//------------------------------//
// FoME and horizon's Fun for All Ages (horizon's "3") 
// Story: Never the Final Word (Vol. 2) 
// by FanOfMostEverything 
//------------------------------//

(FoME)

Twilight Sparkle looked at the thing. It seemed a bit like a mop or broom, only instead of bristles, the bottom was a chunk of stone that might have weighed more than she did. The faded sun symbol on that chunk gave her the strangest feeling it was looking back.

She looked up at the princess. Expressions were hard, not like something as straightforward as integrating n-dimensional arcane manifolds. Twilight couldn't tell if Princess Celestia's smile was eager or embarrassed.

No, it had to be eager. Princesses didn't get embarrassed.

That decided, Twilight moved to the next entry on her mental checklist. "What is it?"

"You know how Smarty Pants is your very good friend?"

Twilight nodded, happy to be on familiar ground. She cuddled Smarty and helped her look at the... thing. "She's my very best study buddy!"

Yes, that was definitely an eager smile. "Well, Mr. Smashy is mine." The princess lifted Mr. Smashy with a single foreleg and rested it—him?—against a wither like he'd been made to sit there. "They play very differently, but I thought the four of us could enjoy some quality time together."

(horizon)

They were pouring Mister Smashy's cup of oolong tea when the door burst open.

"Oooh!"  Cadance said, poinging into the room.  "Hey, Auntie!  Hey, Ladybug!   Are we showing off trophies of conquest today?  Or our adorable childhood friends?  I came prepared, either way!"  She dragged a chair into the room from the hallway outside and sat down at the tea party table.

Shining Armor poked his head through the door.  "Cady?" he  said.  "What's going on?  Your scroll said something about an urgent summons."