10-27-14
Life’s been somewhat hectic recently with the new foal settling in and whatnot. Anacrusis, always eager to help, just winds up getting in the way sometimes. However, I find that I can’t really scold him for trying because it just shows that he loves her. I hope that means a happier relationship than I had with MY sister.
That being said, Flutterwing has been really slow to develop recently. She hasn’t even said her first word yet, which seems really slow. I guess this is where we’re starting to see the effects of her birth mishap. Fluttershy’s really started to worry about it, too. She panicked and had a breakdown after she borrowed that book from Twilight about the natural development cycle of foals and found out that Flutterwing should have been saying a few words by now. It was heartbreaking. Poor anacrusis had no idea why she was crying, so he started crying too. Flutterwing, awoken from a nap, started bawling as well, and I was left with a living room of sobbing ponies. Not even one of my world famous hugs did the trick. Life in the cottage just gets stranger each day.
I did talk to her last night about it though. I managed to convince her that Flutterwing’s a completely normal child. Her development may be stunted or slowed, but she would wind up being the wonderful daughter we’ve always wanted. She eventually subsided, and just confessed that she was just worried about her. Maybe she would get picked on in school, maybe this, maybe that, and I eventually just had to give her one of my hugs until she calmed down. She exhausted herself to sleep that night, really. Sometimes, I have trouble believing what I tell her myself. I really do worry about whether Flutterwing will turn out alright. Anacrusis keeps wondering when she’s going to talk (Since he knows when HIS first words were). And by that, he’s wondering when she’s going to say his name. He wants her first word to be Anacrusis. Adorable, yes, but i told him not to get upset if it doesn’t happen. Only time will tell.
Waiting for time to tell,
Trey
***
“Come on, kids! You’ll be late!” shouted Trey, bursting into each of their rooms.
“Late for what?” asked Flutterwing, sprawled out on Sir Snugalot.
“School shopping, of course!”
“NEW WRITING UTENSILS?” shouted Anacrusis, thrusting himself out of bed, tripping over in his excitement, making a satisfying THUNK on the floor. He groaned in pain as Trey chuckled a bit.
“It’s 7 in the morning just 5 more minutes Dad...” Flutterwing mumbled.
“Actually, it’s 1 in the afternoon. You guys slept way too long.”
“EEEWHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?” shouted Flutterwing, springing to life. “I was supposed to go over to Blueberry’s house today at 12! I’m so dead!” she shouted, frantically digging through her drawers for clothes. Try chuckled even harder. Anacrusis tilted his head sideways, looking at Trey’s watch.
“Dad, it’s 9:30.”
“IT’S 9:30? I COULD’VE SLEPT!”
“But now you only have 2 1/2 hours to get ready to go to Blueberry’s house.”
“Only 2 1/2 hours? Oh, man, I don’t know if I can get ready in time!”
“Don’t worry, Flutterwing.” said Trey, winking at her. “Mom’s going to have breakfast ready in a few minutes. Go on and get ready and such.”
“UUUUUGH! DAD I’M SO CONFUSED!” she shouted, making Trey belt in laughter. Anacrusis chuckled a bit as well as he trotted out the door, into the kitchen. The smell of Hay Bacon wafted about the cottage as Anacrusis sat down at the table. Trey trotted over, giving Fluttershy a small kiss on the cheek, as she giggled. Flutterwing hurriedly dashed to her seat, panting, in a panicked state.
“Flutterwing, what’s wrong with you?” asked Fluttershy.
“I only have two hours and 15 minutes until I have to go to Blueberry’s!” she stated, making Trey facehoof.
“2 hours and 15 minutes is a long time, Flutterwing. You’ll be able to eat, take a nap,and do your makeup.”
“Eh...maybe just eat and nap.” Anacrusis stated, a coy smirk coming across his face.
“Heh.” said Trey, producing one of his own. “You’re right.”
“Hey!” said Fluttershy. “That’s not very nice.”
“She’s uh...not as seasoned as you are, dear. Thus, not as fast!”
“Oh. I thought you were making a bad joke for a second.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” said Trey, giving Anacrusis a small wink. He chortled a little bit.
“Breakfast’s ready!”
***
Anacrusis galloped out in front of Trey and Fluttershy, who were in turn dragging Flutterwing behind them.
“Only an hour and a half!”
“You’ll be fine, Flutterwing!” said Fluttershy. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go!”
“OK!” said Flutterwing, zooming past Trey and Fluttershy, somehow managing to beat Anacrusis into the store. Trey and Fluttershy just stood staring at the scene.
“Well, at least she’s motivated.” said Trey, blinking in confusion.
“I wasn’t aware anypony could be that excited to go to Stall-mart.”
“At least they won’t be the strangest ponies there.”
“Hopefully they don’t wind up on poniesofstallmart.com”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. We should probably chase after them, hm?”
“Oh. I guess so.” Fluttershy giggled.
***
“Here you go!” said Flutterwing, tossing a bunch of school materials into the basket, darting her eyes left and right.
“Flutterwing, calm down. Seriously.” said Trey, staring in confusion at the haphazardly thrown school supply massacre. “What do you even need these mexican jumping beans for?”
“I DON’T KNOW! Aren’t they for science?”
Fluttershy sighed heavily, facehoofing. “Let’s just figure out what we need to put back. Where’s your brother?”
“I dunno.”
“Trey, you go find him. I’ll sort this out.” she said, almost shooing him away. “Now, Flutterwing, just calm down...”
Trey trotted off, looking through the aisles, not managing to find his son through the massive throngs of other schoolfoals. Finally, on the writing utensils aisle, not surprisingly, he found Anacrusis sitting on the floor, staring up at the perfectly hung rack of pens and pencils. As Trey got closer, he could see Anacrusis was drooling a little bit, his eyes as large as saucer plates, almost as if the pens and pencils were emitting some sort of ethereal golden glow.
“Anacrusis?”
“Not now, Dad. I’m busy making the most important decision of my life.”
“Uh...Son, it’s not-”
“SH! The Dixon Ticonderoga has always been known as having the best eraser on the market, nearly erasing the competitors and holding a monopoly on the effective eraser market. The Bison Bandera brand, however, is made form the highest quality wood in Equestria, hoof-crafted in the Appleloosa factory and scanned for perfection. And then there’s...there’s the...” he started, his drool getting more noticeable. “The G2 Rollerball 6000. A recent pen put on the market, this utensil actually has ink inside of the pen. You click the top and it’s ready to write, unlike everything else right now that relies on fountain pens or quills with inkwells. Such a technological advancement could be so disastrously horrid. Yet, for it to have successfully been put on the market, it had to have made it past the testing process. it apparently lasts longer than pencils, and refills are sold for moderately cheap...This is the apex of my writing skills, Father. This is what my life has come to. THIS IS IMPORTANT!”
Trey stared at Anacrusis, trying to figure out what to say. “What are you using at home right now?”
“I actually have the fountain pen that came with the stationary you got me for Christmas.”
“Why can’t you just use that?”
“It’s too valuable.”
“What did you use at school before that?”
“I actually had the cheap Dixon knockoff brand. it was conceived and crafted well enough, but I’d avoid buying it again because it’s mass produced by sweatshop workers in Neighsia.”
“Oh, Sweet Celestia.” said Trey, rolling his eyes. “They’re 1 bit for 5. Just get one of each.”
“NO! That would be unfair! Making all of them live together, when they’re clearly all rivals.”
“Are you being for real right now?”
“Nah.” he said, grabbing the Dixons. “I’m just messin’ with ya.” he finished, trotting past his father out the aisle. Trey stared, blinking in confusion.
“He takes after me a little too well.” he said, shaking his head, trotting off to find Fluttershy and Flutterwing.
“I think we finally got it.” said Fluttershy, giving Trey a smile that said “We’re done, let’s leave.”
“At long last?” asked Anacrusis.
“Hurry Mom! We only have 45 minutes!”
“OK OK OK!” she Fluttershy, exasperated. Trey chuckled.
“I can take care of this is you want.”
“Please.”
“Got it. Come on, guys, let’s get through so Flutterwing can make it to Blueberry’s.”
***
11-7-14
Flutterwing said her first word today. Flutterheart was just ecstatic. Anacrusis was kind of bummed.
Flutterheart was just cuddling her on the couch while watching TV, and she was making some babbling noises. During one of the commercials, I passed by and she said “Flutter!” Of course, me, Flutterheart, and Anacrusis stood by wanting to make sure we heard her say it properly (If at all) and almost on cue, she said it again, smiling at us as if trying to proclaim an accomplishment to the world.
“Dang it! She was supposed to say Anacrusis!”
Flutterheart and I laughed a little bit. Her smile was so bright, almost as if all that tension and fear that she felt towards Flutterwing’s growth throughout the last year or so has instantly dissipated and was immediately replaced with a truly happy, ecstatic mare. One something like the one I first fell in love with. I had to smile to myself, then kissed her and Flutterwing on the foreheads before taking my place on the couch next to them. Anacrusis just kind of sulked for a bit. He’ll be fine. Looks like we’ll be sleeping well tonight. Supposing she doesn’t scream and cry and wake us up tonight, you know.
Proud of her first word,
Trey