//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: True Loves // by SweetCarol //------------------------------// Mini spoiler: Big Mac will have to go through hell to win back Marble lol. Meanwhile, at the Pie family's rock farm, things were no better. They looked and searched every corner of the basement, but no clue as to whether the Apples and Pies were even related was found. There could've been something, but not so recently, a mysterious fire broke out on the farm and any evidence could have turned to ashes. All the girls were very sad, especially Apple Belle and Buttercup, thinking that their older siblings would never have a blameless romance. "Aw don't be sad, granddaughters of ours, at least you tried." Igneous said in a sweet voice. "Yeah, I failed with our families." Apple Belle murmured sadly. "Hey don't say that." Rocky comforted her. "It's not our fault that we haven't found anything. But something is gonna happen, I feel it." "Like the answer falling from the sky? I very much doubt that will happen." Honey B said. "Shhh quiet, I'm trying to cheer her up!" Rocky whispered loudly. "Alright girls, thanks for allowing us to search." She thanked them. They smiled at her and she forced a smile back. "I think we better go back to Ponyville, the sun has already started to set." Buttercup warned. "Couldn't you be missing something?" Cloudy Quartz said. Understanding the message, the girls gave them another loving hug and left for the train station to go home. Time skip ... News of the 5 missing little fillies spread quickly across Ponyville and all the townspeople pledged to help look for them. With the arrival of the night, everyone started to get more and more distressed. In the meantime, they finally arrived in Ponyville again, causing tremendous astonishment for all passengers for the next train, who gathered around them asking a thousand questions, such as if they were okay and how they were. They definitely didn't expect all that commotion when they returned home. At Sugarcube Corner, their parents rested, a silence fell between them, which was soon cut by a soft cry. They missed their little ones more than anything. Even Maud and Mudbriar, who rarely had shown any reaction, showed great sadness for their daughters and nieces. Whenever Marble cried, she rejected her husband's comfort, even with her daughter's disappearance, she still wanted to pursue the divorce. Suddenly, everyone was startled by the sudden noise of the door opening. Whoever it was, they was in a hurry. "Fiamma? What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked. "The girls ... Were found." She replied between gasping breaths, due to how fast she flew to communicate to their parents as quickly as possible. "Where are they Fi? Where are they?" Chee Chee said, holding her by the shoulders. "At the train station ..." The dragoness barely spoke and everyone immediately ran as fast as they could to the train station, where they found the girls and hugged them, while crying with happiness and pure relief that nothing they thought had happened to them, happened. The girls innocently wondered why they were so concerned if they left a note saying that they had gone out. "Aww my little baby, we were so worried about y'all." Big Mac said, hugging his daughter close to him as tears welled up in his eyes. "I warned you that they'd worry about a poorly written note." Honey B said, as her mother rubbed her cheek against hers. "Okay, now that the scare is over ... What were you all thinking about going to Grandpa and Grandma's farm without telling anyone? Did you go crazy? We thought you were lost, or even worse!" Chee Chee shouted. "Sister, what's all this for?" Buttercup asked, moving away from her a little. "Oh, it's just because we LOVE YOU!" "Daddy?" She said, turning to her father, who always calmed her older sister when she got angry. "No daddy, you guys deserve a scolding after you worry us so much." He said, leaving her scared by how serious she was. "You better explain yourself, why did you do that?" Bright Mac asked. Apple Belle looked at her friends and they all decided that if they lied it would be worse and they should tell the truth, even if Bright Mac and Chee Chee were angry. "We wanted to find out if our families were really related, so if my brother and Sister from Buttercup wanted to be together one day, that wouldn't be a problem." Chee Chee and Bright Mac looked at each other and went ahead with the plan to hide from everyone that they were in love with each other. "But we only love each other as friends, it has always been like this and it always will be." Chee Chee said calmly. "Yes, you didn't have to do that." Bright Mac added. "Awww, they had a good intention." Pinkie Pie said. "We can be a little milder with them." "So your punishment for 2 weeks will technically only be 1 week." Mudbriar said. "Wait, are we gonna be grounded?" Andi said, a little shocked. "Yes, because we love you." Maud said, giving her head a pat. "Agreed. Now I have to send a letter to your aunt and uncle because they're also very concerned about y'all, Fiamma can you help me?" "Yes, Mr. Mac." She nodded. "I'm so glad you guys are okay." Marble said, as she gently stroked Rocky's blue mane. "Yes, we were very concerned." Caramel said, lifting his daughter's chin with the hoof. "I'm glad the worst is over. Because I want the divorce." She told him, before leaving with their daughter, making it clear that if they had to fight in court for Rocky's guard, she'd do anything to stay with the little filly. Without seeing right by the tears of sadness welling up in his eyes, Marble ended up bumping into someone. "I'm so sorry." She wiped the pearls of sadness and looked up to see who was. It was Big Mac, who looked as shocked as she was to see that he was the one she had run into. They both looked at each other for a moment, until Marble, who had lost the thread, remembered what he was doing. "Are you alright...?" "Yes, don't worry, let's go, honey." She said, heading to her house. Rocky looked back sadly before following. She loved both her parents, but left with her mother, as she was more attached to her. The punishment started. 2 days passed and the girls had to stay at home, just leaving to go to school, always accompanied by their parents. But at least Apple Belle spent time with her father, teaching him how to use a computer, which was a little difficult and she had to be very patient, but it was worth it. On the third day, each of them received a letter. "What's that? Correspondence from your little friends?" Big Mac asked as he noticed the letter with his daughter. "No, it looks like it's from ..." "Princess Twilight!" The girls exclaimed at the same time and quickly opened the parchment to see what it was about. "Dear little fillies, I heard about what happened through two of your family members and I'm truly happy that nothing bad has happened to you five. But to resolve unresolved issues, I'd like you to come to the Castle to find me, a carriage is waiting for you in the city center, Sincerely, Princess Twilight " "O-oh, the Princess wants to see us." Buttercup said. Because it was a letter from the princess, the parents made an exception to the punishment and allowed them to go. They were all very nervous, wondering what the princess wanted to talk with them. "What if she condemns us to the gallows?" Buttercup said, shaking with fear when he saw that they were getting closer and closer to the castle. "No, just because we went to our grandparents' farm? It doesn't make sense, we didn't commit any serious crimes like murder." Honey B assured her. But then, they soon became discouraged again when they realized that they would obviously receive more scolding from their aunt and uncle. Arriving at the castle gates, they meet the two face to face, who didn't look like, they were really mad. "We're all ears." Apple Bloom murmured seriously. "... Please don't be mad at them, it was my idea to go looking for the truth, the only one to blame for this, it's me. I'm awfully sorry for worrying you both." Apple Belle said, with her head down. Moved by their best friend having taken the blame for all of them, the girls decided to face everything with her. "I'm also really sorry." Buttercup disse. "All of us are." Rocky disse. "Look, we're not mad, at least not that mad, but we're relieved that you all are fine. We were so worried, because we love you. Do you understand?" Spike said, looking sweeter and more understanding than angry. "Come on, where are those beautiful smiles?" They smiled cheerfully and the two involved all the little fillies in a strong hug. "We love you too." Rocky said. "Not as much as we are." Apple Bloom said between small laughs. "Hey, do you happen to know what Princess Twilight wants with us?" Honey B asked. "Yes, but she had a last-minute problem to solve, but in a little while she'll be back." Spike replied. "While she doesn't come back, we wanted to show you something." Apple Bloom said, with a serene smile on her lips. "Okay, what is it?" Buttercup asked curiously. "It's in our room." She replied, pointing to one of the castle's towers. "Uncle Spike takes us flying there." Apple Belle asked, getting excited. The others also got excited and asked him to carry them on his back as he always did when he was with them. "Hmm no, consider this as part of your punishment." "Awww." They lamented together. "Aw cheer up, it's just for a week, let's go." "This was supposed to be a surprise for the whole family, but since you're here, you can see." Apple Bloom said, when they went up the stairs and reached the door. The little ones couldn't be more curious. She opened the door and they soon wondered what it could be, when they saw diapers, a bathtub and baby toys scattered on the floor. Andi was the first to notice the white crib in one of the corners of the room. "Is there a baby in there?" She asked. "Why don't you go over there and see?" Spike said. They used a small ladder next to the crib and were delighted to see a baby pegasus in a cyan blue coat and a darker blue mane. He wasn't alone, he was sleeping peacefully with a smile, hugging a blue egg with purple spots. The egg couldn't be more warmed. "Aww look, they're dreaming together." Apple Bloom said, leaning on her husband and looking fondly at their two adopted children. "They're so cute. But why didn't you two had a baby of your own?" Apple Belle asked. "Oh, we already tried." Apple Bloom said, immediately sorry for what he had just said. Spike stared at her and started gesturing for her to change the subject if they didn't want to talk to the girls about birds and bees. "Do you mean you couldn't talk to the stork to bring your baby?" Buttercup asked. "Oh yeah, I ended up losing the storks' phone number." Apple Bloom said, unable to hide a little nervousness. "Yes, honey, I didn't even remember that." Spike laughed. Not long after, Andi started to hear a rather strange noise, as if it were something breaking. "Hey, did you hear that?" She asked, watching to see if she heard the noise again. Everyone was silent to see if they heard it too, but nothing was heard. "I don't hear anything." Honey B said. "Little sister, you have to stop eating pure sugar." "That doesn't matter, okay?" She retorted. "I'm sure I heard something." She murmured to herself. Shortly thereafter, everyone was startled by a louder noise, which was coming from the cradle. When they saw it, they were surprised by a big crack in the middle of the egg. Apple Bloom's eyes shone with joy. "Spike, our baby is being born!" She exclaimed happily. "It's our baby." He said, as he wrapped her in his arms. "That's what I said." She said, turning her head and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. Everyone watched in complete silence, until a small dragon with blue scales and lilac spines emerged from the egg. "Awww is a girl, what a cutest thing." Apple Belle said when she saw her cousin for the first time. Apple Bloom was the only one who was completely speechless. The baby dragon scratched her eyes with her small claws and yawned. Opening her little purple eyes to the world for the first time and seeing her mother's face in front of her, she held out her arms, laughing with joy. Apple Bloom picked her up gently and held her in her arms. Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes, she loved that baby dragon so much. The yellow mare quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't matter who that little one had come from, she was their daughter, their and nobody else's.