//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: What Did We Do? 
// by Bookpony579 
//------------------------------//

Nighttime in Canterlot was surprisingly peaceful.

Aside from the usual nighttime activities such as clubs, taverns along with all night stores, libraries and schools for the nocturnal residents, it was surprisingly quiet. Especially when one considered what usually went on during the daylight hours.

At one home of a certain diurnal family was quiet and dark. It was the middle of the night after all and usually the residents would be fast asleep right now. However, this was not the case for the father of the family.

No, the father was wide awake and thinking hard.  He was standing at the doorway of his youngest child in his pajamas with a small smile at his lips as he watched his daughter sleep peacefully, as though unaware of the constant action her life was part of now. The moonlight streamed in from the skylight above the bed, creating a sort of holy aura around the sleeping girl, and seemed to create sparkles in her striped hair. The whole affect making her akin to something like an angel from what he read. At the foot of her bed, her loyal, talking canine companion was asleep too, most likely dreaming of chasing squirrels. Her owl familiar was missing from it's cage, as it was a traditionally nocturnal creature and used to keeping odd hours in order to be there for his mistress.

The father had just arrived home from a few days abroad just that morning and had been caught up in the happenings of the household while he was away, the reason he was up late thinking in the first place.

"Night? What are you doing up?"

Speaking of creatures keeping odd hours... His smile seemed to grow as he turned to the mother and matriarch of the house.

"I should be asking you the same thing Vel." He said in good humor, as he was used to her habits after all their years of marriage.

"I've only got about one chapter to go and then it's off to the editor!" The bestselling author grinned before returning to her questioning look from earlier. "Now what are you doing up?"

"Just...thinking." He sighed and turned back to watching his baby sleep. His wife, curious, went over to his side and peeked in. She smiled too when she saw her daughter.

"Aw! isn't she precious?" She asked.

Her husband nodded, "What did we do to deserve her and Shining Armor?"

"I've been wondering that since they were born. I guess the Gods just liked us or something."

The man nodded and continued thinking as a serious expression appeared on his face.

"I should've been here."

"Now don't you go on about that again!" His wife stepped back and gave him a stern look. "As everyone, myself included, told you earlier: it was not your fault. There was nothing you could do and you didn't even know about it."

"That's just it! I didn't know and I couldn't do anything!" The man, like his wife, was careful to keep his voice low, so as not to wake the sleeping occupants in the next room. 

The woman folded her arms. "You were on a business trip. It couldn't be helped."

"I could've come home early, or I could've gotten one of the other partners to do it. Aside from the locations, they're usually pretty boring anyway. We both know what your like when your writing."

"So do the kids and they know how to handle themselves when it happens."

"But I'm still usually here to help! I could have just looked up a helpful spell or something..."

"Magic can't solve everything Night Light." The normo woman said to her mage husband.

"I know! But I still feel like a horrible father, being away while my family was in danger!"

His wife face softened and she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You didn't know this would happen. Any more than the rest of us. I anyone can be blamed as the negligent parent here, it's me."

"Velvet.."

She looked away, ashamed. "It's like you said: We both know what I'm like when writing.If I had just looked up and paid more attention I could've noticed something was wrong with Cadance earlier. Or I would've noticed how worried Twilight was..."

"Velvet!"

She looked back at him, tears gathering in her eyes. "Do you know what it's like to have to watch as your child is taken hostage by a monster while your other child is under the the control of the monster?" Tears were now streaming down her face. "It's horrible Night. And the worst part was that I couldn't do anything about it. Not to mention that there are other monsters like that out there after our babies..."

Night held his wife and let her sob into his shoulder for a few minutes. He rubbed her back in comfort.

"It's not your fault. From what you told me she's supposed to be a master shapeshifter. Not to mention how powerful she was. Celestia couldn't take her on by herself, and she's supposed to be blessed by the Sun Goddess!"

Velvet pulled herself together and looked the taller man in the eye. "A mother's job is to protect her kids and keep them safe and I couldn't even do that! And we're going to be grandparents soon on top of that! What am I supposed to do next time something like this happens?"

"I don't know. I guess all we can do is hope Celestia and Luna prepare her enough to handle it when it comes."

Velvet just sighed and looked wistful. "Things have just gotten so crazy since it turned out our daughter's an Element of Harmony."

Night could only chuckle lightly at this. "Yeah, who'd have thought, huh? Even when we knew how powerful and smart she was, it's still hard to believe. Not to mention her learning the 'magic of friendship'? After Sunset and wishing all those years that she'd get out more? It's like something straight out of one of your books."

Velvet smiled slightly at this. "Yeah...now she has five more close friends and making more everyday." Velvet went back to thinking. "The Elements of Harmony...it's almost too much to take in."

"No kidding."

"What did we do? To have all of this happen to us? To our daughter? It's not her fault, I know. But out of all the mages in the world, why did it have to be our little girl?"

"Hey, I thought you liked danger?"

"You know what I mean!"

Night nodded. "I know, I'm just messing with you. I don't know either. One of the most fundamental rules of magic is that it works in mysterious ways. For all our knowledge, there is still so much we don't know and it always seems to find ways to surprise us."

"But why?"

"I just don't know! Maybe because she's so powerful. Because she's so good. Maybe it's just random chance she found them or it could be a series of predetermined events directed by fate. Maybe the Gods just like their jokes or have their own reasons. Or even what you said earlier: they like us and they knew we would be able to take care of her. Whatever the reason, it's far beyond our own understanding."

Velvet sighed. "I hate it when you get all philosophical." 

"You knew what you were getting when you married me."

Velvet chuckled a little at this. " I know." After a moment she continued. "You think that's the reason things started going good for us after she was born?"

"Probably. Me making partner, you becoming a bestseller and Shining turning out so good. All our struggles, money, recognition, stress, from before seemed to vanish after she came along. Suddenly my salary goes up astronomically, Shining starts doing amazing in school and your winning book awards every year or so. You were even offered that movie deal!"

"I'm still considering that. You know how they mess up the story when they turn it into a movie. But still, it's just like that old man I told you about said. I know you shrugged it off when I told you but it's all coming true! Especially since she came after..." She left the sentence drag off with a sad look in her eyes. Despite not completing her sentence, her husband knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Can we not talk about that? It's late and that was years ago." He said gently.

"I wonder how the other parents are handling this?" Velvet asked after a minute of thinking.

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask them?"

"Oh! Maybe we can have a support group! 'Being parents or relatives of the Elements', or something! We can even have snacks and take trips!"

"I don't think everyone enjoys rock climbing at Ghastly Gorge."

"It's not so bad once you know how to avoid the eels!"

Night smiled at her. Before they could say anything else a whining made itself known from Twilight's room.

They looked in and they saw Twilight tossing and turning in her sleep and moaning, apparently having reached an unpleasant part of her dream.

Quietly, they entered the room and sat on either side of the bed.

"Sshh..." Velvet shushed gently, stroking her daughter's hair. "It's ok. Mommy and daddy are here." She quickly kissed Twilight's forehead, causing her to calm down. Night repeated the gesture, resulting in a small smile to appear on Twilight's face.

"Goodnight princess."

Just as they entered, they left quietly, softly closing the door behind them.

"I miss her being little, when she still needed us."

Night put a comforting arm around her. "Hey, she's not even sixteen yet. She's responsible and mature for her age but she's still a teenager. Besides, we've got a little grandchild to look forward to spoiling."

She smiled. "Your right, but it's late and we've talked long enough. I've still got a book to finish and you've got sleep to catch up on."

The couple kissed each other goodnight and the night remained peaceful once more.