The week went by quicker than Echo thought it would. She was all set for the train ride to the Crystal Empire. She had left the little ones with her adult subjects, who assured her that they could take care of the kingdom while she was gone. She went to the Ponyville Train Station, where she remembered coming in with Hemlock Berry and Silent Sound.

Everypony else was there waiting for her, Thorax, and Pharynx. Starlight looked really eager to see her best friend again. Twilight was ecstatic to see her niece again, along with her brother and sister-in-law. Rarity was loving the idea of seeing the Crystal Ponies again. Spike was pretty boastful about how he saved the Crystal Empire, twice, though Echo was sure that was because of circumstance and not free-will. But Spike also wanted to see his old friend Thorax again, as Starlight was hoping to see how Pharynx has been doing.

Speaking of whom, Echo secretly also wanted to see Pharynx again. For previously being such a violent, short-tempered Changeling like what Starlight told her, Pharynx seemed to be adapting quite well to his new environment. She looked up to see the Changeling in question land alongside his brother. Thorax and Pharynx exchanged a few words with Spike and Twilight, the latter subtly waving his wing at Echo, who waved back. When it was time to leave, the group went into the train and headed off.

Pharynx's muzzle was the color of a pink poppy flower when he realized he and Echo were sitting together. Thorax seemed to be enjoying himself, chatting away with Spike during the ride. Everypony else was talking to pass the time; he and Echo were in the back corner. As the Bat pony was by the window looking outside, all Pharynx saw was a nasty-looking scar on her withers, peeking from under her long, midnight blue mane.

The Changeling cleared his throat. "So… that on your neck. How'd you get that?" He gingerly touched the scar to emphasize.

Echo grew tense and turned to look at the earnest curiosity in his eyes. "That came from when Crimson Ice and Velvet Tear were in an especially bad mood. I sang my usual song to the orphans when, out of nowhere, something sharp got into my shoulder, and something else got the back of my head before I could even scream. When I woke up, one of the little ones told me that Velvet threw her knife into my shoulder as Crimson threw a rock at my head to knock me out. It was easy enough for both wounds to heal, but the scar from the stab never left. It was less than a year before we decided to break out."

Pharynx listened to the indigo mare with keen interest. "I never thought there would be a place with ponies like that," he admitted once she concluded. "While we were growing up under Chrysalis, we were told that the Bat ponies were once a threat to the Hive, and that their loss of their queen and princess was a great victory for us. But ever since she was banished and Thorax took the reins, they tried to find a second opinion, while I was… preoccupied with something. Sure enough, when we were told about the Nightmare Orphanage and the little Changelings there, we found out there were real ponies much worse than Chrysalis' tall tales; and Bat ponies weren't at all what we were taught."

Echo hummed as she rested her head on her hoof. "I suppose there are a lot of things we can learn about each other."

The Changeling nodded as he slowly laid his wing across her shoulders the rest of the ride. When they reached the Crystal Empire among the frozen arctic, they all got off the train, Pharynx quickly tucking his wing back in before Echo saw it.

"It's wonderful to see you all again," a pink alicorn greeted the group alongside a white stallion with a baby carriage. "And who might these two be?"

"This is my older brother, Pharynx," Thorax gestured to the teal Changeling.

"And the other is Echoing Shadow, the Bat Princess," Twilight added.

"You can call me Echo," the dark-colored mare smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Echo," the alicorn replied. "You can call me Cadence, and this is my husband, Shining Armor, and our daughter, Flurry Heart."

Echo peered into the baby carriage to see the small, pink, infant alicorn with her large wings. Her big blue eyes were adorable, and she giggled at seeing the two new ponies.

"Aw, isn't she a cutie," Echo awed at the little princess, stroking the infant's forelock with her hoof.

"But she's also pretty powerful for her size," Twilight warned. "Come on, we can talk more in the castle."

"You guys can go ahead," Pharynx told them. "I'm going to take a look around."

Pharynx soared around the Crystal Empire, looking down at all the Crystal Ponies and guards. They seemed friendly and cheerful enough for ponies that were for the most part translucent. Their coats and manes came in all sorts of bright colors, and they all seemed to be immortal.

Echo would stick out in this place as much as I do back at the Hive, Pharynx realized. Then again, anypony with a dark coat would stick out in a place with all these bright-colored ponies. I guess that's one thing I have in common with her, and that Princess Luna. Of course, that doesn't make her any less beautiful with those pretty purple and blue colors. Hearing about her story… that's kinda frightening how she got stabbed like that. I thought all ponies were as bright and cheerful as their colors would make somepony believe. Well, I guess everypony can be proved wrong at some point. He looked over at the huge crystal palace at the center of the kingdom. I might as well see how Echo's doing in this place.

"That coat of yours looks like it went through a war," Shining Armor admitted, looking at Echo's scarred hide and scrawny frame.

Echo looked down at her hooves in embarrassment as Twilight slapped her brother's side with her wing.

"You don't need to point that out!" she scolded. "Echo's lived in the Nightmare Orphanage her whole life. There's no way she'd get rid of what she was put through."

"I thought the Nightmare Orphanage was an old mare's tale," Cadence mused.

"It's as real as real can get," Echo replied in a slightly chilling tone. "Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice hurt me and the other orphans every day and night. We couldn't leave, and we barely had a chance to eat. I had to get them food every night, and every night I was beaten for it. The night we decided to break free…" She trailed off, not wanting to say it while they were around Flurry and the guards.

"I see," Cadence frowned. "You must've been through a lot, Echo. I'm sure you and you're fellow orphans are really grateful that you're free now."

Echo looked up to meet the Crystal Princess' eyes, smiling softly. "That we are," she nodded slowly.

Flurry's nose began to twitch a little bit before she suddenly sneezed, sending a blast of gold magic from her horn. Echo ducked her head to dodge the beam.

Pharynx, who was almost at the castle, took a direct hit from the beam on his wing and spun out of control. He spiraled down to the ground, straight towards an oblivious Echo. The two suddenly crashed into each other as they were knocked unconscious.