Cotton Candy sat with her father in his room, looking through a photo album. Spike had pointed to a few pictures, describing the context behind each of them. There were a few ponies she had only heard about; they had passed away before she became part of Spike’s eclectic family. She had picked them out from a photo from nearly twenty years prior—one of a giant reunion.
“Daddy…” Cotton stretched her neck upwards. “What… what happened to them? I’ve never had the nerve to ask.”
Spike let out a deep sigh. “I admit, I’d been wondering when you would.” Cotton looked away, her eyes downcast as her father looked at the photo again. “I can tell you what I know from others, but I’m afraid I don’t know all the details.”
“…It’s okay,” Cotton responded. “Would you still mind telling me?”
With a smile and slight shake of his head, Spike said, “Not at all, Cotton.” He brought her in close, then pointed one of his talons at the photo, singling out an orange mare with a purple mane. “This is one of your aunt Sweetie Belle’s friends…”