Merry Christmas, Fanfiction Community! Hope your day has been as merry as mine!

Just finished opening all my gifts, and was quite pleased! And then i realized: Oh crap, today's a Friday! Posting day!

But I was prepared. and Because of all the Christmas Spirit, I'd like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas with a double post! :D

I hope you enjoy! (BTW my normal goodbye will be tacked on to the end of the next chapter)

Chapter 29: Return to Normalcy

"So that is all, I see," Celestia said thoughtfully. She rested her fingers together as she leaned on her desk. Luna sat just off to the side, aimlessly running her hands over her stomach. Before her stood hers and her sister's four knights, each standing at attention. Twilight sat in a chair along one wall, eyes glued to her laptop. Celestia regarded them all for a long minute. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "I suppose we should be thankful to those Zodiac soldiers for only targeting my sister and I primarily."

"They attacked me as well," Grace pointed out. "Although I believe they were doing an aggressive search for you, Princess Celestia. Around the time you said they began attacking you, they stopped attacking everywhere else."

"And the one that attacked us brought his entire force to bear on us," Luna said. "If it wasn't for the timely intervention of Jehu's children…"

"The magic they used was unlike anything we'd ever seen in Equestria," Twilight said. "Both those soldiers and those two girls. Although it didn't seem like that Passion girl was using magic until that last attack."

"While those soldiers were using it the whole time to fend us off," Ace said.

"We can't develop countermeasures for what we don't know," Twilight asserted.

Celestia nodded. "Then we should begin learning. Twilight Sparkle, I want you to learn as much as you can about our new enemies. Flash, Ace, I want you to investigate the old. Grace, stay with my sister and Tyr."

Grace blinked. "Stay with…?"

"I mean, you will be moving in for the time being."

Luna began to protest almost immediately. "Sister, I do not need—"

"Before you begin complaining," Celestia said with a small chuckle. "I am only asking Grace, who is your knight after all. Surely it won't bother you to have her around?"

"Well… I mean…"

"I thought Tyr was already filling his house with plenty of women already?" She said with a smirk. Both Tyr and Luna looked a little embarrassed.

"I was just helping someone out," Tyr said honestly.

Celestia giggled. "I know. It is your kind heart that draws people to you, Tyr. Do not lose that aspect of yourself."

"Um… of course, Princess."

"I suppose its fine," Luna said with a sigh. "However, it is beginning to seem like we're running a hotel, not a house."

"Hey, look. Trixie is only going to stay for a little while longer, and Grace is just going to be with us for a while," Tyr argued. "Besides, it's not that bad having other people in the house. It would feel really empty otherwise."

"True enough."

"Well, I'll be in your care," Grace said, bowing slightly.

"Chrys will have a room ready for you once we get home," Tyr told her. "So you should probably run home and gather your things."

"Alright, I'll meet you guys back at Tyr's home." She bowed again, this time to Celestia. "I hope to see you soon, Princess."

"As do I, Grace," Celestia said. The red headed woman nodded and left the room. Luna rose from her seat.

"I suppose we should take our leave as well, Sister," She said. She moved over to Tyr, who put an arm around her to support her. It was another of those moments that reminded Celestia of her previous conversation with Flash and Twilight. She hadn't spoken of it to Luna yet, and she was dreading having the conversation with Tyr. Hopefully, it just came up naturally. Hopefully. She forced a quick smile onto her face.

"Ah, yes. Do be safe, Lulu."

"I'll make sure of that," Tyr said with a smile. He and Luna left, leaving Celestia alone with her two knights. The morning haired woman let her smile linger for a bit before it vanished completely. She slowly laid her head on the desk. Ace and Flash shared a worried look just before she spoke.

"I'm tired," She complained quietly. The two men standing in the room let out sighs before smiling softly.

"We know, Princess," Ace said. "We know."

Flash chuckled. "I'll call the usual cake place."

-x-

"Another woman moves in with us?" Chrys said with a chuckle. "Perhaps I was wrong, Trixie. Perhaps our Master isn't too opposed to having multiple women!"

"What on earth did I come home to," Tyr muttered, helping Luna over to a seat. His Changeling and his new housemate were sitting in the living room, having some sort of conversation as they arrived home.

"You tell me, Master," Chrys said, hopping up from her seat to slide up beside Tyr. She wrapped her arms around him. "What is this about Miss Saving Grace moving in with us?"

"Isn't that Princess Luna's other knight?" Trixie asked. "Trixie remembers hearing of her."

"Grace is only staying with us as a safety precaution," Tyr pointed out. He frowned, mind jumping back to the beginning of the conversation. "Chrys."

"Yes, my Master?" Chrys purred.

"…You said our Master. What the hell?"

"Oh that? I simply explained to Trixie her place in the house."

Tyr glanced at Trixie, who looked away with a deep blush on her face. "I was… erm, Trixie was informed that that was the proper way to address you, Master."

"Nope. No way. Trixie, you don't have to call me Master."

"Unless you're submitting to his will," Fenrir pointed out, appearing in her humanoid form on Tyr's shoulder. "Cause then, you'd have to call him Master anyway."

"He is a wonderful Master, is he not?" Chrys said, giggling. "It wouldn't be too hard to validate giving your life into his hands."

"Alright, conversation over," Tyr said, shaking Chrys off. Fenrir hopped off of his shoulder and lay across the back of the couch. He went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of juice. He found Snow trying to get down from the top of the fridge. "…How did you get up there…?"

The little kitten meowed in response before leaping off the fridge to the top of his head, and then to the counter. Freed from his perch, he made a beeline to his owner. "Oh, Snow! I was wondering where you got off to."

"Cat's a ninja," Tyr muttered.

Despite all the craziness, Luna was laughing. "You know, to be honest, it is nice to be home. Home where there are not any crazy people attempting to kill me."

"Trixie has always found peace to be much more comfortable," Trixie agreed, sitting back in her chair. "Preferable, as well."

"Fair enough," Tyr said with a smile. He then glanced at the stairwell. "What's Sherry up to?"

"Says she was playing a game online," Chrys said, playing with Snow. "She closed the door."

"Hm. I'm going to go talk to her." With that, Tyr headed upstairs and to the game room. He needed to talk to Sherry, to see how she was feeling after the other day. Witnessing death and the like would have no doubt unnerved her. Hopefully he could comfort her. Much like Chrys had told him, he found the door closed. He knocked lightly. "Sherry? You in there?"

There was silence for a moment. "…Is that you, dad?" Sherry's voice asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's me. Can I come in?"

"…Sure. Give me a second. Rubrik: Allow."

There was a sound from the other side, and then Sherry opened the door slightly. Tyr found the girl looked extremely despondent and there was darkness in her eyes. She moved aside to let her father enter. As Tyr came in, he could see the purple rune stones lining the wall around the door. "…You can control it?"

"I'm learning," Sherry said softly, sitting back on the middle couch. Tyr sat beside her, waiting for her to speak. She continued a minute later. "…Are the Princesses dangerous?"

Tyr felt a bit of a chill at her words, but did his best not to show it. "What do you mean, Sherry?"

"I mean, are the Princesses so dangerous that people need to kill them?" Sherry turned to her father, pleas in her eyes. "Why can't people just… accept us?"

Tyr pulled the girl into a hug. "Sherry. Humans have a terrible habit of fearing things they don't understand."

"But… you're not afraid of Luna or Celestia! You love Luna, don't you?"

"Of course I do, sweetie. And I love you, and all my friends."

"Then why…?"

"Because a lot of people aren't like me," Tyr answered honestly. "I know it was a lot more peaceful in Equestria than here, so fighting with weapons was probably rare. But that sort of thing is deeply ingrained in human history… even mine."

"I remember," Sherry said. "You had to kill bad people, right?"

Tyr nodded. "And even some that were not so evil. I had to do what I was told, and some of those orders meant someone's life had to end. I won't be so cold as to say that's the way it was, but each death still weighs on me." He sighed. "I wish life was more black and white. But other times its more gray and gray than we think."

Sherry was quiet for a long minute, obviously considering her next words. "…I killed one. One of the Zodiac men."

"What?" Tyr glanced down at her, shock on his face. He had been so focused on surviving his bout with Taurus that he hadn't seen any of the Zodiac soldiers get past him. The girl in his arms shivered.

"One of the men got inside… and he attacked Rarity. I didn't think , I just asked Rubrik to protect her…"

"…It's okay, baby. Those men would have hurt you if you hadn't done anything. You protected yourself and Rarity." He squeezed her tight. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"I was so scared…"

"I'll never let anyone hurt you, Sherry. Never."

"…Thanks, dad."

"You gonna be alright in here?" He looked around. "You want me to stay?"

Sherry shook her head and gently detached herself from her father. "I'm… okay. I just want to ask…"

"What is it?"

"Is it always so… cold when someone dies?"

Tyr was momentarily taken back to his time on the force, the cold feel of a rifle butt against his face and that cold sinking feeling in his soul whenever he had to pull the trigger. At a distance, it was easier to detach yourself from the act. But at the distance one could reach out and touch another… it was a dark place he quickly shook off. When he finally replied, his voice was quiet and somewhat far away. "…Yeah. That never changes."

"…I don't want to have to kill anyone ever again."

"Same here, love. Same here."

"Alright. I'm good now dad. Honest." Sherry smiled over at him. "I'll be fine."

"If you ever need to talk, we're all here for you."

Sherry's smile lessened just a bit, before she nodded. "I'll be alright. Just won't be playing Call of Duty or anything for a while."

"Alright love." Tyr kissed her forehead. "I'll be by to check on you later. I just remembered I have to go restock our food supplies. We're feeding five people now."

Sherry waved goodbye as her father left the room. She sat for a moment regarding the walls, unwilling to play anything. Death wasn't a new concept for her—she had seen plenty of death in her short time alive. That was something she wished was different. But this time… this was the first time she had caused a death. She was the reason another living being was gone. She shivered. Despite it being someone out to hurt her and her friends, it still gave her a chill every time she remembered it.

~Help me~

"I would if I could," Sherry whispered to the cube lying on the couch beside her. "I would if I could."

-x-

"Found you!"

Ace barely had time to register what was happening before he had violet hair all in his face. By the time he had managed to figure out what was happening, he was surrounded by color. And the brightest of the bunch was eating his cake. "Hey!"

"You were done with it, right?" Rainbow said, already scarfing down his slice of cake.

"Oh, come on, Dashie! I was eating that!"

"Not anymore," Rainbow said with a chuckle, tossing a piece up to Scootaloo, who was hanging off Ace's neck. The younger girl caught the piece of cake deftly in her mouth and swallowed.

"Mm, that's good!" Scootaloo said happily.

"Damn it, you two…" Ace muttered. Flash, off to the side chuckled as he continued eating. "Hey, you're just lucky Twilight isn't here!"

"Where is Egghead anyway?" Rainbow asked, looking around. "She came here today, didn't she?"

"She's off to go look up info on those guys that attacked us the other day," Flash said, holding his cake just out of Scootaloo's reach. "Seems she heard of a library with all sorts of old tomes and whatnot."

"Leave it to Twilight to go running off at the sound of books," Rainbow laughed. "Surprised she didn't take you, Flash."

"She took Spike. She told me I'd be better off staying here."

"And keeping me company," Ace quipped, earning himself a playful punch in the arm. Rainbow frowned.

"What, I'm not company enough for you?"

"Oh, don't start," Ace said with a chuckle, reaching out to mess with her hair. "I'd rather be spending time with you anyway. Flash is no fun."

"I'm plenty fun," Flash protested.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that."

"So where did this cake come from anyway?" Scootaloo asked. She frowned in consternation as Flash again managed to guess where she was going to try grabbing his cake from again.

"Princess Celestia ordered it," Flash explained. "She was… in the mood."

"Some kind of mood," Rainbow commented with a chuckle. She glanced over at Flash, who was watching her intently. "…See something you like, Flash?"

Her tone was teasing, but it only got a frown out of him. "…You're growing your hair out."

"You noticed? I thought I was being cool about it." She reached up to finger the ends of her hair, which now came just a little past her shoulders. Its rainbow coloration seemed a bit fuller now. Even Flash had to admit it looked good on her.

"Well, it certainly doesn't look bad," Flash said impartially. He couldn't just go around telling his friend's fiancés that they were attractive, could he? He doubted Twi was the jealous sort, however knowing that even giving one compliment to Rainbow would result in no end of teasing, he kept his compliment as impartial as possible.

"It's kinda nice having long hair," Rainbow said, smirking. "Although I can't see myself growing it as long as Flutters."

"That would be impressive in its own right," Ace said with a smirk. "I don't even know how Fluttershy handles all of that hair."

"I used to help her a lot," Rainbow pointed out. "Applejack's probably helping her with it now."

The inflection on her voice was a bit wistful, Ace noticed. There was no wonder—Fluttershy had been Rainbow's closest friend, and now because of their respective relationships, they probably didn't see each other that much. Ace could sympathize. He and Flash had grown slightly distant when Flash had started dating Twilight. However, it had only lasted a little while. Both of the men were still close friends. Deciding to speak up in order to break his girlfriend out of any moods she might get into, Ace spoke. "Well, who knows. Applejack might have her just wearing it in the same loose ponytail like she wears hers."

"Or maybe Fluttershy gets AJ into getting her own hair done," Flash joked. "Can you imagine it? Applejack with her hair all shiny and whatnot?"

Rainbow chuckled. "You probably didn't see her at the Gala then…"

"We were on guard duty all night," Ace pointed out. "We didn't get much free time in order to… socialize."

"Perhaps I should rectify that in the future," Celestia said, walking over. The three of them seemed quite surprised at her sudden arrival, her two knights attempting to stand at attention. "No, please, sit. At this moment, I am not your princess. I am simply a friend that wishes to spend time with those she cares about."

Flash and Ace stayed frozen for a moment, before reluctantly lowering themselves back into their seats. Celestia magically pulled a chair over so that she could sit as part of their little circle. "Well… this is terrifying," Ace muttered.

"Seconded," Flash said.

"Come now, boys," Celestia admonished. "You've spent years by my side. How can something like this be worry some?"

"You're our boss," Ace pointed out.

"Plus, you're a Princess," Rainbow said.

Celestia looked a little upset. "That didn't stop them from ogling me in my swimsuit when we went to the beach."

"Well that's… hey! That is true!"

"Not true!" Ace protest immediately. "…Well, partially true. But I spent more time ogling Rainbow!"

The girl in question blushed furiously. "Is that actually the best way to defend yourself?" She asked quietly, nudging Ace. He chuckled nervously.

"…right."

"What's your excuse, Flash?" Celestia asked, turning to the blue-haired man. Flash stared back at her without any sort of emotion in his face.

"I have no regrets," He said simply. "Besides, your swimsuit was pretty revealing."

"It was on purpose."

"…You cruel, cruel woman."

Celestia giggled. "I do like teasing you two."

Flash opened his mouth to complain, but his phone suddenly beeped. He pulled it out smoothly, Scootaloo climbing up onto his shoulders to see. "Ooh, it's Twilight."

"Off, hummingbird," Flash murmured, one wing snapping outward and pushing Scootaloo gently to the floor.

"…Hummingbird?" Scootaloo murmured, confused. "Isn't that that little bird that's always flying around?"

"Yeah. You remind me of one."

"I…" She frowned, and then smiled. "I kinda like that."

"Well, that's my nickname for you now. Confirmed!" He tapped her on the head playfully. The younger girl giggled.

"Has Twilight found something?" Celestia asked. She had worried about her former student and her assistant since they had left.

"She says she's found some really old books at the library she was at. Seems she's getting into full study mode."

"Leave it to Egghead to get caught up in dusty old books," Rainbow said with a shrug. "But I guess if anyone's gonna find something, It'll be her."

-x-

"Tell me again why I'm doing this?"

"Applejack darling, you've asked that for the umpteenth time already."

"Silly Rare-bear, umpteenth isn't a word!"

"Actually Pinkie, it is a word."

"Yeah, Pinkie, Shy's right."

Pinkie gasped loudly and jumped up to her feet, towel hanging precariously off of her head. "This. Changes. EVERYTHING."

Rarity pulled Pinkie down to sit back on the bench beside her, another gout of steam rushing into the sauna. "Pinkie-winkle, calm down."

"Aw, but you get to make big deals out of little things!"

"What? No I do not!"

Applejack chuckled. "Yeah you do, Rare. You do it so often it's like everything is a crisis to ya."

"Now that is not true!"

Pinkie frowned. "But just yesterday you were all worried about Sweetie Bell spilling a bottle of ink, and you even got your fainting couch…"

"AHEM!" Rarity cleared her throat loudly, covering Pinkie's mouth with her hand. Fluttershy and Applejack giggled while Rarity blushed deeply. "A-anyway, back to you two, my darlings. How are you doing?"

"We're doing good," Fluttershy said with a soft smile. "I'm usually just helping Granny Smith out in the house while Jackie works or at the veterinarian's office."

"We're starting to get into the slow season," Applejack said. "So I try to spend as much time with Fluttershy as I can."

"My," Rarity said with a smile, releasing Pinkie. "That is adorable!"

"There was another thing," Fluttershy said softly. Rarity glanced over at her with a look of confusion on her face.

"What is it, darling?"

"Jackie and I were… um… well, Rainbow and Princess Luna… um…"

She trailed off, blush overtaking her face. Applejack was likewise embarrassed, looking at the wall beside her. Rarity watched them both for the longest time before she connected the dots. "YOU TWO WANT TO GET MARRIED!?"

"Shh!" Fluttershy shushed her, blush deepening.

"Celestia's hooves, you got louder than a stuck pig," Applejack said, blushing as well. "Wanna just tell the world our business?"

"Oh!" Rarity covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry darling, I was just surprised! I didn't think… I wasn't certain you had any ideas towards that."

"It was Jackie's idea," Fluttershy said, reaching over to grasp one of Applejack's hands. The farm girl was surprised by the gesture, but twisted her fingers into Fluttershy's without argument. "She actually brought it up some time ago."

"That's cool!" Pinkie giggled.

"When did you want to do it?" Rarity asked. Her mind was already running through ideas for wedding dresses.

"Well…" Fluttershy frowned. "I mean, Rainbow Dash and Ace Guard are getting married… and so are Tyr and Princess Luna… we'd hate to drag people between three weddings…"

"Plus we were thinking to wait a bit anyway," Applejack said with a nervous smile. "No need to go rushing into things, right?"

Rarity frowned, but she knew both where girls were coming from. Fluttershy was too shy to rush into a relationship, especially with something as serious as marriage. Applejack was a traditionalist at heart, and most likely wanted to take time to make sure that marrying Fluttershy would be the right decision. Their hearts were connected, but still separated. Even the seamstress herself found herself worrying at times that Pinkie wasn't looking forward to marriage. It was times like these she wished had Rainbow Dash's lack of worry. Their rainbow haired friend had found the man she loved and snatched him up immediately. Even Twilight and Flash getting married was all but certain. She sighed. "I… I suppose you're right, darling."

"I think it's time for me to get out," Fluttershy said. "I think the heat is starting to get to me."

"Yeah, I reckon it's a good a time as any," Applejack agreed. She and Fluttershy got up and moved to the sauna doors, but the farm girl stopped just shy of leaving. "You guys coming?"

"I'll be out in a minute," Rarity said. "I just… wanted to stay just a bit longer."

"I'll stay with Rarity," Pinkie said with a soft smile. Applejack shrugged and followed Fluttershy out.

The two women left in the sauna sat in silence for a long minute. It was a long time before Rarity spoke again. "…Pinkie Pie?"

"Are you scared, Rare-bear?" Pinkie asked quietly, laying her head on Rarity's shoulder.

"…Yes."

"I'm not going to leave you," Pinkie reminded her. Rarity smiled despite herself.

"…I know. But… is it for us? Marriage?"

"We don't have to get married right away. We don't have to rush, right?" Rarity's line of thinking was beginning to worry Pinkie. She normally tried her hardest to not think about the hard stuff too much, cause it always gave her really big headaches. However, Rarity was always thinking of things like that, and it was Pinkie's job to console her and keep her mind clear. A worrying Rarity was a bad Rarity, after all.

Rarity nodded slowly. "But… that's not the only thing bothering me…"

"Tell me. You know I'm always ready to listen!" Pinkie extracted a large twisted horn and held it up to her ear. Rarity couldn't help but giggle as she pushed it away.

"Stop that. This is serious!"

"Fine…"

"…I want to have kids."

Pinkie's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "…Kids? You… you really want to have some?"

Rarity nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."

"Then… we could adopt…" Pinkie trailed off. She wasn't against the idea of having children of her own to take care of—she took care of the Cakes' children all the time and she loved it. But…she never ever thought of actually having them. She was a bit surprised to see Rarity shaking her head. "I… I mean, I don't… dunno."

"I know, but… ever since I was a little filly… er, girl, I dreamed of starting my own business, falling in love, getting pregnant, and then finally having my children and watching them grow up to attain everything they ever desired." A dreamy look filled Rarity's eyes, and for a moment Pinkie Pie was afraid the heat had gotten to her. "I fell in love, and my business is booming but…"

"I can't get you pregnant."

Rarity heard the hurt in Pinkie's voice, and it surprised her. She had never expected Pinkie to come to a conclusion like that, and especially not sound so affected by it… Chill running down her spine, Rarity quickly acted to rectify her mistake. "Ah, Pinkie… it's alright. I must be getting a bit loopy from the heat. Come, let's continue. Applejack and Fluttershy are probably worried about us."

"…Yeah, you're right." Pinkie's smile returned. "We have plenty of time to talk about all that!"

They left the sauna then, Rarity sighing with both relief and relaxation. "On top of all that, we don't have to deal with any more business from those Zodiac people for a while!"

-x-

"Oh, Sherry!" Luna spoke up in surprise, seeing the young girl come down the stairs. Luna was sitting on the couch beside Grace, the redheaded knight gently stroking a purring Snow.

"Hello Sherry," Grace said with a smile.

"Hey, Grace," Sherry said, smiling at them. She came into the living room, sitting in a nearby chair. Snow hopped out of Grace's hands to go paw at Sherry's leg, getting her to pick him up. "Hey mom. Where's daddy?"

"He's out," Grace said. "He, Trixie and Chrys are still out shopping."

"Are you feeling better, Sherry?" Luna asked. "Tyr told me about how you were feeling…"

Sherry was silent for a long moment. She got up, moved over to Luna's other side, and sat down. Without a word, she laid her head in Luna's lap. The princess of the night needed no explanation and simply began stroking her hair. Grace frowned. "What happened…?"

"Sherry used the Rubrik in order to defend herself and Rarity," Luna explained. "She had to kill a Zodiac soldier."

"By the night…" Grace murmured, looking down at the girl. "Are you okay…?"

Sherry sat up then, the sudden motion startling Snow and dropping him to the floor. "I'll be fine," Sherry said softly. "But I realize something now."

"What is that?"

"I'm going to learn how to use the Rubrik better," She said, reaching up to grab the cube around her neck. It glowed softly. "There is a lot I don't know about it yet, and I'm going to learn."

"A noble venture," Luna agreed. "If you ever need help…"

"I won't hesitate to ask. But… there is one thing I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Have you ever… killed?"

Both of the older women paused at that. Luna sighed, resigning herself to answering. "…Yes, I have. My sister and I had to take that option against some of the threats to our people when Equestria was still young. Our memories are long as well, and what we had to do weighs on our hearts to this day."

"Yet you both don't seem… broken."

"Because we came to terms with it," Luna explained, looking out the window. "…I still remember the first time Tia had to take a life. She cried for days afterwards. I, on the other hand, had resolved to not be affected as heavily, and I spent my time forcing my dreams into nightmares to prepare. But when it finally happened…" She trailed off, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "…I was unprepared. Completely. It is a feeling I will never forget. And I assume as much is the same with you."

Sherry nodded. "What do I do?"

"Some gain pleasure from the feeling. But it is much easier to accept that pain and move forward, accepting that sacrifices will have to be made. But never shy away from duty," Luna warned, turning back to her newly made daughter. "If that option is the only thing left to you, no matter how hard you try, you must be prepared to shoulder the burden."

"She's right," Grace agreed. "I spent almost an hour throwing up after the event in the mall. But when I was fighting the Zodiac… I had realized that some people can't be negotiated with. So I simply reminded myself that I was protecting others, and that I was doing what I had to. It doesn't make it easier to do, but it does help you cope."

Sherry thought for a long moment. Both Luna and Grace were much older than her, and they both had taken killing someone just as hard. She glanced down at the cube. "…Thanks. You guys… It means a lot that you would go so far to explain your experiences."

"We just want to help," Grace said.

"Well, I'm glad to have everyone so worried about me," Sherry said with a smile. "Rarity and Fluttershy texted me today as well to check on me."

Luna reached over to put a hand on her head. "We're just worried about you."

"I'll be alright. My father is the bodyguard to a Princess, right?"

"That he is," Luna said with a chuckle. "And your mother is a Princess."

"Thanks, mom."

"Of course, my dear."

Grace giggled. "You guys make a cute family."

"Do you have a family of your own, Grace?" Luna asked, glancing over at her knight. She had thought several times she didn't know much about the red-haired woman, and this was an opportunity to ask.

"I was an only child," Grace said with a shrug. "My mother passed away when I was young. I learned first aid really early, and a lot of times I was busy healing my friends whenever they got hurt. My family was the friends I lived with."

"I see… I am sorry to hear about your mother."

"She was sick, and I never blamed anyone." Grace said with a smile. "It's alright."

"…If you say so."

"Well, I've been working all day," Grace stood up then, stretching a bit as she did so. "I think I'll go take a shower and go to bed early."

"Sleep tight!" Sherry said.

"I'll make sure you are not bothered by any harsh dreams," Luna assured her.

Grace smiled. "Thanks for that, Princess. Tell Tyr I'll talk to him in the morning." She left them then, going upstairs to her room first and then quickly to the bathroom. As she undressed, her eyes were drawn to her back. A massive patchwork of tattoos covered her skin, from crosses to angelic imagery mirrored by demonic images. The entire thing almost looked like a work of art. In Equestria, it had been concealed by magic, but in the human world, she could simply cover it with clothing. Latin words framed a bright silver dove, and Grace found herself murmuring the words almost like a spell incantation. "Conservandi vitam meam."

The words had been with her ever since her mother had died and she had gained her Cutie Mark. They had reminded her of her one purpose, the one thing she dedicated her life to.

To Save a Life not her own.

Each and every tattoo was a mark that reminded her of a life she had saved, of someone who now lived because of her and her magic. At last count, the number of tattoos numbered almost three hundred separate pictures. On top of reminding her of her of the people she had helped, it also reminded her that she would have to keep going. Until there was no more space on her skin, she would keep going, and even past that. That would be her penance. Those she left behind would be happy for her. She was going to honor their memories no matter what.

-x-

"Why do you only pick up sweet things?" Chrys snapped, frowning at the package Trixie dropped into their cart.

"Trixie likes sweet things," Trixie countered, sticking out her tongue. "And what does it matter to someone who cannot eat food anyway?"

The two women began to bicker, as they had since arriving at the grocery store. Tyr rolled his eyes as he gathered up the things on his list. [Chrissy, do you have to argue with every other woman we hang around?]

[Not particularly] Chrys thought back. [Would you like me to stop?]

[I just want you to get along]

[Ah, I see. You're worried we are not getting along] Chrys turned to Trixie. "Illusionist."

"My name is Trixie!" Trixie fumed.

"Do you hate me?"

Trixie seemed quite taken aback by the sudden question. "W-what? Where did that come from?"

"I was curious. We have been arguing."

"Well… It is true we do not see eye to eye, but that gives me no reason to hate you."

Chrys turned and smiled at Tyr. "Is that alright, Master?"

Tyr frowned. "Yeah, whatever. Take this list and go get the rest of this stuff."

"As you will, Master." Chrys took the list and went off into the store. That left Trixie alone with Tyr. She kept her distance, something that Tyr noticed immediately.

"…Something up?"

"Ah… nothing at all, Tyr."

"Then why are you standing so far away? Are we not friends?"

"Y-yes, we are!" Trixie said hurriedly. Tyr suppressed a chuckle, remembering Chrys acting the same way. "I was simply scared of upsetting the Princess…"

"Luna threatened you? It may just be hormones," Tyr pointed out with a chuckle. Trixie blinked as she considered the possibility. "But it's alright. Hanging out isn't going to make her hurt you or anything."

"…You are certain of this?"

"Very certain."

"…Very well then." Trixie moved over closer, Tyr's welcoming smile putting her at ease. They resumed shopping, making small talk as they went along. Tyr found that Trixie was a very interesting individual, with stories about almost every place in Equestria. She was very well travelled. They were talking about a hillside community Trixie visited called Manetown when Tyr bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He blinked away blonde hair that had gotten into his eyes.

"That voice…" It was a woman Tyr had run into, and he was faced with a face he had long since forced to the back of his mind. The woman was pretty, and her long blonde hair was highlighted with black. Her makeup was heavy, and her bright red lips parted slightly as she looked into his silver eyes with her brown ones. "…Tyr!?"

Trixie looked between the blonde woman and her friend. "…Um, Tyr? Who is this woman?"

"Vanessa," Tyr spoke her name quietly. He narrowed his eyes. "…My ex-girlfriend."