“Harmony?! Order? Discordance?! Show yourselves and explain what you’re doing to my son!” Celestia bellowed in the Royal Canterlot Voice. The cylindrical chamber she stood in was barely twice her height with runic spells carved along every spare space on the walls and floor. With no doors or stairs, any interaction would have to be muzzle to muzzle, which was what she was intending.
Celestia turned around twice, looking for any of the avatars, only to flinch when she felt a poke between her wings. “Really, Avatar of Order’s Light, must you be so loud?”
Celestia turned and glared at a black mare with white mane. “Discordance,” she stated. “Where are your sisters? I demand answers for this insult!”
A weight unlike any other Celestia had ever felt pulled her to the ground, cracking her legs and shattering bones as her body slammed into the floor. Biting back pained screams, Celestia tried to open her mouth, only to realize she didn’t have a muzzle.
“You demand from us? You, who are a mere hazy reflection of what my sister, Order, truly is, tells us what to do?” Discordance asked, darkness spilling from her mouth like cloudy tar. “You have no mouth to speak, no nose to breathe, not a leg to stand on, and no idea of the powers we hold, it seems.”
Harmony stepped into Celestia’s line of sight, just as the alicorn’s chest started heaving, aching for breath. “Dis, must you play with the mortals?” Her grey fur began to turn black as Celestia’s eyes drifted closed from pain and asphyxiation. “Stand, Light Bringer,” Harmony said, and Celestia stood without realizing her own motions.
Celestia took in a deep gasping breath and stumbled back to fall on her haunches.
Order appeared, a white mare with black mane; completing the triangle of god-like beings. “Discordance! You have no right or reason to bring harm to my avatar!”
Harmony stepped between them and shook her head. “Sisters, Light seems to have words with us, let us hear her out.”
Celestia stood and, with centuries of experience, schooled her expression and controlled her breathing. “I respectfully ask, Your Majestic Ones, about my son, Aquelis.”
“Respectfully,” Discordance scoffed, only to be quieted by her sisters.
Order stepped beside Harmony. “My dear, if you must know… we are bored.”
Celestia jerked her neck forward, ready to shout at her for being bored and playing with her only child as a foal would a used toy, but she stopped herself and swallowed the vitriol. “I humbly ask, creator of my being, what you have planned for my son.”
Order sniffed, derisively. “That is not for you to know, or even comprehend. No, it is not in my plans, is it, Harmony?”
Harmony giggled into her forehoof and hovered off the floor. “No, only I have an idea of what may happen in the time going forward. I, unlike my sisters, can see a way ahead and behind with the flow of time. However, everything around Snickers is curious.”
A Moebius ring appeared in the center of the room they were in and Harmony drug her forehoof along the lower partition. “You see, this is a fraction of reality as you know it. This, right here, is where Snickers began his time here…” Harmony let her eyes meet Celestia’s, “...and nowhere in my plan was your son involved.
“I’ve pulled many creatures to this reality over the many loops the ring has made, but this section here, is where we are now… and,” her forehoof moved and the entire ring changed to move with her, reforming itself as a line she drew continued, “this is where everything changes.
“I will let you and my sisters in on this little secret, but only you won’t recall this little detail; soon, Aquelis and Snickers will be one, and I have no idea what will happen after that. Think of it, sisters! A future none of us knows, with avatars acting on their own… perhaps they will all die, or pass their elements to another.
“Perhaps nothing will happen and everything will stay as it has been… we simply don’t know; and it’s glorious, Celestia!” Harmony cheered and the ring vanished. “Now, is there anything else, or should I let Discordance have her fun with you before sending you back to your bedroom?”
Celestia glared at the creature as it patted her muzzle condescendingly. “I ask that you please, please, keep my Aquelis safe in his trials ahead. Please, Sisters, I have asked so little of you over all these years, just do this one thing. Not for me, but for him, and the creature sharing his body.”
Harmony huffed hot air in Celestia’s face. “It is not your son’s body, he was turned to ashes in a pyre, lit by your own magic. To recall him now would destroy thousands of futures by the loss of blades of grass alone. This may be a bit of fun for us all, but fixing such damages are more of a toil than triumph.
“No, the reason he inhabits your son’s body is chance, and chance alone. Leave it as it is, and leave us alone, unless you have something important to say or offer.”
The Sisters looked at Celestia and the room began to brighten as various runes came to life. Before Celestia was sent back to her room, she noticed Discordance wink at her.
…
Snickers sat and looked at Laxxie, his eyes locking on her own and then glancing at the various paints around her face and on her muzzle.
“So, you turned my timber-pony into a doll?” Snickers said, narrowing his eyes at Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
“Ugh, as if! She’s more than just some doll,” Silver Spoon exclaimed. “She’s a work of art!”
“As you can see, we used a little cloth in her joints to stop that clacking sound when she moves, we painted her face with a green base, like most of her body, to better hide the moss, and we even braided her mane and tail… because that was fun,” Diamond Tiara finished.
Laxxie hopped a little in place, showing off how quiet she was. “See, Alpha; Laxxie is pretty now. I am real pony, can go out with Alpha now.”
Snickers shook his head. “No, you’re as real as you need to be, Laxxie. Shit, I know how dumb this sounds, but just be happy for the pony you are.”
Laxxie cocked her head. “I am not a pony, I am doll?” For the first time, Snickers saw some golden sap form at the corner of Laxxie’s eye.
“No, you’re a real pony!” Snickers interjected. “You’re a real timber-pony, and you’re the only you there is, and that’s great, right, everypony?” Snickers asked urgently.
The maids stayed well back from the four foals, but nodded when the question was posed.
Laxxie’s form slowly shifted into a wolf, and she whimpered with her tail between her legs. Her eyes were larger than they normally were, an effect of being able to change her body shape, and her branch ears drooped. In the span of two whimpers, every pony ‘awww’ed.
“Laxxie, my little puppy, why are you so sad?” Snickers asked as Silver Spoon moved behind the wolf and gently pat her back.
“Laxxie was pretty, but not a real pony. I want to be a real pony, daddy.”
Laxxie’s words struck every pony in the room, and even the hardened guard hiding in the ceiling felt a maternal ache in her chest. Snickers pouted and hugged his timberwolf. “You are a real pony, as long as you believe in your heart that you are one.”
There was the brushing sound and Silver ‘eeped’ as Laxxie’s tail began to wag. “Alpha...” the wolf said quietly, “...daddy, can we splash in the bath like last time?”
Snickers, Kiwe, and the fillies giggled. “It’s too early to take a bath, but let’s go play in the gardens! Oregano, Basil!” Snickers called out. Laxxie reformed quickly into a pony, just as the twin butlers entered the room.
“You called, Snickers?” They said in unison.
“Creepy,” Diamond Tiara whispered to Silver Spoon.
“Take us to the gardens,” Snickers commanded them. Each adult in the room snapped to attention and stood proud, then Snickers snickered. “Wow, I didn’t mean it like an order, I was just saying it like a adult would. C’mon, Laxxie needs a walk.”
Basil nodded and stepped to the side, letting Oregano flank him. “Will your toy be needing papers, sir?” Basil joked.
Snickers whinnied and reared up to kick his legs. “She’s not a toy!” He shouted as he landed. “She’s my little wooden pony, and you will refer to her as you would any other friend and family of mine.”
Rosemary quickly moved to stand between the stallions and whispered to them for several seconds before she stepped back and bowed her head to them. The stallions remained quiet for the rest of the trek to the gardens with the maids following the foals from behind.
Once in the gardens, Snickers ran out with his friends to play and have fun. “Tag!” Snickers shouted and gave Diamond a hard shove.
Diamond frowned. “You’re gonna get it when I tag you back, Snickers!”
“I bet you can’t tag me,” Snickers shot back, already far enough that he had to stop and shout at the stationary filly.
Diamond looked back to Sage and pointed to her tiara. “Hold this for me.” Once the tiara was off her head, Diamond tore off at a speed that rivaled Snickers’s at his best. The colt yelped in surprise and ran in a large arc to catch Kiwe and Silver in the game.
Silver Spoon had already taken her glasses off and had folded them with an over dramatic sigh and eye roll. She made sure her braids were tight, her tail, too; then she ran into the fray with a laugh.
Diamond tagged Kiwe, actually, as the colt was distracted by a flower that shared the same color as Gul’s headcrest. Kiwe chased her, then veered to tag Snickers, who had accidentally run too close to taunt the zony.
“Hey! No tag-backs,” Diamond shouted when Kiwe managed to tag her shoulder.
“What?! Since when?” Kiwe asked, breathing heavily.
Diamond sucked in a deep breath and spoke quickly. “Since we have four players, duh! So, go tag somepony else, or I’ll just tag you, and you’ll tag me, and that’ll ruin the game!”
Kiwe turned and locked eyes on Silver Spoon, who happily screamed when their eyes met. The chase was shorter than Silver would have liked, though, as she’d been spending a lot of time living easy through her life and didn’t usually gallop or play tag.
Snickers watched the last chase and then ran by, Silver Spoon, flicking his tail at her as he passed.
“Hey! You’re so gonna get it,” Silver gave chase and Snickers looked back, screaming himself when he noticed Silver gaining. With a leap, Silver tagged Snickers’s blank flank and tumbled to the ground, rolling twice before standing and lowering her front, watching to see where he went next.
Snickers pronked side to side, then turned away from them all, confusing the other foals. There was a loud clang as Snickers tagged a guard. “Tag! You’re it, and you gotta play ‘cause my mommy said ya hafta!”
Snickers ran away and stopped to turn back, watching the guard look to his comrades as he ran through his options.
“Buck me, if I get in trouble for this, it’s gonna be worth it,” the stallion said and slipped his helmet off, exposing a purple mare with a yellow mane. Her voice now matched her gender and she kicked her boots off before prancing into the grass. “Okay, you’re going to get it, now!” She shouted and galloped into the now screaming chorus of foals.
The mare, still in full metal barding, tagged Snickers, who spun and quickly tagged Diamond, with a raspberry for added effect. “Nya, nya! No tag-backs,” he teased.
Diamond shoved Snickers over and hopped over him. “I can still try,” she mocked back. As Snickers got up, he giggled in a higher voice and snortled.
Snickers turned from the main group and cantered toward some bushes to hide and catch his breath. “Best… tag… ever,” he panted and gulped air down his throat. A slap on his hindquarters made him yelp and hop out of the bushes.
“Tag!” Kiwe shouted and ran off to stand by the others.
Snickers didn’t know how much time had passed while he was catching his breath, but two more guards were in the game now; a mare and stallion. They were all only wearing their barding and seemed ready to run at the first sign of trouble. Snickers smirked.
Laxxie, bark at them for me.
But, I am pony. Ponies no bark.
Laxxie, c’mon. Do it! Snickers mentally pleaded. A low growl caught all the ponies attention and they looked back over their shoulders to see a timber-pony growling. It was cute and the sound was more reminiscent of a pony clearing their throat than a menacing growl.
There was another clang as Snickers tagged the stallion. “Tag! You’re it!”
The game went on until the adults started to get winded and stepped out to redon their gear. The foals finally had had enough. “Hey…” Silver Spoon asked as they drank from glasses of water set up for them by a passing servant, “... didn’t we come out here for Laxxie?”
The foals looked at the timber-pony, happily rooted in the soil. They all made grumbling noises, not concerned. Snickers piped up, “She’s fine and says she had fun watching, and would have been broken if she’d played with us, so she’s been having a meal,” Snickers said, then gulped down a full glass of water and ignored the mare that refilled his glass.
“So,” Snickers said, noticing the lower position of the sun, “after mommy sets the sun, we can go to bed, like a sleepover, right?”
Everypony looked at Snickers curiously. “Um,” Silver Spoon said, licking her lips after another drink, “like, doesn’t Rarity just sew clothes, and stuff?”
Snickers nodded. “Yeah, Rarity does… but… wait, what was I talking about?”
Kiwe looked at the fillies as Snickers closed his eyes tightly. Silver Spoon moved to sit beside Snickers and pressed her side to his. “Are you feeling okay?”
Snickers leaned close to Silver and nuzzled her, earning a big grin from the grey filly and a smile from the other two. “I dunno, I feel weird being here.”
“Then, let’s leave the gardens and see if that helps.” Diamond suggested.
“No, the castle,” Snickers clarified, “I feel like a different pony sometimes, especially around Auntie and Mommy.”
The other three looked at Snickers with confusion, again. “Your… mommy? Which one?”
Snickers shook his head. “I only have one. She’s white and has a lovely mane, is super sweet, cares and loves me; you know, my mommy.”
Kiwe moved and rested the back of his fetlock to Snickers’s forehead. “You seem to not be feeling your best, perhaps you are tired and need rest?”
Snickers leaned back and nickered. “I’m not sick, sheesh. Wanna play hide ‘n seek?”
The others looked between one another and reluctantly shook their heads. “I don’t think we should let Snickers play a game like that out here,” Silver gestured to the numerous and vast places to hide. The implications were clear, and finding a lost and confused colt wouldn’t necessarily be for the best.
“It is getting late, perhaps we should end this play date?” Kiwe offered as an option.
The others nodded and went to a guard. “Um, did you take us here?” Silver Spoon asked the tall white stallion. “Like, you all look the same, so, like, I’m not sure.”
The guard shook his head and motioned for another guard to come over. “She did,” the guard said. “Lieutenant, please escort these honored guests back to their apartment.”
The lieutenant saluted. “Yes, sir.”
...
“So… how are we gonna handle sleeping now?” Kiwe asked.
“I don’t know, I thought we were just gonna sleep the same way we have been the last couple nights; girls in their room, us in ours.” Snickers said.
The two fillies looked at Snickers, then Kiwe, then they rushed to be by Snickers’s sides. “I like this,” Diamond said with a haughty tone.
“Like, me too, Diamond Tiara! It’s like we’re sisters, or something; don’t you think so, Snickers?” Silver asked the brown colt. “Oh, wow. Look, Snickers! Our manes are almost the same color. Isn’t that neat?”
Diamond gasped. “Oh, Silver Spoon, my sister, let’s braid his mane to look like yours!”
Both fillies gasped and sat to clap their forehooves as they shouted in unison. “Makeover the alpha!”
Snickers backpedaled quickly. “Woah! No, I already have a mane style from Mom I like! I’m not getting it redone into braids.”
The fillies rolled their eyes and Silver moved to face him. “It’s not like it’s gonna be permanent, it’s just a little fun. Like, just playing around.”
“Yeah, it’s not like you can’t unbraid your mane when we’re done.” Diamond stated with an eye roll.
Snickers sighed and shook his head at the floor. “Fine,” he looked between Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, “but, only one braid, and I have to say it, no touching me sexually without my permission!”
“Wow, that was so random,” Diamond said, “but that’s why we lo- like you, right, Silver Spoon?”
Silver Spoon scoffed. “I don’t care, I love him; and soon, I’ll know him better and love him even more.”
Snickers and Kiwe rolled their eyes. “I shall go to my alchemy set to make some potions, brother, just in case you need anything extra in the morning.”
Snickers cocked his head and thought how the potion had cured him of his urges throughout the day. “Okay, have fun and make them strong… whatever they are.”
…
After a short game of hide and seek through the apartment, the foals got ready for bed and Snickers donned a full set of pajamas again. The fillies had pajama shirts made, while Kiwe slept in his fur, as he preferred. With a final goodnight, they were tucked in and cuddled with Diamond Tiara, Snickers, Silver Spoon, and Kiwe laying side by side, looking at the ceiling.
Pup lay awake at the foot of the bed, wondering about the new things and ideas going through her mind that Snickers had unknowingly gifted her.
One by one, each foal fell asleep and Snickers found himself the big spoon to Diamond. Humming quietly as she fell asleep with Snickers nuzzled against her neck, Diamond couldn’t have been happier or more content than she was right then.