//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Later Years // by Ophelia2513 //------------------------------// The Later Years Chapter One                         “Lilly, Are you almost ready for school?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah just about!” Lilly replied putting some things  in her binder then fluttered to the door. “Now don’t be nervous about anything”Fluttershy said. She smiled and opened the door for Lilly. Lilly walked out and took a deep breath of the fresh air butterflies fluttered around her. Fluttershy smiled then closed the door. “Think she’ll be okay Angel?” Fluttershy asked. Angel looked at her then jumped on her head while waving a piece of paper in her face “Oh, Goodness! I’m supposed to have tea with Rarity!” Fluttershy said as she quickly flew out the door.                                         ~~~ “Emerald, hold still!” Rarity said putting bows in Emerald’s mane. “But I need to get to school!” Emerald whined. “Emerald you don’t look your best what do you expect those other fillies to think?” “Nothing!” She slipped out of Rarity’s hooves. “I need to get to school now!” “Emera-” Rarity started. Emerald ran out the door with her binder floating close behind her surrounded in a glowing pink light.Sweetie Belle followed after her closely. “Wait up Emerald!” Sweetie Belle giggled with Emerald. Rarity sighed and began cleaning up her creative room. She heard a knock then opened the door. “Oh Fluttershy hello darling. Do come in.” She said opening the door wider. Fluttershy smiled and stepped inside. “What kind of tea would you like Dear?” Rarity asked “Oh uh any tea is fine really” Fluttershy said                                         ~~~ “Now, are you sure you’re ready for school, Twinkle?” Twilight asked pacing wildly and gathering tons of books. “You can wait another year if you want...?”Twilight said quietly “I’ll be fine” She replied as Twilight struggled to shove about twenty thick books into Twinkle’s saddle bag.Twilight glanced at her. Twinkle was staring at her unbelievingly. Twilight laughed nervously. Twilight put the saddle bag on Twinkle’s back and pushed her out door. “Now don’t be late!” “I won’t!” Twinkle replied running down the steps to meet Emerald and Lilly. “Hmmm, Spike!” Twilight said “Yeah?” Spike asked walking down the stairs “Don’t I have something scheduled today?” She asked “Ummm yes tea with Rarity...?” He said flipping through her schedule book. Her eyes widened and she rushed out the door                                         ~~~ Pinkie hopped around sugar cube corner exited and packing Candy’s lunch “Want cupcakes!?” Pinkie Pie asked exitedly. Candy bounced over to her “Of course!” she squeaked. Pinkie giggled and packed three pink and purple cupcakes. “How about cookies!?” said bouncing in circles “Yep!” Candy said. “Apple?” Pinkie asked “Ewwwwwwww!” Candy squealed “Alright!” Pinkie said Candy picked up the lunchbox and held it in her mouth then stepped out the door. “bye!” she said through clenched teeth to Pinkie. Pinkie giggled then closed the door behind Candy smiling. “Oh! Gosh I have to go to have tea with Rarity and the girls today!” she said giggling  as she packed some cupcakes in a basket                                         ~~~ “Ya’ almost ready for school Daisy?” Applejack asked smiling “Almost!” She said gathering her stuff and putting it in her saddle bag “Just about finished” “Now remember to stay with Apple Bloom and her friends, okay?” “Alright,” she said. “This is gonna be so much fun!” Apple Bloom said clearly excited.  Daisy put her saddle bag on her back and ran out the door with Apple Bloom. They giggled as they walked to school. Applejack looked at the calender “Oh yeah, I got that tea party with Rarity!” she ran out the door then came back and grabbed her hat quickly.                                         ~~~ “Snow, you almost done? Cause I think you’re gonna be late for school....” Rainbow Dash said. “Don’t worry I’m heading off right now.” Snow looked at Tank. She kissed his forehead. Rainbow Dash smiled. “Remember to make some new friends, okay?” Rainbow Dash said “I have plenty of friends though, Mom!” Snow said. “Hey, hey, calm down, I’m just saying maybe you should make some new friends too, then you and your friends can have even more fun!” Rainbow Dash said. “Alright, Fine.” Snow said “I gotta go to school now, bye mom!” Snow said jumping off the cloud and flapping her wings feverishly barely staying in the air. She fluttered down to her friends then walked with them laughing about the their silly jokes “Hmm tea party.. I should get to that...”                                         ~~~ Fluttershy and Rarity sipped their tea while chatting and eating cookies. Pinkie knocked on the door. “Come in! It’s unlocked!” Rarity sang. Pinkie opened the door and bounced in holding a decorative picnic basket in her mouth. “Hi Rarity!” She said putting the basket on the table in front of them “I brought homemade cupcakes!” She said still bouncing up and down excitedly. Twilight stepped inside and giggled. She put a hoof on Pinkie Pie’s head to stop her from bouncing. Pinkie stop and looked at her. “Hi Twilight!” Pinkie said loudly. “Pinkie. Quiet voice.” Twilight said calmly. Pinkie nodded then motioned zipping her lips with her hoof. Twilight smiled. “So how’s Lilly, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked turning to Fluttershy “Oh, She’s good she’s doing very well in school.” Fluttershy said “That’s great” Twilight said smiling “Emerald is doing well too” Rarity said before gingerly sipping her tea.                                         ~~~ Applejack knocked on the door. Twilight opened it and smiled. “Hi Applejack” Twilight said “Come in, everyone else is in the kitchen” Applejack stepped inside “Thanks Twi” Applejack said walking into the kitchen. “Hi Applejack” Said Fluttershy quietly “Hi Fluttershy, Hey Pinkie, how’s Candy?” Applejack asked her while Rarity got out another cup for Applejack. A chair from the other room glowed purple and floated over to Applejack. Applejack sat down and nodded thankfully in Rarity’s direction. A cup of tea came over to Applejack. Applejack quietly sipped it then drew back sticking her tongue out from the sting of the boiling water. The other mares snickered. Suddenly there was a loud crash. Rarity rushed into her creative room then screamed in horror. Twilight and Applejack raced in the see Rainbow Dash standing up dizzily with a giant hole surrounded by chunks of the wall, dusty fabric, and the gems Rarity used to make fancy dresses and such for high quality customers.                                                 ~~~ Rarity screamed at Rainbow Dash while Applejack and Twilight  tried to pick up some of the pieces Rainbow Dash snickered. She was quite obviously proud of the mess she had created “RAINBOW DASH WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD YOU HAVE TO LAUGH!!?!?!?!” Rarity yelled at the top of her lungs, she was so angry her face was red and she was twitching from being so exasperated with Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash laughed. “Well it was your thin wall!” She said trying not to laugh again “THIN WALLS!?!?!??!?! THIN WALLS!?! YOU RUINED MY-” She stop when she heard a  quiet ‘Ding!’ it was the sound of the shop door opening. She froze. “Oh my!” Fancy Pants shrieked. Rarity stood unable to move standing in dust and bits of wall, her hair dusty and frizzy. Twilight quickly saw her friend needed help explaining since she couldn’t explain by herself. “Why hello there!” Twilight said jumping out of the debris. Fancy Pants stepped away from the dust covered no longer lavender mare. “Hehe uhh... I can come back later if you’re busy...” He said nervously backing into a corner. “NO” Rarity said snapping back into reality. They all looked at her suprised. “We’re open just a few... adjustments being made to the shop....” She said quickly “Ah... Well I always respect a hard working mare!” He said smiling. Rarity smiled. “I know we haven’t seen each other in years but regarding that one night-” He began. Rarity clapped her dusty hoof over his mouth so hard he barely stayed on his hooves. Her friends looked suprised. Rarity dragged him by his bowtie into the back room. “They don’t know! And they never will! Besides you cheated on your wife! We cannot let that be known!” Rarity whispered furiously. He nodded with wide eyes. “I just came to see my child....” He said quietly. Rarity glared. “She’s at school.” Rarity replied angrily “her?” He asked a bit shocked. “Yes her!” Rarity shouted rudely. The other ponies sat up at Rarity’s sharp tone of voice in the other room. Rarity took a deep breath. “You can have ten minutes with her.” Rarity said trying to act calm. He smiled and stroked her hair with his hoof. She smacked his hoof and glared at him. He stepped back a bit. The front door opened again. Rarity winced at the ding. She heard her best friend’s daughters greeting them. Rarity walked out of the back room with Fancy Pants following behind her. “Mommy!” Emerald squeaked with a piece of paper floating above her. Rarity smiled. “What’s that?” She said wrapping a hoof around her daughter and hugging her tightly. Fancy Pants smiled. Even though she was a mare he still loved her and couldn’t help but smile. “It’s an art project we made in class!” Emerald said showing her proud mother. Rarity gasped at the beauty of her art. “I love it! I think I’ll hang it up on the wall” Rarity said picking it up with her magic. Emerald looked at Fancy pants. “Who’s this Mommy?” Emerald asked Rarity as she searched for a pin. She found one then looked up at Fancy Pants. “This... This is your father...” She said quietly. Rarity’s friends looked at her wide eyed. Rarity looked ashamed. Fancy Pants looked at his hooves a bit embarrassed as well. Emerald stared for a few seconds then ran to him and hugged him. Fancy Pants looked at Emerald suprised then slowly hugged her. Emerald was saying something nobody could quite understand through Fancy Pants’ shoulder and Emerald’s tears. Fancy Pants was also beginning to tear up. He tried to say something but he had seemed to have choked on his words. “I-I- You- I- D-dad?” She asked finally. He nodded with tears in his eyes. Emerald’s friends stood in their places, shocked and lost for words.                                                 ~~~ After about a few hours of hugging and crying and explaining Emerald had fallen asleep hugging Fancy Pants. Rarity picked her up with her magic and put her in her bed then turned the lights off and closed the door gently. “Rarity please let me stay a few nights” Fancy Pants begged “No!” Rarity said sternly “But Rarity you saw-” “I saw you make my child cry and make my friends look at me like there is something wrong with me” She said glaring at him. He put his head down. “If that’s how you feel I’ll leave...” he said quietly. “Yes now out before you wake up Emerald” Rarity said pointing her hoof in the direction of the door. “Alright... Goodnight Rarity...” He said quietly with his head still down. She noticed he had tears in his eyes as he left. Was she too harsh? No, it needed to be done. Then again raising Emerald on her own was difficult and Emerald might have needed father figure, but it was for the best! Besides he was married. Rarity realized her friends were still in the front room. She walked out and looked at the hole in the wall “Oh.. Right...” Rarity said frowning. Her friends looked at one another “Are you okay Rarity? That must’ve been hard for you...” Twilight said keeping her distance not knowing how Rarity would respond to this. “Um... Yes.. But you girls should get home and go to sleep I won’t keep you up. Rarity looked at her friend’s kids who had fallen asleep on the many couches she had in the front room. “Are ya’ sure sugarcube?” Applejack said “We don’t wanna leave you alone” Pinkie Pie said bouncing up and down. “It’s quite alright. Don’t worry about me.” She said with a fake smile on. “What about the hole in the wall?” Rainbow Dash asked feeling a bit guilty about earlier. "It’s fine, We can deal with it in the morning.” She said. Her friends nodded then began picking up their sleeping fillies from the couches and walking out the door.Rarity sighed then walked into her room and fell asleep.