> Fizzlepop's Past
>  by milesprower06
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Loss
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some Years Ago...

A dark violet-coated earth pony frantically paced back and forth in the waiting room of the Foal's Peak Critical Care Clinic. The sun out the window was beginning to dip below the mountains to the west. The clouds that had dominated the sky for most of the day were finally parting in time for dusk. As she turned, she saw her reflection in the east window, and saw that her expression completely betrayed how worried she felt. Her violet and dark blue mane came down to just past her face on the right side, and was now frazzled as she had run her hooves through it more than a few times this evening.

The mare had been here for just over an hour, having rushed her unicorn daughter here when she had limped home with a cut over her right eye and a sparking, broken horn. Her two friends Glitter Drops and Spring Rain had helped her home, and after hearing that it had been an ursa attack, she had sent them home to their parents immediately before taking her to the closest thing the small town of Foal's Peak had to a hospital. The pace had been slow because she had been trying to trot on three legs, having held up a hoof to her eye.

"Don't rub it." Soapberry had sternly instructed her daughter as they made their way through town. The pair of ponies came in through the sliding double doors, and were lucky enough to not have to wait at all; Fizzlepop was admitted immediately, leaving Soapberry Breadnut out here nearly worrying herself sick. Sitting still in the chairs against the wall only made the nausea worse, so she had opted to pace from one wall to the other as she had the waiting room nearly to herself. It seemed to help a bit, so she didn't really care if the receptionist found her hoofsteps against the tile floor annoying at all.

She wasn't sure how much longer it had been, but the two swinging doors to the patient rooms swung open, and the pediatrician on call came out, stopping the mare in her tracks.

"Dr. Wellhoof..." She greeted, trying to sound cordial through her worry as the stallion physician stepped up to her.

"Miss Soapberry." The attending physician greeted in kind. "The good news is, Fizzlepop is going to keep her eye. I'm gonna have her wear a patch for a few weeks, mainly as a reminder to keep her from rubbing it due to the minor corneal abrasion. It should clear up in about a week. I'm also prescribing an ointment for the cut. It'll help it heal a little faster, but it will probably be sore for a few weeks, and I can't promise that it won't leave a scar. She's very lucky, Soapberry... A quarter of an inch more, and her eye likely wouldn't heal."

The mare took a deep breath, letting it out in a half-relief, but also steeled herself, as she knew the doctor wasn't done.

"And the bad news...?" She asked at just above a whisper, with Dr. Wellhoof likewise taking a breath.

"I'm afraid her horn injury is permanent. Her magic will be diminished for the rest of her life. It will also be unstable until she can be taken to a specialist. There is training, and perhaps even physical augmentations that can help her stabilize and use the magic she has left. But for now, I have to recommend she use her magic as little as possible. As it stands right now, I'm afraid she could be a danger to anyone around her if she tries to use her horn normally. It will be a very jarring change for her. Miss Soapberry, I'll be honest... Fizzlepop asked me how long it would take to grow back... I'm... I'm afraid I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth." He explained sullenly.

"That's alright, Doctor. I understand. I'll... I'll figure out a way to break the news to her. I just..." Soapberry paused as she started to pace again, away from the doctor, before whipping around as she found her words again. "Gods, what were they doing all the way out there? They know how dangerous those caves are, there are warning signs everywhere! What were they thinking??? Th-they could have been killed, for Celestia's sake!" She asked incredulously, her emotions finally bubbling to the surface.

"Miss Soapberry, if our children's decisions and judgements made sense all the time, I'd wager that being a parent would be much easier than it is... A single parent at that." Dr. Wellhoof replied, trying his best to set the mare's mind at ease. This was not her fault, or due to any lack of parenting on her part. Fillies and colts got messy and got hurt, and while they were mostly scraped hooves or a sprained wing, the truth was that sadly, sometimes the injuries were as serious and life-changing as this. Ursas were very territorial, and they had ventured too close. 

The filly was lucky to be alive.





"Fizzlepop, enough. If you don't stop, I'll have Dr. Wellhoof prescribe an inhibitor, and I'll take it out of your allowance. I mean it." Soapberry warned as she tucked her daughter into bed, the sparks from the jagged tip of her broken horn dying down. She grabbed the tube of ointment, squeezed a dab onto the tip of her hoof, then carefully peeled back the white bandage patch that she had left the clinic with, beginning to apply it to the swollen line of red that started at the base of her horn, went down across her eyelid and stopped just above her right cheekbone.

"How long do you think it'll take to grow back?" The young filly asked, wincing at the light sting of the ointment, looking up at her mom with her good eye, keeping her right eyelid shut.

Soapberry let out a soft sigh as she finished the application, and carefully replaced the bandage, swallowing the lump in her throat, wondering if she had it in her to pierce and shatter the innocence in her daughter's eyes. They shared the same eye color, and her daughter's orchid coat was a few shades lighter, but the greatest contrast between the mother and daughter was her mane; Soapberry's darker colors could help her vanish into the night, while Fizzlepop's rose mohawk was much easier to pick out of a crowd.

"Sweetheart, you're the first unicorn in our family in two generations. I'm afraid I don't know. Horn injuries aren't that common, and we can't afford to go see a specialist right now. The doctor said it might not grow back. The three of you should have been more careful. You really need to take this as a life lesson." She told her, capping the tube of ointment before setting it on the nightstand next to her daughter's bed.

"I had to go get the ball..."

"Fizzlepop, part of growing up is being able to judge when a situation is too dangerous, and you have to turn and run away. This is pretty bad, but it could've been a lot worse. Luckily Spring Rain and Glitter Drops are okay. We can go visit them tomorrow. For now, get some rest." Soapberry said, getting up from the bed and walking to the door, shutting off the light.

"And if there's any way to get your horn back, I'm sure you'll find it."
> A Piece of the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

'I can see a rainbow, in your tears as they fall on down
I can see your soul grow, through the pain as they hit the ground.'

Lieutenant Colonel Fizzlepop Berrytwist twirled around her staff, her body perfectly balanced against the angle she held it at on the carpet of the Castle of Friendship's east wing study, which she had claimed as her 'dance studio' over the past several months. A suggestion from Fluttershy shortly after Princess Twilight had left for Canterlot, interpretive dance and a cup of coffee had become her preferred way of starting or ending the day lately.

'Here comes the sun, smiling down, smiling down...'

As one of Songbird Serenade's greatest hits came to an end, Fizzlepop slowly let out her last deep breath, turned to see the rays of the morning sun reach the record player, and magically reached over to remove the needle, and returned the record to its sleeve. She grabbed the cup of Grubber's delicious coffee, and turned to leave the room. It was time to start the day proper.

She didn't like saying to herself that her commission as commanding officer of the Ponyville E.U.P. had gotten 'easier' over the last few months, but in a sense, that is precisely what had happened over the last winter and beginning of spring, as she began to share her command duties with Captains Thunderlane and Rivet, two of her very first recruits. For Thunderlane, the Ponyville EUP was the perfect way to stay in shape when he wasn't on tour with the Wonderbolts, and Rivet was essentially a full-time guard when it wasn't construction season.

There wasn't much of a hustle and bustle in the foyer, but she could already hear the muffled commotion and conversation in the dining hall over in the west wing. But it was quite time for breakfast yet; today she was part of the second round of EUP being served. So when she came to the ground floor, she turned back to one of the doors in the corner, and headed down into the east wing basement, which had become the barracks and armory for her squad. Her hooves tapped on the cobblestone as she descended the stairs, and she overheard the morning physical training several rooms down. Her first stop, however, was the first room on the right, her personal armory.

There, on the mannequin in the center of the room, rested her new set of armor.

For her first two years of service, she had worn the same magenta-tinted plate armor that Rarity had made for her in the weeks before her swearing in ceremony. She had gotten it repaired multiple times when it got dings and dents throughout physical training and general use from everyday duty, and even needed to replace entire pieces like the helmet that were lost in battle. But it had served as her on-duty uniform for the first two years, the rank insignia being the only things that changed about it, until Rarity, Princess Twilight, and her squad worked behind her back to surprise her last month with what stood in front of her now.

For her second anniversary of founding the Ponyville E.U.P., Rarity, Princess Twilight, and some of the best armorsmiths in Canterlot Castle collaborated to create a set of armor that the Element of Generosity immediately admitted put her previous work to shame. Fizzlepop's first set of armor used the Canterlot E.U.P. uniforms as a foundation, but this was something else entirely. The chestpiece was expertly welded sections of bronze, silver, and polished steel. The crest of the Kingdom of Friendship, Princess Twilight's seven-pointed star cutie mark, now adorned both front pauldrons. The hoof guards were the most identical to what she had before, but now matched the chest plate's color grouping. The helmet was by far the most ornate piece. It was a steel underlayer, with bronze plating going up the sides and back around her mane. The front of the helmet was gold curvatures that went above her eyes, and the center was a layer of polished silver that rested gently on her snout and traveled up to wrap around an aetherium-laced golden horn guard that shimmered spectacularly under the light. Every piece of armor was also expertly decorated with curves and waves of gold filigree.

Needless to say, when they had surprised the Lieutenant Colonel with it during the anniversary ceremony, she had been moved to tears. Over the last month, she had spent most of her off-duty hours keeping it polished and looking brand new.

Having gotten used to putting the pieces on, she was dressed for duty in a matter of minutes, and with staff in hoof, she continued down the hall to where the second half of the day shift was drilling and waiting for their turn to eat. She turned to the doorway, and saw that it was currently Berryshine sparring with the squads newest, and first international trooper, Gallus. The griffon had enlisted shortly after graduating from the School of Friendship, with the lofty aspirations of eventually joining the Castle contingent of the Canterlot E.U.P., where he would be working with Princess Twilight almost directly. Taking in a griffon recruit was a tricky affair, as she had to do a fair bit of traveling and research in order to get an idea of what to expect from a young adult griffon in terms of strength and agility, and nutritional requirements.

After all that, she could comfortably say that Gallus was coming along nicely.

Thunderlane, who was standing with his back to the rear wall and supervising the two sparring partners, was the first to see Fizzlepop enter the room.

"Commanding officer on deck!" He bellowed, and the entire room snapped to attention, including Gallus and Berryshine, who immediately halted their session, and stood at attention.

"As you were," Fizzlepop immediately replied, walking around the edge of the room to stand beside Captain Thunderlane as the sparring session restarted. The unicorn figured that the griffon's front talons would give him a considerable advantage when it came to spear combat, but when it came to facing an experienced trooper like Berryshine, who was among the Ponyville E.U.P.'s first recruits from two years ago, it was clear that the newbie had to work on his agility and technique, and to be fair, he had done exactly that. For the past few months, he had attended every single PT session, even those that hew wasn't assigned, and was even staying down here in the barracks, something that not a lot of off-duty guards did as they all had local residences.

"Not bad, Private. You've been improving." She commented at the end of the session as the group was making their way out of the barracks to head upstairs to have breakfast.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'm thrilled to be making marked progress after quite a few sore nights." Gallus replied.

"Alright, after breakfast, you'll be out front catching some sun with Berryshine, and I'll see you this evening for PT, alright?"

"Understood, ma'am." Gallus said, having gotten today's assignment last night already. After they returned to the foyer en route to the dining hall, Fizzlepop saw Glitter Drops and Spring Rain come down the stairs. They were her oldest friends, and Twilight had hired them to be the castle caretakers. As such, they were in charge of all events taking place in and on castle grounds.

"Morning, Fizzlepop. Did you have a good night?" Glitter asked.

"Well enough. What's on your itinerary for today?" Fizzlepop replied.

"I'm gonna be around the dining hall and foyer all day, getting ready for the Mares Day festivities tomorrow."

Fizzlepop nodded. Yes, it was that time in May. Flower shops would be quite busy, and fine dining all around town would probably have their reservation lists fill up quickly for tomorrow.

"What about you?" Spring asked.

"I'll be out on outskirts patrol today. I owe Fluttershy, Applejack, and Dami a visit."

By the time they had all filed into the dining hall, the first half of the shift had gone on their way and were on duty. In about an hour, breakfast would be done, and Grubber could finish up cleaning the kitchen and head over to the School of Friendship for lunch service, while Thunderlane would take over dining hall duty for lunch over here in the castle; her second in command loved to cook, and the stallion and hedgehog frequently had friendly competitions over all manner of dishes. After a few minutes in line, Fizzlepop took a seat at one of the available tables with Thunderlane, Spring Rain, and Glitter Drops.

"Are you doing anything for Mares Day tomorrow, Fizzlepop?" Glitter asked, taking her first bite of pancakes and strawberry syrup.

"Other than mailing a package up to Twilight in Canterlot? Not really, no, no plans."

"Fizzlepop, I've been meaning to ask... Have you ever been home? You know, to Foal's Peak?" 

Swallowing her current bite of breakfast, Fizzlepop shook her head.

"No, I haven't. For all intents and purposes, Ponyville is my home now."

"Well, I know that, it's just, well, it's nice to go back to your roots sometimes, where you came from."

"What are you getting at, Glitter?" Fizzle asked, and both Thunderlane and Spring noticed the Lieutenant Colonel tense up a bit.

"It's just that I don't think anyone there even knows you came back. Don't you think it'd be nice to let them know that you're okay?"

Thunderlane tried to shake his head at Glitter as subtly as he could, signaling her to end this line of questioning and whatever she hoped to accomplish with it. He didn't know quite what was wrong, but he knew when his commanding officer was on edge.

"I don't think it matters, Glitter. Maybe if they did a little more after the accident to keep me around, I'd care a little more."

With that, and half of her breakfast still remaining on her plate, she got up from her seat and abruptly left the dining hall without another word, leaving Thunderlane and Spring Rain with a stunned silent Glitter Drops, as she wondered what in Equestria she had said wrong.





Gallus made his way down into the basement after his shift was up, and was ready to do a few rounds of PT to really work up an appetite before dinner. He turned into the sparring room, and saw L.C. Fizzlepop, eyes closed, in the middle of three-legged push-ups, with three glowing orbs slowly rotating around her head. He had seen this kind of magical meditation before, unicorns usually did this to keep their spellcasting sharp. He knew that the E.U.P. commander's talent was pryotechnic displays, which would explain why the orbs looked like mini-fireworks that weren't quite ready to explode.

Well, two out of three. One of them was wavering and sparking.

"Commanding officer on deck!" He stated loudly, snapping to attention.

Fizzlepop's eyes shot open, sending the spells rocketing to the outer edges of the room, with one of them heading straight for Gallus, whose desire to keep his feathers from getting singed overrode his desire to stay at attention, and he hit the floor as the sparking orb flew overhead and bounced down the hall before fizzling out, along with the other two, which had landed over by the spears and shield talismans. When he looked around and saw that it was all clear, he scrambled to his feet.

"Private Gallus," Fizzlepop began, getting to her hooves and approaching him, mild annoyance apparent in her voice. "You announce an officer on deck when I, or any other superior, enters the room. If you enter a room with a superior already there, you go about your business, stay out of their way, or stand at parade rest until they acknowledge you. This is especially important when they may be concentrating and don't hear you enter. Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am. Apologies, ma'am." Gallus immediately replied.

"As you were, Private." Fizzlepop said, going back towards the center of the room, and resumed her push-up position, with the griffon assuming a more traditional stance next to her, and began his workout routine.

"Ma'am, if I may, you seem a little... Agitated, this evening." Gallus offered, as he continued his push-ups.

A small part of Fizzlepop wanted to cut the griffon down to size and tell him to focus more on his physical training, but that would have been contradictory to one of her expectations of her troops, which she had required Gallus to memorize during his first week as a recruit:

'I welcome my troops to speak their mind, and come to me with any concerns about their well being, or the well being of their fellow EUP.'

She figured she counted among that, recalling how Thunderlane and Rivet had pulled her aside when she was experiencing the first bout of separation anxiety in her life.

"Yes, a bit. I've got something on my mind, Private." Fizzlepop replied.

"I'm all ears, if you want to get things off your chest, ma'am." Gallus said, continuing his routine.

After a few seconds of consideration, she figured she'd humor the griffon.

"Preparations for Mare's Day are underway at the castle, and caretaker Glitter Drops has suggested that I return home for the holiday. I haven't gone back to my hometown in over twenty years. I left at a very young age, and yet I didn't have any separation anxiety in my life until Princess Twilight departed for Canterlot nine months ago. If I've made so much progress since Twilight showed me the magic of friendship... Then why don't I want to go home?"

"I can relate, ma'am. Even after I started taking Princess Twilight's classes at the school, I still didn't want to go home for the holidays. Griffon heritage isn't exactly something to be proud of. As Hearth's Warming break came up, the knot in my stomach just got worse and worse. I didn't have any anxiety over leaving Griffonstone when I first came to Equestria, but I had plenty when I was faced with leaving my new friends for two weeks."

Fizzlepop knew the 'stone in the gut' all too well. A psychological weight inside that only got worse if you didn't deal with it.

"So you never went home?"

"Well, I popped in every now and then when it came to permission slips and related things but... No.  I don't mean to be so presumptuous, I'm sure your situation as an Equestrian is different, and better, than that of a griffon, ma'am." Gallus said, returning his focus to his workout.

"I'm sure 'better' is a matter of perspective, Private."

She decided to leave the conversation at that. During the enlistment process, she and Gallus had touched on his life before coming to the School of Friendship, but never really went into any real depth. She was well aware that he wasn't particularly proud of his griffon heritage, and that he believed that the best years of his life had been right here in Ponyville.

On that, they could absolutely relate. With that, she completed her current rep and got to her hooves.

"As you were, Private. Keep up the good work." She said to him before heading down the hall to remove her armor. First the hoof guards, then the chest plate, then lastly the helmet. She turned it around and looked at herself in the center piece's silver reflection before carefully returning it to the mannequin, before turning and heading upstairs to the dining hall. She saw the setting sun shine through the western windows of the foyer, and could smell the inviting aroma of Grubber's broccoli cheddar soup; he had started looking up all manner of recipes for it once she had told him how much she had enjoyed it during her trip abroad to Mount Aris. She stepped into the dining hall, and sure enough, there was a serving pot full of steaming soup. She went through the serving line, got herself a bowl, then found where Glitter had taken her seat, and noticed that she had been averting her gaze as she approached the table, and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you this morning, Glitter." She told her friend, smiling softly at her.

"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong." Glitter replied.

"From your viewpoint, you probably couldn't have known. I guess even after all this time, I still really don't like bringing up my fillyhood. I mean... Glitter, Celestia was ready to charge me with high treason and throw me behind bars for the rest of my life. When Twilight stopped that and brought me down here... It felt like a second chance, a fresh start, apart from absolutely everything that had happened before. I'm sure you remember how I blew up at you when you first showed up here. I'm just afraid I'd be inviting more of that if I go digging up the past. All you get is dirty."

Glitter wanted to be careful with what to say next, because she didn't want to cost her friend another half a meal.

"But, if it bothers you as much as it did this morning... Is it really buried? I know I wasn't as good of a friend as I really should have been back then, but if you can patch things up with me and Spring... Shouldn't you try with whatever or whoever is back home? I'm not telling you what to do, Fizzy, but something tells me you should think about it at least. I don't think I'd be a good friend if I didn't tell you that."

"Thanks, Glitter. I'll think about it."





Once dinner was finished and the night shift had taken their posts, the prospect of returning to Foal's Peak still lingered in Fizzlepop's mind as she retired to her room for the night, and it made her recall one of the conversations she had with Starlight when another piece of the past found its way back into her present life, when Spring Rain and Glitter Drops had come to the castle unannounced, after seeing a newspaper clipping about the Ponyville E.U.P. being formed.

'If you stay here and let yourself stay angry, like I did, without hearing what they have to say, it'll eat away at you in ways you can't imagine.'

Had anyone at Foal's Peak seen the same newspaper article? She didn't even know if anyone there even knew she was still alive, or had returned to Equestria. Did they know? Did they care? Glitter and Spring had so far been the only ponies from her childhood to come knocking.

So why was it still on her mind?

She looked at herself in the mirror and decided to sleep on it. She climbed into bed, reached down and opened the bottom drawer of her nightstand, and pulled out the small Princess Twilight plush that Grubber had given her after the coronation. With everything else she had learned during that month of upheaval, this brought her more peaceful nights than any other of her coping mechanisms.

With a deep breath, she shut off the light, and sunk into her pillow, listening to the crickets outside her open window on this cool May night.





All Aboard didn't usually see a whole lot of activity on the Ponyville train platform this early in the morning. The longtime rail conductor sold usually only one or two tickets eastbound before the 6 AM train left, and then the much busier 7 AM train to Canterlot arrived. That's when his coffee would have to kick in; dozens of tickets would be sold within minutes, and he'd have to be wide awake to get everypony on their way in a timely manner.

But when he saw a tall dark orchid unicorn in full E.U.P. dress uniform come through the fog and step up to the ticket window, he knew it wouldn't be polite to appear half-asleep.

"Good morning to you, Lieutenant Colonel. Out on an early bird patrol?" He asked the well-known royal guard, straightening his hat. At the same time, he wondered from the mare's expression if she wasn't half asleep herself, only managing a meek smile in response.

"Not today, I'm afraid. I'm traveling. One ticket to Foal's Peak, please."
> Mares Day, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Next stop, Foal's Peak in twenty minutes! Foal's Peak, twenty minutes! Next stops include Baltimare in two hours, and Fillydelphia in five hours."

The conductor's voice was just loud enough to momentarily grab the attention of the passenger car he walked down. His imminent arrival announcement complete, he stepped through the double doors into the next car to continue his rounds, allowing Fizzlepop to continue staring silently out the window at the fast approaching Foal Mountain range.

The Equestrian National Rail Network was one of the fastest expanding industries in the nation for the past century. It allowed for population booms in places like Ponyville and Sire's Hollow, and had slowly made traveling across the continent an affair that took maybe two days, instead of weeks. High speed operations out of Canterlot and the Crystal Empire were even allowing travel to nations across the Sparkling Sea, Equestria's east coast.

So it made the Lieutenant Colonel wonder what it had done to Foal's Peak in twenty-one years. When she took off that day, the train platform hadn't been built yet; rail service had been nonstop from Detrot to Baltimare back then. She had run away on hoof, following the tracks east before getting a carriage ride to Baltimare, then headed south, where she had gotten a ticket on an airship that was headed east out of Horseshoe Bay.

She still didn't like dwelling on those years. So much of her young life wasted.

'Spring... Glitter... Even Grubber asked me why I hadn't gone home yet...' Fizzlepop thought to herself.

She looked down at the black dress coat she wore. She knew boarding the train or setting foot in town with full armor wouldn't be appropriate unless she was there in some kind of official capacity, which this was not. She had arranged with Rarity to expand the E.U.P.'s uniform options after the Mount Aris expidition, for when on-duty armor wasn't called for, and the dress coat and sash was what she had immediately come up with, and had the entire squad fitted for. It was very much a formal piece of attire, coming up to her neck with a semi-stiff collar. It was paired with a magenta satin sash, where decorations and awards were displayed. It was worn over her right shoulder, and came down her barrel to the opposing leg, before going up and back to be fastened at the other end just behind the shoulder. She wore her promotion medals, the ribbons for two years of service, the Pink Heart of Courage, and around her neck, she had decided to remove her Hippogriffian Wings of Valor medal from the display case in her bedroom and bring it along.

The passenger car she occupied wasn't even a quarter full. She surmised that if ponies were traveling east, they weren't doing it quite this early. The train would no doubt fill up much more with ponies going from Baltimare to Fillydephia and vice versa. For now, she was content with how quiet the final approach was, as the morning sun had finally started to dissipate the lingering fog in the dips between hills. She saw the passing scenery out her window begin to slow, and heard the train brakes apply. Seeing the platform come into view from the window opposite, she got to her hooves, and made her way to the door, noticing that she was the only one getting off here. The brakes gave a hiss as the train inched to a stop, and the doors opened to the platform. She stepped out onto the wooden planks, and took her first look around.

Nopony else got off, and no one got on. The train platform was little more than a ticket booth, two benches, and the elevated walkway. The booth attendant looked positively bored as he flipped through a book, not even looking up or noticing that anypony had gotten off. Not even ten seconds later, the conductor saw that Fizzlepop was the only departure, and there were none getting on, so signaled for the doors to close, and the Friendship Express continued towards Baltimare, leaving the orchid unicorn to step off the platform onto the dirt path with a quiet sigh, as she headed up the gradual hill.

This still didn't feel like a good idea.

Foal's Peak was built on a cluster of grassy hills, surrounded by forest on all sides. On the south side, the hills got steeper and more rocky as they became the north side of the Foal Mountains, the tallest mountain range in Equestria's eastern regions. If one were to continue over the range and continue south, the landmarks included Ponehenge, Winsome Falls, and little else until you got to the Delamare River.

As she walked, she glanced back west, barely able to make out the small portion of Canterlot that was viewable from this angle.

She came to the crest of the first hill, and saw the village of Foal's Peak, with the backdrop of the mountains behind it. She counted just over two dozen buildings, maybe a third the size of Ponyville. She saw that there had been selective cutting happening in the forests on both sides of the path. She didn't remember much about her hometown, except that it had gotten its start as a mining town, and when that dried up, the populace had mainly turned to farming and logging. There were certainly no shortage of trees, especially if they stuck with selective cutting.

But all in all, it looked like the train platform granting much faster access to the rest of Equestria had done very little to expand the town. It looked exactly the same as she remembered twenty years ago. Taking a deep breath, she started to descend the hill into the village at a steady trot. From the sun's position, it had to be about nine in the morning. She was almost all the way into town before she passed another pony, and then she just received a curt nod.

She remembered everything being a lot bigger. A morning breeze made its way through the buildings on the main road, and the temperature was overall pleasant. Birds sang in the trees, but the loudest thing were the voices of the past playing in her head. She had passed five other ponies at this point, none stopped to greet her or gave any indication they recognized her. She stopped near the center of town, in front of one of the largest buildings, a two story dwelling with an archway that passed over the street. A trio of young unicorns faded into view, passing a yellow ball between them as they ran down the road towards the forest, before fading back to nothing. She felt a light shudder before shrugging it off, and she continued down the road south.

The Lieutenant Colonel hadn't breathed a word to anyone so far, most seemed indifferent as they went about their business, or were too young to know who she was. She didn't want to say she had found her way to her old neighborhood, because this whole place was the size of barely one neighborhood in Ponyville, but sure enough, after a five minute walk, she was on the other side of town, one of the less forested areas before rising to the mountains, and found herself standing in front of her old home.

It was a single story home, nearly identical to the others down the road. Did she still live here? Or did she move away too when no trace of her was found?

'Only one way to find out, genius. Knock.' She told herself. Slowly going up the front walk, she took a slow, deep breath, raised her right hoof, and tapped four times. She felt her heart pound against her chest as she wondered if time slowed as five seconds passed, then ten. Just before the fifteen second mark, she heard the knob turn, and the door slowly creaked open. Fizzlepop swallowed, as the door continued to open to reveal a mare she had not seen in over two decades.

"Hello, how can I help..." Those were the only words to escape the mouth of the aging dark violet earth mare's mouth, before her eyes met the unicorn's, and her breath left her. She stood there silently, wondering if she was looking at a ghost.

"F-Fizzlepop...?" She asked, voice nearly cracking, just above a whisper.

The unicorn shifted on her hooves uneasily, unable to continue meeting Soapberry's gaze.

"Yeah... Hi mom." Fizzlepop replied, almost as quietly.

Soapberry fought through her stupor, and took three steps to the side, opening the door further.

"C-Come in, come in." She invited.

Fizzlepop managed the lightest of smiles, and stepped forward through the doorway, the floorboards creaking as she stepped onto them. She walked far enough into the entryway so her mom could close the door. She again felt like a giant as her mind was assaulted with images of the past.

"Y-You look absolutely amazing, Fizzy. Can I get you anything?" Soapberry asked.

Fizzlepop resisted the urge to shudder at her fillyhood pet name.

"No, thank you. Can... Can I have a look around?" She asked.

"Absolutely." Soapberry replied, taking in the medals on her daughter's chest. Fizzlepop turned away from the stunned mare, and stepped into the kitchen, her hooves clacking on the tile floor. She remembered baking in here after her accident. Stepping past a small table with a cup of coffee and a book, she came to the second doorway, looking across the hall to the den. An unlit fireplace was set into the far wall. Instead of going across the hall into the den, she turned to the right and went down the hall. There was a weight about this place, and it was slowly bearing down on her. She didn't like it.

The hallway was dimly lit, and she came to the first door on the left. Her horn lit up, and the doorknob glowed and slowly turned.

"Now, Fizzy, it's not going to be how you remember it..." Soapberry tried to say, trailing off as the door was pushed open, and the unicorn stared silently, before slowly stepping into her old bedroom.

Or, what used to be her old bedroom.

It didn't take her long to take in every corner. Half of the room was storage, full of unmarked cardboard boxes, and the other half of the room was stocked with folded, empty boxes, with a variety berry patterns on them. 'Foal's Peak Farms', her mom's berry business, was printed on each of them. Not one of her fillyhood possessions remained, or if they did, they were buried in these sealed boxes.

Something squeezed at her chest, and she felt a heat building up as she barely heard her mom's hoofsteps on the shag carpeting.

"You've been alive all this time. Why have you only come back now?" Soapberry asked.

Fizzlepop fought with every inch of her being to not let the hot tears threatening her eyelids spill over.

"More like why did I come back at all?" The unicorn replied without turning, a wave of anger bristling over her. She slowly turned around to face her mother in the doorway, seeing that the old mare's eyes had widened at her reply.

"You didn't even try and stop me when I left. Because you didn't want me to come back!" Fizzlepop accused, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Fizzlepop!" Soapberry replied, absolutely shocked.

"Well it's the truth! And sometimes no matter how much you think it'll hurt, the truth is exactly what you should give ponies you care about, before the consequences lead to even more hurt and heartache!" The unicorn nearly yelled, still refusing to let the flood spill over.

Soapberry bit her trembling bottom lip in response to the accusations being thrown at her. Still half-feeling like she was staring at a ghost. She slowly placed a hoof on her chest, took a shaky, deep breath, and let it out, never taking her eyes off of her daughter. She lacked the unicorn's fortitude, and thus tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Twenty years is a very long time, Fizzlepop," She began, her voice soft, hurt, but clear. "Maybe you don't remember, or maybe you've convinced yourself that it happened differently. You vanished without a trace. No hoof tracks out of town. The only thing missing from your room was your ceramic bit bank. This town basically shut down looking for you. We had half the population combing the forest for you. The only place we didn't dare check was that cave. For a few weeks, I was sure that you had gotten desperate enough to go back in after what had been taken from you. Spring and Glitter came back a few months later and were actually foolish enough to take a look, and the only thing they came out with was the tip of your horn, saying that was the only thing in there. It only took us a couple days to find where you'd been practicing for months after the accident. The hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of scorch marks on the trees and boulders were enough to convince me of how determined you were to fix yourself, and that if I did try and keep you here, you'd only resent me for it. But I can clearly tell that for whatever reason, you already do. And yes, I eventually had to move on. I'm sorry for not torturing myself by keeping your room the exact way you left it two decades ago. I kept telling myself that maybe, just maybe, you were better off out there. And weren't you? Unless I'm hallucinating, you've miraculously gotten your horn back, and whatever else you've been doing out there, you've clearly been decorated for it." Soapberry said, continuing to cry softly, motioning a hoof to the unicorn's medal-filled chest.

Fizzlepop took three slow, menacing steps towards the aging mare, accentuating their slight height difference, getting the slightest twinge of satisfaction out of the intimidated expression she gave in response. She slowly raised a hoof to point at her horn.

"This is barely two years old," Fizzlepop told her, before lowering her hoof back to the ground before lightly nodding at her sash. "And these aren't even three years old yet. Don't you dare to assume that you know anything about what I've been through, because you don't know a tenth of it!"

Knowing that she wasn't going to be able to hold it back any longer, Fizzlepop stepped around her mom, and trotted out of the room, down the hall to the front door, ignoring her mother's calls, before exiting the home, slamming the door, and breaking into a full gallop as she continued towards the forest at the base of the mountain.
> Mares Day, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some years ago...

"Come on, hurry up Spring, we haven't got a whole lot of daylight left." Glitter Drops urged her friend along the forest path as the orange rays of the afternoon sun shone through the trees.

"Glitter, I just want to go on the record and say that I think this is a really bad idea." Spring said, the nervousness in his voice all too apparent.

"Spring, Fizzlepop has been missing for three months now. They've searched all over the forest except for that cave. I... I just have to be sure."

Spring Rain had very serious doubts that if Fizzlepop was in that cave, that either of them would be psychologically prepared to deal with seeing something like that. But he couldn't argue with how worried they were. When they had come back early this morning on a long weekend from school, they were looking forward to spending a few days with their best friend. They were both hoping that she'd started to move on from her injury early last summer.

The last thing they were expecting to hear was that she had literally moved on. Soapberry had told them that she vanished shortly after they had left for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and that they hadn't found any trace of her. The only things missing from her room was her saddlebags, bit bank, and a hooded cloak. To Spring, it didn't sound like she was planning on going back here.

"And if she's not in there?" Spring whispered as they got closer.

"Then I want to see if we can find the tip of her horn." Glitter replied.

"Are you crazy?! Do you have any idea how long it'll take to look, and with that ursa—"

Glitter put a hoof over his mouth, as they were only about 25 feet from the cave.

"Spring..." She began in a whisper, leering at him frustratingly. "It's my fault she went in there in the first place. If you don't want to help me, fine. But you're good with low-level illumination spells, and I can cast muffling spells without too much effort. Working together is our best chance."

Spring Rain wasn't entirely convinced.

"If that thing twitches in its sleep, I'm out." He replied.

"Deal. I think the first trick is to not be as loud as we were that day. Now come on." Glitter said, stepping up to the mouth of the cave. She cast tacet gradibus on all eight of their hooves, and Spring cast humilus lux, and a dim beam emanated from the tip of his horn. It wouldn't be so bright as to disturb anything sleeping, but it would more than suffice for a pitch black cave once their eyes adjusted. Lastly, now that they knew what to watch out for, the ursa, if it was still present, would be easy to spot from a distance.

Their hooves softly sparkling, they slowly stepped into the cave, silent as the grave...

These spells might help them out here, but they certainly wouldn't help when they had to return to school. Muffling and illumination spells were learned and memorized quickly in the first two weeks; the school's coursework was becoming increasingly more advanced. They had begun to wonder what they were getting themselves into when during orientation on the first day, they were informed that the dropout rate was roughly 30%, and that students were expected to keep up with the curriculum. Perhaps Fizzlepop would have had a knack for this sort of thing, but for the two of them, they were quickly becoming overwhelmed at barely three months in, and both of them were wondering just how much longer they would last before their exam marks would start to slip.

It was otherworldly to not hear one's hoofsteps on a hard surface such as this, especially when dripping water reverberated off of the cave walls. They made sure to keep within reaching distance of each other, as Spring's illumination spell only shined about three meters in front of them. As they went further into the blackness, Spring couldn't get Fizzlepop's scream when she was attacked out of his head.

Suddenly, Glitter placed a hoof on his chest, and silently pointed to the ground about six feet in front of them. Spring wouldn't have noticed it, because he was mentally looking for something that matched Fizzlepop's coat. It hadn't really occurred to him until he laid eyes on it; of course the dark orchid coat would have rotted away after a matter of weeks, let alone six months. But there it was, on the stone floor of the cave; the white skeletal remains of a filly's horn.

Spring calmed his breathing as Glitter inched towards it and knelt down to get a closer look. She quietly reached into her saddlebags and magically pulled out a small zippered plastic bag, very carefully depositing the horn inside before slipping it up. After that, she got to her hooves and came back to Spring's side.

"I know someone at the school who can help us preserve it. Now come on, let's go. Hopefully we can make it back to town before dark."





Fizzlepop sat in the dirt in the clearing, about thirty feet away from the mouth of the cave, staring into the gaping maw, perhaps waiting for something to change, or a revelation. Her past was as black and deep as what was right in front of her.

She was fairly confident this area wasn't as dangerous as it was in her fillyhood. Ursas frequently outgrew the caves they had chosen to dwell in, and as they increased in size, they always moved further up the mountain to more isolated areas. This is why ursa minor appearances were considerably more common than ursa majors.

Her full gallop down here had calmed her down a bit, though her emotions still churned inside her. She wanted that reunion to go more smoothly, but when she saw the state of what used to be her bedroom... Something inside just snapped. It just reinforced her belief that she shouldn't have come back here and just left well enough alone... Even if it wasn't very well to begin with. But if she hadn't, she knew Starlight would have been right, and it would just slowly eat away at her, and—

"Fizzlepop?"

The unicorn felt herself nearly jump out of her skin at the voice behind her as she leapt to her hooves and turned around, looking at another familiar face from so long ago.

"C... Comet?"





"Here you go!" The middle-aged stallion logger said as he tossed a yellow rubber ball over to the trio of youngsters playing in the neighboring front yard.

"Wow, thanks Mister Comet!" the young Fizzlepop replied, catching the ball with her magic.

"Well, it was just collecting dust in an old chest. Figured you kids could use it to practice your magic. Everypony knows how much you three want to get into Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. Have fun now!"





The dark gray earth stallion was her old neighbor Comet Crescent, only a year or two younger than her mom. She remembered that he was the one that had given them the ball to play and practice with. The beard she remembered him having was a bit thicker, and had grayed noticeably.

"I knew my eyes weren't starting to fail me just yet. I thought I saw you come into town. Just... Wow, just look at you. You've become a fine mare, Fizzlepop. But it sounded like things didn't go too smoothly with your mom, though."

The unicorn felt a short sting in her chest. She was wondering if anyone had heard the commotion as she slammed the door to her old home and galloped away.

"I came out to see what was going on, and she pointed me in the direction that you ran off in. I told her that I'd try and find you, and see if you were okay. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time, right? Is everything okay, Fizzlepop? You've come back out of the blue, and, well, you've clearly been very busy." Comet asked, motioning to her horn and the sash around her chest.

"I'm currently wondering if it was a good idea to come back at all, Comet. As I told her moments before storming out, all of this is a lot more recent than you think. The rest of it is... Considerably more complicated." She told him.

"Well, it certainly sounds like you have a story to tell. Maybe over hayburgers?" Comet asked, turning back to face they way they had come.

Fizzlepop stood there, uncertain of what to say for a few moments.

"Come on, you at least owe me that much for organizing the search parties. I've been scratching my head for quite a long time, wondering that if you were alive, how you got so far, so fast. So come on, lunch is on me, Fizzlepop, and I'm all ears."

With that, he began walking back down the path to town, and Fizzlepop knew she wasn't going to get out of this without being insensitively rude to an old pony who had been completely civil so far. With a deep breath and a sigh, she broke into a walk and followed him back towards town as the sun approached its highest point in the sky. Luckily, he didn't expect much in the way of conversation as they made their way back to what passed as the central market, and they stepped into a small diner. They took a booth in the back corner, and a waitress immediately came up to them, setting two glasses of ice water in front of them.

"Good day, sir, ma'am. What can we get started for your lunch today?" She asked, pen and notepad at the ready, with the pair of ponies quickly glancing over the menu.

"Two carrot dogs, celery, onions, and mustard, please. With a sweet tea." Comet ordered, the server quickly jotting it down, before turning her attention to Fizzlepop on the other side of the table.

"Classic hayburger, the works, and an apple cider, please." She said, before sliding the menu across the table.

"We'll have that out to you in just a few minutes." The server replied, taking the menus and trotting back to the kitchen.

"So, do you want to start at the beginning?" Comet asked. Fizzlepop sipped at her water, not making eye contact, but instead kept looking down at the paper placemat.

"Being back here does jog the memories a bit. I initially thought I had followed the tracks east, and at first I did, but then... I saw a train coming the opposite direction once I had followed them about a half a mile. It... It was a freight train, and the sun was fading fast, so I knew the chances of me being spotted were low. I got up enough of a gallop along side to where I was able to jump on in between two of the freight cars. I nearly fell asleep, but I rode it all the way to Detrot. It... It slowed down on the approach to the train yard, and I got off before anypony saw me." The unicorn explained.

"Well, that certainly explains how you up and vanished. You're awfully lucky you made that jump onto the train."

"I certainly didn't stay at that pace. I headed south after that, I think. Resupplied at Appleloosa, before heading to the border. When I got to one of the border towns on the other side, I forget the name, I saw that my bit bag had torn open, and didn't have any money to pay for my supplies. I spent a few months in a restaurant kitchen, working off my bill, and also building up a wallet again. After that, I just... chased rumors, sought out mystical healers, and listened for where artifacts could be hidden. Nearly all of them turned out to be shams and wild goose chases. There's not much more to tell than that, Comet, because that's what encompassed nearly all of 16 of the last 20 years; just surviving; whether that was by working, or fighting, or stealing."

The old logger's expression was attentive, but not judgemental as he took in what Fizzlepop had to say, as their meals were brought out, and the conversation slowed as they began to eat. The hayburger took her back, she remembered it being one of her favorite fillyhood foods.

"So what about after that? You clearly eventually made your way back." Comet commented.

"Yeah, I did. And frankly, I'm lucky to be alive, and not spending the rest of my life in prison. After years and years of charlatans and con artists, I encountered a creature, an army-leading conqueror, that was able to back up his words with action. He said if I pointed him to sources of power and magic, that he'd use that power to reward my loyalty, to restore what I had lost. Believing him... Was the biggest mistake of my life."

Comet saw the unicorn shudder at those last sentences.

"He had spent years raiding and pillaging nations farther south and east, and was looking to eventually head north when I ran into him."

"You're talking about the Storm King?" Comet asked, beginning to connect the dots.

"I became his chief enforcer. I led a raid on the Hippogriffian Kingdom, and when what we were after vanished underwater, I had waited long enough, and was desperate enough to point him straight north. To Equestria."

Comet didn't need any more narration. The Storm King's attack on Canterlot three years ago had made headlines all across the nation.

"And when he got all the power I had promised him... He tossed me aside. When I was of no further use."

The stallion saw how this part of her history truly bit at her composure, how her voice sounded when she talked about it. She was completely ashamed of it.

"I can certainly understand the prison part, now." He commented, continuing into his carrot dogs.

"That's where I definitely would have ended up, for high treason, if it wasn't for Princess Twilight Sparkle."

He heard the inflection in Fizzlepop's voice shift again, as she said that name with such a high degree of admiration.

"Against Princess Celestia's better judgement, she took complete responsibility for me, brought me down the mountain to Ponyville, and immediately made plans to form an E.U.P. division for the town, and put me at the head of it. So that's what I've been doing since then. It was like a fresh start, a second chance. I've built up the Ponyville E.U.P., I've reunited with Spring and Glitter, they've become the caretakers for Twilight's castle, and I even got the opportunity to return to Mount Aris and help with the rebuilding efforts. That's how I got my horn back, by proving to Queen Novo that I had truly changed. So Glitter asked me if I'd been home at all, and I told her I hadn't. I didn't know if coming back here would be a good idea."

"Why not?" Comet asked.

Fizzlepop took the last bite of her hayburger and washed it down with a gulp of cider to get a moment to find her reasoning.

"Nopony told me the truth, Comet. The truth about my horn; about how there was no chance of getting it back, short of the miraculous magic of pearls with trans-figurative powers. And in the absence of that truth, my mind created a sense of false hope, that there was something out there that could help." Fizzlepop said, sliding her empty plate to the middle of the table.

"Is that why you're so mad at your mom? Because you think she didn't make you face reality enough?"

"She told me that I probably wasn't remembering it like it really happened, that it was so long ago. She turned my bedroom into storage. She was never expecting me to come back."

Comet noticed the mare's face twitch in anger for a second, and so collected his thoughts carefully, not wanting to make a scene in the middle of the diner.

"Fizzlepop... Twenty years is a very long time. And she's right; a lot of memories slowly change and warp in the ripples of time. Not just yours, but hers, and mine too. But I'll tell you something, for everything that changes, a few select memories burn so intensely that they stay exactly the same for the rest of your life. One of mine... Will be the look of heartbreak on your mother's face when we came back from searching for you night after night, with nothing. Eventually, she just told us all to stop, to get on with our lives."

Fizzlepop slowly looked over to her old neighbor.

"One of mine is in the throne room in Canterlot... Twilight standing between me and Celestia, refusing to recognize the charge of high treason." She told him.

Comet reached into his saddlebags and came out with ten bits for the meal and a two bit tip.

"Come with me, Fizzlepop." He told her, stacking his plate on Fizzle's empty one before sliding out from the booth and getting to his hooves. She followed him outside to just a few buildings down, to another familiar location. The pair walked through the sliding double doors of the Foal's Peak Critical Care Clinic, one of the larger buildings in town, and stepped up to reception.

"Yes? What seems to be the problem?" The white-uniformed mare asked.

"No problem, I'm wondering if Administrator Wellhoof is available. There's somepony out here he'll want to see." Comet told her, motioning to the unicorn beside him.

Too young to know who she was, the receptionist merely nodded at the two of them.

"We aren't too busy right now, let me go see if he has a few moments." She said, turning her chair and getting up to go to the offices behind reception.

Fizzlepop had a fairly good idea of where this was going. Another trip down memory lane.

Sure enough, one minute later, a middle-aged stallion in a white medical coat came out of the double doors into the waiting area.

"Hello, how can... Oh sweet Celestia... Fizzlepop? Fizzlepop Berrytwist?" The physician asked disbelievingly.

The unicorn managed a half-hearted smile.

"Wow... Just... Wow! Look at you! My goodness, you've grown. And your horn! I can't believe it!"

"It's... Good to see you, Dr. Wellhoof. It's been a long time." Fizzlepop offered, shaking his hoof.

"It's just... Wow, I'm beside myself. E.U.P., huh? I was wondering where you had gotten off to." Wellhoof commented, looking at the medals on her chest. "So how's your mom?"

Fizzlepop's smile faded, and she turned to Comet, who stepped up.

"That's why I wanted to bring her by. Fizzlepop here has been pretty conflicted about coming back to town at all, and it sounds like meeting her mom again after all this time... Could have gone better." Comet explained.

"Oh. Well, if there's something you need to get off of your chest, Fizzlepop, I'm all ears." Wellhoof told her, guiding her over to a pair of chairs in the waiting room, where they sat down next to each other.

Fizzlepop briefly glanced back over at Comet, who waited over by the reception desk, knowing that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to speak for her. She took a deep breath, then looked at her former pediatrician.

"Why didn't anyone tell me the truth about my horn? It is nothing short of a miracle that I got it back at all, and it wasn't even three years ago. I ran away, and wandered for a very long time because no one here; not you, not her, nopony made me face reality."

Wellhoof swallowed, taking in the accusation as professionally as he could, taking a few moments to come up with how to explain himself.

"Fizzlepop... The night your mom brought you in... You caught me in a moment of weakness, and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't strong enough to overcome it. Foal's Peak has always been small, and ponies tend to get to know each other. I knew how much your magic meant to you and your friends, and I didn't want to shatter that. She told me that she'd come up with some way to tell you, and even if she didn't..." The stallion paused, running a hoof through his mane. "Fizzlepop, being the bearer of bad news is part of my profession, literally part of my job description, and I didn't do it that night. If you want to blame anypony for not telling you what you believe you needed to hear, then blame me, please. Alright?" Wellhoof asked softly.

Fizzlepop took a breath, looked him in the eyes, and nodded.

"Alright. Thank you, Doctor Wellhoof." Fizzlepop told him.

"I'm thrilled that you've found your place, and there are a quite a few of us that are now going to get closure on what happened to you. I hope you come back and visit us, but if it's too painful, then I'll do my best to understand, and so will the rest of us. Have a great day, Fizzlepop, and thank you for stopping in to see me."

Wellhoof departed with a smile, and Fizzlepop got up and joined Comet back at the front doors, and they made their way back outside.

"Fizzlepop, I'm not saying the rest of us are blameless. No doubt we all could have done a little more to help you along. Me, Glitter Drops, Spring Rain, your mom... But... Have you considered how brave and bullheaded you were back then? How you might still be? No doubt that's how you survived out there on your own, and got some of those medals there. I want you to think real hard, and wonder if us telling you the cold hard truth would have made a difference. Two decades is a very long time, but you know what? You did find what you were looking for, eventually."

Fizzlepop didn't say anything, but did appear to think on what he had to say.

"From your story over lunch, I think what you've been doing is splitting your life up; everything that happened before Princess Twilight took you in, and everything that happened after that. Maybe even into more pieces; before your accident, and after, or before you met the Storm King, and after. Maybe part of you didn't want to come back because you prefer to keep them separated, because you can't quite figure out how to put all of them together. But all of those pieces, Fizzlepop? Some of them may be unpleasant, or jagged, but each of them together make up a whole pony. They are all part of who you are."

The pair of ponies turned back onto their road of homes, heading south towards the mountain forest.

"I don't know, Comet. If a mirror shatters, if a window breaks... You don't put it back together. You sweep the shards away, and then you get a new mirror, or a new window. Just putting it back together isn't going to do much good; you would always see the cracks; your broken reflection in the mirror, or feel the cold air that seeps through the cracks in the window... And I'd also say that there's a pretty good chance of getting hurt if you try to piece it back together, instead of just starting over."

Comet mulled over the unicorn's response. Either he chose the wrong metaphor that was too easily turned on its head, or he chose the right one, and his neighbor had a good counterpoint to his argument. He glanced at his watch as they came to their houses, stopping at the front walk of Soapberry's home.

"So what do you think the chances are of starting over with your mom? I know you've probably got a train back west to catch, but do you think you could do that for her before you leave?"

Fizzlepop checked the pocketwatch she kept on the inside of her dress coat. It was a 15-minute walk back to the platform, so she would have to hurry, but Comet was right, she should give it another go.

"Yeah, I'll try Comet. Thank you." She answered with a sincere smile. The two ponies shared a brief hug.

"That's all I ask. If you feel like you want to come back, I'd love to see you again." Comet asked, before continuing a short pace down the way and went back into the home next door, waving one last time as he did so.

Fizzlepop took a deep breath, and turned to the front walk, and thought about knocking again, but heard digging around back. She stepped off of the front walk, and went around the right side yard to the backyard. This row of homes had a shared, wide open field before the forest beckoned about a hundred meters back.

There knelt her mom, in the process of digging planting holes for a wheel barrel of new berry shrubs next to her. It looked like she had barely gotten started. She'd be at this for most of the afternoon, unless...

Fizzlepop lit up her horn, and Soapberry's work paused as she saw a small hole form in front of her trowel through sparkling, glowing light, along with two dozen more in four rows. She glanced back, and saw Fizzlepop in time for her horn's glow to fade. She got to her hooves as the unicorn silently stepped forward. Giving a smile, her horn lit up again, and the thirty planters of raspberry seedlings were levitated out of the wheel barrel, and gently set down next to each hole.

"I never did like farming, even when I was younger, so... I'll let the expert get them planted. Just figured I'd save you a bit of time with the holes."

Soapberry smiled.

"Thank you, Fizzlepop."

The unicorn cleared her throat, determined to keep her emotions in check this time.

"Look, mom, I honestly don't know if I'm ready to pick up where we left off, or start over, but I didn't want to leave on that bad note; I definitely could have gone about that better, and I'm sorry. If... If it's enough for you, to know that I'm okay, to know that I've found my place in Ponyville... Just say so, and I'll leave, and not come back."

Soapberry forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat.

"I remember how your accident absolutely devastated you, and I honestly didn't know what to say or do to make you feel better when Spring and Glitter left. I guess I was afraid of making things worse. I know I probably wasn't the best mother I could have been. Maybe it would have been different if your father was still alive, but that's all ancient history now, I suppose. Berries don't plant themselves, after all. I thought I did the best I could to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. Fizzy, if being here brings back too many painful memories... Then you don't have to come back on my account. Even if we have some other things to work on and figure out, seeing you alive and well means the absolute world to me. We can always write to each other. Ponyville, was it? I'll definitely go and write that down."

The mother and daughter smiled at each other, before the earth mare came in for a soft hug.

"I love you, Fizzlepop. Never forget that."

Fizzlepop couldn't remember the last time she had heard those words as she returned the embrace.

The two ponies parted, and Fizzlepop cleared her throat again.

"Well, I've got a train to catch. Best of luck with your berries."

Soapberry didn't say anything more, just smiled and nodded with wet eyes, as her daughter smiled and turned back the way she came, and disappeared behind the side of the house.
> Mares Day, Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lieutenant Colonel Fizzlepop was still sorting through her feelings by the time the Friendship Express was making it's final approach into Ponyville late that afternoon. She didn't feel as elated or relieved as she had when she rekindled her friendships with Spring Rain and Glitter Drops, or as overjoyed when Grubber came back into her life.

Instead, it felt like she had opened a very old can of worms by going back to Foal's Peak. She was grateful that some ponies there would now have closure about what had become of her, but something still didn't sit right. The fact that she was as decorated as she was for bravery, and yet got this tripped up with her own emotions frustrated her to no end, and right now, she was afraid that she was headed for another bout of anxiety that had plagued her for the first two weeks after Twilight had left for Canterlot.

And it still felt like she was forgetting something today.

Even though she had returned and had a much more civil conversation with her mom before leaving, her first attempt at a reunion still weighed heavily on her mind. She hadn't even wanted to go home, so why was she so bent out of shape on what her mom did to her old bedroom?

Truth be told, she and her mom hadn't really had the best of relationships even before her accident. She wouldn't call the home broken, but her mom was all about berry farming, and it kept the bills paid, but Fizzlepop remembered that she was all about magic. She was an only child, and her father had died in a logging accident barely after she was born, and she didn't even remember him.

So was there even a relationship to save, rekindle, or start over? From memory, it didn't really sound like they had a lot in common.

Her current train of thought was halted by the actual train's brakes applying as they slowed to stop at the Ponyville platform. Today, it would be making an extended stop here for loading up deliveries before heading up the mountain to Canterlot for the night, before restarting the weekly schedule on Monday morning. Speaking of schedules, Fizzlepop hoped that getting back to her regular routine would help her set her mind at ease.

That, or figuring out a civil, but firm manner of letting Spring and Glitter know when she meant 'no'  when she didn't feel comfortable with a suggestion. Just because it had gone somewhat smoothly with them didn't mean it would go smoothly with everypony else from twenty years ago.

Seeing a good portion of Ponyville heading out for dinner made her realize that the hayburger and cider was just about done wearing off, and she was ready for a good meal herself. While Sundays were normally Grubber's day off, today was the Mares Day dinner in the castle dining room, and anyone who wasn't out here at the various eateries were probably going to be in there treating the mares in their lives to a nice evening.

Coming up to the castle, she trotted up the front stairs and through the large double doors to the lobby, where a few families were already mingling with punch and snacks. She quickly slid off to the right, and made her way down to the basement barracks, where she could finally get out of this dress coat. It looked nice and all, but it got a bit irritating after awhile.

She descended the stairs, and entered the first room on the right. Her armor was still pristine on the center mannequin, and right next to that was Twilight's wrapped gift. She turned to one of the spare mannequins on the left wall and—

Twilight's gift!

In her focus to make sure all of her medals were positioned properly on her sash, she had forgotten to drop the gift-wrapped, twine-tied box off at the post office before she boarded the train east this morning.

"Ugh... Can anything else go wrong today?!" She angrily muttered through gritted teeth. She lit up her horn, carefully removed her Wings of Valor, and returned it to the display case on the far wall, before quickly taking of her sash and dress coat, and hanging them quickly but neatly on the second mannequin. It was far too late to get anything sent via post now, so the only option was to get back to the train up to Canterlot, and after taking a deep breath, Fizzlepop figured that an evening with Twilight would probably be the best thing about today. Grabbing the long, flat box in her magic, she headed back out into the hallway, up into the foyer, and out into the Ponyville evening. She made for the train platform at a healthy trot, and got there with just a couple minutes to spare. She was able to fit the box in the seat next to her as the train pulled away from the platform and began it's run up the mountain.

The cityscape of Canterlot gleamed in the setting sun, as did the handful of waterfalls that descended and flowed off in multiple directions through the prairies, plains, and forests below. She had last been here two weeks ago for the monthly Friendship Council meetings, which was a fantastic way to keep in touch with everypony. It was one of the oldest cities in Equestria, founded well before Celestia chose to rule there after the destruction of her castle in the Everfree Forest. While the castle was visible from hundreds of miles away to the west, it was actually one of the newer sections of the city at only nine centuries old. The inner city was more than a millennium old, and was consistently being renovated. The buildings slowly got higher over the centuries, keeping the surrounding hills free from development. Before the ruling class came to the city after the Celestia-Luna Rift, the mountain locale came to riches through the labyrinthine crystal caves and chasms underneath the city, containing aetherium and other precious and magical gems.

The trip up the mountain went through several tunnels, and careful eyes looking out the window on the last one could spot long-abandoned mining operations in the crystal caves. This late, coming out of the last tunnel wasn't flooded by daylight, but rather the lights from the cityscape, as it was dusk by the time the train had pulled into the station, which was where it would stay until 6 AM, when it would depart for the Crystal Empire. When she heard the train brakes hiss, she magically grabbed her box, and made her way out onto the platform, well within city limits. As she passed by Restaurant Row on the way to the castle grounds, she noticed an even bigger bustle than Ponyville, as nearly every fine dining establishment was packed to capacity for Mares Day dinner services.

Upon coming to the castle gates, she was let in with a respectful nod from the gatekeepers without pause, as the Canterlot E.U.P. recognized her as a Friendship Councilor, even out of her armor. Twilight was quite clear when she had instructed the staff and caretakers that the whole of Canterlot Castle was open to every member of her Friendship Council, as she considered them an equal part of her throne.

Before heading into the castle, she made a brief stop at the courtyard to take in the absolutely stunning view of the prairies below at night. There were several of these balconies around the southwest side of the castle, and even the airship docks on the north side of the city offered vistas that were unlike anything else on the continent.

A few moments later, she headed into the cavernous castle foyer, and spotted the nearest officer on patrol.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant, where might I find Princess Twilight tonight?" Fizzlepop asked the armored stallion.

"I believe she's just wrapping up in her private dining hall, Councilor Berrytwist." He answered cordially.

Fizzlepop thanked him and headed that way, gift box in tow. The royal dining hall was in the same section as the throne room, the Princess' private study, as well as her personal quarters. Passing the throne room doors, she went down further to the entrance to the royal dining hall. There stood Lieutenant Colonel Speartip at the door.

"Evening, Lieutenant Colonel Speartip. Good to see you again. Is Twilight available?" Fizzlepop asked.

"Likewise, Councilor Berrytwist. Yes, her guests just departed for the night, head right on in."

Fizzlepop walked forward with a smile, and pushed the doors open, finding Twilight currently gathering used dishes up at the long dining table, and turned to see who was coming through the door, smile widening almost immediately.

"Fizzlepop! Well isn't this as surprise!" She happily exclaimed, setting the dishes down and immediately came forward for a hug. Fizzlepop enthusiastically returned it, and offered Twilight the box.

"Happy Mares Day, Twilight." The unicorn said with a smile.

Twilight's expression was touched as she took the box in her magic, undid the twine, and began to remove the gift wrap. The paper fell away to reveal a large framed picture. She looked down at the photo, and her eyes began to tear up. It was a landscape photo of the Ponyville E.U.P. in front of the stairs of the castle, joined by Spring Rain, Glitter Drops, Grubber, and the staff of the School of Friendship, which included Starlight, Sunburst, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

"I figured you had space on your wall for everyone back in Ponyville." Fizzlepop said with a half-hearted smile.

Twilight wiped her eyes and came in for another hug as she gently set the picture aside, but noticed that her former Captain was a little slow on the uptake this time.

"Fizzlepop, is something wrong?" She asked, standing in front of her. The unicorn let out a sigh, and dropped the smile.

"Yeah. This is basically the best part of a rather miserable day. I'm up here because I forgot to send that in the mail today, and I really wanted to get that to you on time." Fizzlepop explained.

Twilight smiled, came to her side, and put her hoof around her shoulders as she walked them over to the dining table.

"I know just what you need. Spike! Get the cheesecake back out!"





Before Fizzlepop knew it, she was sitting next to Twilight at the dining table with a silver platter with half a Manehattan-style cheesecake between the two of them.

"Alright, now we are officially prepared for miserable-day-unloading, Fizzlepop. I'm all ears." Twilight said, taking her first bite. Fizzlepop also took her first bite, took a deep breath, and figured out where to begin.

"Yesterday, during Mares Day prep, Glitter Drops asked me if I'd ever returned home, to Foal's Peak. I told her that I hadn't, and she suggested that I go back for Mares Day. I really should have shot that down."

"It didn't go over too well?"

"I hadn't set hoof there in over twenty years. Memories so far back that I'm not sure if they're accurate anymore. It gave a couple ponies closure, who were wondering if I was even alive, but my reunion with my mom... Could have gone better. When I saw my bedroom, and how there was nothing left... I got so angry, and I know that there really isn't any reason for me to be. It's been two decades, Twilight. I mean, if she kept my room exactly the way I left it for that long... That wouldn't have been healthy at all... So why am I so upset at it?" Fizzlepop paused, taking a couple bites of cheesecake. "A neighbor suggested that maybe I've been keeping the different areas of my life separate, and... I still think that's for the best. I told him that if you try to put a sheet of glass back together... You get hurt."

"At least they know you're okay." Twilight offered.

"That's the single concession that I've taken from today. If it is possible to start over, I have no idea how. And I think part of it is because of everything I've been through with you."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, reaching the end of her cheesecake.

Fizzlepop sighed again, blushing at the cheeks.

"Twilight... Everything you've done for me... Opening my eyes to friendship, taking me in, giving me a home, a purpose, something to strive for every single day, after being alone for so long... I came to view you as a surrogate mother to me. I'm sorry if that's weird, Twilight, but it's the truth. And now I'm wondering if that mindset could sabotage any attempt to reconnect with my real mom, who I had trouble connecting with even before my accident."

Fizzlepop was now averting her gaze, showing more interest in the last of her cheesecake than her mentor sitting next to her. She sipped at the glass of milk next to her plate, wanting to take as long as possible before she had to try to look her in the eyes again. The Princess of Friendship had noticed how flustered the unicorn had gotten, and smiled gently at her when she finally got up the courage to look back.

"In a way, I suppose I'm... Flattered. I wanted to be a friend first and foremost, but you know what? If that's the mindset you needed to make the kind of progress you have, then so be it, Fizzlepop. But that shouldn't mean you can't try again with your mom. Maybe what you both need is a new perspective. I'm not saying it'll happen over the course of one or two visits, but you two can absolutely build something new over time. Just like with me, and Grubber, and Glitter and Spring."

Fizzlepop smiled back.

"I don't know where to start just yet... Maybe start writing to each other, like she suggested."

"Maybe you've done enough thinking for one day. Maybe pieces will start to slide into place when you've gotten a good night's sleep and you get back into a regular routine tomorrow. Lieutenant Colonel?" She called towards the door. A moment later, Speartip entered.

"Your Highness?"

"Councilor Berrytwist will be staying here tonight before catching the train in the morning. Please show her to the nearest guest suite." Twilight told him. Speartip gave a short bow in return.

"Certainly. Councilor, I'll be right outside when you're ready to retire." Speartip replied as the unicorn continued to sip at her glass of milk. Twilight gathered up the forks and empty plates and the platter with a quarter of cheesecake still on it to take back to the kitchen.

"Have a good night, Fizzlepop."

With that, Twilight took the dessert dishes to the kitchen, where Spike was currently cleaning up and getting the last of the dinner dishes done.

Fizzlepop had a good point. Maybe correspondence was a good first move.

"Hey Twilight. Just about finished up here." Spike said as she deposited the plates and forks in the sudsy soap-filled sink.

"And there's one last thing before we turn in for the night, Spike. I need you to go over to Records, and get me last year's census for Foal's Peak."
> Meddling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some Years Ago...

"Fizzlepop!!!" Comet Crescent yelled into the black forest, the echo quickly being drowned by the torrential downpour as the entire region was drenched with a passing storm. He was half-surprised his oil lantern wasn't doused by the never-ending rain. He looked to his left and right, seeing similar orange glows stretching out for nearly a quarter mile as the search party spread out as they ventured out into the forests outside of town. The thundershower also severely diminished the usefulness of the lanterns, as the best look he got was when lightning flashed overhead.

The logger's brimmed hat did very little besides shield his eyes from the rain; the water began to flow around and pool in back, dripping down onto his neck and back every time he surveyed his surroundings. He was becoming increasingly concerned that this endeavor was absolutely fruitless. There were entirely too many directions she could have gone, even up over the mountains to the south if she was seriously determined. He had sadly noticed too late how increasingly withdrawn the young filly had gotten in the two weeks since Glitter Drops and Spring Rain departed for Princess Celestia's magic school. Soapberry had been working her berry fields all day and when she had come in from the rain, she couldn't find her daughter anywhere. When she noticed her rain cloak and bit bank were missing, she quickly ran to Comet, who got a search party to go out into the forest.

He almost couldn't hear the other voices in the search party calling out her name, as the rain only got heavier as he approached the west side of the forest. The sound of the rain on the steel rails running east and west further drowned out the search party. He looked to the left and right, confirming that no trains were coming as the tracks faded into the black on both sides, and he stepped onto the crushed stone ballast, looking behind him, and seeing how quickly his hoofsteps in the mud were being washed away. With a defeated sigh, he looked back east into the forest.

Fizzlepop had likely gotten several hours worth of a headstart, and it had been downpouring for two of them. If it was her intent to run away without a trace, she had picked the absolute perfect night to do it.





Soapberry sat in the window seat towards the center of the first passenger car on the Friendship Express as it steamed west, not able to take her eyes off the passing scenery.

For all the trips she had made to the Foal's Peak train platform to sign off on berry shipments, Soapberry couldn't remember the last time she had been on a train, nor the last time she had left the Foal Mountain Valley. But all of that changed when she got a letter delivered via Royal Express a couple days after Fizzlepop had left.





Dear Soapberry Breadnut,

I understand that my former Captain of the Guard and your daughter, Fizzlepop Berrytwist, recently came to visit you in Foal's Peak.

I won't presume to know anything about your relationship with your daughter, Miss Soapberry, but I do know three things. I know she's led quite a complicated life, that she's spent most of that life abroad, and that I have watched her grow immensely these past three years upon her return to Equestria.

She has expressed to me how she believes her reunion with you could have gone better when she returned to Foal's Peak. In the time I have spent with her, I know she can sometimes struggle with communicating her feelings when she feels conflicted. So, I am quite eager to extend to you an opportunity to return the favor to her.

I proudly invite you to come to Ponyville, all expenses paid, to see everything your daughter has accomplished since returning to Equestria. Just show the enclosed royal seal, and any expenses will be forwarded to the Canterlot Treasury.

I truly hope this can help the two of you take a first step to rekindling or restarting the bond a mother and daughter should have. Please enjoy yourself.

Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle





She quickly made arrangements with Comet to keep an eye on her house for a few days, and packed a bag. Sure enough, when she showed Twilight's royal seal to the ticket booth at the Foal's Peak platform, she didn't have to pay a single bit for a round trip ticket to Ponyville, and she was on her way barely before sunrise. But she was determined to not live like a queen on somepony else's bit, so her breakfast was just a fruit and oatmeal bar from the passing food cart, and that would no doubt hold her over until arriving in town.

"Next stop, Ponyville!" The conductor announced as he made his rounds. Soapberry made sure her saddlebags were fastened, and looked out the right window as they passed over the next hill.

It didn't look all that dissimilar from Foal's Peak, but it was easily more than four times the size, with a crystal castle all the way on the north end, and a stunning view of Canterlot. The train slowed to a stop at the platform, and all the doors opened, and more than half of the passengers on her car also got up to disembark.

'Alright, here we go.'





Fizzlepop stood in front of her full length mirror in her personal armory, making sure she had gotten the armor polish applied in all the right places. Special guests weren't exactly her responsibility any more since Spring and Glitter joined the small castle staff, so she wondered why Princess Twilight had sent her a letter alerting her that a VIP would be visiting in the next few days, and to make her feel right at home. Even if she had her regular duties to attend to today, she still wanted to make a good impression en route to her patrols today, if they arrived this early in the morning.

Seemingly satisfied with how the chest piece looked, she picked up her helmet, gave it a good look over, and put it on. Doing one last check of herself in full uniform, and deeming it acceptable, she turned, grabbed her staff, and headed out into the hallway towards the stairs. When she was halfway up the stairs, she heard the overly excited voice of Glitter Drops.

"Oh my gosh, how are you??" The muffled caretaker's voice asked through the door.

Sounded like the VIP was here. Did they know each other?

She reached the top of the stairs, pushed the door open, and stepped out into the main foyer, and saw Glitter embracing...

"...Mom?" Fizzlepop asked, stopping just as the door behind her closed. Soapberry broke off the hug with Glitter Drops, and her eyes widened as she saw Fizzlepop in her full armor.

"Oh my Celestia..." Soapberry greeted, looking Fizzlepop up and down as she took in her beautiful armor. "You look stunning, Fizzlepop."

"Thank you, but, what are you doing here?" The orchid unicorn asked.

"Princess Twilight didn't tell you? She invited Soapberry to Ponyville to visit you for a few days." Glitter told her.

"So, that's what... Ugh..." Fizzlepop said, rubbing her snout with a hoof momentarily. "Alright, great. I'm sure Spring and Glitter can make you feel right at home. I'll see you after patrol, alright?"

With that, Fizzlepop put her staff to her shoulder, and headed for the exit, and Glitter and Soapberry were pretty sure they heard soft grumbling as she pushed the front doors open.

Soapberry wasn't sure how pleased Fizzlepop was that she had shown up without letting her know.

"Don't take it personally, Soapberry, she usually keeps to her patrol schedule pretty strictly. Actually, I take that back, I'm not sure if you should take that personally or not, I hear her visit last week didn't go so well, but if it's any consolation, she's annoyed by pretty much any third-party meddling, be it of the Princess or Castle Map variety."

"Well, I am here to see her, and I'd rather not wear out my welcome immediately." Soapberry told her daughter's fillyhood friend.

"Let's let her be for now out on patrol, and see how she's doing when she gets back. For now, let's get brunch, and I can introduce you to Grubber, our Head Chef."





Fizzlepop wondered why she hadn't put the pieces together sooner. Like, 'as soon as she finished talking with Twilight last week' sooner. Maybe Twilight was trying to preempt the map, because surely if she took too long, that damned thing would start going off again, and her flanks wouldn't stop glowing and shimmering until she decided to solve this relationship problem.

It didn't take her more than a few moments of thinking about it, of course. Her mom wasn't getting any younger, and barely a week ago, they had seen each other for the first time in over two decades, for maybe a grand total of five minutes. Soapberry jumping at the first opportunity to see her again, instead of merely waiting an indeterminate amount of time through correspondence, honestly made sense.

But she still honestly believed what she had told Comet as well, about leaving broken pieces of the past in the past, burying them and not disturbing them.

She shoved this train of thought off to the side for now. She had opted for the outer patrol today, it was time to visit Fluttershy, the Apples, and Dami again. Maybe when she was done by early afternoon, she'd be ready to talk.





"You certainly keep yourself busy here, Grubber." Soapberry commented as she saw how the hedgehog had put a temporary hold on lunch preparations to put together a quick brunch dish for himself, Glitter, Spring, and herself, and had come out of the kitchen 15 minutes later with fresh hay-and-vegetable-covered ponish muffins.

"Rest assured, I love absolutely every second of it. Thunderlane and Gallus pretty much have things under control here for lunch. If you like, I can give you a tour of the school and castle." Grubber offered as he continued into his cheese-drizzled muffin.

Once the meal was done, Soapberry took Grubber up on his offer, and after one last check of the kitchen, the two were off down the halls of the castle. The library had been restocked in the nine months that Twilight had been gone, largely with surplus from the libraries of the School of Friendship, the School for Gifted Unicorns, and Canterlot Public Library.

"Spring consistently keeps the Princess' former personal quarters spotless, in case she wants to come down from the mountain for a visit. Fizzlepop hasn't moved since she was given the first bedroom in the east wing. Spring and Glitter took the rooms next to hers, and that leaves us with six guest bedrooms, as well as a group dormitory, which can sleep another dozen guests. After Princess Twilight's departure for Canterlot, the east wing has largely been repurposed to house our continually growing classes for the School of Friendship." Grubber said, as he and Glitter had largely taken the job of guided tours of the castle and school from Spike, and Pinkie, when she was in town, still took part.

"So Glitter tells me you and Fizzlepop knew each other before she had come to Equestria. How did you two meet?" Soapberry asked.

She noticed that the hedgehog's ears fold down momentarily.

"Well, I imagine that it was a period of our lives that neither of us are very proud of. We met each other out in the desert. She had stolen a magical stone that my boss was after, and she had led me on quite the chase. I caught up to her in the mountains. She demonstrated what her broken horn could do, and I was amazed; so much power for a creature her size. So I introduced her to my boss, and he made her his second-in-command, with me as her assistant. Working under her was certainly better than the sheer indifference everycreature else showed me. I occasionally think back to that time as... Doing the wrong things with the right friend." Grubber explained as they made their way back to the foyer.

The hedgehog and pony descended the stairs and headed towards the door in the back right corner.

"After the Storm King's raid on Canterlot ultimately failed, I was one of the few to get away. I spent a couple months foraging for food where I could around the Everfree Forest, until I saw what had happened to her; Princess Twilight had saved her from prison, and put her in charge of creating a division of royal guards for the town. We reunited on Hearth's Warming Eve, and I spent a few more months trying to find where I fit in here, until she, Spike, and Princess Twilight figured out my true passion; cooking."

Grubber pushed the door open and they descended the stairs down into the cobblestone barracks.

"When she was just getting started with the squad, they held practice sessions and drills in the castle library. But when the enlistment numbers grew to the double digits, she knew that wouldn't do, so Princess Twilight cleared out the storage rooms down here, and she repurposed it as the barracks for the E.U.P. The bunk rooms can house 24 ponies, although hardly anypony stays down here as they're all local residents. Down that bend there is the main practice room. They've got weights, spears, and even shield talismans so they can practice with full contact techniques. And here on the right, is her personal armory."

Grubber and Soapberry stepped into the 10'x10' room. A small desk had been set up in the back right corner with a few pieces of parchment on it next to an inkwell and quill. The right wall had a full length mirror. The left wall had three full size armor mannequins set up. The left one had a black dress jacket on it, Soapberry recognized it from the day Fizzlepop showed up in Foal's Peak last week. The middle one was currently bare, and the right one had a polished, magenta-colored steel armor on it. And on the back wall, hung a collection of pictures, newspaper clippings, and display cases with medals.

In the center, in an oak and glass display case, hung a single silver medal that Soapberry had last seen around her neck. She slowly stepped up to the case and read the golden etched plaque directly beneath the medal.


THE KINGDOM OF HIPPOGRIFFIA
Hereby presents the Wings of Valor to

CAPTAIN FIZZLEPOP BERRYTWIST
of the Equestrian Ponyville E.U.P. Guard

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of her life,
in defense of soldiers and civilians both foreign and domestic,
above and beyond the call of duty. 


"I'll go out on a limb and say she's particularly proud of this one." Soapberry commented, seeing how immaculately polished the medal was.

"As far as I know, she's the first, and only, pony to receive it. To hear her tell it, she nearly drowned, but to her it was absolutely worth it. She was there to make amends for past crimes. She saved the daughter of the queen, and she in turn used her kingdom's magic pearl to restore her horn. It was one of the most wonderful days of her life."

Soapberry continued to look down the line at various medals and photos of new recuits the squad as it slowly grew to the current roster of 37, with the newest being a cerulean-coated griffon.

The pair's attention was drawn to the doorway as they heard plated hooves descend the stairs, and saw Fizzlepop enter the room.

"I was just showing her around, Fizzlepop. I'll let you two be." Grubber said, quickly scampering off out of the room and back upstairs. Fizzlepop silently went over to the center mannequin on the left of the room and removed her helmet, carefully setting it on the top of the wooden figure before starting to magically unbuckle her chest plate.

"Fizzlepop... If you don't want me here... I'll leave." Soapberry softly told her, continuing to stand in front of the wall of medals and photos as her daughter removed her armor piece by piece.

The unicorn said nothing, until she had her chestplate neatly arranged on the mannequin, and she unbuckled and stepped out of her steel hoof guards last of all, before finally turning to her mom.

"It's a bit more complicated than whether or not I want you here, mom. The main problem I have is... What happened twenty years ago, I don't know whose version to trust, even my own." Fizzlepop admitted.

"Well, sweetheart, I'm not too sure what you'll be able to do about that, unless you know some magic spell that can go back and take a closer look at those memories." Soapberry replied.

Fizzlepop raised an eyebrow as she pondered what her mom had just said, as an idea came to her.

Soapberry eyed her daughter's expression curiously.

"What? What did I say?"
> Hindsight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Journal of Friendship
Entry 1, by Princess Twilight Sparkle

Every book has to have a beginning, and I suppose that this one falls to me.

Today, my friends and I made one of the most momentous decisions since we've known each other. We returned the Elements of Harmony, powers we've held since we first met, to the place they were created, the Tree of Harmony in the Everfree Forest. There, they will restore the Tree to its former glory, and keep the supernatural magic of the forest contained.

This decision wasn't easy for any of us, but I like to think making it together made it easier overall. It also wasn't just us. Discord, while no doubt still mischievous, is still making steps and strides to becoming a good friend, and as he grows, he endeavors to see that we as friends grow with him, through frankly unique ways. Zecora was a great help as well; her magical potion allowed me to look back and discover the origins of the Tree. Were it not for her, I don't believe we would have discovered the steps that were necessary to protect it.

I hope this first entry, and those that will no doubt follow, can paint an undeniable picture of the magic of friendship, and all the likely and unlikely places that it flows from.





Fizzlepop walked with her right leg wrapped around her aetherial staff, keeping pace with Soapberry as they made their way on the southeast path through the Everfree Forest as the late afternoon sun broke through the thick canopy.

As heavily forested as some of the surrounding area of Foal's Peak was, Soapberry had never seen vegetation this thick. The mythos of the Everfree Forest faded the farther you got from central Equestria, but there were still ponies from far and wide that believed Ponyvillians were daft for settling so close to a supernatural area. Accidents were rare, but perhaps that was because not many came into these woods unprepared.

"Somepony lives in here?" Soapberry asked her daughter as they stepped over a branch. Fizzlepop made a mental note to prep another crew to come and clear the path to the Castle of the Two Sisters, pretty much the only task the E.U.P. did in here, and otherwise let the forest be.

"A zebra mare who hails from Farasi. She's a talented herbalist and potionmaker. Some years ago, she gave Princess Twilight a potion that allowed her to look back to past events; events that she was previously completely unaware of. I'm wondering if she can now do something similar for me."

Soapberry wasn't sure why going back 20 years was so important to her daughter, why she felt like they couldn't just start over. She was deeply afraid it was because she had been resenting her all this time, and she didn't know how to let it go. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come over here so quickly, instead of easing into it.

The pair of ponies sidestepped a cluster of blue-petaled flowers, and went around a gradual right bend, and an immense, hollowed out tree appeared through the treeline. All manner of bottles hung from the branches, and a few wooden masks were leaning against the roots. The fact that it had been hollowed out didn't seem to affect the health of the tree that much. Despite the outward appearance, the light coming from the windows was warm and inviting.

"Homey." Was Soapberry's single-worded impression.

The door opened, and out stepped a slender zebra, light gray coat contrasting with her dark gray stripes. She had large gold earrings on both ears, and gold rings around her neck and down her left front foreleg. Her mohawk wasn't all that dissimilar from Fizzlepop's, save for the striped alternating colors as it went down her head and neck. She saw the approaching pair of ponies and immediately smiled.

"Miss Berrytwist, what a surprise, to see you here before my eyes!" She greeted, ushering them towards the front door.

"It's great to see you again, Zecora. This is my mother, Soapberry Breadnut." Fizzlepop replied, introducing Ponyville's newest guest. Zecora nodded at her.

"Meeting you is quite a treat, won't you two please have a seat?"

Soapberry stepped inside the tree right behind Fizzlepop, and marveled at what was inside. All manner of jugs, bottles, bowls, and plants lined the walls, save for an overhang where a noticeable bed was. More masks hung from the ceiling, and in the center of the room was a giant cauldron,  atop a pit of glowing embers. The cauldron was currently full of a glowing, bubbling green liquid.

The unicorn and earth pony took a seat on small wooden stumps that doubled as stools on one side of the table that was halfway across the room from the cauldron.

"So, Zecora. I'm hoping you can help me out with a little situation we have. I read in Twilight's friendship journal that you had a potion that could let you see into the past?" Fizzlepop asked. Zecora nodded.

"For Twilight to see the past in motion, she took a sip of a special potion. But the exotic brew took concealed dark magic Alicorns can wield."

"Well, I certainly don't have that kind of magic. Could you, perhaps, tweak the formula so we can take a look back? And not to historical events, but more personal memories, not clouded by years and years that have passed."

Zecora got up, took a book down from the shelf, and began flipping through the pages.

"In Twilight's case she had to see, occurrences from history. But for you, Miss Berrytwist, I'll make a brew that can assist."

To Soapberry, it was immediately apparent that the zebra did indeed do this for a living, as she took down berries, powders, and herbs down from the shelves with barely even looking. She gathered everything into a large mortar and pestle, constantly looking back at her chosen page in the book, and ground all of the ingredients into a fine powder, before adding water to make it far more fluid. She poured what was in the mortar into a ceramic jug, added more water, and corked it before giving it a few good shakes to make the mix quite final. She popped the cork off, and slowly poured the dark blue liquid into a smooth wooden cup, and set it down on the table in front of them, before turning back to the bottled ingredients  on the shelves.

Fizzlepop lit up her horn, lifted the cup up to her snout, and took a couple sniffs before putting the tip of the cup to her lips, and tipped it up as she began to gulp it down. By the time Zecora turned back to the table with a jar of honey, Fizzlepop had finished the entire cup, and the zebra's eyes widened.

"Miss Berrytwist!" She said too late in alarm as Fizzlepop returned the empty cup to the table. "Perhaps I should have said as such, but what you just took was way too much."

Fizzlepop glanced down at the empty cup then back at Zecora.

"I thought you were making a second one for her."

"You took the potion with such great haste, I was going to add honey for taste. That cup wasn't just for you, a sip was for your mother too."

"Well, sorry about that, but when is it supposed to take-"

Fizzlepop stopped mid-sentence, taking in a soft gasping breath before the whole of her eyes went a fiery white. Soapberry was so startled she almost fell out of her chair.

"All we can do now is wait, she'll see her past at any rate."





Fizzlepop felt her entire body tingle as the setting of Zecora's hut looked like it was sucked through a hose, leaving her in a sea of black. When she blinked her eyes, however, the setting had changed, and she found herself sitting on the same stool in the middle of a very familiar looking forest. She glanced behind her and saw a town. Her body wouldn't stop tingling, but everything felt so familiar.

She stood up, continuing to look around. She rubbed her ears with a hoof, then began to hear giggling. She turned around, and saw three young unicorns; two fillies and a colt. The colt had a sky blue coat, and the fillies were minty green and a dark orchid. The trio was passing a ball back and forth among themselves as they all trotted down the dirt path into the forest.

An overwhelming sense of dread overcame the mare as she immediately broke into a gallop to chase after them.

"No! No wait, come back!"





Zecora and Soapberry watched with bated breath as Fizzlepop sat there, her eyes maintaining that brilliant white glow. She slowly stood up and looked around cautiously.

"Can she hear us?" Soapberry asked Zecora softly. The zebra shook her head.

"Miss Berrytwist is now deep in her mind, untangling the threads of what she had long left behind." Zecora replied.

Soapberry continued watching her daughter cautiously as she slowly turned back to the door, ears flicking as if they heard something. Her breathing slowly quickened as her eyes widened.

"No! No wait, come back!" She cried out.

Taking off like a shot, she burst out of the front door and raced through the trees at a full gallop. Briefly stunned at what had just happened, both the zebra and earth mare gave chase out into the Everfree evening, Zecora quickly grabbing her saddlebags that hung next to the door.





Even at a full gallop, FIzzlepop could barely keep her eyes on the trio of unicorns as they trotted down the forest path, passing the ball back and forth. Her heart pounded against her chest with fear. She had to weave and dart over branches and trees that would appear in her path all of a sudden, and that prevented her from keeping pace with them.

The yawning mouth of a pitch black cave in the mountainside came into view, and panic began to set in.

"Stop!!!" She screamed out at the fillies, to no avail. She saw the mint-coated filly lose her magical grip on the ball and it bounced and vanished into the blackness of the cave, only for a towering, glowing, semi-transparent bear to come sauntering out with a threatening growl. He stood up on his hind legs, and raised his front right paw as he readied to swipe it down on the dark orchid filly, the only one who had not turned and ran.

"No!!!' Fizzlepop screamed, leaping up, hoping to reach the bear before his strike.





Even with the adrenaline pumping through her, Soapberry's age was catching up with her, and she was having considerable trouble keeping pace with Zecora, who in turn couldn't possibly hope to keep pace with a physically fit E.U.P. commander in her prime.

"Stop!!!" They heard Fizzlepop scream as she disappeared over the crest of a short hill ahead of them. They were quickly approaching a swampy area, and Soapberry motioned for Zecora to go on ahead. The zebra pushed up the hill, and she stopped at the crest. Soapberry saw the look of alarm on her face as she started to hastily dig through her left saddlebag.

"No!!!" She heard her daughter cry out, before something on the other side of the hill growled back. There was a splash, knocking of wood, and a snarl. Pushing herself to go a bit faster, Soapberry reached the crest of the hill next to Zecora, and her heart crept up to her throat when she saw that her daughter had unwittingly began to tussle with a living bundle of branches, sticks, and twigs in the shape of a wolf in a shallow swamp. She was desperately swinging at the creature with her staff. She connected with the chin, and the supernatural creature reared back in return before bursting forward in an aggressive charge, knocking the staff out of her grasp before tossing the unicorn over to the bank, and was on top of her instantly, snarling, and came down on her, jaw wide. It sunk a sharp wooden fang into her right shoulder, and the pony screamed in pain.

"Fizzlepop!!!" Soapberry cried out.

Finding what she was looking for, Zecora stopped Soapberry's adrenaline-fueled rush down into the swamp, lit a trio of hoof-held dancing star alchemy bombs, and quickly lobbed them at the attacking timberwolf. The first one connected with the creature's head, causing him to release the hold his teeth had on Fizzlepop, before exploding in the shallow shore of the pool, sending water skyward. The second hit his backside as it snarled at the additional intruders. It detonated in mid air, showering it with smoke and sparks. The third found its mark, wedging itself between the creature's 'ribs', and detonated, vanquishing the timberwolf and sending sticks and splinters in every direction.

At the same time, Zecora and Soapberry rushed down into the swamp, splashing through the water to the other end of the pool, where Fizzlepop was currently trying and failing to roll over onto her hooves, her body having been showered with splinters, her mind still trapped in the potion-induced hallucination. Zecora quickly came down and put a stop to the unicorn's movement, holding her as still as best she could as she looked over the bite wound.

Soapberry's throat went dry as she looked down at her daughter writhing on the shore as Zecora struggled to keep the wound out of the murky water. It was bleeding profusely; the bite had broken her coat, tore through muscle, and had possibly even reached bone.  Even with the undoubtedly blinding pain, still the potion's effects did not let up. Zecora quickly dug back into her right saddlebag and came out with a cloth bag tied with string. She loosened the string, and carefully tipped the bag over, spilling yellow powder over the open wound.

"Crushed yarrow leaves will stop the bleeding, but it will not last. Come, we must get her help, and we must do so fast!"





Fizzlepop lay on the ground, her right shoulder in blinding pain. The ursa had managed to land a bite before vanishing into thin air. She turned and saw the young filly laying a short distance away, her horn now broken and sparking weakly. She reached out for her futilely with her left leg.

"H-How long until it grows back?"
> Wounded
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The déjà vu of the situation was not lost on Soapberry, and right now, it was downright terrifying to her as she sat in the waiting room of Ponyville General. Together, she and Zecora had picked Fizzlepop up and carried her as fast as they could out of the forest, the unicorn mumbling and hallucinating the entire way. The hospital was thankfully on the south side of town, not too far from Fluttershy's animal sanctuary. Unfortunately, by the time they had reached the doors of the emergency room, the crushed yarrow leaf powder had done all it could, and the bleeding had resumed, dripping down her right leg onto the floor.

Zecora had gone to wash her hooves, but Soapberry couldn't bring herself to move from reception yet. It had been fifteen minutes of panic and adrenaline, followed by two hours of dread, and quiet, and not knowing what was next, and she couldn't figure out what had been worse.

Zecora had returned to the waiting room just in time for a group of galloping hooves to be heard outside, and what sounded like chariot wheels.

A purple-coated alicorn came through the doors at a quick trot, accompanied by a pair of Canterlot E.U.P. escorts, bringing the occupancy of the waiting room up to six, receptionist included.

"Is she alright? Fizzlepop Berrytwist, is she okay?" She hurriedly asked the receptionist mare.

"She's still in surgery, your highness. She was brought in two hours ago." The receptionist quickly answered her, motioning to the earth mare and zebra that had been sitting here waiting, and she walked over to them. Soapberry got up and prepared to bow, but Twilight immediately shook her head.

"Not necessary right now. You must be Soapberry. I truly wish we were meeting under better circumstances." Twilight told her.

"I'm just glad Miss Zecora was there. If I was alone, I don't know what I would have done." Soapberry replied, turning to the zebra sitting next to her.

"Thank you so much, Zecora. How did this happen?" The Princess asked. Soapberry stepped forward.

"Fizzlepop was dead set on getting a clearer picture of what happened after the accident twenty years ago. She remembered reading about the potion that helped you look back to see where the Elements of Harmony came from, and asked Zecora if she could make a variation for more recent, more personal memories. Whatever hallucination it gave her, it sent her right into a timberwolf. She got a pretty nasty bite on her shoulder. She never snapped out of it... As we carried her back here... As they took her back into surgery... She took way too large of a dose."

Twilight took a deep breath.

'Gods, only Fizzlepop could take something as innocent as a family visit and turn it into something like this...'

The trio's thoughts were interrupted as the double doors from the operating wing opened, and Doctor Graymare stepped out into the waiting room towards the trio. Twilight remembered him as the physician that treated Rainbow Dash after her failed stunt flying years ago.

"Well, we've stabilized her, and stopped the bleeding. Whatever delirium her mind is in... I can't tell when she'll come out of it. We've sedated her, so her movement is now at a minimum. But..." Graymare paused, taking a deep breath as he looked at the trio of concerned mares.

"As Zecora may be aware, there is no antidote for timberwolf venom. That is a serious bite wound she has. We've got the bone set... But I can't promise that she won't lose her right leg. Timberwolf bites frequently result in hallucinations, and I have no idea how that's going to mix in with the effects of the potion she took. But more seriously, they can also result in tissue necrosis, and it can spread beyond the wound. That bite is close enough to her heart... If necrosis sets in, and spreads, it could kill her in a matter of hours. Amputation would be the safest bet, but we're not going to resort to that until signs of necrosis appear. If her body can fight off the infection, she could recover in... I'd say six weeks, followed by physical therapy. We'll have to keep a constant eye on it. If there's no necrosis in around a week, I'd say she'll be in the clear. We're moving her to observation. We've got her on intravenous fluids, and we're monitoring her brainwaves, so we can tell when she's hallucinating, and the very few moments when she snaps back to reality."

Soapberry felt a lump form in her throat, and took a couple steps back, falling into the chair, tears immediately starting down her face. Twilight came up and sat beside the elder mare.

"Not again..." The earth mare whispered as she wept.

"Soapberry, there was nothing more you could have done. You two got her here as quickly as you could." 

"There was absolutely more I could have done, or not do. I could have not been in such a rush to come here. I could have gone at her pace, instead of mine. For the past two hours, I've been telling myself over and over that I was not going to go through this again. I cannot go through this again. But if I have to... I'm going to do it right this time."

"You likely didn't do anything wrong last time, Soapberry. If what I see in front of me right now is any indication, you love your daughter more than anything in Equestria. You just discovered that she's been alive all this time; you think anypony would question you wanting to renew that relationship as soon as you possibly could? Fizzlepop is one of the toughest, strongest ponies I have ever known. If anypony can pull through this, I know it's her."

Soapberry swallowed the lump in her throat, looked Twilight in the eyes, and nodded thankfully. She stood up and turned back to Doctor Graymare.

"Can we see her?" Soapberry asked the doctor, and he nodded immediately.

"Right this way."





Fizzlepop felt like she was barely holding on to her identity, her sense of self. Her right leg throbbed badly, and she heard a faint beeping as her vision faded in, and she saw a bright white ceiling. A... A hospital. She had been hurt, she remembered that much.

"Fizzlepop?" A feminine voice softly asked her. She then became aware of her position; laying on her back, barely able to move, but able to tilt her head to the left towards the voice. She saw the dark violet mare looking down at her with concern, with Twilight and Zecora standing behind her.

"M-mom?" She asked softly. "I... I don't feel right."

Soapberry softly nodded.

"I know, sweetheart. Listen, the doctor says there's a chance you could lose your leg. Your body has to fight the infection, and the best chance to do that is resting and moving as little as possible. They're going to keep you here for observation."

Fizzlepop slowly turned her head and looked at her heavily bandaged shoulder as it still throbbed.

"I... I'm scared..." She confessed.

"I am too... I am too. The potion's effects haven't stopped yet, and they could last awhile. Listen to me; find whatever you're looking for in there, Fizzlepop. I'm not leaving your side. I know you're going to pull through this." Soapberry told her, taking hold of her left hoof, squeezing it affectionately.

"Mom... I..." Fizzlepop's sentence ended with a soft gasp, and her eyes turned fiery white again, before closing as the sedatives in the IV drip kicked in, and the machine monitoring her brain activity indicated that her consciousness had slipped back into the deep recesses of her memories.





Soapberry's throat tightened again as she saw her daughter fall asleep on the hospital bed, seeing the small suction cups and wires going from her head to the machine, and the IV drip giving her body critical nutrients. It stung to tell her the truth about her leg, but she wasn't about to repeat what Fizzlepop had viewed as a grievous mistake the last time.

"I'll stay here for the night." Soapberry told Twilight, sitting down in the cushioned chair next to the bed. Princess Twilight nodded and turned to Zecora.

"Zecora, you are more than welcome to a guest room in the castle if you believe it's too late to return to your hut." The alicorn told her. The zebra smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you for the offer, Princess Twilight. I believe I will take it up tonight."

As the pair turned to leave, they saw Commander Amethyst, in full armor, come into the doorway, and stand at parade rest.

"Princess Twilight, I've informed the hospital staff that the Ponyville E.U.P. will be guarding this room until Lieutenant Colonel Berrytwist is on her hooves. We'll rotate shifts as often as necessary." She told her.

"You really don't think she's safe here?" Twilight asked, a bit of confusion in her voice.

"It's not a matter of security, Your Highness. Lieutenant Colonel Berrytwist has stressed the importance of teamwork since forming this outfit, never letting any squadmate go through an ordeal alone. We will show her the same respect."

Twilight nodded proudly.

"As you were, Commander."

As Amethyst performed an about face, stepped to the side of the doorway and went to parade rest, Princess Twilight knew she would unfortunately have to return to Canterlot tonight. While part of her hated having to deal with bureaucratic nonsense while a close friend was in crisis, she knew there was very little she could do here that the doctors and the Ponyville E.U.P. were not already doing, and staying here and shirking her royal duties only to worry herself sick would not be the right choice. She would do her best to check in daily, or at the very least, request updates as often as she could.

"Be strong, Fizzlepop. Be stronger than you have ever been before."
> Looking Back
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She wasn't sure what had happened, or how long she had been here. Minutes? Hours? Days? She was in a bedroom, that was the most obvious point. She sat on the edge of a twin bed, on a comforter patterned with sparkles and lightning bolts. An oak three-tier dresser was on the adjacent wall. But when she looked into the mirror, she didn't see a reflection. Even glancing down to the body sitting on the bed, she didn't see anything.

When she thought really hard about it, she remembered... A potion? Yes, she had taken a potion from a friend. Was it an invisibility potion? Was she testing it for this friend? She couldn't quite remember what it was, or who she had gotten it from, just that she was anxious to do so, and that she trusted them. Every other detail seemed to be just beyond her mental reach.

For now, all that was clear was this bedroom. It certainly seemed fit for somepony young. Was she young? How old was she? How long had she been here?

She had a feeling that continuing to look for answers to these questions would just frustrate her. Perhaps for now, it was best to just be in the moment. And in that moment, the bedroom door slowly creaked open. A young, unicorn filly trotted into the room before kicking the door closed with a hind leg.

The first detail she noticed about the filly was her broken horn, quickly followed by the white bandage taped over her right eye. She had a dark orchid coat, and her cutie mark was a pair of exploding blue and pink fireworks. The more she looked at this filly, the less she was concerned with her own invisibility predicament, instead wondering what had happened to her. She had clearly been hurt, and recently, as she had to double check herself as she tried to open one the bottom dresser drawer with her magic, only for her horn to spark, fizzle, and pop. She groaned frustratingly before resorting to pulling it open with her hooves.

"Um, hi there?" She asked the filly who proceeded to dig through the articles of clothing in the drawer. The filly didn't acknowledge the voice at all, and now she was wondering if it would be a good idea to continue trying to get her attention. After all, until this invisibility wore off, it might not be the best decision to make her think that a disembodied voice was here with her in the room.

After half a minute of digging through clothes, the filly came out with a soft cloth purple bucket hat, brighter and richer than her coat, and tugged it on over her head, concealing her broken horn.

It was now that she noticed all the magic-related items around the bedroom. Posters of wizards, books with fantastical sounding titles lining the bookshelf. Clearly, this filly was quite passionate about all things magical. From the bandage over her eye, she surmised that this injury had just happened.

She wasn't 100% sure of who she was or what she was doing here, but she had a growing feeling that it was tied to this little one, and was content to sit and watch her as she began to dig through her toy box.





Gallus was up at the crack of dawn, standing in front of one of the mirrors in the armory in the castle basement, several dirty rags and a bottle of protective oil polish on the bench next to him. Though his physical prowess was improving steadily, one of the areas he had been struggling with early on was his appearance, and keeping his armor clean. Knowing what he wanted to do, he got up before the night shift was relieved, and sat in the armory and spent an hour buffing and polishing his armor, getting it looking as new as the day Rarity had given it to him.

Doing one final inspection of his helmet from every angle before slipping it on, he turned and exited out of the armory and into the hall, going straight to the stairs and up to the foyer. Today was technically his day off, but it didn't feel right to have a day off when the pony who had given him this chance was fighting for a full recovery in the hospital, and there was now an extra slot in the duty roster for ponies to keep watch outside her room.

So after a small breakfast in the dining hall, the griffon headed out the front doors of the castle, and marched from the north side of town to the south side, directly to the Ponyville General Observation Wing, where he found Captain Thunderlane standing watch outside of Lieutenant Colonel Berrytwist's room.

"Captain Thunderlane, sir." Gallus announced, saluting with his right wing.

"You're not on duty this morning, Private. What can I do for you?" The charcoal pegasus asked, beginning to look visibly tired from standing watch the second half of the night after taking over for Amethyst at midnight.

"I'm aware of that, sir. I'd like to volunteer for the next watch, sir." Gallus replied.

Thunderlane looked the E.U.P.'s newest recruit up and down, and noticed that his armor looked better than it had in weeks.

"If you insist, rookie. The watch is yours. I'll make sure you're relieved at lunch." Thunderlane told the griffon.

Thunderlane stepped to the side, and let Gallus take his place and stand at parade rest just beside the door to Fizzlepop's room. He glanced in, seeing his commander still unconscious on the bed, and her mother just waking up in the chair next to her. With another pony on watch, he might as well get her some breakfast before he headed back to the castle for some of his own food, and some rest. He was halfway to the cafeteria when he encountered Grubber, coming in with a plastic tub full of fresh muffins, and a backpack on his shoulders.

"Morning, Captain. I was just on my way to give you a couple of these." The hedgehog said, opening the tub and offering a muffin to the pegasus.

"Thanks, Grubber. Was just about to get some breakfast for Miss Soapberry."

"Nope. No guest of Fizzlepop, no matter the crisis, is getting hospital food for breakfast. Plenty of muffins to go around." Grubber replied, continuing down the hall, tossing a muffin to Gallus before walking into the room.

"Good morning, Miss Soapberry. Got fresh warm muffins for you." Grubber greeted, again taking the lid off of the plastic tub and offered her one.

"Thank you, Grubber. It's been quite a restless night for me." Soapberry told him, accepting the warm blueberry muffin he was offering.

"Has she woken up at all?" Grubber asked, looking at the unicorn worriedly.

"For only a few minutes early last night. The doctor says she's going to spend nearly the entire time deep in her memories because of Zecora's potion and the Timberwolf venom.

Grubber set the tub of muffins down on the table, and took off his backpack. He unzipped it and reached inside, coming out with a small plushie of Princess Twilight.

"I know she'd want this." He said, coming up to her bed and tucking it under her left leg.

"Sweet dreams, Fizzlepop."
> Scars
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The unicorn stood behind the filly as she stood on a step stool in front of her bathroom mirror. It still felt otherworldly to have two ponies standing at the mirror, and only seeing the filly. She was staring intently at the bandage taped around her right eye. She began to pick at the corner of the tape, and got it started. She winced as she slowly peeled it from around her eye.

"If you do it quick, it'll hurt, but it'll be over quicker." The unicorn commented, not getting any kind of reaction in response. The filly gritted her teeth as she slowly but steadily pulled the bandage away. Her right pupil adjusted to the light that it had barely seen the past two weeks, and when her vision cleared, her eyes widened at the scar on both the top and bottom side of her right eye. Closing her eyelid, she traced the fresh line of flesh from her broken horn down to her right cheek. The unicorn heard hoofsteps in the wooden hallway behind them.

"Everything okay, Fizzlepop?" A mare asked as she came around the corner halfway into the bathroom. The filly had been counting the days until she could take this bandage off. Finally, the nightly ointment applications could stop.

"No..." The filly replied sullenly, her eyes glued to the reflection staring back at her, the pink sliver of skin contrasting sharply with her dark orchid coat.

"Give it a little while, hun. It'll fade a little bit."

The look on the filly's face gave the impression that she wasn't really interested in hearing it, but the unicorn knew that her mom was only trying to help, to make things easier.

"I'll be out back if you need anything." The mare said, resigning to letting her daughter be for now.

The filly tossed the bandage in the trash, took one last look in the mirror, then hopped off of the stool, tugging the cloth purple hat back on as she stepped out into the hall.

The unicorn knew she was inexorably connected to this little filly. She slept when she slept, went wherever she did. So she kept pace behind her as she walked down the hall back to her bedroom. The filly went to the bottom of her bookshelf and pulled out a box containing a jigsaw puzzle, and brought it over to her desk. She opened it and turned it over, dumping the pieces out onto the smooth wood surface. She started to organize and sort the pieces of the 100-piece puzzle, but as she came to some of the pieces that had landed upside down, she was having difficulty turning them over with her hooves. Despite having early success by carefully sliding the pieces one at a time to the edge of the desk and catching them turned over in her other hoof, she quickly lost patience for the two dozen pieces that had landed upside down. Out of frustration, she slid all the pieces back in the box, returned the lid to the top, then shoved it back down onto the shelf.





Soapberry had finished her second muffin, and was looking at the heart monitor connected to Fizzlepop, watching the scrolling green light travel from left to right, peaking steadily along with her heartbeat, when she heard approaching hoofsteps enter the room. She turned, and saw Zecora, mane just a little damp, holding her daughter's staff that had been knocked from her grasp by the timberwolf.

"It took all morning to find, but I know she would want it when she wakes from her mind." The zebra said, offering the golden staff to Soapberry, who took it in her hooves, and looked it over.

Soapberry didn't know too much about smithing, despite living in the same neighborhood as the local blacksmith in Foal's Peak. But she could tell the golden staff had been painstakingly crafted, just by the detail that was in it at first glance. Fifteen diamond-like gems had been set in the top half of the staff, five high, three wide as it went around, looking about the size of something you would find in a piece of jewelry. A much larger gem of the same kind was set in the top, secured by three considerably sharp-looking prongs serving as the staff's tips. It looked as ceremonial as it did deadly.

"We gave that to her on the day she was sworn in." Another voice said from the doorway, pulling Soapberry's attention away from the staff. It was a heliotrope unicorn mare. "Starlight Glimmer, Headmare of the School of Friendship, and former Ponyville E.U.P. Battlemage." She formally introduced herself, coming in to shake the earth mare's hoof.

"The stones are aetherium, gems with some of the most wide-ranging, magic-based applications. That's why they're named after Aetherius, the realm that's believed to be the source of all magic. Sorry, I tend to ramble sometimes. I came by to see how she's doing."

"Not a peep since last night. I'm hoping that's a good thing. So, this staff... I'm guessing it helped her with her magic? According to what Grubber told me, the Hippogriffs didn't restore her horn until several months into her service." Soapberry asked.

"It took days in front of a furnace to get right. Rarity was able to fit an aetherial conduit onto her first helmet. Combined with the gems in the staff, we were able to attune it to her horn, and augment and stabilize the magic she had left." Starlight explained.

Soapberry offered the unicorn a muffin from the container, which she accepted.

"Miss Starlight, if I may... How did this all start? Fizzlepop's involvement in the E.U.P.?" Soapberry asked.

Starlight smiled, lit up her horn, and teleported a stool onto the floor out of thin air, which she then pulled up right across from Soapberry, and sat down, as Zecora turned to leave and head home.

"She returned to Equestria just over three years ago... As the head of a foreign invasion force. Personally, I saw very little of it; As soon as the attack happened, Trixie and I got as many ponies down the mountain as we could, holing up in Ponyville, trying to come up with some kind of plan of resistance. From what I hear, she chased down Twilight and her friends all the way south to Mount Aris. Whatever deal she had made with the Storm King, he reneged on it, and Twilight saved her from being thrown off the balcony by the superstorm that he had generated over Canterlot. She shielded them from his last-ditch attack, and that was that. Well, not quite. Once the Friendship Festival wound down, Princess Celestia was prepared to formally charge her with high treason against Equestria. Twilight came to her defense, took responsibility for her, and brought her down here."

Soapberry softly swallowed. How lost she must have been... High treason was an extremely rare, extremely serious crime to be accused of.

"It was clear that she was quite a fighter. I figured while Twilight taught her the basics of friendship and companionship, that she could put what she was already proficient at to good use. Twilight had never founded an official E.U.P. division for Ponyville, so we put her in charge of that. Within a couple weeks, she had a dozen volunteers. She put in so much  effort every single day. Effort that eventually made it into a nationally distributed newspaper, and that's how her old friends Glitter Drops and Spring Rain found out that she was back. That reunion was a bit rocky, but she eventually came around."

Her mother remembered how much more withdrawn Fizzlepop had become when they had left for Celestia's school. One of her biggest regrets in hindsight was not taking more control of the situation then.

" About six months later, she had the squad up to about two dozen ponies, and started turning her attention to Mount Aris. Besides Canterlot, it was the other location the Storm King's raiders attacked that she was directly responsible for. Her and her expedition were gone for just about a month, but the difference they made down there was incredible. They cut down Hippogriffia's reconstruction schedule in half, if not more."

"Grubber told me how their ruler restored her horn in return for her efforts. And if forming an E.U.P. for Ponyville was your idea, Starlight... Thank you."

Starlight smiled warmly.

"She's already thanked me plenty. With words, enchanted robes, and the rank of Lieutenant, at least until the School of Friendship needed a new Headmare. And I hope you don't take this the wrong way, Soapberry. I know this is a scary situation, but I can confidently say that if the worst happens, she'd rather lose her leg than her horn."
> Tenacity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the heat-absorbing pot holders between her teeth, the filly leaned into the open oven, and pulled out a tray of steaming muffins, as the unicorn watched her. Her mother stood at an adjacent counter as she prepared dinner, a leafy green salad. The filly struggled to get up on the stepstool while her vision was blocked by the tray.  Her mom had offered to help a few minutes ago, but she had adamantly refused any assistance. Eventually, she found her footing, stepped up on the stool and slid the hot tray onto the counter.

The unicorn had a feeling she wasn't really interested in baking, but that she was desperate to find things to do without magic, to continue distracting herself from what had happened to her, from what was immediately apparent every single time she looked in the mirror without her hat on.

"Listen, sweetheart, I know it hurts. But I know eventually you'll find your calling. You're still young, and even though you can't see it, you've got so much time and life ahead of you."

The unicorn was glad her mother was saying what she wanted to, but she had grown quiet the last few days, due to being completely unable to be seen or heard by anyone around. As alarming as that sounded at first, she wasn't really concerning herself with it, as her attention was still completely taken by this little filly's ordeal.





Soapberry was taken out of her thoughts by a knock on the doorway to Fizzlepop's room. A white unicorn with a curled purple mane entered.

"Sorry to disturb you, Miss Soapberry, was it? Rarity," The unicorn introduced herself, offering a short bow. "I'm proud to say I've had a hoof in every piece of armor our dear Fizzlepop has put on, and I also made that staff with Starlight's help."

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Rarity. What can I do for you?" Soapberry asked, shifting in her seat. She had spent the vast majority of the last four days in here.

"I thought I'd come and see how she's doing. Word has quickly spread, and the entire town is hoping for her recovery. I'm actually wondering if I could take her staff to make some modifications."

"What sort of modifications?"

"Well, I've learned that it's seldom enough to hope for the best, darling. You also have to prepare for the best as well. So how is she doing?" Rarity asked.

"The doctors are starting to think things are looking up. Necrosis hasn't set in, and while she hasn't come out of whatever trance she's in, the venom in her blood is starting to decrease. But she's not quite out of the woods yet." Soapberry answered, swallowing a lump in her throat.





The filly and her mother were about to start into their lush salads when there was a knock at the door.

"Fizzlepop?" Came the muffled call of Glitter Drops from the other side of the door.

The filly rolled her eyes briefly, and her mother motioned for her to go see her friend. The filly grumbled as she hoped down from her stool. She hadn't spoken to Glitter Drops or Spring Rain since Comet had gotten them a new ball, and they had begun practicing again... With another unicorn colt in town. The last time she had tried to pick up the ball, she sent sparks flying from her horn and her two friends running for cover behind trees.

The unicorn followed the filly out of the kitchen into the foyer. She opened the door to reveal not just Glitter Drops, but Spring Rain as well. Both had what appeared to be solidly packed saddlebags strapped on.

"H-Hey Fizzlepop. I know it's been a few weeks, but, well, we just wanted to come say goodbye before we catch the last train out. We're headed up to Canterlot to Celestia's School."

The filly swallowed. Summer had finally come to an end.

"So you're really going? Without me?" The filly asked.

"We know how hard you've been working, and we really hope it'll pay off. But we really don't think we should pass this opportunity up. When your horn grows back, I'm sure they'll let you reapply." Spring explained.

The filly took a deep, quiet breath.

"Well, bye I guess. Good luck up there."

With the way the filly had bristled, the unicorn was fully expecting her to slam the door as they turned to leave, but she didn't. She took hold of it and slowly pushed it closed, before turning and galloping down the hall, the unicorn forever close in tow.

"Fizzlepop? What about your dinner?" Her mom asked when she heard her go down the hall.

"I'm not hungry!" She yelled before slamming her bedroom door closed.





Fizzlepop's heart monitor had become hypnotic. Something Soapberry believed would repeat in her mind for hours even when the time came to unhook it.

'Soapberry?" Came a concerned voice from the doorway. She looked over and saw Princess Twilight, and glanced over to the window, seeing that the sun had set.

"Good evening, Princess. What can I do for you?" Soapberry asked.

"I hope that question is genuine. You can go back to the castle and get some rest. A good night's sleep, in a real bed. I can tell how sore you are, you've been in that chair for nearly five days straight."

Soapberry glanced over at her daughter.

"It feels wrong to leave her like this." The elder mare replied.

"You're not leaving her. You're giving the watch to me. I took a good nap this afternoon in preparation for tonight., and a good book I've been meaning to re-read. Soapberry, I'm afraid that the two of you might be worrying about this a little too much. We all have moments of uncertainty when we doubt ourselves, both our present actions and past actions. I'm sure you tried your absolute best to be there for her before she ran away all that time ago, but that doesn't mean you have to try and make up for the past twenty years in that chair. Please, Soapberry. Glitter has prepped one of the guest rooms for you."

Soapberry gave a soft sigh, and got up from the chair, as it creaked under her weight.

"Alright, Princess. You win." She resigned.

"Thank you, Soapberry, I'll let you know the moment if anything changes..."

The earth mare came in for a hug, and Princess Twilight felt her shudder.

"Thank you, Princess, for absolutely everything, everything you've done for her. After all that time abroad, I'm so glad she came back to have somepony like you in her life."





The quiet rustles of the forest night were interrupted again with sounds of small rockets flying off and exploding, sparks and lights of all kinds of colors snaking through the trees.

The unicorn dove out of the way of yet another errant projectile. Invisible or not, ghost or not, she wasn't absolutely confident that one of them wasn't going to hit her if she stood still, and she wasn't willing to find out. This had become nearly a nightly occurrence out here in the forest, where the filly had come to the conclusion that if a muscle were to have any chance of growing back, it had to be used and practiced with as much as reasonably possible. That's how muscles were trained and got stronger. But the unicorn had never seen the filly concentrate this hard since sending her two friends running for cover nearly a month ago, and right now she was afraid that the distressed kid was going to burn the forest down.

She dove out of the way of another rocket spell, which collided with a tree and exploded ten feet behind her.

"Ugh... It's no use, kid. It's not going to work!!!" The unicorn screamed frustratingly.

She wasn't sure if she was finally heard, or if the filly was finally exhausted, but the spells stopped, as the dark orchid filly collapsed into the grass, smoldering branches, tree trunks, and weeds all around her.

She took one look around, and slammed her hoof into the forest floor before breaking down into tears, weeping quietly in the night.

The unicorn's heart ached as she got up, walked over to her, and sat silently beside her.

"It's gonna be alright, kid. It's gonna be alright."

She wasn't sure if she believed herself.
> Letting Go
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soapberry did have to admit, it felt nice to feel dirt and grass under her hooves for the first time in days, as she departed Ponyville General into the late evening. Lights were on in most windows on the walk back to the castle, and the brightest light in the night sky was Canterlot on the mountain above.

As she rounded the corner onto the main road, she noticed something about the lamp post on the corner. Taking a closer look, she saw bright blue and pink ribbons tied halfway up the pole, the ends of both colors flapping lazily in the breeze. She looked behind her at the last post she passed, and noticed the same thing. In fact, every light post she could see in the vicinity had those two colored ribbons tied around them.

It didn't take too long for the bit to drop; those were the colors of the exploding fireworks that made up Fizzlepop's cutie mark. Soapberry could not hold back the tears as she continued on to the castle, seeing that the whole town had put up these ribbons on light posts, fence posts, and direction signs. She got several friendly nods and even a few hugs on her walk north through town; word had gotten around of who she was, and what she had been doing here.

This truly was one of the friendliest places in all of Equestria.





The unicorn watched with a lump in her throat as she watched the filly stuff her saddlebags with all 52 bits she had in her ceramic bank,  fruit grain bars, apples, and a couple canteens of water.

"They'll come looking for you, you know that, right?" She asked the filly as she tightened the straps on her bags, before going to her closet and pulling out a brown hooded rain cloak, as distant thunder rumbled outside. She threw the cloak on, and put the hood up and looked in the mirror. She was seemingly satisfied that she couldn't see the tip of her horn. She hopped up on her desk chair, and looked out the window, seeing her mother working in her berry fields, and also saw the approaching thunder clouds.

The unicorn saw the look of determination in the filly's window reflection. If she wanted to do this, it had to be now.

The filly turned to the door, stepped out into the hall, left the bedroom light on, and closed the door. She trotted to the front door, opened it quietly, and stepped outside, closing the front door as silently as she could.

The unicorn knew no matter how much noise she made, it would do absolutely no good.

"Just how far do you think you're going to get?" She asked the filly, who continued out to the main road, standing there, looking at the hills on the horizon. The unicorn stood quietly behind her, as the filly turned her head to look. At first the unicorn thought it was up at her, but then realized she was gazing up at the approaching storm clouds.

The look of determination never left her face.

The filly took a deep breath, and then took a step. Then another, soon breaking into a trot.

The unicorn's breath left her when she realized that she couldn't take a single step. Her hooves remained firmly planted on the ground as she watched the cloaked, hooded filly go down the path as the rain began to fall. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, and for a few moments, she couldn't breathe. The rain quickly picked up in intensity, and as it steadily increased to a downpour, the unicorn could do nothing but watch as the filly climbed the distant hill, and vanish over the crest.

Waves of thunder rumbled overhead as the roads quickly turned to mud.

The unicorn took one single, shuddering breath, and as she let it out, tears made their way out as well as she lowered her head and cried. Her heart pounded against her chest as she hoped for the filly's safety out there. When she opened her eyes, she saw that a puddle of rainwater had formed at her hooves, and she softly gasped at what she saw.

A dark orchid, fully grown unicorn mare stared back up at her.

Her reflection.

She felt something squeeze on her heart as the realization overcame her. She was the little filly. She was Fizzlepop Berrytwist.

Her eyes followed the faded scar up to a completely intact horn on her forehead, which caused her gaze to rise from the puddle and back up to the hill in the distance, as the town of Foal's Peak and the surrounding area began to fade away, and at last, the rainfall ceased, and Fizzlepop found herself standing in an endless sea of white.

Not knowing what would come next, she first sat down, then slowly laid down on her back, staring up at the endless white abyss as her tears began to dry.

For the first time in what felt like weeks, she felt the corners of her mouth curl up as she smiled.
> Rekindling
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fizzlepop felt the endless expanse of white melt away, and felt sheets underneath her. She blinked her eyes a few times, and  saw the ceiling of her hospital room.

"L.C.?" She heard a voice to her left. She rolled her head on the pillow, blinked again, and saw Thunderlane come into focus.

"Thunderlane?" She asked just above a whisper, feeling a dull throbbing from her bandaged shoulder. "How long have I been out?"

"Five days, ma'am. The doctors think you're in the clear as far as necrosis is concerned; there's no timberwolf venom left in your bloodstream. You do, however, have several weeks of recovery ahead of you. I am ready and willing to take command of the Ponyville E.U.P. until you've completed recovery." Thunderlane told her.

"I had a feeling you would be. Where's my mom?"

"Princess Twilight insisted she go back to the castle for some rest last night. She'd been in here with you nearly 24 hours a day. She's been informed that you're being released, and I'm assuming she'll meet you there."

"Thanks, Captain. But I'm assuming I'm not quite done here yet. I can't exactly walk on this." Fizzlepop said, motioning to her bandaged right shoulder. She did note, however, that the IV drip and the other assorted wires had been disconnected.

"As far as I know, Rarity was making something for you." Thunderlane replied.

As if on cue, the Element of Generosity and part-time E.U.P. smith came in with a contraption that included her staff.

"Afternoon, Lieutenant Colonel. I had a feeling that you wouldn't tolerate a traditional wheelchair for your recovery, so I came up with something that allows for a bit more mobility."

What Rarity had crafted was something of a standing two-legged wheeled walker combined with a chest bolster. One of the legs went straight down from the bolster, and the other one went off to the right, with a sling meant to hold and support her injured leg.

"It went through a couple design changes, but it's quite simple, really. You rest your barrel on the padded bolster, which supports the right wheeled leg, taking all of the weight off of your right shoulder and leg, which rests on this sling here. You can pull or push yourself with your good leg, or your staff, whichever is more comfortable for you. Both wheels are hinged in sets of three, so you can more easily navigate curbs and stairs." Rarity explained to her, rolling it up to her bedside.

Using her magic to keep her right leg completely immobile, Fizzlepop rolled over, and sat up on the edge of the bed. With Rarity's gentle help, she got set onto the bolster, and slid her right leg into the sling, putting all her front weight on her barrel and left leg. She took a couple practice steps, and quickly found out that it was going to take a little practice.

The walk back to the castle would be fine. It would also give her the time she needed to sort through her feelings that the past week's worth of memory-exploration had given her. 

"Give me a minute, guys. I'll be out in a sec." Fizzlepop told the unicorn and pegasus. The minute their backs were turned, Fizzlepop magically grabbed her saddle bags, and quickly slid the Twilight plush into the right bag, which had the most space.

She had a feeling she had Grubber to thank for that.

Rarity and Thunderlane accompanied her to the lobby, where she was officially checked out of the hospital. She stepped out into the late afternoon, and insisted that Rarity and her captain be on their way.

It wasn't so bad that she wobbled, but it was a very slow walk. As she made her way up to the center of town, her throat tightened as she noticed the ribbons tied around the light posts and fencing. The walk back, especially as she neared the market square, was slow, and brought nearly to a halt as ponies almost constantly came up to her, asking her how she was doing, telling her how glad they were that she was okay, and giving her gentle hugs. By the time she got to the front of the castle, it was time to test out the hinged sets of wheels. Sure enough, just pressing against the first step, and with a little assistance from her horn, the sets of wheels rotated as they climbed the stairs up to the front doors. Magically pushing them open, she found Glitter making her rounds.

"Fizzlepop!" She exclaimed, coming in for a hug, albeit a gentle one, that she was able to return by favoring the two supports and embracing her friend with her good leg. "How are you doing?" The caretaker asked.

"A bit of a recovery ahead, but as long as I get used to this contraption, it shouldn't be too bad. Is that... Chili I smell?" She said, her nose detecting a whiff of spices no doubt coming from the kitchen. Glitter Drops nodded.

"When your mom heard you'd be released today, she's been in the kitchen ever since, trying her best to stay out of Grubber's way for his dinner service. I think she wanted to have something ready for you when you got back here."

"Thanks, Glitter. I'll be around."

"Absolutely. Let me know if you need anything."

With that, Fizzlepop made her way over to the west wing, where the smells only got stronger the closer she got to the kitchen. They were smells that called her back to childhood. Coming up to the kitchen door, she gave a knock with the hoof from her left leg, and waited. Moments later, the door was pulled open, and there stood Soapberry, with an apron on.

"Oh Fizzlepop, you're just in time! I was about to ask Glitter what time you were expected back." Her mom said, turning back to the stovetop, turning off the burner and picking up the small covered pot, setting it on the wheeled cart that she had placed right next to the stove.

"I thought I'd whip up a little taste of home for dinner tonight. It's supposed to be gorgeous out this evening, so I thought we could eat out on the balcony if you thought you were up for it. Can you get up stairs okay with that bolster?"

"It's a little on the slow side, but I can manage well enough, yeah."

The pair of ponies walked out of the kitchen, Soapberry pushing the cart with the pot, plates, and utensils on it, with Fizzlepop following close behind. When they got back out to the foyer and the stairs, Fizzlepop magically lifted the cart up to the second floor before turning her magic on her bolster's wheels, and slowly made her way up as well. Together, they walked along the left side foyer balcony, out to the exterior balcony, where the sun was beginning to disappear behind the western hills. There in the middle of the balcony, a small bistro table for two had been set up. Soapberry quietly wheeled the cart around to the other side of the table, put the plates at their respective places before sitting down, lifting the lid off of the pot, revealing one of Fizzlepop's childhood favorites; spicy veggie chili.

Fizzlepop lit up her horn, and carefully lifted her right leg out of the sling, letting it down easy at her side, before she came up to her chair, and removed the padded bolster from her barrel, and sat down, just in time for her mom to ladle a serving of the chili into the bowl in front of her. She remembered the last time she had eaten this, the night she had returned from the hospital after the accident.

"So..." Soapberry began, serving herself a ladle of chili. "That potion... Did you find what you were looking for?"

The emotions bubbling and rising in her chest, Fizzlepop magically took the spoon, took a bite, and barely swallowed before she released the spoon from her magic, lowered her head, and began to weep.

"Fizzlepop?"

The unicorn shuddered in her seat, sniffling as the tears began to fall.

"I'm..." She began, trying to get herself under control. Unable to lift her gaze to look her mom in the eyes, she continued looking down into the bowl of delicious hometown chili. "I'm so sorry... That I ever made myself believe that you didn't want me."

Soapberry saw how her daughter was quivering. She got up, walked around the table and the cart, and came up to the grieving unicorn, and gently wrapped her front legs around her. Fizzlepop was trying to not let her shoulders heave because of her injury.

"I'm so... I'm so sorry..." The unicorn whimpered.

"Fizzlepop..." Soapberry began, softly rubbing her back with her right hoof. "I'm not going to lie, or sugarcoat anything right now. It hurt, it really hurt, when you rebuffed all my attempts to console you, to let you down easy, or to get you to face reality. But you were as stubborn as a mule. And I really think that's why you're here right now. I have no doubt that your bullheaded nature is how you survived out there. You know what I think? I think we've spent too much time and effort looking back. You may think that you lost your way, but maybe you were supposed to. You found yourself in the Storm King's employ, and Grubber told me that you almost immediately regretted what had happened to the hippogriffs at Mount Aris. But because of that, you were able to return, and show them the character, honor, and integrity that Princess Twilight helped instill in you. And you did that, with absolutely no idea how you would be thanked in return. Twenty years is a very long time, sweetheart, but the stormy road you went down led you here, and it brought you to what you were looking for. I have seen firsthand, what you mean to your troops, and what you mean to this town. They have your cutie mark-colored ribbons tied on every fence and light post for you. So you know what? I don't want to worry about what's behind us anymore. All I want now is to look forward to what's coming."

Fizzlepop sniffled and swallowed in her mother's embrace, then took a few deep breaths as she got herself under control.

"Twenty years is a long time, and a steep price. But one thing's for sure... I wouldn't trade this place for anything." The unicorn said, wiping her eyes. "Except maybe home for a few weeks."

"What do you mean?" Soapberry asked.

"It's gonna be a few weeks before I can start physical therapy with this leg. Would it be alright if I went back to Foal's Peak with you for that time? Learn the basics of berry farming? Get some real quality time with you?" Fizzlepop asked as she resumed eating her mom's chili.

Soapberry teared up a bit herself as she softly smiled at her daughter.

"I'd like that, Fizzlepop. I'd like that a lot."

Fizzlepop took another bite of chili, feeling her throat beginning to tingle as the spices began to take effect.

Just the way she remembered it.
> Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gallus marched out of the general armory and down the barracks hall in full armor, turning to the left to Lieutenant Colonel Berrytwist's armory and office before the stairs. The griffon came through the doorway, walked over to the front of the occupied desk, and came to attention.

"Reporting as ordered, Lieutenant Colonel." He stated to the unicorn sitting at the desk.

Fizzlepop looked up from her file folder at the griffon, looking him up and down.

"Private Gallus, it is my understanding that you took more than your fair share of watches outside of my room for the past week, and that your armor was absolutely pristine each and every time, and that is a notably marked improvement on one of the areas that you've been struggling with recently."

"Yes, ma'am." The griffon replied. The unicorn gave him a smirk.

"Well, maybe I'll make Canterlot material out of you yet."

"Ma'am?"

Fizzlepop got to her hooves, using the chest bolster for support, and magically opened a polished oak box that Gallus had not noticed on the desk.

"Private Gallus, you are hereby promoted to the rank of Corporal, with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto. I am going to be taking an extended leave of absence. You'll be taking orders and patrol assignments from Captain Thunderlane, who will be assuming full command of the squad until I return. I believe he's also searching for somecreature who can instruct you in advanced melee techniques and combat; your front talons give you an edge in dexterity that airborne E.U.P. troops don't normally have. I expect the same marked improvement from you when that time comes. Congratulations."

With that, Fizzlepop magically removed the additional set of chevrons, and attached them under the set the griffon currently had on both sides of his armor collar. As much as Gallus wanted to immediately look down at them, he knew there would be a time for that, and instead remained at attention as they were properly fastened, rendering a salute with his right wing when the deed was done.

"Thank you, ma'am. I won't let you down, ma'am."





Fizzlepop stepped off the train, keeping an eye on her bolster, making sure the wheels weren't going to get wedged between the passenger car and the platform.

"You need me to get your bags?" Soapberry asked. Her daughter shook her head.

"No, this is regulation weight, and you've already got more than enough there." Fizzlepop told her as they made their way down the platform stairs onto the dirt path that led to the hills that the village of Foal's Peak was nestled behind. IN the past two days, Fizzlepop had gotten used to slowing her pace to little under a trot. It was liberating in a way. Almost every day, she had been headed somewhere, patrolling somewhere. Now as she walked beside her mom towards town, she took in the scenery in a way that she hadn't really before.

"Just to let you know hun, I hadn't made the time to clear out your bedroom or get it re-furnished before I left for Ponyville." Her mom warned her.

"No worries, mom. My pack includes a full camping kit. If the weather is nice enough, I'll have no trouble camping in the backyard."

Fizzlepop felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders compared to coming into town the last time, when she was dreading returning, and had done it primarily because of what Glitter and Gallus had said to her. Needless to say, with her newfound clarity thanks to Zecora's potion, she was glad to be back here. At this point, she was entirely used to the chest bolster, that was almost like a reverse standing wheelchair. She hoped physical therapy would go smoothly when she would be able to start in a few weeks. Her shoulder still throbbed lightly, but unless it got worse, she wouldn't resort to the painkillers she had packed in her kit. The only time she was seriously worried about moving her leg in the wrong way was in her sleep. She hoped she could figure out a way to hang a sling akin to her hospital bed.

As they came into town, she got friendly waves as she smiled and nodded at passers by, noting that the lack of reception on her first visit back might have been due to her lack of interaction. She hadn't engaged with or greeted anypony. But this time, she felt like she was home again.

The pair of mares made their way to their small neighborhood, coming up to her old home. Rather than going up the front walk, Fizzlepop walked around the side towards the backyard, looking at the berry bushes that had been planted for years, as well as the new ones that she had helped plant just before leaving last time.

"So where do you think you'd like to set up?" Soapberry asked her daughter as she surveyed the available spaces in the yard. Fizzlepop spotted an area between a small flower garden and the main berry patches, and lit her horn up, beginning to rummage through her left saddlebag, and came out with a densely packed and folded purple polyester, with a pull string at one of the corners. She gently set it out in the open where she didn't believe it would hit anything once it was triggered, then gave the string a magic yank.

With a huge rush of air, the small pouch rapidly inflated and grew into a two-story purple tent, complete with a flag on the very top with the Kingdom of Friendship's emblem.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Fizzlepop groaned, resisting the urge to slam her face into her hooves as her mom, unable to contain it through short snorts, burst into a fit of laughter.

"Did you grab Rarity's camping kit or something?" Soapberry asked as she got herself under control to mere giggles.

"No, but I believe I'll have to have a talk with her about what she so generously packs in mine next time..." Fizzlepop replied, walking forward, lifting the wheels over the doorway and peeked inside.

There would be no using the second floor, but she very quickly realized why Rarity had packed this absolutely over-the-top tent; the planter hooks on the 'roof' of the first floor would quite easily accommodate a sling if she placed her cot underneath it.  Maybe she had known what she was doing; it would have taken awhile to fashion something that would keep her leg secure and relatively immobile in the tent that was in her regular camping kit. She'd just have to deal with how ridiculously over the top it looked for now.





After getting her cot set up, Fizzlepop and her mom broke for lunch. Afterward, Soapberry went inside to start clearing out her daughter's former bedroom while the unicorn continued to establish her backyard campsite. By the time she had everything set and her sling ready for safe sleeping, the day was nearly done. She stepped out of the tent, and saw that a small neighborhood crowd had started to gather around the garden and berry patches, with her mom standing at the entrance to the tent.

"What's all this?" The unicorn asked, seeing that several of the neighbors had brought chairs, and a few fillies and colts had spread out a blanket to sit on.

"Well, Grubber told me about how you put on a fireworks show for special occasions in Ponyville. We didn't have anything else planned today, so we were hoping you'd give us a little demonstration." Soapberry said, giving Fizzlepop a hopeful smile.

Fizzlepop took one more look around at the gathered neighbors, and smiled back.

"Judging by the size of this crowd, I think I can give all of you a bit more than that." Fizzlepop said, pushing her bolster out to a clearing in the berry patches. She took a deep breath, and she began to meditate as her horn began to glow a brilliant blue. Her breathing slowed, and on her next exhale, a sparking orb of light shot skyward, exploding in a brilliant pattern of light.

Soapberry teared up, silently watching as the young and old ooh'd and aah'd at her daughter's magnificent display. She would treasure the coming days, and weeks, and years. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to make up for the past twenty years, but she would certainly try, and she would absolutely cherish every moment going forward.

Fizzlepop deserved nothing less.