//------------------------------//
// Act III, Part II: Integration 
// Story: The False Goddess 
// by Zoura3025 
//------------------------------//

It was a quiet, but tense scene inside. Dogwood sat motionless on the rug between the couch and coffee table, with Halley tucked cautiously under his chin, the colt stroking her back gently to keep her from crying. Willow stood closer to the center of the room with a large kitchen knife, and Sequoia had a large rake.
It was a bit chilling, to see such an otherwise calm and happy family so rattled.
“I’m sorry for the scare, everyone,” Gustopha apologized softly, “I didn’t think the blight would come back after the first time I purified it… Nevermind in such force.”
“That was the blight?” Willow asked after setting her knife down.
“A much more concentrated form than you know, yes,” Gustopha explained with a soft sigh, “I have my guard planting Blightsbane trees around your property now; they should keep the blight at bay, should it ever rear its head again.”

Sequoia shuddered a bit, setting her rake down. “Goodness… I had no idea the blight could be that dangerous,” She expressed gently.
“Certainly a bigger fright than the occasional bat sneakin’ an apple or two, that’s for sure,” Oak remarked quietly, taking a seat next to his wife.
“Are you okay, Dogwood?” Gustopha asked, gently walking over and crouching to be closer to the colt.
Dogwood nodded. “A little rattled, but Aerated ‘n’ Stoneheart showed up before anything could hurt us,” He expressed, “They said they wanted t’ know if Halley’d made it okay.”

Gustopha bit her lip, and nodded. “I see,” She replied gently.
“Are you sure you still want us takin’ care of her?” Sequoia asked, fear tinging her voice.
“I am. I suspect this was a fearmongering tactic… The blight is not a mindless source of endless force; it too has resources it must manage. No doubt being purged in such brutal fashion will have left it weakened in the region, and it will feel that blow,” Gustopha reasoned.

Oak sighed a bit, but nodded. “We’ll trust you, Princess,” He expressed hesitantly.
Gustopha gave him a soft smile. “Thank you, Oak… I can only hope I earn your continued faith,” She replied gently.
The door opened as the three royal guards returned. Stoneheart’s branches were now bare aside from leaves.
“It’s done. We ensured the house had a solid perimeter, and extended out into some of the farm, too,” Stoneheart explained.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Good,” She replied, “Thank you.”
“Please, settle in,” Sequoia said gently, “Can I get you three anything?”

Precipice nodded a bit. “Do you have tea?” She asked softly.
“I’ve got earl gray, mint, and lavender,” Sequoia said, standing up.
“Some mint tea, please,” Precipice requested, rubbing her temples gently.
“I’ll have what she’s having,” Aerated remarked as she removed her helmet, shaking out her mane.
“I’m fine for now. Thank you for the offer, ma’am,” Stoneheart replied, laying down on the rug near the fire. It was the first time he’d fully exhausted his fruit content, and it showed a bit in his tired eyes and unsteady posture. Gustopha took note of this; a very physical route of magical exhaustion. She supposed it made sense, though, given that a verdant’s magic flowed through their plant parts.

Sequoia went to the kitchen to fetch some tea, and the two guard mares sorted themselves on the floor.
Halley looked up at Gustopha as she slumped to the floor. “Adopha!’ Halley squeaked, waggling her hooves. A small splash of water flicked forth from one of Halley’s toes, ineffectually splashing against Gustopha’s neck.
Gustopha gave a weary smile, leaning down and smiling gently at Halley. “Hello, Halley… Dogwood did a good job of getting you home, didn’t he?” She asked softly.
Halley toddled forward and leaned on Gustopha’s snout. “Adopha,” Halley repeated softly.
Gustopha smiled, her eyes closing.

“He was pretty brave, talking back to those blight creatures like that,” Aerated remarked, “He’s a real fighter.”
Dogwood shivered. “I was scared out of my mind,” He admitted, “It was like starin’ at… A-at…” His eyes watered, and squeezed shut. “...E-Everglade,” He whimpered.
Oak’s eyes widened slightly, and he briefly leaned forward, hefting his son up and hugging him close.
Gustopha put two and two together in her head fairly quickly. “Everglade, your…” She trailed off, eyes squeezing a bit.
“The one we lost to the blight, yes,” Oak said, a sharp pang of pain tainting his voice.
Dogwood began to sob into Oak’s shoulder, and Willow stood up, storming upstairs in a hurry.

“I’m sorry,” Gustopha heaved quietly, “It seems… That topic always comes up, when I’m around.”
The room fell silent, save for Dogwood’s choked sobs. Stoneheart focused on resting his weary body. Aerated felt guilty that she’d led to such a subject being brought up. Precipice seemed lost in her own thoughts.
Halley patted Gustopha’s snout repeatedly. “Adopha…” She whined softly, a small frown on her face.
Gustopha sighed gently. “I’m sorry, little one,” She cooed softly, eyes slowly opening.
Halley stumbled back from Gustopha’s snout and pressed her nose to the princess’.
Gustopha couldn’t help but smile a little. “Thank you,” She said gently.

Dogwood huffed a little as he pulled away from his father’s shoulder, sitting on the couch next to him. “Sorry, I di’n’t mean t’ cry,” He gasped softly, wiping his eyes.
“It’s alright, son. Better than crammin’ it all away,” Oak said, stroking the colt’s back.
“I was going to say,” Aerated began softly, “Bravery isn’t about being afraid. It’s about doing things in spite of that fear.”
Stoneheart smiled slightly. “You have been listening to my ‘ramblings’,” He teased.
Aerated snorted a bit.
“I didn’t want ‘em hurtin’ Halley,” Dogwood expressed softly, looking down at the foal, who was sitting in front of Gustopha.
Aerated smiled. “I have half a mind to call you an honorary royal guard right now,” She commented.
“I concur,” Stoneheart remarked quietly.

Sequoia came back into the room with a tray of a large pot of mint tea and several teacups. She set the tray down, and smiled.
“Help yourselves, everyone. I made plenty o’ hot water,” Sequoia said gently, sitting beside her son.
Precipice’s horn illuminated, and she poured herself a glass of the tea, bringing the cup over to her mouth to sip it. “Thank you, Mrs. Grove,” She expressed softly.
Aerated paced over to assemble her own cup of tea, adding a small, “Thank you.”
Gustopha bit her lip, and gently lifted Halley up onto the couch.
“I’m going to go talk to Willow,” Gustopha said gently.
Sequoia nodded a bit. “Be gentle with her,” She requested, “She’s been a bit easy to provoke as of late.”
Gustopha nodded and carefully walked up the stairs, entering the kids’ room.

Willow was sat at a desk, fervently writing something. There were tears in the corners of her eyes.
“Willow?” Gustopha asked, gently pulling the door shut behind her.
Willow dropped her pencil and sniffled. “What do you want?” She asked, tone harsh.
Gustopha walked over and sat next to Willow, briefly looking at the papers. Willow glared at her, and shoved the papers under a binder.
“What were you writing?” Gustopha asked softly.
Willow bit her lip hard. “N-Nothing,” She huffed, “Homework. I still have school to go to.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Of course,” She replied quietly.
“Why are you here?” Willow asked, some tears leaking down her cheek.
“I’m just here to talk, Willow,” Gustopha explained.
“About what?” Willow asked, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

Gustopha hesitated. “...Can you tell me about Everglade?” She asked quietly.
Willow tensed up at the name, and whimpered as her lip quivered. “Sh-she was… My baby sister,” Willow whined, “She got my name right first out of anypony else’s.”
Gustopha nodded gently. “And you were close, right?” She asked.
Willow nodded, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. “I-I loved her s-so much, and now I’ll n-never get to see her again,” She sobbed.

Gustopha gently pulled Willow into a hug. The filly didn’t fight it, leaning against Gustopha’s chest.
“I think about her every d-day, still… I-I still s-see her i-in my dreams, pointing at her favourite rattle,” Willow continued, occasionally interrupting herself to cry, “A-and because of the blight, s-she’s gone forever. Now ma ‘n’ p-pa have a new foal, a-and it’s like everypony else’s f-forgotten about my baby sister!”
Willow broke into loud, incoherent sobs now. Gustopha pulled her a bit closer, letting the filly grieve.

Gustopha waited until Willow had simmered down a bit to speak. “Do you honestly believe your family’s forgotten about her?” Gustopha asked gently, “You saw how Dogwood cried…”
Willow sniffled hard and hiccupped. “B-but ma ‘n’ pa, th-they never talk about her…” Willow whimpered.
Gustopha sighed gently. She wasn’t too familiar with grief like this herself, save for Texas’ death. But she had to try.

“Sometimes, we need to act strong,” Gustopha expressed gently, “Do you remember how I told you about my friend Tex?”
Willow nodded a little, whining a small “Mhm.”
“I still think about him all the time. He and I were so close…” Gustopha trailed off as she attempted to steer herself back on topic, “But, I keep those thoughts close to my heart, because I wouldn’t be able to take care of my subjects if I spent all my time mourning him.”
Willow looked up at her with teary eyes. “S-so ma ‘n’ pa still m-miss her?” Willow asked.
“And Dogwood, too,” Gustopha added gently, stroking the filly’s mane.

Willow carefully pulled her small stack of papers from her binder and huffed a little. “I-it’s a story,” Willow explained softly.
“What’s it about?” Gustopha asked, smiling gently at the filly.
“It’s about a filly, who… Who loses her sister, but then her sister comes back as a ghost,” Willow explained, “And they talk a lot, and go do things; silly things, like how the ghost sister’ll help the living sister reach things she’s not supposed to.”
“May I read some?” Gustopha requested gently.
Willow nodded, shuffling through the pages and nudging one over to Gustopha. “This one’s the best; it’s where the story really starts,” She said gently.
Gustopha leaned down to read it over.

Medium looked up at the night sky as tears ran down her face. It wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. Why did she have to lose her sister? Why did her sister have to go? She knelt at the gravestone and prayed with all her heart. She just wanted to see her sister one more time. To see that happy smile, and hear that happy giggle. She looked up as she heard a shrill, young voice.

“What’s wrong, sister?” Asked a small, ghostly pony, sitting on the grave. She was partially see-through, with a white body and a purple-tinted mane, and her legs looked more like loosely folded bedsheets than pony legs.
Medium began to tear up. It was the voice of her younger sister! “Vie! You’re okay!” Medium squeaked. She ran up to the gravestone to hug the ghostly pony, but went right through her.
“Huh?” Medium asked softly.
Vie frowned a little. “I’m scared, sister… I just remember getting really sick, and when I woke up, you were praying and crying,” Vie expressed.
“No, no, it’s okay! I can see you, Vie! You’re okay now!” Medium promised, tears still in her eyes.
“But you can’t hug me anymore,” Vie whined, “And I’m cold.”

“Well, um…” Medium paused, “What if you tried hugging me, instead?” She asked.
Vie floated over and sat on Medium’s shoulders. When she did, she got sucked into Medium’s mane, now appearing as a flowing white glow that clung to Medium’s mane. Vie’s purple colour joined the rest of Medium’s crystal mane, becoming a purple tint towards the ends.
“Hey, where’d you go?” Medium asked.
“I’m right here…” Vie said, “Your mane is comfy and warm, sister. Can I stay here?”
“Of course! We can go sleep, and you can be all comfy in my mane,” Medium replied.
The two sisters talked a little as Medium walked home, and Medium snuck up the stairs to bed, snuggling into her covers. As she fell asleep, Medium quietly said, “I love you, Vie.”
Vie replied quietly, “I love you too, sister. Good night.”

Gustopha smiled a bittersweet smile.
“Is it any good?” Willow asked.
Gustopha nodded. “It’s lovely, Willow,” She expressed, “But I am a little confused… Medium has a crystal mane?” She asked.
“We’re learning about the Crystal Ponies in history class,” Willow explained, “They have this special thing called a Crystal Heart that ties all their magic together. So, when Medium prayed, she took some of that magic to make Vie.”
Gustopha nodded a bit. This was an interesting way to learn of new things to research; then again, she’d never been avid when it came to researching history. Her research was usually more modern in nature.
“I see… That’s a very interesting premise, you know,” Gustopha expressed gently, “Keep it close.”

Willow nodded a bit. “Writing it makes me sad, but it feels nice,” She expressed, “I can’t talk to my sister like Medium can, but I’d like to think a little bit of me is in Medium, and a little bit of Everglade is in Vie.”
“We all have our own method of grieving,” Gustopha said gently, “Have you noticed you’ve felt better at all since you started writing?”
“The memories hurt a little less,” Willow supposed softly.
Gustopha smiled. “Then you don’t stop,” She insisted, “Write the sweetest story you can about a filly and her sister. You might find that expressing yourself through writing helps you come to terms with your grief.”

Willow nodded a little. “Okay… Thank you, Princess,” She replied softly.
Gustopha smiled gently. “Now, come downstairs with me, won’t you? I’m sure your family would love it if you joined them on the couch,” She requested.
Willow hopped down from her chair and nodded. “Okay, Princess,” She replied.
Gustopha smiled, leading the filly down the stairs into the front room.

Gustopha sat on the floor between Precipice and Aerated, watching as Willow carefully squeezed into the couch between Sequoia and Dogwood.
Halley, who was laying against Sequoia’s chest, looked up at the new arrival. Willow returned the gaze, silently.
Halley fumbled forward, her nose lightly bumping into Willow’s.
Dogwood smiled. “She likes you, sis; she’s givin’ ya a fairy kiss,” He explained with a small smile.
Willow smiled a little and gently nuzzled noses with the foal. Her tail swished a bit in content.
Gustopha smiled softly to herself. It was nice to see the two fillies reconcile, even in some small way.

Precipice took a soft breath as she finished her tea. “Thank you, ma’am,” She said softly.
“Of course,” Sequoia replied gently, “I can’t say I know much about royal procedure, but if Gustopha trusts you I don’t know why I shouldn’t.”
“Regardless, we’re grateful for your hospitality,” Stoneheart replied, “The Princess holds the kindness of Equestria’s citizens very dear, and we’ve done our best to learn from that.”
Aerated nodded a bit. “If there’s one thing her highness tries to be, it’s humble,” She added.
Gustopha simply smiled a bit, resting head on the floor. “I thought I asked not to be called ‘highness’,” She teased softly.
Aerated flinched a bit, but nodded. “R-right, Princess,” She heaved softly.

Oak chuckled. “I believe it,” He remarked, “Can’t say I’ve ever had another princess help out with farm work.”
“Regardless of my form or rank, I’m still a pony, same as any other,” Gustopha remarked, “I’d like to pass that onto those in charge of representing me.”
Sequoia smiled. “Well, from those I’ve met, you’re doin’ a wonderful job,” She expressed softly.
“Thank you.” Gustopha replied, “I’m very proud of them.”

Dogwood looked at Stoneheart for a long moment and tilted his head, before standing up and walking over.
“Is something the matter?” Stoneheart asked, looking at the colt before him.
Dogwood quietly walked past Stoneheart and picked through the stallion’s tail, uncovering the wooden branches that were tucked among his fur; the stallion had gotten quite good at hiding the branches in his tail, reducing the attention drawn to him and keeping the plant parts themselves warmer.

“You’ve got wood in your tail, sir,” Dogwood remarked softly.
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “That I do,” He replied gently, “I’m not an earth pony.”
“What are ya, then? Ya don’t have wings or a horn,” Dogwood asked.
“I’m a verdant, as assigned by Gustopha,” Stoneheart explained, “The wood in my tail is part of me; like a unicorn’s horn.”

There was a certain warmth in Stoneheart’s tone as he spoke to the colt; a paternal hint, similar to Oak’s. If it weren’t for the physical differences, Gustopha would’ve practically assumed they were brothers.
Aerated smirked a bit. “It means he’s literally got a stick up his flank,” She snorted, chuckling.
Dogwood, Willow, and Oak laughed a bit at the pegasus’ remark.

Stoneheart huffed a bit and lightly punched Aerated in the shoulder. “Aerated! Do not use such language in front of the children!” He scolded.
“They’ve heard worse,” Oak remarked with a slight eye roll, still laughing a bit.
Gustopha smiled a bit. She probably should have reprimanded Aerated’s tongue, but considering no one aside from Stoneheart seemed bothered by it, she just allowed the conversation to carry on without her.

It was sometime later that she was gently patted back to her senses by Dogwood. “Gustopha?” He asked.
Her eyes blinked open, and she looked up at him expectantly.
“Ma made some dinner,” He explained gently.
She nodded and stood up, allowing the colt to lead her to the table. A few extra chairs sat around the large dining table, ensuring there were spaces for everyone.

Dinner was a typical affair; mashed vegetables, some fresh bread, and of course fruit from the farm for dessert. Gustopha was happy to see how well her guards had settled in with the family; it felt as though they were one contiguous whole. It made Gustopha’s heart swell just a bit. The last time she had seen so many ponies so unabashedly happy together was when she and her mother had dinner with Texas and his family. That was quite a long time ago now; or at least, it felt like it.

Gustopha helped Sequoia with the clean up after dinner. It wasn’t a particularly challenging task; just washing dishes, yet she found it calming.
Sequoia smiled at her. “Those guards o’ yours are really somethin’, y’know that?” Sequoia asked, “Practically talked to the kids better’n I do.”
Gustopha returned the smile. “If nothing else, I’d like to ease the gap between royalty and the public… I can’t influence many things, but how my guards act is in some way within my control,” She expressed.
Sequoia nodded a bit, putting plates and cups and silverware away as Gustopha finished cleaning them. “Is that related to your not liking being called Princess, perchance?” Sequoia asked.

Gustopha flinched slightly, but nodded. “You read me like a book,” She replied, “The first time I was ever ‘respected’ as a Princess, it was a starving stallion forced to put his graciousness towards me before feeding himself or his family,” She admitted, “Ever since then, I’ve always felt some sort of pain in my chest whenever somepony calls me things like ‘highness’... And bowing is completely out of the picture.”
Sequoia nodded sympathetically. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that here,” Sequoia promised, “While you’re here, you’re just Gustopha. Not an inch wrong with that.”
Gustopha’s smile returned. “Thank you, Sequoia,” She replied gently.
“Of course, Gustopha,” Sequoia replied gently, before perking up as if she remembered something, “Say… Shouldn’t you be lettin’ the moon ponies know Halley’s down here safe and sound?”
Gustopha’s eyes briefly widened, and she nodded, grabbing a pencil and paper to write the note.

“Dear moon ponies,
It is with great joy that I send this letter to you, confirming Halley’s safe arrival. She’s been placed into the care of a loving foster family, and we excitedly look forward to her growth and development. I’ll be sure to send updates now and then as she grows and develops.
Sincerely, Princess Gustopha of Earth.”

Gustopha smiled a bit. It was a simple letter, but an effective one. She stepped outside to deliver the letter, but hesitated as she heard the sound of voices outside, on the side of the house.
Carefully, she padded around the side of the house, her eyes widening slightly as she saw Stoneheart and Aerated Turf embracing each other.
“...Can we just stay out here five more minutes?” Aerated asked with a soft huff, “It’s been forever since I got to see you.”
Stoneheart sighed gently. “Alright,” He replied softly.
Aerated hesitated for a long moment as she leaned into Stoneheart.
Stoneheart bit his lip. “Is this about… What we talked about, before the surgery?” He asked.
Aerated nodded.
“Aerated, you know that would be desertion,” Stoneheart replied.

Gustopha tensed. From what she’d read about desertion, it was treated very seriously. Death penalty seriously. She stepped out from behind the corner of the house. “What would be?” She asked.
Aerated and Stoneheart both froze.
“Princess!” Aerated yipped, “How long have you been standing out here?” She asked, nerves building in her voice.
“Long enough,” Gustopha replied, “What were you two talking about?”
Stoneheart and Aerated briefly shared a glance. Aerated simply nodded to the stallion, and he sighed. “Aerated and I have been… Romantically involved for a short while now,” Stoneheart explained slowly.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Alright, what’s wrong with that?” She asked.

“We want to try, Princess. But stupid Equestrian laws… Make it difficult,” Aerated huffed, “If a mare gets pregnant while on duty, it’s considered desertion.”
Gustopha’s eyes widened slightly. “...So you wish to have a foal, but can’t,” She supposed.
Stoneheart bit his lip. “With the blessing of our assigned charge, we would be permitted to have a foal, but pregnant or foaling mares cannot serve in the Equestrian military. Aerated Turf would be out of action for some time,” He explained.
Aerated seemed unusually vulnerable tonight, looking away from the Princess and pressing into her lover’s side.
“Why would I stop you from trying for such a thing?” Gustopha asked, tilting her head.

Stoneheart bit his lip. “Well, as royal guards, our duty comes first. Likewise, it’s not a very easy subject to ask about,” He expressed.
“Well, you have my blessing,” Gustopha replied. Admittedly, she had ulterior motives; she wanted to see if a verdant parent might have a verdant child. In theory, the plant should influence the pony as the pony influenced the plant, but she wasn’t sure. Gustopha kept that train of thought to herself, though; these two seemed rattled enough without an academic edge to things.
Stoneheart’s eyes widened. “Are… Are you certain, Princess?” He asked.
Gustopha nodded. “Positive,” She promised, “All I ask is that you allow me to see the infant when they are born… A verdant’s magic should be stable, but I’m not certain if it will be passed down.”

Aerated looked up and spoke, her voice soft, “I wouldn’t trust a foal with any doctor more than you, Princess,” She expressed, “I saw how well you cared for Stoneheart, April, May, and all the others.”
Gustopha smiled, pacing forward and hugging the couple. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure it all goes well,” She promised.
Aerated smiled and sniffled back some tears. “Thank you, Princess…” She whispered.
“Your kindness knows no bounds,” Stoneheart expressed, relief exasperating his tone.
Gustopha still wasn’t entirely sure why these two were acting so weird about it, but simply nodded a bit. “Of course,” She replied gently.

“I’ll be honest, I expected you to say no,” Aerated admitted, “Given Stoneheart is a test subject…”
“He’s still a pony, first and foremost,” Gustopha expressed gently as she pulled away.
Stoneheart nodded a bit. “We still thank you for your blessing, Princess. We have been debating about this since before we were assigned to you,” He expressed.
Gustopha nodded a bit. “Well, rest assured that you can feel comfortable in your choice now,” She insisted.
Aerated nodded a bit, wiping her eyes. “Are we needed inside?” She asked, trying to get back to some kind of business as usual.

Gustopha shook her head. “Take the time you need; I’m just sending a letter,” She answered with a small smile, turning to walk back to the front of the house.
Aerated and Stoneheart briefly shared a look as the princess disappeared around the front of the house. “...Do you also have the feeling the Princess only understood half of that conversation?” Aerated asked.
Stoneheart chuckled softly. “Yes, yes I do,” He replied, “I don’t believe we should scrutinize an opportunity too much.”

A powerful light shone through the orchard as the Princess cast her letter to the moon. After sending the basket, it was significantly easier to send such a small object. Once she felt the signature tug of the moon accepting the letter, she headed inside, shaking herself off from the exertion.
Inside, Oak, Sequoia, and Precipice were having a calm chat as the kids played together on the floor.
Gustopha settled herself near the fireplace and allowed her eyes to close. She let herself take in the world through sound, rather than sight. The soft bantering of the adults, the happy giggles of the children, the dull crackling of the fire… It made the princess happy to be alive again. Even if her life was quite messy, the quiet happy moments made it all worth it.
Her ears twitched at the sound of the door opening and closing; Stoneheart and Aerated Turf coming back inside.

Some more time passed, and Gustopha felt a small weight press on her side. “Adopha,” Halley mumbled, draping herself across Gustopha’s snout and yawning.
Gustopha smiled. “Are you tired, little one?” She asked softly.
Sequoia chuckled as she walked over. “It is getting late. I think it’s bedtime for the kids,” Sequoia remarked, gently scooping Halley off the princess’ snout.
“Aww… Can’t we stay up a bit later, ma? It’s not often the princess comes around!” Dogwood protested.
“Listen to your mother, Dogwood,” Gustopha chuckled, “You’ll appreciate how much to get to sleep now when you’re older.”
Dogwood huffed softly. “Alright, fine… Good night, folks,” He grumbled, walking up the stairs alongside his mother and his sister.
“Good night,” Gustopha replied, echoed by her guard and Oak.

Oak chuckled. “I bet you folks are achin’ for a bit of shuteye after today, too, eh?” He supposed.
“I could do with a nod-off,” Aerated admitted.
Oak nodded. “Well, make yourselves comfy; you’ve earned a spot here and then some,” He remarked.
Gustopha heard the soft sounds of armor being removed as her guard did so. She was comfortable enough in her vestments, given they were just boots and a breastplate. She could only imagine standing around in full plate mail all day.
She felt a disturbance as Precipice settled herself down fairly close to her, near the fireplace. “Thank you for your hospitality,” The unicorn said, followed by a yawn.
“Your kindness is greatly appreciated,” Stoneheart added as he rested on the rug beside the coffee table.
“What they said,” Aerated chimed as she draped herself over a chair.
“Much obliged, everypony,” Oak replied.

The room fell quiet as the group relaxed. No one seemed particularly interested in talking, at least until Sequoia poked her head down from upstairs. “You comin’ to bed, Oak?” She asked.
Oaked chuckled. “I dunno, they’re talkin’ my ear right off,” He joked as he got up and walked to the stairs, “Night, folks,” He bade.
A rolling murmur of “Good night”s came from the princess and her guards, and he walked up the stairs.
Precipice sidled a bit closer to the princess, shivering. Gustopha’s eyes slowly opened to look at her. “Are you cold?” She asked.
Precipice nodded. “I’ve noticed overusing magic can induce chills…” She admitted quietly.

Gustopha nodded a bit, letting one of her wings flay to drape over the unicorn. “You fought hard today; you should be proud,” She said gently.
Precipice settled herself under Gustopha’s wing. “Thank you, Princess…” She murmured softly, very light hint of yearning on the edge of her tone. The way the princess accounted for her needs made Precipice think things. Things she shouldn’t probably shouldn’t be thinking, really. She wanted to impress Gustopha, and she had an idea on how she would do it. But those were not thoughts for tonight. Tonight was a time to relax.





In the morning, the princess and her guard would prepare to leave, bidding goodbye to the family.
“Are ya sure you’re alright leavin’ Halley here with us?” Sequoia asked gently.
Gustopha nodded. “I’m certain,” She replied, “The Blightsbane trees will protect you, should the blight attempt a return. When they start bearing fruit, the fruit is edible, and will innoculate you against the blight as well.”
Oak nodded a bit. “Alright,” He replied, “You four travel safely now.”
“We will,” Gustopha replied, “These three are used to taking care of me by now,” She explained with a soft chuckle.
Oak and Sequoia each had a laugh as the group left for the castle.
The journey back, thankfully, wasn’t too eventful. As they returned to the castle, things returned to some semblance of normalcy.

It was only the day after, when the princess was preparing to operate on her next subject, that Precipice looked to her.
“Is something wrong, Precipice?” Gustopha asked.
“I was wondering if I could assist you in your procedures,” Precipice expressed, “You said they were tiring.”
Gustopha hesitated. “The magic involved in the procedure is very unstable,” She explained, “If you were to run out of magic before it was set properly, which is a very likely possibility, the subject’s magic would at best return to its original shape, and at worst… Find the path of least resistance out,” She expressed, grimacing at the thought.

Precipice frowned a bit, but prepared to turn away.
“...If it’s alright with the subject, you could spectate if you would like,” Gustopha offered, “However, you would be expected not to interfere, of course.”
Precipice looked back at Gustopha and nodded. “That’s fine,” She supposed.
Gustopha nodded a bit and gathered up her notes. She always liked having them with her when she operated; she knew the procedure by heart by now, but occasionally a reference wouldn’t hurt.

After a brief consultation with the subject, it was decided that Precipice would be permitted to observe the surgery. The three ponies would enter the waiting room, and Precipice sat quietly at a respectable distance away as Gustopha walked the patient through the pre-amble of the surgery, reassuring them they’d all be okay. Anesthetic went in, the subject was made as comfortable as the procedure was allowed, and Gustopha got to work.

Precipice bit her lip as a small spurt of blood was freed from the pony’s back. Some deep, animalistic thrill buried in the darkest corners of her mind now pounded in her ears. Adrenaline, perhaps. Precipice had always mistaken it for squeamishness, or fear, since it most often came in battle, accompanied by the guttural screams of some unfortunate soul being put to death. But in such a calm setting, she had plenty of time to recognize it: Intrigue. The mind’s natural tendency to rubberneck to tragedies. The will to experiment in ways that nopony dared speak of under Celestia’s light.