From Under the Love Seat

by Lightstruck


Mining A Mystery Pt.1

“But mom!”

“No buts, you're going to school next week.”

The little changeling buzzed his wings in frustration. ‘Mom doesn't understand that I already know what I need to.’ “Why do I need to go and learn? I know lots.”

Willow shook her head with a small smile. ‘Foals, I swear.’ “Fine answer this correctly and you won't go to school.” What is X, if ten equals X times four?”

“Six.” Chitter confidently answered.

“And just how did you get six?”

“Six, because five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.” He replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No, Chit. It's two and a half.”

“I know that!”

“Sure you did, but you didn't tell me correctly and now you go to school.”

“Mom, let me try again!” Chitter pleaded.

Willow put her hoof down, “Chitter this is not up for discussion. You are going to school, and you're not getting out of it.”

“Ugghhh!” The colt groaned exaggeratedly.

Willow gave him a look, “Let's get a move on. We still have to get your supplies and a saddle bag. Your old ones are getting small.”

“Ok.” He walked alongside his mother through the market. “Ooo, can we get hayfries? Pleeeeease, momma?”

She scrunched her face up in mock thought.

Chitter looked at her with anticipation. “Pleeease?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know. Are you going to complain about school again?”

“No I won't, I promise!”

“Welllll, alright. I guess we can.”

“YES!” He danced a small circle around his mother. “Hay fries, hay fries, gonna get some!”

“If you want them we have to finish shopping first.”

“Hurry mom!”

“Alright, alright, let's go.”

She led the way to the first of a few stalls. Chitter couldn't see what was on the stall counter from his position near the ground. His mom glossed over the items on the stall.

Chitter was curious about what was up there but he was just too short to see. But he knew a way to see up there! Taking a few steps back from mom he buzzed his wings and jumped to his mother's back. He struggled to stay on and twice a back hoof slipped.

“Be careful sweetie. Momma doesn't want to see you get hurt.”

The stallion behind the stall scoffed. “Sorry Miss, but we don't serve his kind here.”

“Well thank you for your honesty. Now if you don't mind, I was the one shopping. So how about you leave him alone and help me instead?” Willow wore a smile that just challenged the attendant.

He decided to accept that challenge. “Like I’m going to serve you. You associate yourself with that and just expect to get away with it? Now move along before I call the guard to remove this filth.”

“We will leave after I get what I’m here for. Don't make this hard and we'll be on our way.”

“Would you and that thing just move? I have a business to run without ponies like you ruining it.” The stallion sneered.

“Chitter, sweetie go in momma's bag and get that crystal we talked about.”

“Okay!” Chitter laid down on his mom's back and searched through the saddlebag for the item. “Found it!” He sat back up with this bottle cap sized light blue crystal in his hoof. “Here mom.”

“Thank you sweetie.” She faced the stallion again but this time she stared him down. “You have two options: one, you sell us the items we need and we leave. Two we call his Aunt here to have a chat.”

“Go ahead and call her. I’m not afraid of some little whorse that is related to this.”

She started laughing, “Oh just wait till she hears that.” She flipped the crystal over three times and waited.

“That’s it, I’m getting guards. GUARDS!”

There was a bright sphere of light and then a pony Princess was left in its wake. “Willow, is something wrong?”

“Aunt Twilight!” Chitter exclaimed.

“Twilight this stallion is refusing to sell me school supplies because of Chitter here. Oh, and he called you a whorse.”

A guard rushed up, “Princess, what's the matter?”

“Stand down.” Twilight ordered tinged a bit red in the face, “I have half a mind to have you escorted straight to the dungeon!” Princess Twilight started to get this eye twitch. “You're denying a foal an education? EDUCATION? Because of something so petty? Then you’re calling me names! What kind of pony does that to a foal, never mind insulting a Princess!”

The stallion looked like he may just melt. “Y-your highness, I h-had no idea it was you!”

Twilight's face grew even more red as she ground her teeth. “You have violated decree 47.4 stating that any legal citizen regardless of species has the right to purchase self betterment material unless reasonable evidence can be provided to deny such. Also civil decree 78.5 section 3 which states that abuse of a foal, through any means, will result in punishment at determination of officials based on severity. I will not stand for this!” Twilight stamped her hoof in the dirt.

“Your highness, I never even touched the thing!”

The ends of Twilight's mane started to smolder. “Thing? THING? That thing is my nephew! He is worth more to me than you are! So how about we start with an apology?”
The stallion sat there hyperventilating as he watched a Princess of Equestria nearly burst into flames in his face. ‘Apologize you idiot!’ his brain scolded. “I’m sorry Princess!”

Chitter poked his head from around his mother's neck. Watching his aunt do Princess work through his good eye.

“Don't you apologize to me, you have disrupted the schooling process of a foal. If there's one thing that I will not stand for, it's that.”

“I would do as she asks,” the much larger guard said, stepping up beside him. “You're not just against the Princess on this…” He left his statement hanging in the air.

“I-I-I,” He stammered, “I'm sorry! Please forgive me!”

“There all better. Now finish up with this sale before I conduct an inspection into your business practices. If I hear about you denying anyone access without reason I will shut you down, understood?”

“Clear as day Princess.” He greeted Willow and Chitter in a rushed way. “How can I help you?”

“We just need two notebooks, two folders, what color sweetie?”

“Blue momma!”

“Yes, two blue folders, a box of pencils, and a box of crayons.”

“I WASTED ALL OF THIS TIME FOR THAT!” His eyes glossed over, rolled back into his head, and he fell over into the dirt with a puff of dust.

“See what happens when you are a mean pony?”

“Willow! That's rude and not something you should be teaching him!”

“Anything non-abusive I can use to teach him to be a better pony, I will.” Willow looked over her shoulder and continued, “See we don't hate somepony just because they are different.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes you look dumb.”

“Willow!”

“Fine! Treat others as you want to be treated.”

“Ok Momma,” Chitter didn't understand but just gave mom the answer she wanted.

Twilight poked the stallion, “Come on, wake up.”

“Huh, wha?”

“No it was not a dream. Get up I’ve got things to do.” Twilight was unusually blunt.

“Hey Twilight, you need to calm down a little. It's not like he dragged Chitter out of school.” Willow whispered into the Princess's ear.

“Yes Princess.” The stall owner got back on his hooves but flinched when the guard coughed. Doing some quick math he gave the total to Willow. “That'll be thirteen bits.

Willow dug out the bits needed and collected the items she purchased.

“Willow can we talk for a moment over there?” Twilight nods her head to the left.

“Sure, but I have more school shopping to do for Chit's big day next week.” Following Twilight she asked, “What did you need?”

“Willow, you can’t just call me for little things like this.” Willow tried to protest, “Ok, so maybe this time had some merit to it but you can’t always rely on us for these little things. Now if you’re in trouble or something by all means, but-"

“I'm sorry for this one Twilight. But it is the first time I have used this since receiving it after the fire two years ago. I figured there were some things you would like to know with this. I can’t just go around breaking ponies to get what I need.”

“Momma, hay fries!”

“Chitter, we don’t interrupt ponies while they’re talking.” She glanced over her shoulder at her son. “We will finish shopping in a bit. Anyways Twilight, a school supplies shop was denying rights to ponies buying materials. Oh and called you, a Princess, a whorse. I just thought that warranted the Princess of knowledge…”

“I see your point but just don’t make a habit of it please. Oh, and it's friendship.”

Willow raised a hoof to her chest, “I promise to use my power only for good.” She grinned.

Twilight chuckles, “You’re spending entirely too much time with Spike. I trust you Willow, please take care of yourselves.”

“We will be okay, thank you.”

“I’ll see you guys at our weekly visit!”

“Bye Aunt Twilight!” Chitter waver from his spot on his mother’s back.

“Bye you two.” Twilight teleported away after leaving the guard with further instructions.

“Well let’s go finish our shopping.”

“Yeah!” Chitter was excited to get back to what they had to do. The faster they were done the faster he got one of his favorite treats. Unfortunately he would be delayed in his quest when a voice was heard.

“’Bout time you’re done. All you do is chat huh?”

“Well, if it isn’t dear old sis!” Chitter hid behind Mom’s mane the best he could.

“AUNTIE WILLOW! I got my cutie mark!” A little pink filly squealed happily.

“Who said that?” Willow looked around.

“Auntie Willow! I did.”

“Where is that voice coming from? Is it from behind this mare in front of me?” She looked around exaggeratedly, “I thought I heard my niece! Lightstruck have you seen her?”

“I'm right here silly!”

“Oh there you are! I almost didn’t recognize you with your cutie mark! Well well, look how big you’ve gotten!”

Chitter clung to Mom as he looked around her mane at these new ponies. The youngest of the three was a small pegasus like her mother. Her coat was a dark powder pink with light blue eyes peeking through her magenta hair.

Standing next to her was an average sized pegasus. This pony assumed to be the mother was dark violet with lavender hair done up in a bun with a bow on it.

A confident voice was heard out of Chitter’s sight, “So what’s with all the hubbub earlier?” He wanted to see who it was but with his bad eye couldn’t see them without revealing himself. So naturally he peeked around the left side so he could see.

The unicorn mare he saw standing on the filly's right was tall. Probably a hoof shorter than Fleur De Lis from Momma’s fashion magazine. Her coat was a dark earthy brown, which was topped by forest green mane with a light green stripe through it. Chitter didn’t know why her hooves had tan fronts to all four. He was starting to shiver when the orange eyes locked onto him and widened. He ducked back behind mom’s neck in fear of this pony.

“Will, there’s a Changeling on your back!” She lit her horn in fire (in reality was simply orange colored magic) summoning a weird curved "T" shaped tool and the mother grabbed her filly.

“M-mom-ma!” The poor little guy burst into tears while his mother raised her wings in his defense.

“Lightstruck, that’s my son!” Mom shouted at her friend.

She didn’t lower the tool but stopped moving towards them. “Wait, what?”

“Just put that away Light.” She sat down so she could get at the little bug. “It’s okay sweetheart, they won’t hurt you.” Willow pulled him to her chest and pet his back. “Light, Mystery, he's had some bad experiences in the past.” She mouths ‘Fire'.

“Light, put that thing away now and don’t you use more magic. I mean how many times do I have to tell you not to carry that with you?” The purple pony scolds.

“I will carry this as long as I live. It has saved me more than once and I will not abandon it.” She rubbed a hoof along one of its arms. However even as she held her ground about bringing it with her she did return it from wherever she kept it.

“Mom, what is that?” The filly pointed to Chitter.

“Not a what, Bubblegum, a who. He is a changeling, they can look like anyone when they want to.”

“They can? That is so cool!”

Chitter was no longer crying but was still shaking and trying to hide behind his mother. “It’s alright. See they aren’t trying to hurt you. No fire, just magic.”

“Lightstruck, you better go apologize for terrorizing the poor colt.” Mystery shoved the taller mare forward.

All eyes watched the brown mare as she stumbled forward. “Oh, uh hi…”

“Chitter.” Willow stated.

“Hi, Chitter. Is this your mom?”

Chitter looked cautiously at her, “Yeah… Momma?”

“She’s okay Chit, that’s my “all but” sister.”

“I’m sorry I frightened you.”

Chitter hid his face behind his mother’s leg. “You’re scary.”

“Good to see those pony skills hard at work Light.” Mystery comments.

“Yeah way to go dad.”

Willow crouched down, “Come on Chit we still have to finish shopping.” Chitter eagerly climbed up to get away from the tall mean pony. “Come by my house for dinner we’ll catch up there.”

“Bye Auntie!”

“Goodbye Bubblegum. You be good for your parents there and keep them out of trouble.”

“I will.” Bubblegum nodded her head.
Willow leans in closer to the filly, “Especially that trouble maker of your dad.” She retook her proper stance, “Mystery, can I speak with you for a sec?”

“Yeah, sure.” She trots closer as Bubblegum goes back to her father/other mother.
Willow whispered, “Stay on our right please.”

“Well hello Chitter. Do you mind if I talk to your mom?” She took note of the severe discoloration of his left eye.

“She's not come?”

“No, she’s going to sit right where she is for a bit. But please be nice to her. She is a nice pony, just protective.”

“What that?”

“She keeps us safe like your mom and dad do for you.”

“Shield and I try our best. So Mystery, has little Bubblegum had any medical issues after…”

Mystery just shook her head slightly with a smirk. “Not-a one. She’s the same as any other little filly despite her parents.”

“That’s great news! I haven’t really seen her in so long since you guys moved.”

Chitter sat back and tried to follow along with the conversation but couldn’t. ‘Why wouldn’t she be normal?’

“Hey, save some gossip for dinner. We’ve got a lot to cover.”

“Okay, well we’ll see you around five. Come on Gummy.”

“Ok, bye Aunt Willow, bye Chitter!”

Chitter meekly waved a hoof, “Bye.”

Lightstruck waved bye then began to chat with the filly as they left. “Was that so bad?” Mom asks.

“The brown pony is scary.”

“It was an accident, Chit. You know, like the vase you broke.”

Chitter didn’t answer, instead choosing to hide his guilt.

The rest if the shopping trip was pretty calm and quiet. After what had happened with the vendor earlier, the rest of the stalls had no qualm with little Chitter. To be fair, none really had any to begin with and agreed with the Princess.