>I'm laying in an isolation cell
>they took me here after Martha went into labor
>she was the fifth one
>I know what's going to happen to me when she's done
>No bed sheets, no light sockets, not even a sink
>they learned fast, I was here when the camp first opened
>They told us that we had nothing to worry about
>Most of us saw through that though
>about a quarter of us killed ourselves when we where told our number was up
>that's why they set up the isolation cells, they need us alive for it to work
>after the first couple of riots they fitted us with shock collars
>then they acted like they where sorry about all this, like they didn't enjoy watching us suffer
>If they didn't enjoy this why where they doing it!
>I hear the sound of hooves coming down the cell block
>I stand up, and prepare to make a run for it
>The guards come to a stop in-front of my cell
>Two mares, one a dark blue unicorn, the other a brown Pegasus
>the Pegasus spoke"Good news, Mr Edwin! it's a healthy baby girl that makes you the proud father of five children, and you know what that means!"
>the unicorn slid the key into the lock
>"Your going to be replaced to day! your new family is waiting in the lobby!"
>The cell door creeks open
>I take a running jump over the two guards and slam into the wall opposite the cell
>I try to maintain as much momentum as possible and dash down the hall
>My hand is on the exit when the collar kicks on
>Thousands of volts course through my body
>my arms and legs contract inward, sending me to the ground in a heap of twitching muscle
>tears fill my eyes as the unicorns magic surrounds me and begins to levitate me back to the cell
>"Realy Mr. Edwin that was uncalled for"
>she lays me on the floor in the cell
>"I know that this is a big change, but it's not bad at all"
>she sets a hoof on my shoulder
>"I was your cell mate all those years ago, I was Johnson. Remember me? I was scared two! but wasn't bad at all, it was actually rather nice all that fear and anger just melted away."
>I regain enough motor control to turn my head and look her in the eye
>I remember Johnson, he was like a father to me, how could this mare be him?
>"you are part of the reason I came back, I wanted to help you through this. when I was a human I felt bad for you and the other children, you had all lost the last half of your childhood to this place, but I have good news! you'll get a second childhood, I helped pick the family you are being given to, they live just down the street from me. You'll love them, they will take good care of you"
>I pull away from her and craw into a corner
>She gives me a sad look
>"I suppose I can't blame you for being scared, I know I was terrified when it happened to me. The fear won't last though"
>I glare at her in disgust, how could this mare be the man from my childhood? how could someone like him be a guard in this godforsaken camp? He wouldn't betray humanity like that!
>"I can tell your upset, you probably think I'm a traitor for coming back, but I'm here to help you trough this, I wan't to help all of you. It's not as bad as they make it out to be"
>I hear another set of hooves coming down the corridor
>"That's Warm Embrace, Eddie please don't make us use the collar again"
>a cool grey earth pony stood in-front of the cell
>"The family is getting anxious, where you able to calm him down?"
>The unicorn frowns "not as much as I was hopping"
>the cell slides open just enough to permit Warm Embrace inside, and then shuts quickly behind her
>"that's a shame"
>she looks me in the eye and gives me a warm smile
>"Hey there Eddie, I'm Warm Embrace. You've got nothing to worry about, I've done this thousands of time and they're always happy little fillies when I'm done"
>She begins to walk forward, I hold up my hands to try to block her
>as she draw near an aura of magic surrounds my hands pulling them apart
>I turn to the unicorn with a mixture of betrayal and terror
>"I'm sorry Eddie, but you'll thank me later"
>Warm Embrace begins to talk
>"Now now Eddie, you look like you could use a nice hug"
>She wraps her hooves around me
>almost instantly my hands begin to fuse together
>I let out a panicked and horrified scream
>"Shh, Shh, it doesn't hurt now does it"
>She pats me on the back as I struggle against the magic holding me in place
>fur over takes my body, I feel myself shrinking
>I've got to find away to stop this, I need to get out of here, it, it...doesn't hurt
>ever so gently a horn and tail press through my skin, it actually kind of tickles
>it's like someone pulled a plug in my mind, I feel all the fear and hatred I built up over my entire life just drain away. My head was being filled with warm bubbly thought
>Thoughts of my new family, all the new friends I would make, and how all the other in this camp would get to experience this as well
>I returned Warm Embraces hug, as I felt the last of my old life slip away, in it's place was the mind and body of and adorable little filly
>Warm Embrace rocks me slowly
>"there we go sweetie, that wasn't so bad now was it?"
>"No Warm Embrace, I'm sorry I caused so much trouble"
>She pats my head "think nothing of it dear, it's rare that we have any little fillies who aren't afraid"
>She turns to the unicorn "Lovely Visor, I don't think this little filly needs a collar. could you please relieve her of it?"
>She nods "I would love to"
>a glow surrounds her horn, I hear a click and see my collar drift away
>I run up to Loving Visor and wrap my hooves around her leg
>"Thank you, for everything"
>she gives me a kiss on the crown of my head
>"don't mention it, now lets not keep your new mother waiting"
>Loving Visor lifts me onto her back
>"hold on tight dear"
>I wrap my hooves around her neck
>"are you ready little one?"
>I nod and give her a chipper "yep"
>"Then we're off"
>the cell door swings open
>Warm Embrace passes the collar to the Pegasus
>"Check that into storage for me"
>the Pegasus smiles and sets off down the hall
>she shouts over her shoulder "I'll catch up with you later Visor, let me know what they name her"
>Visor and Embrace begin walking in the other direction
>"Will do Aegis"
>Turned I waved
>"goodbye Aegis!"
>she stops at the door and turns
>"Bye sweetie, it was nice to meet you"
>She turns and steps out into the yard
>I don't know why I was so afraid of the guards before, they are all so nice
>They only wanted us to be safe and happy
>I rubbed my cheek into Loving Visors neck
>Her fur was so soft
>Why did I go all these years without touching a pony?
>I'm sure they would have let me if I asked
>Embrace and Visor stop in front of a large metal door
>it's painted bright pink with a large heart in the middle
>There is a loud ding, fallowed by the click of the lock disengaging
>they carry me through the fenced off path to the main office
>I see the multi colored dormitories that I grew up in
>My fiend Bobby is sitting on the porch of... Well I guess it's my old dormitory now
>I wave at him "Hay Bob! over here!"
>He stands up and stares at me
>"I'm going to meet my new mother! I hope you get to meet yours soon too!"
>He does not reply, he just continues to stare at me
>I see that we are almost to the office
>"Bye Bobby, I hope I get to see you soon!"
>He raises his hand as he continues to stare at me
>He's not smiling, why?
>He should be happy for me
>maybe he's sad that he doesn't get to go to
>He will soon though, he already has four children. Only one more to go.
>"Loving Visor?"
>"What is it dear?"
>"When it's Bobby's turn will I get to see him?"
>"I don't know if he's been assigned to anyone, but if you want I could arrange for you to see him"
>Warm Embrace Looks at me "If you want, you could be at his transition. Maybe you could help him through it."
>"Yes! I would love to help him with it!"
>Warm Embrace pats me on the head
>"Then it's settled, you can be the official helper of Bobby's transition!"
>We come into the main lobby
>Warm Embrace clears her throat
>"Night Breeze" She calls
>a mare looked up from the magazine she was reading
>She was a Pegasus with a coat the color of the sky on a cloudy winter night
>Her mane sky blue mane dropped down past her shoulders
>Her face filled with joy when she saw me on Visor's back
>She gave a quick flap of her wings and glided across the room, coming to a stop in front of us
>"Is this her? is she my daughter?"
>Loving Visor nodded and levitated me up to her
>I reached out to hug her, and we met in an embrace in the air
>"You're just as beautiful as I hoped you would be"
>she pulled me into her chest and nuzzled me
>"thank you mommy, I love you"
>she kisses my cheek, "I love you to, dear"
>she sets me down and lands
>"So is that it? I can take her home."
>Warm Embrace produces a form "one last thing, she needs a name"
>Night Breeze tucks me under her wing "Oh, I was thinking Loving, after you"
>She turns to Loving Visor
>Warm Embrace nods "Just Loving, or something else?"
>Loving Visor shrugs "it does seem a little lacking"
>Night Breeze turns back to me
>She pats me with her wing several times as she thinks
>"How about Loving Grace?"
>Loving Visor nods "That sounds nice, what do you think"
>They all turn to me
>"I like that name, it sounds pretty"
>Warm Embrace nods and wrights on the form "Excellent. that's all we need. You can take miss Grace home, I'm sure she could use a nap after all the excitement she's had today"
>Night Breeze nods to her "Thank you so much, and thank you Visor. I don't think this would have happened without you"
>She trows her hooves around Loving Visor
>Visor returns her embrace
>"Hey what are friends for, I know you'll take good care of her"
>Night Breeze stifles a tear "I just didn't think this day would come"
>She pulls away and sniffs back another tear "I should probably go be for I start crying"
>I walk up to Loving Visor and give her a hug
>"Bye Visor, thanks for what you've done"
>She gives me a pat on the head
>"Now don't you start crying too, I'll probably stop by this evening."
>"you will?"
>"yep, I live next to Breeze remember? if there's anything you need from me, just ask"
>"Thank you Loving Visor, I will"
>"Now I think your mom is ready to go, we can talk later"
>I pull away from her and join my mother
>mom pulls me into her legs and nuzzles me, I can feel tears running down her cheek and into my mane
>"Are you ready to go Grace?"
>"yes mommy, I'm ready"
>"All right then hold on"
>She wraps her hooves around me and flutters to the door
>The door is flung open by Visor's magic
>once we're out side we begin to fly higher and higher
>I look down and see Loving Visor and Warm Embrace waving to us
>I wave back to them, and then look to the camp that I spent most of my life in
>even now it seems a distant memory, just like what it was like before the ponies came
>Like it was someone else's life, a fist person documentary that I had been watching for the last twenty years
>It was like I had just gotten out of the theater and my mom was picking me up to take me home
>I turned away from the camp and looked forward, to the little town in front of us
>For the first time in twenty years I was finaly going home