Sumac, now alone on the cushion that he had shared with Dandelia, thought about what he had said. Lots of ‘I statements’ and mentions of himself. Overall, he had kept the focus on him, or so he felt, and not so much on Dandelia. Whatever conclusions that Dandelia had arrived at, he hoped that she had done so on her own, and was satisfied that he had done right.
The Lady of Lulamoon Hollow didn’t seem haughty as she approached Night Light and Trixie, but cautious, fearful, apprehensive, and anxious. She kept her head down, her ears back, and her proud neck bent. Midway, she froze, and Sumac watched while she shuddered. This was a different mare than he had first met, or perhaps a mare in transition. She was changing, and while perhaps not yet done, the promise of something better could be seen if one squinted and looked at it in just the right way.
Lemon Hearts had her mouth covered with one front hoof and seemed to be holding her breath, while Twinkleshine seemed cool, indifferent. Night Light made a gesture with his hoof, beckoning Dandelia to come a little bit closer, and for a long, painful moment, it seemed as though the elder Lulamoon’s nerve might break. Sumac, a helpful, encouraging sort when the right mood struck him, reached out with his telekinesis and gave his grandmother a right and proper shove on her backside.
She screeched in alarm, lost her balance, stumbled forwards, tried to stop, couldn’t, tripped over her own gangly front legs, and tumbled down onto the already crowded cushion with Trixie and Night Light. For a moment, Sumac was almost certain that the three ponies couldn’t, wouldn’t fit, but fit they did somehow, with Night Light dragging Dandelia closer and getting a good grip around her middle with his foreleg. She kicked and wiggled all four of her legs, indignant, protesting her rough treatment, but Night Light just grunted and stuck to his task.
When Twilight Velvet shot him a wink, Sumac grinned and felt rather proud of himself.
Like Tarnish, Dandelia was all legs, while Trixie had shorter, stouter legs much like her father. With all three of them close together, the family resemblance was far too obvious, undeniable, inescapable. Without warning, the most peculiar thing happened: Dandelia began laughing, a bizarre whooping guffaw that sounded far too big and far too boisterous to be coming from such a cultured, well-refined mare. First one eyebrow raised, then the other, and Sumac stared at the three ponies on a cushion, dumbstruck by Dandelia’s peals of laughter.
“Nighty was the only pony who could ever make her laugh like that,” Twilight Velvet remarked, her tone wistful and her unfocused eyes made her appear to be lost in the past. “In school, he could bring her out of her worst moods and put a smile on her face. Sometimes, I’d get jealous of Nighty because I couldn’t make her laugh… not like that, anyway.”
Sumac wondered where Boomer was, because he wanted somepony to hug, but she was gone, no doubt sleeping on somepony, or maybe she had followed Megara. Alone on his cushion, he watched as Dandelia and Trixie were held pressed together by Night Light, and though he could not say why, the little colt felt hopeful. Something about Dandelia’s laughter was reassuring, and he thought about Pinkie Pie for some reason, her insistence that laughter made everything better.
Perhaps this was the reason why Queen Chrysalis was beyond redemption, beyond forgiveness: Sumac had trouble seeing her making a humble request to be forgiven. He thought of Starlight Glimmer, then of his former antagonist who was now his friend, Olive, and his mind tried to recall all of Twilight Sparkle’s lessons on friendship—all at once.
Olive had done right when it mattered most, but would Dandelia do the same?
When it mattered, Trixie did right, so Sumac decided that Dandelia was capable of doing the same. After all, Trixie got it from somewhere, and it couldn’t just be from Night Light. Caper—though an awful pony—was said to do good things, and Trixie had done great things, so why couldn’t Dandelia? Perhaps Dandelia just needed ponies who believed in her, like Night Light and Twilight Velvet already did, so Sumac chose to believe in her, because somepony had to.
Ears pricking and standing tall, Sumac couldn’t quite make out the soft words being said, but he was pretty sure that Dandelia was apologising. Trixie was holding her mother’s fetlock in her own, her ears were down, and Sumac could spy no aggression upon his mother’s face. More words were said, from Trixie this time, but again, Sumac was unable to make them out. His ears pivoted and angled forwards, but he was only able make out a few jumbled phrases from Dandelia, who spoke again, something about a promise being made to stick it out even if things felt impossible.
Turning around once, then twice, Sumac then laid down in a heap of stubby legs and watched as this precious moment took on a life of its own.
With Night Light involved, it seemed as though Dandelia and Trixie were getting along. Twilight Velvet had dropped another log into the fireplace, which now popped, crackled, and spat out showers of sparks as pockets of pitch within the bark ignited. Sumac was distracted by the flames, which he liked to watch, and staring at them made him recall fond memories of life on the road with Trixie.
“So you’re getting married?” Dandelia’s voice was a little creaky and while Sumac’s eyes remained focused upon the fire, his ears pivoted so that he might listen better.
“Yes, Mother, I am.” Trixie’s voice sounded guarded to Sumac, and he waited.
“Good… good. Don’t isolate yourself. Don’t be lonely. You can see how it’s worked out for me.”
“Mother, it isn’t too late,” Trixie replied while casting a sidelong glance at Night Light that Sumac did not see.
Dandelia laughed, a shrill, nervous, frightened sound, and she waved her hoof from side to side in a dismissive gesture. “I need to sort myself out first… Beatrix… I don’t even know who I am. I spent so long trying to be the mother that I imagined that Caper would want me to be, the daughter that I thought would make him happy, and the noble that I was expected to be. Now, he’s gone and I don’t know how to live with myself. Who am I supposed to be now?”
Sighing, Sumac understood these words. As a sorcerer, it seemed as though everypony expected him to be something, save for maybe Pebble. No doubt, Pebble had other plans for him and Sumac had a vague understanding that she had hopes and dreams that cared nothing for his sorcery. As an earth pony, she had far more practical concerns. In a moment of insight, Sumac gained some glimmer of understanding into Tarnish and Maud’s relationship, which he thought about while staring into the roaring fire.
“I’ve brought a gift—”
“You didn’t have to do that.” Unseen by Sumac, Trixie’s eyes narrowed and her lips pressed tight.
“Actually, I did have to do this,” Dandelia said, her voice shrill with nervous energy. “My therapist wanted me to do a little holiday shopping as an exercise in empathy. Gifts that show an understanding of the recipient and their desires. Presents that aren’t subtle manipulations or passive-aggressive suggestions of my own wants and desires. I’ll confess, this stumped me for a while, and I had to turn to Twilight Velvet for help, because I wanted to find a gift to make you happy.”
“Trixie has all that she needs.”
This pulled Sumac’s attention away from the fire and when he glanced in his mother’s direction, he could sense her anxiety.
“Trixie has everything that she needs from the ponies that she trusts.”
“I had no idea what to get you and I fretted over this assignment for the longest time. Even with Twilight Velvet’s help, it seemed that everything I could think of would be seen as passive-aggressive suggestion or something I wanted for you to have that you might not be interested in. I didn’t know what you were interested in. But then after a really intense therapy session, I thought of something we both have in common—”
“And what could that possibly be?” Trixie deadpanned.
“We’re both parents,” Dandelia replied, her voice cracking. “I… I wanted better things for you… there’s a lot of things I wanted, but mistakes were made. I made mistakes. Those mistakes were made by me. But deep down, I wanted the best for you, Kiddo, I really, truly did. When I thought about this, what we have in common, I had an idea that if I could make Sumac happy, I could make you happy, because a mother wants what is best.”
Before Trixie could respond, it was Lemon Hearts who had something to say and Sumac listened to the soothing sound of the yellow mare’s voice with attentive interest.
“That is insightful. Good for you, Dandelia.”
“I think you actually mean that.” Confused, Dandelia’s ears fell, and she leaned up against Night Light for support. “Because I’m so sarcastic and cynical, I project parts of myself onto others and I have a really hard time knowing when others are sincere. Caper certainly wasn’t sincere… he was cruel and liked to keep me guessing. T-t-thank you… Miss Hearts.”
Sumac’s eyes darted to the long package on the table, where they lingered for a time, and then he resumed staring into the fire, as was his wont. The fire had its own faint source of magic, a connection to the Infernium. This made the fire a source of heat, light, and magic. Vinyl too, had a connection to the Infernium, as well as the typical sources from which unicorns drew their magic, and this made her powerful. Distracted, Sumac did not notice the silent exchange between his mother and his grandmother, which ended with Dandelia pleading her case.
“Beatrix, please… this means a lot to me. I had to figure out what Sumac likes… what his interests are. I had to talk to other ponies… I had to explain myself and defend myself and even apologise for past actions. Talking to Twilight Sparkle was, well, Twilight made me work for it and she didn’t make it easy. Twilight Sparkle raked me over the coals and Twilight Velvet let her.”
“Come on, Trixie, be reasonable.” It was Twinkleshine who said this and Sumac, though surprised by her outburst, remained silent.
“I dunno—”
“Trixie Lulamoon!” Lemon’s voice was sharp, commanding, and entirely unlike her usual, demure, soft-spoken, gentle words that she typically shared. “I want to remind you of just how downtrodden you’ve felt in the past when you made a huge effort to be a better pony and it felt like nopony noticed.”
“Oh, sure, Lemon, use that against me,” Trixie huffed and while Sumac did not see the way she rolled her eyes, he could hear the defeat in her voice. “Trixie too has been raked over the coals by Twilight Sparkle, and knows that pain. Twilight Sparkle only coal-rakes ponies that she cares about, otherwise she can’t be bothered. Her time is too scarce and too precious to waste.”
“Twilight got me too,” Sumac added, hoping he could help. “You know, one of Twilight’s foalhood friends is now a dentist—”
Twinkleshine nodded. “Minuette.”
“—and Twilight is known to subjugate others with a smile and some kind words. It can’t be coincidence. Twilight’s smile is a weapon forged by unicorn magic.”
“Wait…” Dandelia’s raised hoof lingered in the air, just like her monosyllabic outburst. “Where does a foal learn the word ‘subjugate?’ Sumac, Grandkiddo, is there some grand aspiration that you wish to tell your Grandmare about?” Dandelia smirked and it was the same smirk that Trixie often wore.
“Pebble said she was gonna spend the rest of her life subjugating me and sorting me out. I had to look it up to be certain, but I had a pretty good guess as to what it meant.”
“Oh.” Dandelia blinked a few times, confused, and Twilight Velvet began to snicker.
“There are worse fates.” While Night Light said these words, Lemon Hearts nodded, her head bobbing up and down, and Twilight Velvet shot her husband a wry grin.
All of this happened without Sumac’s awareness, since the colt was lost to the mesmerising, dancing flames. He thought about Pebble, wishing she was here, not just here, but on the cushion with him, because she was warm, soft, and nice to cuddle with. Not that he would ever confess such a thing or say it aloud, no. He wondered what Dandelia might secretly like but would never confess to and without knowing it happened, a crazed grin appeared on Sumac’s face. Like so many other unicorns, Sumac was developing a habit of grinning at inopportune moments.
So lost was Sumac that he did not hear Twilight Velvet whisper to Trixie, “Keep an eye out for symptoms of pyromania, because it can be treated if diagnosed early enough.”
“Trixie feels that pyromania should be encouraged,” she deadpanned while looking Twilight Velvet in the eye. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not suffer from pyromania, but rather enjoys every moment of it. She has a Great and Powerful Fireball that gets her the respect she so rightfully deserves.”
“Every filly should have a hobby.” Dandelia, still holding fetlocks with her daughter, gave it a squeeze. “That Trixie has a Great and Powerful Fireball says much about her ability, given that she is predisposed to illusion magics.”
“Thank you, Mother, that was kind of you to say.”
“Say…” Night Light interjected while raising his eyebrow. “How about we let Sumac open his gift… early. So Dandelia can enjoy the rewards of her hard work.”
“I am not adverse…” Trixie pulled her mother closer, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned in a little more. “Happy Hearth’s Warming, Dandy Lion.”
It was with great anticipation that Sumac willed his telekinesis to wrap around the long, heavy box. It was solid, very much so, and had no give to it. Surrounded by those he loved, and those who loved him on all sides, Sumac wondered what might be in the box. Why, it could be anything. It was too big, too ungainly for him to manipulate on his own, and he could feel his magic intermingling with those who offered eager assistance.
After taking a cursory moment to admire the shiny, gleaming blue, green, and gold wrapping paper, Sumac tore into it, overcome with curiousity. Peeling it away, he saw polished wood beneath it, along with brass hinges. No wonder it was heavy, it came in a stately wooden box. With a few tugs, the wrapping paper slid off and Sumac was left with a long wooden box that had his name burned onto the lid in fine, scrawling letters. Most curious of all was one addition.
Sumac Apple Lulamoon.
Behind him, Sumac did not see the sudden mistiness that overcame his mother’s eyes, nor did he witness how Dandelia, his grandmother, slipped one long, lanky foreleg over Trixie’s withers so that she might hold her closer. It took a few tries, but the brass latches were unlocked and then, the box was opened.
The first thing Sumac saw was a vivid shade of apple-green velvet. As for the second, it took his breath away, rendering him dumbstruck and unable to respond. An unstrung recurve bow lay upon a velvet bed, along with a curious gleaming metal tube and assorted parts. Confused, Sumac could not make out what the extra parts were, nor could he discern the purpose of the tube. But the recurve bow itself… Sumac was in love.
“What’s all the extra stuff?” Twinkleshine asked, sparing Sumac the trouble of possibly sounding rude.
“It’s a blowgun attachment,” Night Light replied while nodding his head in a knowing manner. “You clip the blowgun to the bow, secure it into place, and connect the bow string to a little knob on the cylinder. When you pull back, it sucks a tiny dart back and then when you let go, there is a big whoosh and the dart is fired because the cylinder compresses.”
“That seems incredibly dangerous.” Twinkleshine turned to look Night Light right in the eye. “I like it. This is awesome.”
“Maybe a little too, um, awesome?” Lemon Hearts reached out and grabbed Twinkleshine by the leg and gave her a gentle tug. “You’ll be volunteering all of the necessary time for adult supervision, correct?”
“Yeah, sure, why not?” Twinkleshine nodded, her ears bobbing, and her pastel pink mane fell down over her face. “Does that mean I get to play with it too?”
“Not a toy.” Behind Sumac, Lemon Hearts gave the pearlescent unicorn beside her a sour look.
“You’re right!” Twinkleshine grinned as Trixie groaned and Sumac lifted the bow out of the box. “There’s no way that Big Mac can accuse Sumac of being a sissy now. Look at this thing… look at how well it’s made. Composite materials, a fine finish, this was made to kill stuff!”
“Twinkle…” Trixie said, almost whining.
“Wait, what’s this about being a sissy?” Night Light demanded.
“Oh nothing—”
“Beatrix, I’d like to know.” Night Light gave Trixie a squeeze while Sumac began to examine his gift with his fine eye for detail.
“Big Mac worries that Sumac will be a sissy if he’s raised by three mares—”
“What?” Night Light blinked a few times, in shock, and his head tilted off to one side. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Dandelia, watch what you say!” Twilight Velvet warned right as the sunny orange mare was taking a deep breath. Perhaps fearing that Dandelia might still run her mouth, Twilight Velvet, being a good and dear friend, poked her in the ribs for good measure, causing her to deflate with a pained gasp.
Looking wounded and betrayed, Dandelia rubbed her side but said nothing.
“For a time, I taught fencing in Celestia’s school.” Night Light’s voice had a faint waver to it. “Civic duty… I felt it was necessary to share what I had learned in school. I had Twinkleshine as a student… and… and—”
Twinkleshine blushed so hard that she became a pink unicorn from hoof to ear.
“—every colt in school wanted to be her. Mostly due to the terrifying belching she does, but also the fencing, the running, her athleticism, and her raw, unbridled aggression. I don’t worry about Sumac becoming a sissy around her, I worry that he’ll become a savage, hot-tempered brute—”
“HEY!” Twinkleshine snapped while she turned her narrowed eyes upon Night Light.
“No offense, dear, but you have a well-deserved reputation. You’re the Powder Puff Terror.”
“I’m still a lady!” Twinkleshine puffed out, a trembling mass of angry, clean white fuzz that made the air around her reek with ozone. “I am still delicate, and dainty, and feminine, and pretty, and girly—”
“Yes,” Night Light said, cutting her off, “but you also have a big axe as I recall and you learned circular breathing not for music, but to hone your offensive magic. Everypony thought you’d go into the guard or maybe join the Guardian’s Guild.”
“Too sweaty, dirty, and gross.” Twinkleshine polished her hoof against her chest scruffle and let out a dainty, demure snort. “I like being clean and beautiful.”
Buoyed by adult conversation, Sumac weighed in with the following: “She’s teaching me how to burp. She came into the kitchen one day and just destroyed Tarnish. I think he was scarred by what happened.”
Dandelia was about to say something, but was slugged in the ribs again by Twilight Velvet. The big orange mare facehoofed instead, keeping whatever she was about to say to herself, and her lifelong friend, Twilight Velvet, smiled a calm smile of peaceful gentleness. Meanwhile, Night Light and Twinkleshine continued to stare at one another, neither giving in to the other.
Sumac was just happy to have his bow.
“We can’t stay too much longer,” Twilight Velvet said while she caressed Sumac on his back. “I promised Spike that we’d do some extreme tobogganing together and Twilight has cleared a bit of space on her schedule to see us. I’m looking forward to strapping Dandelia to a sled and getting her to try new things. Spike says he’s found the perfect place and I can’t wait to see what sort of near-death experience we’re going to have today.”
“Dandy Lion goes under protest!”
“Dandy Lion goes where she is told and will follow her therapy plan, as she promised.” Twilight Velvet waved a hoof in her friend’s direction and her peaceful smile became a little more pronounced—extra-peaceful, as it were.
While the adults around him were acting like loons, Sumac remembered his manners. “Thank you for the bow, it means a lot to me.”
“Oh!” Twilight Velvet gasped and clapped Dandelia right on the spine, causing the big mare to pitch forwards. “It is just a little something from all of us. Dandelia went through a lot of trouble to reach this point and I am positive that she appreciates your gratitude.”
“Yes”—the orange mare nodded whilst recovering from the solid blow—“I do. I have accomplished what I had believed to be an impossible task. My best friends dragged me from start to finish and told me they believed in me. I honestly did not believe that this day would happen.”
“Don’t give up, Dandy.” Sumac struggled, squirming on his cushion, until somepony turned him around so that he might have a better look at the orange mare behind him. Knowing what he was doing, Sumac suffered no sense of doubt when he repeated himself, “Don’t give up, Dandy.”
“Before all of you have to go”—Lemon Hearts paused for a moment before making her suggestion—“let us all get a picture together. As family. I want Sumac to remember this, because this is his first Hearth’s Warming not spent in a wagon on the road. I want this to be special.”
“Yes! A photo!” Twilight Velvet nodded.
“Somepony go find Boomer!”
“And a camera!”
“Quick, somepony fix Sumac’s mane, it was never brushed this morning! Erase the evidence of bad parenting!”
Sighing, smiling, Sumac prepared for a picture-perfect finish for this holiday get-together.