Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

Specters Of The Past

Chapter Five: Specters Of The Past
~BlackRoseRaven

Thorn nervously smoothed out his cape before he opened the door that led to the training room, then winced as he was immediately tackled off his hooves by a sapphire blur, who laughed loudly before sweeping him up into a bone-crushing hug, shouting joyously: “Thorn! Thorn Blackfeather, my child, my colt, oh, look at thee, look at... look at...”

Luna broke off as she stepped backwards, and she trembled ever so slightly as her eyes widened at the sight of Thorn's mechanical leg. The stallion flushed deeply as he hurriedly straightened even as he dropped his gaze, but then Luna smiled faintly as she reached up and silently tilted his head up with a hoof under his chin, whispering: “Look at thee. Aye, let me look at thee, my child.”

Thorn nodded, hesitantly adjusting his cape around his body as he did his best not to fidget, and Luna drew her eyes slowly along the stallion as he looked over her quietly, and then smiled again, still trembling a little bit as Scrivener and Morgan strode up to either side of the sapphire mare.

They had removed their armor, and as they studied his scars, Thorn studied his parents. Scrivener Blooms had his own series of ancient injuries over a body that was not just covered in horsehide, but had patches of armor-like scale here and there, and his Móðer's body mirrored so many of those marks. The three were soul-linked, after all: what affected one, affected both of the others.

They still had their cutie marks, though, in spite of the fact that was the first thing many ponies lost when they were affected by Helheim's energies, when their bodies... changed. But no: Luna still had a crescent moon in a splotch of night sky on her flank, Morgan a six-pointed star surrounded by red runes, and his father a black rose, with a quill overtop the blossom.

Thorn silently adjusted his cape, glancing back at his own cutie mark, and Luna chuckled softly before she said softly: “Look, Scrivy. He takes after thee in more than one way. Foul poet, thou corrupted our child from worlds away.”

The sapphire stallion laughed despite himself as Scrivener smiled a little, and Morgan shook her head slowly before she glanced over at Hecate. And when Thorn looked up, he saw the Hecate that he had thought only he had ever been privy to: the soft Hecate, the gentle Hecate... the Hecate who blamed herself for every sin and every problem, as she said quietly: “Again, I... apologize, for my failure.”

Luna began to turn, but Thorn shook his head quickly, saying quietly but firmly: “No, it was my error. Hecate has been a mentor and a mother to me. She helped me when I needed it, pushed me to become the strongest person I could be, and... I am indebted to her. Don't blame her, please.”

The Valkyrie turned back towards her son... and then she smiled softly before shaking her head and saying quietly: “Even did I want to blame her, Thorn, Hecate punishes herself more than I ever could for what has happened to thee. But nay, I do not. I... wish thou had been spared such suffering, especially as thou art so young, my son, but...”

Luna smiled, reaching out and silently stroking over the mechanical limb before she said quietly: “Thou looks strong. Thou looks proud. And thou looks like an accursed poet.”

Thorn laughed despite himself, unable to stop himself from looking at his father with the smallest of smiles; his father, who had a passion and talent for writing himself, and his own prosthetic Talons in place of his lower front legs.

Scrivener gazed back at his son for a few moments, and then he finally asked softly: “Have you been writing anything? I know what a... horribly personal question that is, but... well, you know. We're your parents and all. Have to be embarrassing.”

The sapphire stallion chuckled quietly, and then he nodded hesitantly before smiling again between the three ponies in front of him. Then he glanced up curiously at Hecate as she strode forwards, gesturing towards the trio as she said in a moodier voice: “As at least you are aware of, Thorn, I do not have all day to fritter away with this sort of nonsense. Entertain your parents. I have projects to look after, so if you need anything, annoy Seneschal, not me.”

“Of course, Mother.” Thorn said softly, and Hecate blushed ever so faintly as Luna grinned widely up at the mechanical goddess.

“Shut up, Thorn.” Hecate grumbled, and then the mechanical mare stormed out into the hall, Thorn smiling over his shoulder after her before he shook his head and looked forwards, gazing back at his parents as they gazed back at him.

Thorn didn't know what to say, or do. It had been more than ten years, after all: the last time he had seen his parents, well... he laughed a little at the thought, looking awkwardly between the three of them before he said finally: “Where do we begin? I... I really am so happy to see all of you, but I just don't know... and... I mean, you're...”

He fumbled for his words, flustered and hating it and welcoming it all at once, and Luna laughed before Morgan stepped forwards and firmly embraced the sapphire stallion, who hugged her tightly back. And when she stepped back, Scrivener came forwards, and father and son traded a fierce embrace as well.

Scrivener pulled away, then paused and smiled slightly over his shoulder at Luna, who nodded thoughtfully before she firmly bumped the stallion out of the way, the mare saying easily: “Hecate said this room was for training, but it all seems too brittle for me and I see nothing to train with apart from some foal's weights and a few dummies I have already well-broken.”

Thorn awkwardly looked past his parents at the racks of weights, which ranged from ten pound dumbbells to lodestone blocks that weighed almost a metric ton. Then his eyes roved to the dummies; these, in spite of being made of liquid metal and capable of putting themselves back together from almost any amount of damage, looked lopsided and badly mangled, like they had been torn apart so many times that their molecular binding had started to fray.

He turned his eyes almost wonderingly back towards his parents, but then cleared his throat before saying finally, as he struggled to be a little more professional, like a good host: “Well, uh... there's an obstacle course, or I can convert the area to a sparring ring, or-”

“Obstacle course! Show me!” Luna said cheerfully, and Thorn shrugged after a moment before his horn glowed brightly as he called up a holographic screen, the stallion starting to tap away on this before he winced when Luna curiously shoved her head through the faintly-blue images, making them distort and warp. “And how does this magic work?”

“It's... well, I suppose I could show you the spells, but it works in conjunction with Decretum technology... uh... could you maybe...” Thorn started awkwardly, but then Scrivener reached up and grasped Luna by the tail before yanking her out of the screen, and the mare huffed loudly as Thorn gave his father a small smile. “Thank you.”

He fell back silent as he tapped in the commands and parameters, then he simply watched with his parents as the floor opened and a series of complicated walkways and spinning platforms rose up. Luna grinned slightly at this as her eyes roved thoughtfully over the obstacle course, as Thorn explained calmly and professionally: “This is an adaptive training center, which means that we can collect data as the test subject runs the course and then modify it to provide a better challenge. It-”

“Oh, do not be boring, Thorn, thou wert not raised to be boring.” Luna scoffed, and Thorn stuttered to a halt as he stared blankly at his mother. Scrivener Blooms sighed and dropped his face in one Talon as Morgan shot Luna a sour look. “Oh, thou both know I say it with all the love in the world! And 'tis true what I said, he was not. Perhaps Hecate has made thee boring, but I highly doubt it: she was always a most entertaining creature when properly encouraged or vexed.”

Thorn shifted lamely, looking away and rubbing uncomfortably at his head, and Luna softened ever so slightly, giving a smile before she said in a gentler voice: “Now come, Thorn, there is no need to act as if I speak seriously. I would think thou would remember thy Mutt better than that.”

“I do. I just... sorry.” Thorn said lamely, and Luna snorted before she reached up and firmly ruffled up his mane, Thorn wincing and pulling his head away a little too late before he quickly began to neaten his hair out.

Luna snorted in amusement at this, and then she said wryly: “Thou truly art thy father's child. Scrivy, why must thou ruin everything?”

Scrivener only gave Luna a flat look as Morgan shook her head, and then the violet mare asked curiously: “So how often do you train, Thorn? Hecate was telling us about how you handle mainly the administrative duties here, but she hinted that one day you might want to help out the Orphanage more directly...” Morgan paused, then smiled slightly. “She said you came up with that name, too.”

“Yes, I, well... you know. Got a little carried away in one of my reports, too much flourish, and... it just... stuck.” Thorn shrugged awkwardly, giving a lame laugh. Morgan only smiled at him, and the sapphire stallion hesitated before he dropped his head and added in a mumble: “And... I have given it some thought. But, well... I'm only capable of concentrating around a hundred bæns of magic energy and I've only been trained in defensive procedures and I've never-”

“So we start immediately! Thorn, all things begin small, there is no shame in that.” Luna said firmly, smiling warmly at her son as she reached up and squeezed his shoulder, before she softened and added quietly: “And aye. Thou wert raised in Helheim, and unlike my other children... thou wert never trained in combat. But even as a foal thou had a mind like thy mother...”

Luna paused, then she looked in amusement over at Morgan, saying wryly: “'Tis rather amusing that our foal has three mothers. Four, really, since Scrivy is far more of a mare than a stallion.”

Scrivener rolled his eyes, and Thorn chuckled quietly before he murmured: “Hecate has said that in the past too... the 'mothers' thing, not about you, Dad.”

“Although I wouldn't really be surprised if she said that, too.” Scrivener said mildly, and then the stallion asked, unable to help himself: “So... you're okay? I mean, this has all... you've been treated okay, you're happy here? You don't...”

Scrivener broke off, smiling lamely as Luna huffed and Twilight softened, gazing tenderly at their child. Thorn weighed the questions in his mind... and then he smiled faintly, looking up and replying quietly: “I was... afraid that you were going to be disappointed in me and that I've been able to find my place here.”

Luna chuckled quietly at this, and then she said softly: “Fear not, Thorn. There is still plenty of time for thee to disappoint us yet... but for now, nay, I can only be glad to see thou art doing so well... and I am proud of thee, my son. Proud.” She winked, then nudged him firmly. “And I shall be prouder still once thou shows me thou art capable of learning more than silly bookery! Now come, let us see how strong thou art, Thorn Blackfeather, and what thy heritage has passed on to thee!”

Thorn blushed deeply and gave a lame smile, knowing that if anything, he was going to end up embarrassing himself... and yet all the same, he couldn't help but feel happier than he had been in a long time, to finally be able to spend these precious few hours with his parents.

Cadence shifted uncertainly as she looked up at Hecate, who had called her down to her office for a reason that the ivory mare had definitely not expected. She bit her lip, then returned her eyes to the papers in her hooves, unable to stop herself from saying: “But... I thought we failed.”

“The mission has been recorded as a success. Your assessment is still pending: I would rate your performance as a spectacular failure overall, yes, but you may still salvage some of your reputation and rank if Thorn's evaluation is not entirely negative.” Hecate said coldly, gesturing moodily towards the ivory mare. “Until your assessment is complete, your team will remain on leave, to recuperate and relax. Then we have a special mission for you. A favor, for... an old friend.”

Cadence furrowed her brow nervously, looking down at the papers and reading over the orders again on the top sheet, the mare muttering: “Not that I have any problem with the mission, Queen Hecate, but... will we be provided any more specific information than this?”

“No. None is available. This is a ridiculous wild goose chase, but one I am all the same being compelled to take part in.” Hecate paused, tapping a metal claw against her desk slowly before she added moodily: “And if you truly are the 'best of my best,' as you so pride yourself on saying, you will complete this mission successfully. Further failures will not be tolerated after today's dismal performance. You performed far, far below expectations. All of you.”

Cadence dropped her head lamely, nodding uncomfortably and not daring to say anything back to Hecate, as much as she wanted to. Partly because she was afraid of what the Swan would say, and partly because, as much as she hated it, she knew it was true. She was so incredibly disappointed in herself, and part of her was still reeling with just how shockingly powerful the Valkyrie was, compared to her.

Cadence sighed softly, then she murmured: “Maybe... well, in the meantime, can we dispatch intelligence operatives or tracer drones to the locations mentioned in the report? Maybe we'll get lucky and they built a portal to escape...”

“Doubtful. But you'll be glad to know that drones have already been dispatched. I am not an idiot, Cadence.” Hecate said icily, and Cadence looked awkwardly up at the mare before the empress continued: “What I want you to focus on is preparation. The only thing guaranteed about this mission is that you will be away from Decretum for a long time, and likely out of contact. Your team needs to be prepared for that, and prepared to gather equipment on-site.”

Cadence nodded quickly, looking up at the mare and promising: “We will be. My father has already returned to the medical bay to complete his treatment.”

Hecate grunted moodily, and Cadence bit her lip before she asked hesitantly: “So you... knew the Valkyrie before...”

“Yes, I did. She is partly the reason Decretum is the way it is.” Hecate said moodily, and Cadence didn't know if Hecate was referring to the fact that half the world was a wasteland of ruin, or that she was why this project had been started in the first place. “And before you ask, no, I would never consider recruiting her as an Orphan. For a multitude of reasons.”

Cadence looked up at the Empress of Decretum, steadying herself before she asked before she could convince herself it was a terrible idea: “And the Valkyrie is Thorn's mother?”

There was silence for a few long moments as Hecate looked at the Swan Maiden measuringly, and then the Clockwork Queen slowly leaned forwards before saying in a soft, serious voice: “No matter whether you figured that out on your own, or Thorn told you, that information is classified. If I hear even a whisper of it leave this office, I will have you arrested by the Clockwork Titans, I will have you dragged through the streets, and I will have your mind wiped and behavioral nodes implanted in your empty skull. Do I make myself clear?”

Cadence smiled weakly as she swallowed thickly: Hecate wasn't joking. The ivory mare shifted nervously back in her seat, and then she couldn't help but blurt: “Why is that so important, though? I mean, she's just a fallen remnant, she's not-”

“You have no idea who they are, and nor do most of the ponies here, and I intend to keep it that way. And if you disrespect her in my sight again you will find yourself spending your leave cleaning out the sewage vents.” Hecate said contemptibly, and Cadence blinked in surprise as Hecate's eyes shifted to a pair of photos on her desk. “There are some ponies who, no matter how frustrating and idiotic they are... deserve only our respect.”

It brought a thousand more questions to Cadence's mind, but she didn't quite dare ask any of them as she only nodded hesitantly before returning her eyes to the papers in her hooves, studying them briefly. Only one last question came to mind that she thought she could get away with asking, however: “Can I get access to the historical archives for research purposes? This timeline lists a series of important events, but I don't know what any of them mean.”

Hecate looked meditatively at Cadence, and then she nodded shortly before saying moodily: “I'll have Thorn upgrade your clearance. Don't abuse the privilege, Cadence, or you'll end up finding out things you'll regret having learned.”

The ivory mare nodded, and then she tucked the papers under one wing before standing up and saluting. Hecate only gestured dismissively to the mare, but as Cadence began to step out of her office, the Clockwork Queen said quietly: “I did not recruit the Swan, Cadence. I recruited you. So get the Swan under control or I may be forced to make changes I would prefer not to.”

Cadence swallowed and nodded again over her shoulder, then stepped out of the office, the door slamming shut behind her. Still, for a few moments she lingered, as if trying to stare through the steel door and see the mechanical empress on the other side, until finally, the ivory mare lowered her head with a sigh and turned away.

She made her way back through the halls of Decretum, trying not to think too much; but, as always, plenty of thoughts rose to the surface all the same, needling and picking at her, making her shift uncomfortably and the Swan squirm inside of her. She didn't mind being away from Decretum when she had her team with her, and she didn't mind when most of their equipment and supplies had to be gathered on-site, but long-term deployments were very hard on their father, and it didn't sound like they would be able to call in a mobile treatment center, either, if something went wrong. And something always goes wrong...

Cadence chewed on her lip nervously, her horn glowing and quickly shifting the papers back in front of herself to study them intently as she walked along. The other thing gnawing at her mind was that this request apparently came from a demon, and they were being asked to find a subject who they had little information about, apart from a name.

“Rustproof. Escaped Heaven during a catastrophe, possible Class II augmentation, unknown status. Retrieve alive, or proof of death.” Cadence muttered, and then she shook her head as she glanced past the top of the papers, swerving quickly out of the way of several Dogmatists. Industrials, she thought: what were they doing here?

Cadence looked curiously over her shoulder at the Dogmatists, then she felt her hooves automatically turning her to follow the mechanical ponies. Over the years in Decretum, she had learned a lot about the Clockwork Ponies and their hierarchy: with their heavy frames and the equipment secured over their bodies, these ones were very clearly workers and technicians, not military models. And these days, it was unusual for industrial Dogmatists to be present in any part of the Imperia District, where the Orphanage and associated buildings were located.

The mare followed the Clockwork Ponies curiously, and then she scowled slowly as she felt a familiar presence, realizing where they were probably heading. But now, even if she wanted to, she couldn't turn around: she was drawn onward by that sensation, the mare tucking her papers moodily back under her wing as she followed the Dogmatists to one of the training rooms.

She strode in behind them and halted, gazing moodily at the sight of Luna Brynhild. Thorn was nearby, wheezing loudly and holding his chest, but the sapphire mare was simply laughing loudly, looking pleased as she declared: “-better than I had expected, great paper-pusher! Aye, thou art tenacious... but even as a foal, thou wert always such trouble, so stubborn!”

“I wonder where he gets that from.” Scrivener said wryly, even as his eyes flicked towards the doorway and studied Cadence nervously.

The ivory mare looked moodily back at them, and Luna's grin toned down to a smile before she slowly turned towards Cadence, looking at her evenly. Swan Maiden and Valkyrie studied each other calmly for a few moments... and then Luna asked, in a surprisingly-civil voice: “Is there something thou needs help with, Danzsöngr?”

“No, Brynhild. I was simply following the drones to see what was wrong.” Cadence drew her eyes towards the Clockwork Ponies, who had already dispersed around the room to repair damaged, fizzling gears and other broken machinery: it looked as if they hadn't just tried to run the obstacle course, they had gotten into a fight on top of it and broken half the equipment.

The Valkyrie visibly swallowed down a retort as Scrivener and Morgan both looked at the sapphire mare for a few moments, and then Luna sighed grumpily before she asked suddenly: “Would thou like to spar? For I must say, Danzsöngr, for all thy... imperfections... thy powers of healing are remarkable. 'Tis a good quality for any warrior... doubly so if thy plan is to fight mainly with thy face instead of thy hooves.”

Cadence scowled darkly over at Luna, grinding her teeth together. Inside her, the Swan writhed and twisted furiously on itself, wanting to do nothing more than snap insults, but Cadence swallowed it down, forced herself to remain under control. As shameful as it was for her to admit, even to herself, she knew that the Valkyrie would humiliate her in a spar. And she also knew that the Swan would not hesitate to cheat, and Cadence did not want to let the Swan dishonor her in that way.

“No. I don't have time for you right now, Valkyrie. I have to find my team and get them together, and I have to do research.” Cadence said sourly, before she added nastily as she yanked the papers out from under her wing with telekinesis: “Some of us are still dedicated to protecting Valhalla and Midgard, outlaw.”

Luna scowled horribly, opening her mouth, and then she closed it thoughtfully, tapping at her nose as she said musingly: “I never realized it, but aye, I suppose I am outlaw. Well, Scrivy. Is this not a strange turn of events for life to take?”

Scrivener Blooms only smiled awkwardly and shrugged a little before Thorn looked up, the stallion awkwardly adjusting his mane before he asked: “What's the mission code?”

Cadence glanced down at the top of the sheet, then read off: “50-401-2, Clearance DE.”

Thorn mumbled the code to himself under his breath as he summoned a holographic screen in front of himself, Morgan striding curiously over to watch as Luna huffed loudly. “What nonsense is this? Can thou not simply say what thy mission is? Or art thou afraid that the outlaw Valkyrie will whisk off to complete whatever silly job that Hecate has for thee before thou can assemble thy band of misfits and dance to whatever tune thy jarl has played for thee?”

Cadence ground her teeth slowly together, one of her eyes twitching, but Thorn quickly explained, not looking up from the screen: “It's important to maintain a certain level of confidentiality, especially when certain subjects are involved. Under no circumstances are members of the Orphanage to ever be sent back to the worlds they came from, for example... and many of our best operate under an intelligence blindfold, as Hecate refers to it.”

Thorn paused, then he glanced over at Cadence, asking: “Speaking of which, do you need research clearance? I have a note here from Hecate saying you requested it.”

“Well, the subject fled Valhalla around a quarter of a century ago. I need as much information about him as I can possibly get if I'm going to find him.” the ivory mare replied calmly, and then she scowled a little as Luna cocked her head curiously. “I'm not allowed to discuss it.”

Thorn nodded a little, and then he bit his lip before he looked over at Morgan, saying hesitantly: “I... I don't know if I'm technically allowed to ask this, but... perhaps...”

Morgan smiled, reaching up and squeezing her son's shoulder before the violet mare turned her eyes towards Cadence, asking softly: “Can we help you? We happen to know a lot about what happened to Valhalla, and...”

She glanced questioningly at Thorn, and the stallion hesitated only a moment before he pushed on the holographic screen, enlarging it and bringing up the mission information. Luna craned her head around as Scrivener looked up with interest, while Cadence narrowed her eyes moodily. It irked the Swan Maiden in a way she couldn't describe, to the point where she was actually considering lodging a complaint with Hecate.

And then Morgan smiled slightly as Luna whistled and Scrivener Blooms nodded thoughtfully. The purple mare reached up and squeezed Thorn's shoulder gently, and then she said softly: “Scrivener and I can't be far away from Luna for very long, but we can give you an hour or so of our time, at least, to tell you about what happened in Valhalla and where we think this pony might have gone.”

Cadence gritted her teeth, very tempted to tell the mare off, but then her eyes swiveled to the Valkyrie, who was looking at her as if challenging her to say something so she could have an excuse to start a fight. They glared at each other for a few moments, but finally, Cadence huffed before muttering grudgingly: “It would... I'd appreciate that, yes, thank you.”

Luna grinned slightly, then she turned a smile to Thorn, saying softly: “'Tis good of thee to let us help, Thorn. There is more to being a leader than simply following every rule.”

Thorn smiled uncomfortably, rubbing at the back of his head, and Morgan strode over to Luna, trading a quick kiss with her. Scrivener followed, then grumbled when Luna firmly swatted his rump as he walked past, the mare saying cheerfully: “Now, neither of thee try and sleep with her, no matter how much she begs thee.”

“I'm sure that's more your field of expertise, Valkyrie. Sleeping with strange ponies.” Cadence said moodily, and then she turned around and strode quickly out of the room before the Swan added anything meaner, Scrivener and Morgan following after her.

Almost the moment the doors closed behind them, Cadence felt the Swan settling and her emotions calming along with it. The ivory mare took a slow breath, and then she smiled a little over her shoulder, studying the two behind her intently before she said softly: “Thank you both for helping me out, maybe giving me some first-hoof information about what happened. I really do appreciate it, I just... that Valkyrie makes us...”

Scrivener Blooms simply held up a claw, saying wryly: “Don't worry. Luna has that effect on a lot of ponies.”

Cadence nodded, studying the claw for a moment before she drew her eyes over the stallion hesitantly. Scrivener looked back at her curiously, and the ivory mare shook her head hurriedly before she turned, asking: “Where would you like to go over these files?”

“Is there anywhere nearby? We can't be too far from Luna.” Morgan said softly, and Cadence gave her a more-curious look: now that she was away from the Valkyrie, she was starting to actually process things, could feel more than just anger and annoyance.

“I did see that you three were... communicating, so to speak. I was curious but I didn't know if it was polite to ask.” Cadence said softly, as she decided to look for an open meeting room: there had to be one or two that weren't being used at the moment nearby.

“The three of us are soulbound. Twilight... I mean Morgan, sorry... is technically a Lich, and we doubled as her phylacteries in life.” Scrivener explained, nudging Morgan with his shoulder, and the mare gave him a mild look. “Hey, I have to tell your embarrassing stories before you can tell mine.”

“Scrivener fits in so well here because he's a Replicant.” Morgan said mildly, and Scrivener shot the mare a sour look as Cadence glanced over her shoulder with surprise, and a funny feeling of hope. “But back on topic, the three of us share thoughts, emotions, and life... any larger wounds Luna and Scrivy get reflect on each other's bodies, and none of us can be apart for very long or... well, bad things start to happen.”

“Putting it mildly.” Scrivener said dryly, and then he looked awkwardly at Cadence as they came to a halt outside an empty room, the stallion saying lamely: “You know, uh... I'm used to people staring at me but usually it's a lot more hostile than that.”

“Oh, sorry, I just...” Cadence blushed a bit, and then she blurted: “It's just that Daddy... I've been looking for a cure for my father, Sombra, for years. The corruption takes over his mind if he doesn't have it diluted regularly, but you seem...”

She gestured at him, and Scrivener smiled a bit before he silently ran a claw along his own scarred chest, saying quietly: “I'm a little different, yeah. I thought your father was a Clockwork Pony at first, actually, because of that pack he was wearing on his back... but I'm guessing that was added on afterwards, huh?”

Cadence nodded, then she finally smiled briefly before heading into the meeting room, flicking her horn to hit the switch on the wall to turn the lights on. There wasn't much here: a plain room with a plain metal table and chairs, but it would be more than enough for their business, she thought.

Yet all the same, as professional as she wanted to be, she couldn't help but ask: “How did... you two and the Valkyrie...”

Morgan and Scrivener traded smiles, and then they both turned their eyes back towards the ivory mare before the stallion said softly: “Some things are just meant to be, no matter what happens. Nothing... has ever been able to part the three of us for long. It just always... was.”

Morgan laughed softly, nodding slowly in agreement, and Cadence smiled hesitantly before she shook her head. Her eyes lingered on Morgan, and then she said softly, before she even realized what she was saying: “You're so... different from the Twilight Sparkle in my world.” She stopped, blushed as she realized she'd blurted that out loud, and added quickly with a small laugh: “But I guess I'm not like any Cadence from any other world myself, huh?”

She silently reached up and touched the bird-shaped marking on her chest, but Morgan only smiled softly before she said quietly: “I don't know if I was ever really a... Twilight Sparkle to begin with. Life... life had a lot of strange twists for me, from becoming a Lich to becoming what I am now, so...” Twilight paused, and then she added: “And you know, when most people... find that out, that I was a Lich, and I guess still technically sort of am...”

But Cadence only shook her head, replying: “If one thing living in Decretum has taught me, it's that you can't judge people by what they are, or what they say... it's what they do that really matters. Look at Hecate, for example. She's terrifying, and she can be cold and cruel... but I think... I really believe that she cares about all of us, and I know she goes to incredible lengths to protect the worlds, when she could be doing... much worse things.”

“Yeah. She could be.” Scrivener smiled briefly, and then he cleared his throat before saying finally: “Well, as Luna always says, I am the fun-killer. So I'm going to kill our fun and ask uh... what do you know about Valhalla, and the Angelic War?”

“Almost nothing. Most of us here have no knowledge of Valhalla, except that it's ruled by Queen Terra-” Cadence made the slightest face here. “And that Heaven and Hell both regularly contribute equipment, materials, and even soldiers to Decretum. Likewise, Hecate has always told us to focus on the future, not the past: the archives here have immense amounts of information, but very few people are permitted to access historical data. It's like she's... trying to hide the past.”

Cadence felt a little guilty phrasing it that way, but Morgan and Scrivener only traded amused smiles, as if they were in on some kind of little secret. They looked... happy, even, Cadence thought, as Morgan said softly: “Normally I'd say not learning about the past means we're doomed to repeat it... but in this case, I think I'm okay with Hecate... avoiding sore subjects.”

“I guess sometimes it is better to just try and move on.” Scrivener agreed with a slow nod, and then he smiled over at Cadence, continuing: “Well, we'll keep it simple, anyway. Valhalla underwent two sieges in the past, one after the other. During the first takeover, many Benevolent were transformed and augmented. If Rustproof was actually among those ponies, then it's possible he was also one of the escapees when the second siege began. When the Pious invaded, a lot of people escaped to various Midgard planes. I mean, they obviously weren't supposed to, but Heaven was in utter chaos and they felt it was escape or get caught up in a war they were destined to lose...”

“And to be entirely fair, both Valhalla's soldiers and Hel's assault teams were trying to get as many civilians as possible out of Heaven. With their Great Webwork, the Pious were assimilating as many ponies as they could to increase the strength of their hive mind.” Morgan added, and Cadence frowned slightly even as she made a few mental notes to herself.

“I've heard of the Pious, though... they're a peaceful people, aren't they?” she asked, and Scrivener and Morgan both nodded.

“Yes, but they were also easily manipulated by those in power. Their leader, the being they revered as a god of sorts, was... destroyed...” Morgan shifted, silently touching the crystalline orb in her breast. “But we discovered too late that his adviser was the manipulator behind the attacks on other worlds, who was using the Pious to pursue his own aggressive agenda. After he was stopped, the Pious returned to their peaceful ways. We've even heard that Terra established trade relations with Greater Heaven.”

“I think that's part of the reason why Hecate wants the past concealed. A lot happened in the past: there were wars, slaughters, and a lot of the people you call friend we would have known as enemies in our past.” Scrivener said softly, and Cadence nodded slowly. “I think what Hecate is trying to do here is give everyone a fresh start, a second chance, not just cover things up. And she deserves it herself.”

Cadence nodded again, then she looked down at the papers in front of her, hesitating before she finally slipped the top copy across the table to two ponies. Morgan picked it up, and both she and Scrivener leaned in curiously to read it over, as the ivory mare explained: “This is the only information we have, most of it second-hoof accounts. The entire mission is very unusual and I really don't know where to start, although I guess... it sounds like I should request permission to investigate in Valhalla, first.” She halted, then muttered, even as she felt a twist of anxiety inside her: “But that's a Class E world, no one just goes to Valhalla, even if they have a good reason-”

“Hecate will agree.” Scrivener said without looking up from the page, as Morgan thoughtfully scanned a paragraph. “Rustproof would have been an engineer. Most of Valhalla's been cleaned up and rebuilt from the toll the wars took on it, but Terra keeps pretty strict records about everything that happened. Her histories will be a lot more complete.”

“It's likely there will be some kind of record of where Rustproof was stationed during Gymbr's rule. That's a start, at least.” Morgan hesitated, then she added thoughtfully: “If this account is right, and he fled to Midgard...”

She glanced at Scrivener, and this time Cadence saw it: the way they traded thoughts, possibly entire conversations, instantly, before the stallion smiled and looked up at the ivory mare. “It would pretty much have to be by a portal ring. The Pious probably would have tried to activate it instead of destroying it so they could continue to spread the Light through other worlds. They were very aggressive in the past about that.”

“As long as Terra didn't have the ring broken down for scrap, it's probably still sitting around Heaven somewhere. I'd guess one of the warehouses where they've been storing artifacts from the wars, or stored with other smuggler rings. A lot of them were collected from the Vale of Valhalla after the war.” Morgan added, smiling. “As long as they were keeping track of where each artifact was found, you shouldn't have too much trouble pulling it out of storage.”

Cadence smiled back at the two, and then she said finally: “You're both a lot more helpful than I would have expected... no offense or anything.”

Scrivener and Morgan both smiled in amusement as they heard what Cadence was actually saying, and the stallion shrugged amiably as Morgan said softly: “We're very glad to help. But... if you don't mind, Cadence, I'm curious to learn a little about you, too, and this... Swan, inside you.”

The ivory mare shifted a little, but when the Swan didn't stir, she decided it was probably safe enough to talk about, even to these two. Sure, they both had a strange essence about them that made her feel... odd... but it was only the Valkyrie who really seemed to infuriate the Swan. “Well, it's... I don't know if it's a long story or a really simple one.

“Daddy tells me I fell to Equestria on a star... Hecate said I must have been thrown out of Valhalla, before it collapsed. I remember...” Cadence looked down for a moment, and then she murmured: “I remember the world burning, as I fought... demon after demon, but I was helpless to do anything to stop them... and then there was only... darkness.”

She quieted, rubbing at her lips slowly before she looked uncertainly up, but no. These ponies were only looking at her with empathy and kindness. No doubt, no argument, no silly rationalizations about how she couldn't possibly have those memories; it was a nice change of pace. “I was reborn, I guess. Daddy raised me, until...” Her eyes darkened. “Valthrudnir came...”

Scrivener leaned forwards a little more intently now, as Morgan silently reached up and touched his shoulder, but Cadence was lost in memories and the retelling, as she murmured: “He made... promises, he said he wanted to help our ponies and help us become more 'civilized,' and he had this... this strong, this... perfect, but very sad stallion with him. I fought him once, and he nearly killed me... Daddy had to step in to protect me.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Cadence shook her head and continued: “He betrayed Daddy, and Daddy was forced to... put me to sleep. Then he was sealed away himself by Celestia and Luna, who didn't understand that... the things he had done were to protect his own nation, and that it wasn't his fault that this terrible evil was inside of him, always compelling him to do bad things... I wish I could tell them. Show them...”

She stopped, then smiled briefly. “But I knew I had to save him, and so I... I did. I didn't quite make it, though... I died. I died, but I didn't stay dead; instead, something woke up inside of me and brought me back to life. The Swan...” She looked down, silently touching her own breast. “Every time I die, the Swan takes over and brings me back. And I become more like her, more like who I used to be in the past. I've died five times, and I think that now, the Swan can control me better than I can control her...”

Cadence looked down at the papers on the table, and then she shook her head before looking up with a small smile at Scrivener and Morgan. “So I really... I really am sorry about how we met, and that I ambushed the Valk... Luna Brynhild, the way I did. I wasn't myself. And around her, I seem to have trouble... being myself.”

“Hey, like I said. Twilight and I are both well-aware that... Luna has that effect on people.” Scrivener smiled slightly, shrugging a bit before he said softly: “You seem like a dedicated pony, Cadence, and like you know who your friends and family are. And hell, you turned Cross into a half-decent guy, it looks like. If you can keep him and that weird winged unicorn under control, I'm pretty sure you must be a pretty strong pony.”

Cadence smiled and shrugged a bit, and then she said finally: “Well, you know. I know La Croix and Moonflower are dorks, but... they're good ponies. They try hard and I can trust them and rely on them.”

“Huh. Never would imagined anyone saying that about Cross.” Scrivener said blandly, and then he swayed to the side as Morgan nudged him firmly, giving him an amused look.

“Ignore him. Scrivy has a bad habit he picked up from Luna where he just can't seem to stop picking on people's past mistakes.” Morgan paused, then she smiled a little over at Cadence before she asked curiously: “But who is Moonflower, anyway? I mean, he seems a little... well...”

“He's dramatic.” Cadence said carefully, and Scrivener grunted before the ivory mare continued: “Apparently he fought a tyrant who had replaced Celestia in his world, and then got his hooves on the tablet she had used to take over Equestria, which had the power to make wishes come true. He made his whole world vanish, because... he's an idiot.”

Scrivener nodded thoughtfully at this explanation as Morgan frowned, but Cadence only smiled in amusement. “He's not really malicious or anything, don't worry, he's just... obsessed with this whole 'bad guy' act he puts on. He claims he got bored and brought the world back so he'd have people to torment, but I'm honestly not even sure he ever really wished the world away. He probably just wished himself away from the world. He's always talking about his friends, Antecedes and Neato Burrito, and how much he wants to go home and pick on Luna and Throna Halfdragon, who rule his Equestria together.”

The black stallion smiled slightly at this, and then he gave Morgan an amused look, saying wryly: “I guess we might get along better than I thought.”

Cadence laughed and shook her head, before she blinked and looked up in surprise as a voice agreed cheerfully: “Well, of course, what pony can resist my splendiferousness?”

Moonflower himself happily bounced into the room, and Cadence saw immediately what had put the winged unicorn in such a good mood: he had finally gotten back one of the many silly little toys he insisted on trying to sneak into Decretum. Hecate always took them away, and usually she had them destroyed as 'contraband,' but Cadence supposed even the mechanical empress couldn't see the harm in letting Moonflower keep the stupid charm he had bought from a fortune teller a few missions ago.

Scrivener and Morgan, however, were both staring not at the little crystal charm around his neck, but instead at the creature on top of Moonflower's head; Cadence reflected that was probably only natural, since the large green frog perched there was looking back at them suspiciously.

Moonflower dropped into a seat next to Scrivener, eyeing him appreciatively: perhaps a little too appreciatively, Cadence reflected with an amused smile, as she leaned her chin on one hoof and watched as the winged unicorn said pleasantly: “You know, we really haven't gotten a chance to know each other, it's all just been so hectic! And I must say, it's very rare that I get to see such a handsome stallion anywhere nearby...”

“Moony, the guy is like sitting there with his wife. Use the little brain you got. Not the littler brain down there between your legs.” complained the frog, and Moonflower blushed slightly before he straightened and laughed forcefully, grinning awkwardly.

“Oh, my... my friend Toad is such a kidder!” he said with false cheer, then he reached and firmly swatted the frog off his head, knocking Toad to the table with a yelp, the little amphibian rolling head over heels before he landed with a flump on his stomach as Moonflower glared daggers at him. “But I think he has to go now. Isn't that too bad?”

“Eat me, buddy.” Toad grumbled, picking himself up, and then he cleared his throat and waved awkwardly at Scrivener and Morgan with his little webbed hands. “Hey there.”

“Uh. Hi.” Scrivener said lamely, raising a Talon and waving back, before he looked awkwardly over at Morgan and asked in a mumble: “I know this isn't the weirdest thing we've ever seen but uh... this is pretty far up there, right?”

“Hey, screw you, pal. It's not my fault Moony didn't have the brainpower to turn me into a dragon like he wanted. He just made me immortal. And... talkative.” Toad paused, then he reached up and poked absently at the warts along the back of his ridged head. “And he gave me these because clearly I'm not actually a frog or anything, right guys?”

“Shut up, Toad.” grumbled Moonflower, swatting at the frog, but the little amphibian nimbly jumped out of the way. “Yes, Toad is a rather interesting quandary of mine. On the one hoof, he's a terrible failure. On the other, he represents absolutely mastery of life and death!”

Moonflower gestured proudly with both hooves towards the tiny amphibian, and Toad gave a sarcastic little wave before he said grumpily: “Moony enchanted me so every time I die, I blow up and I'm reborn as a tadpole. Really sucks the fun out of life, I kid you not, kids. He also made me smart, which makes me wonder why he can't make himself smart.”

Moonflower pursed his lips, glowering down at the frog before he leaned forwards and threatened: “How would you like to go for a ride in the blender, Toad?”

Toad huffed loudly, then he turned around and hopped grumpily away, complaining: “Fine, I'm going, I'm going, you big baby. Just don't come crying to me when you end up getting thrown out of another window.”

“That happened once!” Moonflower shouted as his companion hopped off the table and headed out the door, and the winged unicorn glared for a moment, then suddenly dropped backwards, leaning on Scrivener and grinning widely as he reached up and touched the stallion's scarred chest, Scrivy staring blankly as Moony said in a far-too-friendly voice: “So you must exercise regularly. I do too. We should make the time to do some... warming up together.”

Scrivener gave a strained little giggle through his teeth, and then he carefully reached up and unbarnacled Moonflower from his body as Cadence dropped her face in a hoof. But Moonflower was undeterred, grinning widely as he gestured over at Cadence and added brightly: “And I know! Cadence, your father – wonderful stallion! – he does this very interesting thing called yogurt, he says it helps keep him limber. We should join him, why, what a better way to get to know the team!”

Moonflower paused, then looked over at Cadence and sighed, adding in a dreamier voice: “Your father is so handsome, Cadence. I mean, he has such gorgeous eyes and the way his mane flows and he's oh, so wise and intelligent and he has such a body... and oh, that animal side of him just makes me want to-”

“Oh my god stop talking about my Dad like that!” Cadence half-shouted as she covered her ears, wincing and staring pointedly at the tabletop, before she added with a quick glare at Moonflower: “Also, it's called yoga, and all you ever do is stare at my Dad's ass while he does his stretching!”

“There is no shame in admiring the physique of a fellow stallion!” Moonflower defended lamely, and then he cleared his throat and rose his head, adding primly as he pushed his front hooves together: “Furthermore, all I was doing was memorizing the complex and intricate movements he was doing, that is all. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn to do something right.”

Scrivener looked moodily at Moonflower, then he winced when the winged unicorn wheeled towards him, grinning and winking at him. “You know, every stallion needs to just have... time with other stallions now and then. We can discuss... stallion things together! I know, I know, it must be so terribly intimidating to have a god of darkness such as myself asking you to come and fritter away your time with all his majesty, but don't be so hard on yourself! You seem like you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, and like you get too little time with your own fellows. Let me do you this favor!”

“You're doing me a favor.” Scrivener said dryly, and Moonflower nodded eagerly, throwing a foreleg around the stallion's shoulders.

Slowly, Scrivener turned to look at Morgan, who was doing her best to hide her amused smile under her hooves, before the earth pony sighed tiredly as he turned his eyes back towards Moonflower, trying to shift the conversation as he said: “That's a uh... nice necklace.”

“Oh, thank you!” Moonflower looked very pleased with himself as he shot Cadence a superior look. “Yes, yes. Several weeks ago, my team and I were sent by Hecate to get rid of a frustrating pest that was causing all sorts of awful problems on another world. Well, we ended up stopping in this wretched little backwater town afterwards, but it was a stroke of fate! In a back alley, I came across a seer who sold me this magnificent charm that she predicted would be of great help to me in the future. She said without it, I might die. And it was only fifty bits!”

“Uh huh.” Scrivener looked awkwardly at the string of multicolored, roughly-polished gemstones. The only thing that looked remotely like it hadn't just been picked up out of a creek was the little chunk of uncut crystal dangling from the front of it, and otherwise it looked a lot like the kind of thing you'd make with your kids on a rainy day out of garbage from around the house...

“He bought it from a fortune teller. La Croix told him not to but he wouldn't listen.” Cadence paused, then added moodily as Moonflower glared at her: “Not that it really mattered, because later that night he ended up getting pickpocketed by some foals and they ran away with every last bit we had let him carry.”

Moonflower blushed at this, and then he pointed at her and snapped: “I could have eradicated those foals with but a thought, but... I was helping the less fortunate! They... they have become better thieves and will be able to feed their families tonight because of me! Do... do not underestimate my cunningly evil generosity!”

Cadence only looked dryly at Moonflower, and then she sighed before using telekinesis to gently pluck up the loose paper from across the table, shuffling her orders back under her wing before she said finally: “Thanks again for helping me out. Moonflower, don't get yourself beaten up too badly, we're only on leave for a few days, we already have our next order. I have to go and log a request, so try and behave yourself, okay? Hecate is already mad enough at us as it is.”

Moonflower grumbled and waved a hoof, and then he turned a grin towards Scrivener, the scarred stallion wincing a little as the winged unicorn said almost pleadingly: “You know, all I see around here are mares, mares, mares, and all the good stallions are made of metal! You seem... open minded and... interested in the allure of evil...”

Cadence rolled her eyes, then she turned away and headed towards the doors, giving a last, brief smile to the two ponies she... well, she didn't mind, she decided. The Valkyrie was certainly awful still, but those two had been easy enough to get along with.

Actually, she had a lot of questions for them starting to form in her mind, she just didn't know what was polite to ask and what wasn't. The ivory mare shrugged a little to herself as she made her way down the hall, figuring that if they were going to be here for a few more days, they would run into each other again. She would just have to work extra hard to keep the Swan buried, that was all.

The ivory mare made her way back to the apartment she shared with her father, letting herself in and turning the lights on with a flick of her horn. She smiled a little as she tossed the papers down on the island that separated little living room from little kitchen: everything had been neatened and tidied up, which meant her father had been here, but the lights off meant he had already left.

Still, that was a good sign. It meant his treatment was done and he would be ready for when they left. Cadence just felt a little lonely without him, and any time the Swan started making inroads through her psyche, she always got... clingier, needier. She loved her father, more than anything in the world. She depended on him to get through the hard times, and she trusted that he would always be there for her. Just like she had come to depend on and trust in La Croix and Moonflower.

Cadence headed into the kitchen, and found a pot of her favorite blueberry tea already waiting for her, the mare smiling softly. The little things like that, that's what made all the difference to her, she thought. That was precisely why she felt she could trust her father above everything else, and why she counted on him so much, and it was probably also why she let herself get so anxious when he wasn't around. She was no good at taking care of herself, after all.

The ivory mare poured herself a cup of the still-warm tea, then dug through the pantry to get herself some of those little scones she liked. A lot of things in Decretum had to be specially ordered in, like baked goods and sweets and other things she had taken for granted in the past, but even though it was expensive, Cadence thought it was a good use of the money she made working for Hecate.

Hell, the fact they were paid at all was kind of nice, Cadence reflected as she levitated a knife to butter her scones. Hecate, after all, had rescued all of them from their various perils and torments, given them a job, a purpose, a place to live, and on top of providing for them, they were paid in credits, which allowed them to buy extra luxuries around Decretum. Considering the state most Orphans were in when they were first found, Hecate could have easily made all of them indentured servants and just locked them up in stasis pods or holding cells when they weren't being sent off on mission, and most of them would have been grateful for the chance to simply continue existing.

This was a good life. Hard at times, and scary, sure, but it was a good life. Cadence smiled a little at this thought and nodded to herself as she bit into the scone, and she closed her eyes at the taste, relishing it.

She was in control here, and this was her life. Not the Swan's. She had been the one to choose to come and fight under Hecate's banner, and it was her father that she had saved, not the Swan's. The Swan was inside her, but she could control it: she just had to remember that she chose whether the Swan made her stronger, or whether she gave in to its viciousness, its cruelty, and she allowed the Swan to make her weaker.

Cadence nodded to herself, then she picked up her tea and sipped at it before she gazed down into the liquid, promising herself that she would remember in the future that this was her world and her life, and she wouldn't let the Swan ruin everything that she had worked so hard to achieve.