//------------------------------//
// First Class Mare 
// Story: A Circle Has No End: Volume I 
// by Gladi Writes 
//------------------------------//

November the 30th; and time had been good to First Class the two months Wildcard had been gone. The Zebras finally made good on their promise, and roared onto the continent through Snowy Cove, delaying any advance from the South- perhaps indefinitely. Spitfire was making strides over the ocean, and the Crystal Imperial forces bolstered their fleet. The first few surface ships had been put to sea as well, and it looked like they might actually make good on their promise to end the war by Hearths Warming.

Even things at home had been less then the calamity they had prepared for. Winter had, as expected, come early. It was definitely a harsh winter, but with the rations they had scuttled away, and a few specialty farms still churning out food, all was well. It had been two months of pause in the seemingly unending series of crisis, and First Class had spent them in Canterlot General. Her room had been turned into a makeshift office, since she wanted to keep herself in the know even as Celestia took back her old responsibilities. As much as First Class had wanted to protest, she knew that she was in no position to- the foal was due any day now.

While snow gently fell down outside the open window, blowing around in a fog of white, First Class lay in her bed reading a confidential support from the South. She still had a say in things, but others were doing the legwork. Apparently, somebody in Snowy Cove had been passing them information about the Saddle Arabians, and the Zebras had used it to great effect.

First Class smiled, and cradled her midsection. He was still out there, somewhere. For whatever reason he had decided he needed to be alone, and she respected that as much as she craved his embrace. The last time she had seen him was two months ago, and any day now she would give birth to their foal. A foal conceived by love, but love was a complicated thing. Love meant accepting each other for who you are, and supporting each other as you grow. Wildcard had seen something that day, and she wasn’t sure what it was. Whatever it was, it terrified him. First Class had certainly come into her own herself. Gone was the naive minister that followed her Princess’s every whim. She was her own person now, and made her own calls. She would lead Equestria, and be better at it too. 

She saw the world for what it was; a war with everything. The nations of the world had been playing a game of power for centuries, and only now was Equestria being roped in. First Class would do as Luna did, and do whatever it takes to protect Equestria in the new order, just as Luna had in the past. For her people, and… for their children. 

That is what Project 11 represented. If she could complete it, it would be a weapon that would make the world shudder. The power to level a city from an untouchable distance was within her grasp. With this power she could protect Equestria from anything, and end this destructive conflict. Then she and Twilight Sparkle would rule, together. Twilight would take care of the trivialities, and maintain a kind face, while First Class did the real work. 

Wildcard, meanwhile, would lead his people back to Equestria, and the ponies would welcome their changeling brethren, and peace would last forever.

As soon as he came home, anyway. First Class laid down the report, and rolled on her side to look out the window. Hopefully he would come back soon, back from his soul-searching. He had done so much for her, and she had so much to give in return. With luck, this wouldn't be there only foal.

A knock at the door interrupted her musings- thankfully, since that’s all she had been doing recently. She rolled back around, and smiled to see Silver Shield standing in the doorway. He was her bodyguard, and a close friend. He watched over her like a hawk, and did a lot of legwork while she was tied to a bed.

“Did I come at a bad time?” Silver asked.

“Oh no, not at all,” First Class said, shaking her head, “you came at the perfect time actually, I hope you’re up for more cross-country.”

Silver smirked, “For you? Always, just don’t ask me to find Wildcard, you know where I stand on that,” he said, and spun a chair around to sit. 

First Class frowned, she did indeed “know where he stood”, the had debated it endlessly. First Class wanted him to go find Wildcard, and bring him back, but Silver always refused, and said simply he was in “good hooves”. 

“No, no I’ve yet to kick that wasps nest again. I need you to go to Baltimare, and check on something for me,” First Class said, and reached between the mattress to retrieve a black envelope.

“Baltimare? There’s nothing there but ruined buildings and ruined ponies, and Twilight Sparkle’s assorted experiments. What could you possibly want there?” Silver asked.

“Silver Shield, how can you be so smart and yet so stupid? Twilight Sparkle isn’t the only one hiding things in Baltimare- only the least skilled at it. Take this, and you’ll see what I mean. The site itself is located on the corner of Fifth and Celestia, you’ll find entrance in the library there,” First Class said, and hoofed him the envelope.

“Oh well, isn’t this something? A secret project financed by the Minister of State, and not even Twilight Sparkle knows about it? Which you hid from her in a library?”

Silver flapped the envelope, “I think I’m not the only stupid one here,” 

First Class laughed, “Maybe, but we’ve all got our secrets. I simply need you to make sure everything is going as planned. No communications go between us- no paper trail. If anyone ever did find them, I would simply pass it off as another one of Mezza Luna’s projects. That’s why I’m sending you,” 

Silver nodded knowingly, “Of course, if there’s anyone you can trust with a massive state secret- it’s a changeling spy. All of Equestria will sleep safe at night knowing I, Silver Shield, am guarding their secrets!” he boasted. 

First Class laughed, slowly at first, but then spiraled into a fit of giggling until her sides were sore. It felt good to laugh, oh it felt good to laugh. 

“Oh Silver, I don’t know what we would do with you,” she said. 

Not skipping a beat, Silver replied: “You would be a maid, Wildcard would be dead, and Chrysalis would be on the throne.”

First Class laughed again, and hit him on the shoulder, “Treason, heresy and treason!”

Silver got up, and saluted, “I’ll hang tomorrow for sure,” he said, and about faced to march out the door. 

First Class opened her mouth to bid him goodbye, but was stopped by a sudden pain in her midsection. Then she felt wet. Silver was nearly out the door when she screamed bloody murder at him.

“Silver! My water broke!”

The next few minutes passed by in a daze, as a rush of nurses poured into the room. The waves of pain crashing through her body put her into a daze, and Silver held her hoof through it. 

“He’s not here!” First Class shouted, "Damnit, why did he have to leave now!" 

Wildcard, as fate would have it, missed the birth of his first child by a thousand miles. First Class gave birth to a foal, a pegasus filly. Silver stayed throughout by her side, taking Wildcard’s place. It calmed her somewhat, as did a lot of opiates, and two hours later she held her first born in her hoofs. She had a beautiful blue coat, mixed with a deep navy-blue mane. Her eyes though, those were special. They were blue, all blue, just like her husband. She also had a green “cape”, where her husband’s one of blue would be. She cradled her, and let her suckle. First Class felt utterly euphoric as she laid there, holding the first changeling/pony born of love in their races shared history. 

First Class named her Odo, and on that day the future of Equestria was decided.