"I uh...We haven't uh..." Twilight began to stammer.
"We all have a lot going on in our lives right now. Marriage is a big important step and something you should be prepared for. I hate to admit I am one of the things in the way of that..." Nyx chuckled nervously, attempting to come to Twilight's rescue.
"She's right. Lot goin' on. End of the world type stuff on our shoulders constantly," Rainbow added as she fluttered down next to the couch from the railing. She leaned into the couch and gave a wink to Twilight.
"R-Right! We can't really decide on something so important with everything going on right now," Twilight agreed.
"I see. Taking the adult approach and waiting for the right time," Cadence murmured with a knowing smirk.
All eyes turned towards the door as Spike marched in.
"Hey Twilight I think Shining Armor might..." he paused as he spotted everyone in the room
"...Visit...heh, guess I was a little slow on this one," he chuckled.
"Spike. Didn't we promise not to have any secrets from each other?" Cadence asked softly. He tensed up at her words, tempted to just leave back out the door.
"Well I mean, some secrets are meant to be kept," Spike answered matter-of-factly.
"Wait, you said you didn't know!" Shining Armor accused her.
"No, I didn't know. But between you and the lovely girls here, I put together the pieces. I once ran a country myself you know," Cadence pointed out.
"Wait, a-are you...?" Nyx stammered, eyes wide as Cadence winked and spread her wings, her magic snagging Spike before he could run off and tugging him in against her. She smirked down at him, laying him across her and Shining Armor's laps.
"And no Spike, I don't have all the details, but I do know a certain somedrake has been hiding a lot more than comic books from me," she smiled, one hand on his chest and the other scratching a soft spot behind his ear.
Everyone watched in awe as Spike suddenly relaxed with a soft growl vibrating in his throat.
"I...I didn't know he did that..." Twilight mumbled.
"Dragons are quite special and must be treated with care and respect. No matter how adorable they are," Cadence gently lectured. Spike was practically putty in her hands.
"Could make a man jealous like that," Shining Armor teased. Spike's eyes widened and he attempted to roll to freedom, only managing to turn onto his side and end up with Cadence's hand resting on his rib. She frowned a little as her eyes began to glow dimly.
"Hiding a lot more than comic books..." she mumbled. Spike chuckled nervously.
"I uh...Have a tough job..." he tried to argue his case, wincing as she tugged on his ear.
"I don't care just how high up you rank mister. You are still that little dragon to me, no matter how old you really are," she huffed.
"Besides, I'm probably still quite a bit older than you," she added under her breath. Spike turned his gaze to Nyx, mouthing Help me
"U-Um so miss uh...Cadence, was it? Are you a Princess as well?" Nyx wondered. Cadence's hands stopped.
"I suppose I qualify. It's not a topic I often talk about. If I am being perfectly honest, there isn't much for me to be Princess of..."
"I think love is quite an important spectrum, don't you?" Shining Armor chuckled.
"W-Wait! Mi Amore Cadenza?! The Warrior of Heart?! T-Thats you!?" Nyx gasped, her eyes wide.
"Well that's a title I haven't heard in a long time. I suppose that's one of Auntie Luna's memories?" Cadence wondered.
"It's kind of spotty, b-but yes. I-It's wonderful to meet you," Nyx beamed.
"Warrior? Cadence?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come on Twilight. What with you being an Element of Harmony, surely you know we have to get our hands dirty every now and again. Isn't that right, Spike?" Cadence turned her attention back to the dragon in her lap who let out a soft whimper. He yelped as she lightly dug her fingers against his rib, her hands matching the glow of her eyes.
Slowly Spike began to drift off to sleep. Cadence huffed and stood, placing him in her seat. Without care or ceremony she removed his shirt, revealing a large bruise over his left side. Twilight stared in horror and Rainbow quickly covered Nyx and Scootaloo's eyes.
"Just how long have you been like this...?" She wondered, letting her fingers wander over the bruise.
"He seemed a bit off center before...I thought he was just tired, but this..." Shining clenched his fist.
"This isn't a normal wound..." she mumbled, crouching in front of him. Her magic flitted around the sleeping dragon-kin and she continued to mumble under her breath.
"A-Are you tellin' me he's hurt?! B-But he was fighting with me!" Scootaloo argued, shoving Rainbow's hand away. All eyes turned to the young Skyborn as she glared at the sleeping dragon.
"He shoulda told me he wasn't feelin' up to it..." she mumbled, crossing her arms.
"Men have a habit of keeping things from the women they care about. They don't want us to worry," Cadence explained.
"W-Well he still shoulda told me!" Scootaloo huffed.
"You're right, but he would rather see you happy," Cadence smiled over her shoulder.
"I can help him out a little...This is more Luna's talent than mine but..." she let out a slow breath, her magic folding over him in layers. She gently slipped his shirt back on and lightly patted his cheek.
"C-Cadence wait!" Spike started as he woke up. He blinked, finding everyone staring at him.
"I uh...I can explain?"
"I would hope so. This young lady here is very worried about you," Cadence smirked as she stepped to the side, forcing Spike to meet eyes with Scootaloo. Nyx glanced between them.
"Scoots, I..."
"Don't hide from me Spike...The world sucks enough without me having to think I'm gonna lose you..."
"I..." Spike sighed and leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees.
"You won't ever lose me Scootaloo...None of you ever have to worry about me kicking the bucket..." he shook as he took a slow breath.
"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Twilight wondered.
"I'd like that," Spike admitted. Cadence sighed.
"You can't run from your problems forever, either of you."
"The bruise is from when the Children of Nightmare took Twilight. The Possessed were all High Ranking Casters of Celestia's court. They were skilled in...Dragon Slaying spells," Spike spoke up, squeezing his knees.
"I used myself as a shield over Twilight, not even realizing I was flinging myself into their trap. They knew if I showed, that I would do whatever it took to protect Twilight. I'm just lucky I have a few wild cards..." he chuckled weakly.
"That Lieutenant of yours really is something else," Shining Armor chuckled.
"You rang?" Vinyl asked as she teleported behind them, still suited up in her armor.
"I was wonderin' what was takin' you so long, Boss. Didn't realize you had a family reunion goin' on," she chuckled. She paused for a moment and gave a proper bow to Cadence who stared in mild confusion.
"Celestia said to make sure you were doing well on your little vacation. Personal message only given to me," Vinyl explained, her mana flickering for a moment. Cadence blinked.
"Well, she is interesting...Wait a minute..." Cadence stepped forward, planting a finger against Vinyl's armor.
"Vanessa, you sly dog..." she smirked. Vinyl gulped and shrugged.
"Yea...Figured I couldn't hide my scent from you, even with the fancy suit. But uh, don't out to me the others. Only Sparkie there knows and I'd like to leave it that way. Princess' code, right?" Vinyl asked.
"Fine...But you and I are catching up later," she said as she tapped Vinyl's armor.
"Friend of yours?" Shining Armor wondered.
"We go back a ways. I never forget a face, even if its hiding how cute it is in some fancy suit of armor,"
"Oh come on, you flatter me Princess," Vinyl scoffed. Shining Armor stared for a moment and gasped, his face flushing bright red as the pieces clicked.
"Are you serious?" he asked. Vinyl sighed.
"Well shit, guess I got nothin' left to hide," she muttered, snapping her fingers. Several seals lit up along the walls while a bubble formed around them. Vinyl flopped into Twilight's armchair as her armor vanished.
Nyx stared for a moment at the now exposed DJ, letting her magic spark for a moment. Vinyl tensed up and cast her gaze to the Celestian.
"D-Don't do that," Vinyl mumbled.
"Sorry, I just had to be sure...Sweetie Belle said it was a weird experience as well," Nyx smiled sheepishly.
"Yea, my head isn't a place for you to be in, Kid. I don't care how many of those memories you've got," Vinyl all but growled.
"It's not quite me 'being in your head'. I don't know your thoughts or feelings. I can just sort of tell you are there..." Nyx admitted.
"Anyone gonna explain?" Rainbow cleared her throat.
"You might remember Princess Luna. well she was once The Mother of Vampires. Seems your girl there picked up a few of her tricks," Vinyl scoffed, pointing at Nyx.
"I was doing research!" she argued. Shining Armor burst into laughter to the point of tears, slapping his knee as he tried to pull himself together.
"T-That settles it right there. S-She is one hundred percent YOUR daughter!" he continued to laugh. Finally he pulled himself together, glancing at Vinyl
"You're a Vampire?" Shining asked with a raised brow. Vinyl simply winked over her shades, flashing her fangs.
"What did you think the Princess Code meant?" She scoffed. Twilight looked between them, completely confused.
"You know each other?" she asked.
"We're...well acquainted, consenting adults," Cadence added as Shining chuckled nervously.
"What?" Twilight stared at them. Rainbow huffed and leaned down
"Not tryin' to assume anything here but I'm pretty sure they fucked," she whispered. Twilight's face burned bright red as Rainbow stood back up.
"OH! I-I see, um...That's interesting,"
"Y-Yea, small world," Shining stammered.
"Alrighty, awkward silence aside. I didn't come here to hear about the Children of Nightmare or to put you on the spot Nyx," Cadence smiled.
"I came to check on my family,"
"Huh, I guess that is what we are now," Scootaloo realized. Her eyes widened as she hopped onto her feet on the couch.
"WAIT A MINUTE?! Are we royalty?!" she gasped. Nyx smacked her forehead as the room filled with laughter.
"Well, House Sparkle is a Noble house. Damn, I guess this makes me an uncle now too," Shining pointed out.
"I dunno, you kinda looked at my sister sideways..." Scootaloo smirked. Nyx blinked and looked at her friend, tears starting to sting her eyes as she hugged the Skyborn tightly.
"You're a good sister and a good friend," Cadence giggled.
"Don't need love magic to see that," Vinyl smirked "Crazy kid and her friends rushed all the way to Celamont just to rescue her," she added.
"You what? You're just a kid" Shining scoffed. Scootaloo grinned, pointing a thumb at herself as her magic sparked.
"Hey, I'm a lot more than a kid!" she argued. Shining raised an eyebrow, looking to Twilight.
"It's uh...long story?"
"I mean, to be fair..." Rainbow leaned into the back of the couch, her own magic sparking.
"I...am confused," Shining Armor admitted.
"I was at first too," Twilight giggled. Rainbow gave a nod.
"You were hella adorable trying to figure me out," the Skyborn teased, earning a smack to her arm.
"Well, I'm happy to see ya bein' able to settle down Sparkie. Just don't let your guard down. The Elements picked you for a reason Twilight...You an Rarity and the rest of your friends," Vinyl sighed and leaned forward.
"Vanessa..." Twilight breathed. Vinyl blinked and turned to her.
"You're a good person...and a wonderful sister," Twilight said with a smile. Vinyl cleared her throat and adjusted her shades
"S-Shit, I know that. But uh, thanks..."
"You...You really think of me as your sister?" Nyx asked as they walked toward the clubhouse.
"I mean, Twilight is your mom, right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well...Y-Yes," Nyx smiled.
"Well she's my mom too. Same mom, means we're sisters," Scootaloo shrugged, "Simple math,"
"That's not how math works..." Nyx frowned for a moment, rolling her eyes as Scootaloo grinned at her.
"I guess it works this time..." she relented.
"Course it does. So what are we workin' on at HQ?" Scootaloo wondered.
"Well I already got my notes from Sweetie Belle and...Wait, HQ?" Nyx paused and looked at the Skyborn.
"Well yea, what would you call the clubhouse?" Scootaloo pointed out. Nyx tried her best to argue but found herself unable to properly answer.
"Right. HQ it is then. I'm going to go over some notes and get Applebloom's input. I also want to test your magic a little bit against mine," Nyx finished her original thought.
"Sounds like it could be fun. Hey uh...Do you know how to teleport?" Scootaloo grinned as her eyes glowed dimly.
"Ya'll sure 'bout this AJ?" Big Mac rumbled softly as he patted his arms down, making sure the bandages were wrapped tight.
"Twilight has her magic an some crazy kung-fu technique. Rainbow Dash knows full on proper martial arts and now she's got magic too. Rarity is a dang all powerful vampire an Pinkie and Shy are basically Goddesses. I'm sure Big Mac. No holdin' back on me neither," Applejack demanded as she set her hat on a nearby branch.
"Not t' be rude lil sis, but if'n ah ain't holdin' back, we picked a sorry spot fer it. Ya'll gonna make up fer th' damage?" he asked.
"Ah like t' think of it as incentive t' hold my own. If'n ah don't, my friends'll get hurt," she pointed out. He shrugged and rolled his shoulder as his Runes began to glow.
"Ah'll start out slow, gimmie some time t' warm up. Sound fair?"
"Ah s'pose that works," She shrugged, clenching her fists and bouncing in place a little.
"Alright. Ya'll are doin' double time per tree that falls," he warned as he stepped forward.
"Nothing can ever be normal..." Vinyl sighed under her breath as she stepped into her sisters shop.
"Well, you have yourself to blame for that one," Octavia teased from across the room. Vinyl froze, glancing between the woman and her sister. Rarity was calmly pouring the Gaian a fresh cup of tea.
"T-Tavi, you uh...didn't say you were stoppin' by," Vinyl chuckled nervously.
"And how would you have replied if I had? Nah Babe, stay home an I'll see ya soon?" she mimicked the vampire.
"A rather spot on impression, Miss Melody," Rarity giggled. Vinyl groaned and crossed her arms.
"I'm a busy gal, sue me. Is everything ok? Were you followed? Do you..." she stopped in her tracks as Octavia stood. The Gaian marched over to her and took a gentle hold of her head. In a swift motion she had tugged the vampire against her.
"You've been away for too long. I was worried Sir Spike would have to send for me..." she admitted.
"I...I'm sorry Tavi...Bossman's been running himself ragged. Not to mention Spit's bein' out of commission for a bit and me having to play Captain...A-And Cheerilee..."
"She no doubt went out with a smile on her face. Nothing made her happier than defending those she cared about," Octavia murmured. Vinyl clenched her fists.
"S-She fuckin' knew it was comin'. I dunno how, but she knew. Hell, she already passed the Mark," Vinyl growled.
"I never heard all of her experiences, let alone all of her time with your mother. Not even the Journal tells as much. But I wouldn't be surprised if she had glimpsed the future," Octavia shrugged, playing with Vinyl's hair and tugging the vampire lightly against her neck. Vinyl fell into a routine of habit, wrapping her arms tightly around the Gaian and digging her fangs deeply into her offered flesh.
Rarity felt her face flush red as the two stood in the middle of her living room. Vinyl stayed mindful of Rarity and kept her hands firmly against the small of Octavia's back as she fed. Slowly she pulled free, dragging her tongue over the bite marks and maybe licking more than she needed to.
"How are you feeling?" Octavia asked softly, looking into the Vampire's eyes.
"A hell of a lot better with you around..." Vinyl admitted under her breath. Octavia smirked and lightly patted her cheek.
"Luna has made things rather easy on me since her return and Rarity has been so kind as to offer me her guest room while I am in town,"
"Think nothing of it Miss Melody, though I do wish to discuss some things with the both of you..." Rarity spoke up from her seat.
"Ask away Rare-Bear," Vinyl shrugged.
"I want to know more about Mother and Father. I want to know more about you, sister,"
"I guess we are due for some family bonding eh? Come to think of it, where's Belle at?"
"Oh, she is with her friends. They have a lovely little clubhouse they frequent for their get togethers,"
"Good...Good," Vinyl nodded as she sat down. Octavia wasted no time in claiming her lap and resting her head upon her shoulder, easily dozing off.
"Is she...?" Rarity began.
"She likes to sleep off a feeding. Says she wakes up feeling better than before I bit her," Vinyl shrugged.
"Interesting..." Rarity murmured, clutching at her skirt.
"Rarity. I know you hate this and I wish I could change it..."
"You've done your best to deal with me Sister,"
"Rares, I don't 'deal with you'. I look forward to seein' your cute little face everyday," Vinyl teased gently.
"How...How long have you been with the Knights?"
"Hm...Right about the time I sent you an Belle here," Vinyl answered after thinking over it for a moment.
"And, before that?"
"Before that, I was runnin' solo. Trying my damndest to find Big Boss and put his ass down before he could..." Vinyl blinked as Rarity leaned away from her. It took her a moment to realize she had hunched over Octavia with her fangs fully bared and her mana clutched tightly. She forced herself to relax and cleared her throat.
"I was fighting for a long time..." she said just above a whisper.
"And yet you still found a way to care for us..." Rarity smiled.
"Eh, I was lucky to have Twilight," Vinyl shrugged.
"I find it rather strange to think we have that in common," Rarity tittered.
"Yea, the Sparkles sure are somethin," Vinyl sighed as she leaned back.
"Is there something more I should know about Twilight?" Rarity asked gently.
"Let's see...Only what you've already been told. She's stupid powerful. Stronger than she knows. Heck, you are too," Vinyl grinned, slipping off her shades.
"I doubt that..."
"Rarity. I did the paperwork on your little fight with Discord. You tell me anyone else that can keep an Ancient Ritual going on their own and I'll eat my shades," Vinyl scoffed.
"T-Twilight taught me most of it and the rest wasn't really that complicated,"
"I can't read it,"
"What?"
"I can't read it Rarity. The scroll? I have no fucking idea how the spell works. I could understand Sparkie being able to read it, but when I heard you finished the spell?" Vinyl shook her head and let out another sigh.
"I blame the Elements. You've never handled a Greatsword before. I couldn't even lift the thing. It's bound. Heart, body, and soul. That spirit in that rock you wear..."
"S-So the Element of Generosity is why I could read it. That doesn't mean..."
"And who the fuck else can wear that Element, hm?" Vinyl argued with a grin.
"I mean..."
"The Elements chose YOU. Besides, you're stronger than me by a long shot. Mom was a Hunter, Rare-Bear. She had Wards, Charms, all sorts of spells that would literally cause a Vampire to melt by touching her skin,"
"What? B-But Father...?"
"Love is a crazy thing Rarity. When she fell for Pops...it all peeled away. He was the only Vampire that could touch her. She trusted him more than herself. When I say he was the only Vampire that could touch her, I mean it. She didn't know she was pregnant with me," Vinyl shivered as the words left her mouth.
"Then...Her spells would've...!"
"Yea. Shit was tearin' me apart inside of her while I was still bein' properly pieced together. Luckily, she reworked the spells before they did me in. Which meant she was ready for you Rarity. I can't knock off those scars, but you never had them. Sure, there were some kinks to work out...Which is why I wanted to take Belle with me..."
"A-Are you saying...?"
"Yea...Belle is probably stronger than both of us...How else do you explain how she beat The Change?"
"Well, you said it yourself sister...Love is a crazy thing," Rarity winked. Vinyl chuckled a little.
"Yea, that Skyborn really is somethin' else. This whole damn town is weird..."
"I thought you enjoyed weird, Sister,"
"I like it in small doses Rare-Bear. Not by the gallon,"
"It'll grow on you eventually,"
"Yea, sure it will,"
"Feel better?" Cadence asked with a small smile. Shining Armor gave a gentle nod as he accepted a cup from his sister.
"That knot isn't there right now. I...I harshly judged Nyx without even getting a chance to know her..." he sighed.
"Your job requires you be able to make split second decisions at the cost of hundreds of lives if you fuck it up. Honestly, I'm only a little mad," Rainbow chuckled.
"You sound like you speak from experience," Shining Armor pointed out.
"Well, my mother is Spitfire. Might've heard of her? Captain of the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow winked.
"Ah. You're the Rocket," Shining smiled.
"The Rocket? Oh I gotta hear this," Rainbow said as she slid into her seat.
"It's something that kind of came up during a training exercise. Coordination between Skyborn and Magian's. We somehow got into discussing home life and she mentioned her Little Rocket at home. Couldn't want for the shift to be over so she could rush back and forget about the military for the rest of the night,"
"Heh...She uh...She never called me that to my face," Rainbow mumbled. Twilight couldn't help but giggle a little. Spike however was pensive.
"Bit for your thoughts?" Cadence asked him. He let out a soft sigh.
"Shining. When is that knot the strongest?" Spike asked.
"Well...It's weird. It's just a gut feeling but I swear it was at its worst when Nightmare Moon attacked Princess Celestia. I just knew and came running. She sent me away of course..."
"Wait, you fought toe to toe with Nightmare Moon?" Rainbow gawked, slamming her hands on the table.
"He stood up against Discord too. If not for him, Princess Luna would have died," Spike tossed in. Rainbow stared for a moment before glancing at Twilight.
"Is there another sibling I'm gonna have to be on the lookout for?"
"N-No, just us," Twilight stammered.
"Actually, I meant to ask why you..." Shining Armor began, biting his tongue as Twilight tensed.
"Why I Shifted? My daughters and her friends were in danger. My body wasn't going to react in time. I could watch children die or I could act," Twilight answered, clenching her fists.
"I knew it," Shining grinned.
"You'd already run it all through your head. Dad always said it was a Last Resort. I encountered the Knights of Nightmare during her return. A teleport wouldn't work on them. They could fade even into their own shadows before I could even think of which shield to cast. They were merciless..." Shining Armor was mumbling by the end, relaxing as Cadence squeezed his leg.
"You made the right call Twily," Shining smiled, the light returning to his eyes.
"I think we got a little off topic there. Wasn't there something you had to say, Spike?" Cadence diverted back to the dragon-kin. He gave a nod and let out a slow breath.
"The Sparkles have always danced along and around the strings of fate. The world seems to bend around them in all sorts of weird ways. That 'knot' is more than just a gut feeling. It's your sense of right and wrong, the world literally calling out to you," Spike explained.
"Is this some speech or some actual hidden truth?" Shining joked.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure...But your mother and father have done the same thing. Most call it just a parents intuition tied into the magical spectrum, but its covered all of our asses more times than I can count. Why else would dad teach you two something so dangerous? Unless..."
"Unless he felt it?" Twilight and Shining asked together.
"Right, so your whole ass family is weird, got it," Rainbow grinned
"Well I mean, my Dad..." Twilight paused and glanced at Spike.
"Dad isn't some weird secret rank, I swear," he said quickly.
"He is one of the Princess' most...Eccentric researchers," Shining chuckled.
"Not sure he could pull off anything in secret to be honest..." Cadence added.
"Sooo, you're whole family is weird?" Rainbow reiterated.
"Yes I um, I guess that fits," Twilight sighed. She tensed up as her eyes began to glow brightly. A large smile touched her lips as she stumbled her way off the couch, instantly caught by Rainbow.
"It's ready!" She squealed excitedly. Rainbow blinked and shook her head, slipping the Magian's arm over her and helping her make her way towards the tree branch. Twilight gently slipped away from her and leaned against the counter, laying her eyes over hours of work coming to fruition. She placed her hands over the branch, ushering forth a few hushed words and grasped it.
She shuddered as the glow faded away from the branch turned staff, testing it against the ground and taking a cautious step. Beaming proudly she rounded the island of her kitchen and back into the sitting room.
"Twilight Sparkle proudly reporting for duty!"
"Today's the day, huh?" he asked as Zecora led him toward the town. She simply nodded, a mild shifting of her cloak while she seemed to slide across the ground without a sound.
"You gonna tell me more about this kid or am I just suppose to watch and learn?"
Again, a nod. She kept her gaze forward and even to him she seemed tense.
"Well shit, I guess this is how its gonna be," he huffed, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Should I make some noise?"
"A proper test of their might would be fine. Just try to be gentle this time," Zecora answered softly.
"Gentle ain't my thing but I won't bust up any buildings," he chuckled and rolled his head.
"Let's play," he smirked and slammed his hands together, Chaos flooding the area and darkening the sky.
"COME ON OUT OR I BURN THIS WHOLE SHITHOLE TO THE GROUND!"