have to tear it down and rebuild it." She paused. "Oh, yeah, you know that painting that Dapple made of you? Rarity got it moved into the castle storeroom. I haven't seen it yet, but she says it's pretty good."
Tempo looked at the sheets covering her body. "I wish I wasn't so scared. I wish I was brave enough to fight like you did. You weren't scared at all."
Rainbow sat at the bedside and took her daughter's hooves in her own. "Tempo. Tempo, I was terrified."
Tempo held her mother's hooves tight. "But you... you didn't cry for your Mommy or, or..."
"Rainy." Rainbow smiled at her. "Your Rainy. That's a name I thought I'd never hear again."
"I'm a Big Pony. I'm not supposed to call you that anymore." Tempo turned her head away.
Reaching over, Rainbow turned her child's head back towards her. "I don't mind. And you are a Big Pony. A big, very brave, wonderful pony who saved the day. I am so, so proud of you." Rainbow stroked Tempo's mane before wiping away a tear.
Tempo's stomach growled.
Rainbow smiled and stood up. "Guess we did miss dinner last night, didn't we, kid?" She walked towards the door. "How about I find Rarity and get us those waffles? You can have breakfast in bed. Try not to spill the syrup."
As she reached for the handle, she heard Tempo behind her. "Rain—Rainbow!"
Rainbow turned around.
"Please... please don't go. I don't want to be alone right now." Tempo gripped her sheets and looked down.
Returning to her daughter's side, Rainbow said, "All right, all right. I'll sit right here then. Spike or Rarity will be by at some point and they can get our breakfast."
---
Rainbow shoveled the waffle into her mouth. On the other side of the bed, Rarity picked up a knife to cut a piece off hers. Between them, syrup dripped from the waffles on the way to Tempo's mouth.
Tempo swallowed. "Mom? Is something wrong? You're not using magic."
"Ah." Rarity set down the fork. "My display last night was rather... strenuous."
"Was quite the light show," Rainbow said through her waffle.
Tempo turned to Rarity. "How did you make it so bright?"
Rarity chuckled. "First of all, the light was Pinkie Pie's idea, then Twilight suggested some enhancements. As soon as we arrived in Ponyville, she transferred almost all of her alicorn magic to me. She left so little for herself I was starting to worry that she wouldn't be able to hold off the Nightgrasp's friends, much less the creature himself if anything went wrong. Fortunately, everything went to plan. Twilight's power plus my own were more than enough to free you and put him in a position to be vanquished."
Rainbow pointed a waffle-covered fork at Rarity. "Cut it close, though. And don't think I didn't hear what you said to me about Tempo."
"Well, dearie, a good heroic sacrifice requires an appropriate degree of drama." Rarity tossed her mane. "Don't read too much into it."
They ate in silence. Before long, the waffles had been consumed.
"How's the gang been doing?" Rainbow asked, gathering up the plates.
"Fluttershy's holding up," Rarity said. "As well as she usually does after an attack. Going around caring for the ponies has kept her distracted. Most of the Apple family in town was caught. Applejack's put on a brave face and kept working, but I can tell she's quite shaken. Pinkie Pie's family managed to escape, thank goodness. They went home just a little bit ago. And the last time I saw Twilight, she was casting every sealing spell she knew on that accursed jar, and looking up more, besides."
Taking a breath, Rarity went on, "As for myself, my burst of alicorn magic has left my horn terribly sore." Her horn flickered and she winced. "It also granted me a splitting headache. I daresay I won't be casting anything for a while." She turned to Rainbow. "Finally, I gather you haven't left Tempo since last night, and I do appreciate you keeping her company so I can help take care of the, ah, ex-friends."
"But enough about me." She leaned over to Tempo. "How have you been doing?"
"I've been... good." Tempo looked at Rainbow. "I talked with Rainbow a bunch. She said I did good."
Briefly opening her wings, Rainbow said, "Kid, you did great. I mean, I save the day with Rarity and the girls on a regular basis, but you did it without even being told how. You're amazing! You know what, once Arctic Stone is herself again, I am getting you an ice cream sundae the size of your head."
"However," Rarity said, "before Rainbow threatens you with the worst case of brain freeze in your life, is there anything we can do for you in the shorter term?"
Tempo paused. "Can I talk to Dapple? I want to make sure he's okay."
"Sure, why not?" Rainbow looked up at Rarity. "Is his dad back yet?"
Rarity took a breath. "It took all night just to search Ponyville. We had to find out who managed to hide or flee, and who was..." She glanced at Tempo. "And who didn't, and gather them up. My point is that we've only a few hours ago managed to spare enough ponies to send word out. For example, I doubt that Pound and Carrot Cake even know yet."
"Pumpkin." Tempo got a distant look in her eyes, before turning back to Rainbow. "Can I see Pumpkin, too?"
Rainbow's eyes met Rarity's. "Tempo," Rainbow answered, "I told you she was going to be okay. And she will be, I promise. But she's not okay right now."
"But she—"
Rarity cut her off. "Pumpkin and her mother need their rest right now. When she's recovered, you can, ah, invite her to share that sundae with you and Dapple!" She smiled. "Don't you think she'd like that more?"
"I guess so."
"Come on," Rarity motioned towards the door. "Let's talk to your friend. I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you again."
Tempo climbed off of the bed and followed her parents into the castle hallway.
Closing the door behind them, Rainbow whispered to Rarity, "Nice save. So how many, total?"
"About a third of the town," Rarity whispered back. "Spike's been writing to Celestia, and she's going to ask for volunteers to help care for them until they're well." She trotted ahead and turned a corner. "This way, Tempo!"
After a circuitous route that Rainbow suspected was plotted to avoid the main areas of the castle, they reached a small door.
"Fluttershy brought him here, away from the others," Rarity said. "She has an incredible talent for finding secluded locations."
Tempo rushed up to the door, then turned around and scowled at her parents. "No looking!"
She opened the door and peeked inside.
"Dapple!"
"Tempo!"
Tempo slipped in. Rainbow gently pushed the door closed. "Let's give them their privacy."
A somber-sounding conversation, muffled by the door, drifted past.
Rarity sighed, laid her hoof across her forehead, and fell onto her hindquarters. "My heart burns for the day that I shall finally lay eyes on this mysterious stallion. Is he handsome? Is he dashing? Is he rugged? I fear I shall never know. Tell me, my dearest Rainbow, you have gazed upon his visage, have you not? Is he an appropriate suitor for our most precious child?"
Leaning against the wall, Rainbow said, "Just once, and I didn't get that good of a look."
"You do know, and you are keeping such vital information a secret from your very own wife? I am hurt, wounded, Rainbow." Rarity closed her eyes and raised her head, hoof still against her horn.
"Sorry, babe, I don't make the rules. And 'suitor'? She's a little young to be dating."
Rarity set her hoof down and looked at Rainbow. "I will have you know that I had my first crush when I was six. Then he flicked a booger at me and that was that."
The foals' conversation turned excited. Dapple said something and Tempo laughed for the first time that day.
"That said," Rarity went on, "our baby filly is absolutely much too young to think about such things."
There was a thump, followed by laughter from both foals.
"You know," Rainbow said, "that makes this twice that Tempo's saved Equestria. And it sounds like she's getting her money's worth out of the power of friendship."
Rarity wound her mane around her hoof. "We shall have to cancel Empress Tempo's coronation ceremony. A pity, I had such an elaborate design planned for her gown. Perhaps Flurry Heart will be interested when she is older."
With a shrug, Rainbow said, "As long as I can still be Tempo's court jester, it's cool."
The door opened just wide enough for Tempo to stick her face out. "Mom, Rainbow, where's that figurine I made? Is it still at Dapple's house?"
Rarity answered, "Ah, I had it put in the storage room with the painting."
"Can we get it?" She glanced back. "Dapple wants to see it again."
"Of course. It would be a shame for it to languish in a dusty room." Rarity stood up and escorted Tempo and Rainbow down the hallway.
As they walked, Rainbow looked behind her at her daughter. Tempo trailed behind them, her clear eyes on the path ahead. Rainbow looked back ahead. Her mind flashed back to the night before. She shook the image out of her head.
She looked back again. Tempo looked up, her eyes catching Rainbow's. Rainbow flashed a smile before turning ahead again. She deliberately slowed down, letting Tempo's little hoofsteps pass her. Tempo gave her a look as she went by, but Rainbow motioned down the hallway with her head.
Rainbow watched her daughter walk. Her conscious, free, safe daughter. Who was still able to walk and talk and laugh and eat waffles and play with her friend and make figurines. Unlike Pumpkin, unlike the others, who were as still as statues, unable to even think, whose parents and families would stress and worry for days.
Tempo walked ahead, a little bounce in her step, and Rainbow watched.
They reached the storage room. Within were piles of old books, caked in dust, and more recently added were an assortment of personal items from ponies across town, including a large painting propped up in a corner.
"There's the painting!" Tempo pointed at it. "It was kinda hard to sit still that long for Dapple, but I like it."
Rainbow performed a short flight over. On it was a very detailed rendition of her daughter lounging on some kind of couch. "This is pretty cool. That colt's real talented, you know that, kid? He even got your cutie mark right. Not a bad pose, either. I think I saw it in a magazine once."
She looked behind herself at Rarity. "Hey babe," she called, "we gotta take Tempo home with us once everything's fixed up."
"Where's the figurine?" Tempo asked.
"Found it!" Rarity said.
Rainbow hurried over to the ceramic figure of a pony and her canvas. "You made this, kid?" She leaned in and squinted at the tiny pony. "You're improving. No wonder Dapple wanted it again."
"I'll carry this for you, dear." Rarity carefully wrapped the figurine in the tissue paper it was sitting on and set it in its bag.
"Go on ahead, Rarity," Rainbow said, "there's something I want to sort out with the kid."
Rarity took the figurine with her out of the storeroom, glancing back as she closed the door behind her.
Tempo sat down, dipped her head slightly, and pointed her bright starless eyes at Rainbow, all of her own free will. "Is this about last night?"
Rainbow sat down next to her daughter and wrapped her wing around Tempo's body. "Yeah. I uh, never actually said that I'm glad you're okay. That you're here."
Holding her tight, she went on, "And I don't just mean here, now. That you're a part of the world, of my life. My daughter. My Tempo."
She turned and wrapped her Tempo in a hug. "I am so, so, grateful that I can say that." She felt Tempo's leg reach up and hug her back.
"I'm... I'm happy, too, Rainbow."
"I love you, Tempo. I always have. I always will. And nothing can ever, ever change that." She sniffled away a tear.
She laid her head on Tempo's shoulders.
"You're my child, Tempo Reprise. And I will always be thankful you are."
They held each other for a moment before Rainbow stood up.
"Come on, kid, let's get back to Rarity and your friend."