Jackal

by Gallants

80th

"A SMALL AMOUNT OF CREAM AND SUGAR IS FINE!" Jackal screamed as she dodged the various pots and pans her sister launched at her, "IT CAN BRING OUT THE NUANCES OF CERTAIN BEANS AND ROASTS!" She pleaded with the alicorn.

"NAY THOU ART A HEATHEN AND BLACK TIS THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE METHOD OF COFFEE!" Luna yelled back. Celestia walked into the kitchen and looked at her wife's pleading look as she used a wok as a shield, "TIA ÞISSE CONCERNS THEE NOT, TIS BETWEEN THINE HEATHENOUS WIFE AND OURSELF!" She shouted at her sister who simply shook her head and was about to leave when she spotted Luna's personal spartan picking up the pots and bringing them back to the side of the moon princess.

"PETTY OFFICER YOU TRAITOR!" Jackal screamed as Celestia slowly brought her cup to her lips, more interested in how long it would take for her wife to fight back.

"I'M SORRY MOM, IT'S MY JOB!" Coarse Grind yelled back, causing Luna to stop chucking cooking utensils and Celestia to drop her tea, Jackal looked at the mare before looking at the shocked expression on each of the princesses' faces.

"Honey, I can explain," Jackal said, "I was a bit too motherly during the classes I he-" Celestia had stepped up and placed her hoof against the spartans lips.

"We will talk about you keeping this from me later," she told the spartan before walking up to her sister and the spartan that endeavored to hide behind her wings, "Oh sweetie there's no need to hide," Celestia cooed wrapping her wings around the mare. Jackal could see the bat stiffen, unsure how to react, "I've always wanted a foal," she said letting out a deep breath, "but I couldn't adopt because that would make the other foals jealous and of course, the spell incident ruined any future attempts at bearing." She said chuckling tears running down her eyes.

"Tia, don't do this to yourself," Jackal said walking up to her wife and placing a hand on her withers, "it's hard enough outliving the guards, imagine what a daughter would do." She whispered running her hand up the mare's head and pulling it into herself.

"The memories would be worth it," Celestia quietly said before looking up at the spartan, "Wouldn't they?" she asked, tears lining her eyes.

"I think they would be." Coarse Grind said taking her helmet off and looking for an answer in the spartan's face.

"I, I don't know-" Jackal said, quickly getting pulled into the hug.

"Dear, I know you don't want children," Celestia said, "and I know why, but you haven't lived as long as me," the princess looked between the younger mare and her wife, "But we should discuss this further before coming to a decision," she glanced back at the bat before standing up, releasing her, "We should, do so privately, come on dear." Celestia commanded stepping out of the kitchen, the staff peeking around the corner as they watched the spartan approach.

"This isn't done Luna, we will settle this like men," Luna's eyes narrowed, "With table tennis," Jackal told her sister who took a confused step back. Jackal quickly caught up to her wife, who pulled her into a side room, "Tia, it's not that I don't want kids," she said to her, "It's just that, I'm worried what happened to me, will happen to her." Celestia tilted her head.

"What do you mean what happened to you?" Celestia asked, "You don't like talking about your past," she told the spartan wrapping a wing around her, "I don't mean to pry dear." she said getting a finger on her lips.

"No, I should tell you, it's not fair I know so much about your past and you know nearly nothing of mine," Jackal said resting her head in the nook of the alicorns neck, "My name is Jackal because when I was a little girl, the covenant wiped out the colony I lived on, my parents didn't live," Celestia tightened her grip on the human as she felt her fur become wet, "and no one knew who I was, I hit my head a-and couldn't remember my name, or if I had a brother or s-sister, l-let alone my parents faces," her breath became ragged as she wrapped her arms around the mare, "th-the only th-thing I had from that time, wa-was a stuffed ja-jackal, so everyone just called me jackal." she whined out, only calming when her wife lifted her face.

"Are you scared the covenant are going to show up and destroy us?" Celestia asked with a gentle smile on her face.

"Things have been going too well for me, time for a real kick in the balls." the spartan laughed out as Celestia nickered and pulled her back into her.

"You are a silly super soldier," Celestia said as she helped her wife up, "and maybe we should find a good therapist for you," she told the spartan before her face suddenly became worried, "Oh geez, we never found a stuffed jackal, I'm so sorry, it must have gotten lost in the ocean." Celestia said looking into her eyes.

"No, don't worry, I gave her to an ODST as a parting gift ," Jackal told her, wiping her eyes, "He didn't make it, and at his funeral, I put her in his casket," she said letting out a ragged sigh, "it was his first combat drop, he was picked out from tech support, there was a mistake in the paperwork only reason he was there," Jackal looked up and realized they were at their room, "he's the reason I wear the armor, it's fashioned after an ODST uniform," she said before smirking, "just with a tighter body suit." she chuckled out as she was placed on the bedding.

"I do love that body suit," Celestia said pulling the blankets out from under her and tucking her in, "it really accentuates your curves," she said with a kiss on the cheek, "I would like you to stay here and relax. We will talk about adoption later, besides our anniversary is coming up." She told her giving her another kiss before leaving.

"I can't believe I forgot." Jackal groaned rubbing her forehead.

---

Jackal waited for Luna and Coarse Grind to arrive after she had sent a message to them, "Wife of our sister tis time for our table tennis match?" Luna asked as she stepped through the door stopping and gazing at the upside-down down, sweat-dripping spartan.

"No, I don't actually care anymore, just don't attack me over my coffee opinion," Jackal told her finishing off her last set of situps, "so much has happened these past couple months, I forgot Tia's and my anniversary is coming up, and there's only one present to make her really happy," she explained letting out a deep breath as she dropped to the floor, "I'm adopting you petty officer," she said getting a high pitched yelp to escape from the spartans helmet, "I just need an officator which would be you Luna, I already have the papers." She went to her desk and pulled a stack of papers from her drawer.

"When did thee get the papers?" Luna asked looking at the stack.

"Raven brought them to me on the down low." Jackal told her getting a hum in return as Luna fitted a pair of glasses on her muzzle, looking over the papers.

"We see, we see, everything appears to be in proper order," Luna mumbled, before clearing her throat, "just need thine signatures here, here, and here," she said pointing at the lines as Jackal and Coarse Grind signed, "congratulations thou art a mother, as is our sister." Luna stated as she looked over the signatures.

"Does this change, anything commander?" Coarse Grind asked, scraping at the carpet with her hoof.

"Oh yeah," Jackal said getting on her knee, "you don't answer to me anymore for work, you answer directly to Spinnerette," She said patting the mare's shoulder, "Also you can like talk to me about like mother, daughter stuff, because we are no longer professionals, we're family, like a real family." When her sentence finished the mare quickly wrapped herself around the spartan.

"Thank you so much mom," she sighed out before smirking, "so there's this colt," She said getting a firmer pat in return from the human.

"Give me a month on that," Jackal told her breaking the hug, "Now get out of here before Celestia gets back, and not a breath till I announce it to Tia." She told them waving.

---

Jackal looked over her dress, making sure it wasn't creased as she fixed her hair, she let out a sigh as she finished combing back her hair, "Tonight is the night," she said picking up the box containing the adoption papers. She nervously made her way to the garden, Celestia sat at a candlelit table, a large box placed next to her, Jackal smiled taking a seat across from her wife, "You still put butterflies in my stomach.~" the spartan said sweetly.

Celestia blushed, "Oh sweetie, you still put them in mine as well and I'm happy something of mine is bigger than yours," she said winking pointing at the present, "But what did you get me, love?~" she asked as their dinner arrived. Jackal made a motion with her finger and they ate and laughed as they joked.

"Okay, now I know you said we'd talk about this," Jackal said passing the box over, "but I figured you deserve something big for our 80th, especially since I forgot." she told her rubbing the back of her head.

"Must be big," Celestia joked, opening the box and reading the papers, her mouth hanging open, "I-I can't believe it, you adopted Coarse Grind?" she asked, getting a nod in return, "m-my gift is so insignificant," she said pushing the box over, "I thought you would enjoy the joke, of the small present, big box," she said chuckling stopping as Jackal covered her mouth, "I'm so sorry for getting you something so stupid, compared to this." she said.

"She, looks exactly like mine did," the spartan said pulling out the stuffed jackal, small enough to fit in her helmet, "Tia, I love her," she said tears streaming down her face, "and I love you so much.~" she said diving over the table and tightly pulling the alicorn into her.

"I love you too." Celestia said relieved.