//------------------------------//
// (14) Returns 
// Story: Of Dragons and Maternity 
// by SymphonicSync 
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Murmurs filled the schoolhouse as Cheerilee's pupils continued discussing which of them would pair off for the morning's busywork. The EEA had a checklist of subjects to cover and quizzes to hoof out, no matter how applicable they may or may definitely not be. Still, it gave the young ponies, and dragon, some time to goof around and get to know one another. The least she could do was grit her teeth through all the additional grading it put on her desk. Cheerilee sneaked a peek at the creatures as she pretended to arrange the papers in front of her. She knew the colts would inevitably split off on their own, leaving Spike and Scootaloo to their own work.

That assumed, of course, that Scootaloo wouldn't talk Snails into joining her so she could avoid dealing with someone new or more nosey like Snips. Cheerilee had been hoping that the filly would give the drake a chance; Miss Sparkle had made it seem like he was well studied. Spike could turn out a productive study buddy for the pegasus.

For better or worse, it looked like the colts were the only creatures uttering a word. Specifically, Snails was drowning on about some topic as Snips offered the occasional aside to emphasize some embellishment or another. Spike and Scootaloo sat there not responding to the colts, or eachother, even if they engaged and nodding along to the tale. This was... acceptable. Snips and Snails would tire themselves out eventually, and there was still some time before the royalty arrived.

A chill ran across Cheerilee's withers. Why must vacations end, she thought as she returned to doing nothing behind her desk. 

It was obvious that Mr. Rich would want to return home in time for the Summer Sun Celebration and all the business that would bring, even without an actual princess in attendance. The idea of the stallion taking this year off with his family was just such an easy daydream for Cheerilee to entertain, up until she saw their carriage pulling into town. 

Filthy was such a gentlecolt. She, and the rest of the town, would never understand how he put up with either of the "ladies" in the household.

Cheerilee heard the steps outside creek and groan before a knock sounded from the porch. She leaned back in her chair and squeezed her eyes shut. Just one more minute, she whispered in her mind as she turned to face the door. A peek revealed the small form of Pipinto.
"Oh! Pip," Cheerilee chirped in excitement, "I didn't know you were back from Trottingham." She breathed out a sigh of relief and thanks to Sol for appeassing her  wish. 

"Hey teach," spoke a voice deeper than the speckled colt's, "I'm back." From behind the little Pip, a grey colt stepped into her view. A new worry intruded into her thoughts as she glanced in Scootaloo's direction. 

Cheerilee addressed him a moment later, "It's nice to see you, Rumble. Is flight camp over already?"

"Nope." He stated as he strode through the door. As the colt cantered towards his seat, she noticed his wing wrapped in guaze and held tight to his side. "I'm just that good." Rumble said in a tone as flat as ever. He sat at the desk in front of Scootaloo's and focused on Snails' monologue. It was not until she looked at him that Rumble acknowledged her, "Hey Scoots, I... uh..."

"How was instructor Thunderlane?" Scootaloo interjected.

The colt spent a few seconds in silence before he ducked his head and revealed "There was a 'scheduling' thing... bro wasn't able to make it."

No sooner than he had finished the sentence did it take for Scootaloo to hop out of her seat, grab her packet and say, to a rather perplexed Spike, "Comon' let's get to work." The drake awkwardly left his desk and followed the filly towards one of the far corners of the room. Cheerilee couldn't tell if Rumble's confused visage was due to Scootaloo's reaction or the presence of a drake in the schoolhouse. 

Snails kept orating, having never noticed the new arrivals or recent departures.

"-and then I got to meet a griffin! She gave me a feather for a pence!" exclaimed a jubilant Pipinto, barely able to peek over the edge of her desk. He either couldn't see that she hadn't been listening or just didn't care.

Cheerilee nearly laid her chin down to be more even with his eye level. That's lovely, Pip. I'm glad that you enjoyed your trip," she said as she slid two of the assignment booklets his way, "could you do me a favor and take one of these back to Rumble?"

"Sure thing Miss Cheerilee!" Pip harped as he picked up the pages and set off.

The teacher sighed and leaned back in her seat. Her eyes darted between Snips and Snails, Spike and Scootaloo, Pipinto and Rumble. This was going to be a long day.

"Your darling pupil has arrived!" Declared Diamond Tiara, embellishing her entrance through the schoolhouse door.

Cheerilee stifled a groan as she lazily pointed a hoof at a chair by the whiteboard.

There was an odd number of students and she would have to be the one to help Tiara.

Sleep would not come soon enough tonight.





As was tradition, day court carried on much too long. Celestia slouched back in her throne and placed her head in a hoof to ruminate on the discussions over the course of the day. There had been mention of extending school throughout the year, some chatter of adding a quota on griffin confectionaries, one noble bringing a lawsuit against another for the 'good of the public health'...

The monarch swore to herself that she'd have left long ago if her magic wasn't needed to rally the dawn. The innocence of youth to have once desired all the glory in the land for herself. Celestia stood and adjusted her collar. "I think that will be all for today, scribes. I'm feeling parched." She strode past the throne-side table with the glistening pitcher of ice water and started her return to her chambers. Not the most gracious exit, she asserted, but it wasn't entirely uncalled for. She had been feeling... Off, the past few days. It would be good to have Cadence back on the morrow. Quite the shame that teleporting herself and her retinue was frowned upon by the young royal. Why, Celestia might possibly suspect that Cadence enjoyed the fanfare she received on her travels, and the extra time away that traveling by carriage afforded her.

In the hallway, the princess noticed a clock in her peripheral vision and beside it a window displaying a full view of the afternoon sky.

The alicorn frowned at the sight. It was a beautiful display, no doubt, but something wasn't right and she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. Celestia glanced at the clock again before a flash of green light was cast about by a swirl of flames in the air in front of her. A short page, barely larger than one of those post-it-notes her secretary had been raving about, fell to the marble below. She peered at the letter, immediately recognizing one that had been penned without Twilight's dictation.

It read, in the telltale quillmareship of her protege's... protectorate, "Sorry to bother you, but the other students wanted to see me do something cool and Twilight is working." The alicorn reached down and flipped the letter over. The back was marked with the address "For: The Swan."

In truth, Celestia was rather perturbed. Had he sent it a good hour or two earlier, she could have excused herself from the day court in record speed...

The reassurance that he was at least partially enjoying himself at school warmed Celestia's heart. She folded the letter into a quarter and slipped it into her yoke. Once more before leaving, she glanced at the clock and out the window. 'Ah', she thought as she summoned a mote of magic, 'that's it.'

The sun, ever so slightly, accelerated a brief distance towards the horizon.

It was probably nothing; She had just been a little distracted this day.





"You know what tah do, hun."

Pinkie nodded, seemingly in agreement with what the drawl asserted. As she tapped at the register with her hooves, she informed the mare "I can't refund the whole purchase, but I can give you a coupon for 60% off your next order!" A wide smile failed to hide her attempt to divert attention towards the actual transaction on the counter.

An orange fetlock swept aside the assorted party supplies on top of the glass case, shortly after folding over its pair. Their owner leaned into the glare that peaked out from under the brim of her cattlemare cap.  

Pinkie Pie let out a nervous chuckle. "Come on AJ, she doesn't even know that any of us were in the library!" Pulling her hoof from the register, she limply waved it in the air in an attempt to brush the topic away while she spoke on. "I'm sure that the town will forget all about the party before the end of the..." The nervous chuckle resumed as Pinkie tried to determine whether week, month, season, year, or none of the above would make for a reasonable deadline.

"Like it or not," Applejack started, "yer the one to blame whether it's yer fault or not."

Pinkie behind her and peeked inside the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. Seeing nopony in earshot, she returned to pleading with her customer. "Come on AJ, you heard what Rarity said; she wants us leave it be!"

"Rarity's comin' from a good place but," Applejack paused as she lifted her hat from her head, "it's just not gonna end well here. They need to hear how they were heard." The mare ran a hoof over her bangs and returned her hat to its home.

Pinkie clapped her hooves together and almost doubled over as she leaned to the side, a begging expression adorning her face. "Ponies are already not talking about it as much and Twilight is so busy with moving in, and-"

"Pinkie."

The clerk offered a deflated smile from over the counter in response to the agronomist's kurt tone. 

"Think 'bout what finding out later would do to that colt."

"Well he's not a-"

"Do ye know what tah call a young male dragon?"

Pinkie conceded with a shrug and looked to the floor. "He'd feel pretty embarrassed by it, huh?"

"Ee'yup." Applejack confirmed.

"I really should tell them, shouldn't I?"

"Ee'yup." She repeated.

Pinkie Pie dragged her hood over the floorboards and tapped the wood several times before asking "Could you... come with me when I tell her?"

After a few seconds of silence, there came a cautious "Ee'yup."

Pinkie smiled awkwardly in thanks to her employer's business partner as the mare stared at her from across the countertop.

The smile faded a minute later.

The stare continued. 

"Was there," Pinkie spoke tentatively, "Something else you needed?"

"I want my bits, hun."

As she swooped over the register Pinkie exclaimed, "Oh, right!" She began sifting through the party as she calculated the amount due. A short time later, she slid several short stacks across the countertop. 

Applejack studied the pile and inquired "That many back, in coin?"

"Well, it should be in store credit," Pinkie grinned the first genuine smile since the two ponies' encounter began, "don't worry; I'll leave Mr. Cake a note and cover the rest." 

Applejack's concern faded as she swept the bits into her saddlebag. "Eh know that we havin' really spoke much aside from deliveries but," she mused as she adjusted her bags, "you've been a good thing for the town ere' since you moved in with the Cakes. I'd hate for anything to change that, Miss Pie."

"I-" Pinkie blushed and ducked her head, "thank you, Applejack." She watched as the mare turned away from the counter and walked towards the door.

Applejack paused just before the threshold and started a request, "Could you write up a order for-"

"Applebloom's favorite, draco's treat cake?" Pinkie giggled. "I was wondering when I'd see that on the schedule."

Applejack chuckled before confirming, "Yeah, she doesn't want anything big this year. Just a lazy day fer her an' Twist."

"They grow up fast, don't they?" Pinkie bit her tongue as she saw a haunted look morph over Applejack's smile.

After reaching a hoof up to tip the brim of her hat, the mare gave Pinkie a courteous nod before declaring "It's alright, dahl. We've all had to do a little growin' since. You didn't know them so no harm, no foul."

There was quiet in the air as Applejack spun on her frogs and trotted out of Sugarcube Corner.





Celestia sat alone on a waiting chair in the main hall of Canterlot Castle. She had arrived early in anticipation of her coruler's chariot from... whichever city Cadance's lectureship circuit had concluded in. No doubt the younger princess could handle her moving back in, between her vibrant magic and the sway she possessed over a number of the guard, but to be honest the old diarch missed her presence in the capitol and longed to see her.

There was something to Cadance's pep, the way she beamed over any happy detail, that reminded Celestia of time spent with her sister so, so long ago. Before the dreary work of ruling the kingdom had gotten to them. Before the reverence of their subjects had gotten to her ego...

She could bear to surrender the zeal of guard to Cadance. After all, most of them likely knew that Celestia could protect herself. The other princess deserved the adoration of the population. Glancing out the window across from her, Celestia could see the light of the sun crawling into the sky. Cadance's chariot should be arriving any moment.

She peered out the window again, before seeking confirmation from a nearby clock.

Perhaps she was frazzled from her thoughts the night before. It seemed her placement of the sun had lagged. Or maybe it was her hip acting up, that always threw her off. It was the reason she took this seat after all, how sore it had gotten from just her standing there. That was probably it...

She summoned a mote of energy and brought the sun back to its expected location. Her hip popped as she shifted her weight, the sensation painless but the surprise caused her to close her eyes. The Earth pony resilience had lasted her millenia, and was bound to last her another, but these odd creaks had sure flared up in the last few years. Decades? A century, perhaps. Her eyelids were weary, for sure. Ever so weary...

"Celestia," came a voice from the hallway behind her, "what are you doing all the way over here?"

The princess blinked her eyes and sat up straighter in her chair. The motion called to mind how much more energetic she felt from a few seconds earlier. "I'm just waiting for Princess Cadance," she turned her head to the voice as she answered, "oh!" Before her stood her younger match, an itinerary in hoof and no luggage in sight. Celestia glanced back at the window, noting the afternoon hue of the sky. 

Cadance let out a short laugh. "I guess the staff wanted to leave you be. I arrived through the back entrance. Too many ponies trying to get an autograph up here.  Don't worry, I covered day court for you."

Celestia rubbed her eyes and slid a blanket off its perch over her front and around her wings. Somepony had gone all the way up to her chamber to retrieve one of her bedsheets. "Thank you, Cadance, how," she paused for a moment as she formulated the rest of her response, "were your lectures? Did the public enjoy them?"

The alicorn's cheeks reddened as a grin spread into them. "Quite!" she chirped with a little flaring of her wings to match. Celestia would always find that gesticulated trait amusing, presumably owed to the pegasus Cadance had been before and one shared with so many of that tribe. Witnessing it made her wonder whether her own lack of the display came across as distant or indifferent to the group. "In fact, I was thinking about starting another around Hearthswarming, focused on fostering community. I got several comments and- could we just meet later to discuss it? I've got so much to say!"

Did she ever. A smirk crossed Celestia lips. "Of course, Cadance."

There was a metallic clank behind her. "Already wanting to return to the fray, Princess?" She recognized the voice speaking as that of the newest captain of the guard, Shining Armor. 

"I just can't wait to spend more time with,"  Cadance rubbed her neck awkwardly with the elbow of her wing as her eyes turned to the ground, "the public, you know?" Celestia could name the color of her cheeks as several shades deeper that prior.

Captain Armor responded, "I'm sure it would be a lot of fun." Though his tone suggested a conclusion, a single moment passed before his mouth rushed to add, "-For you! Fun for you, as the Princess." 

Celestia looked between the two as she continued to lazily blink her eyes awake. A minute later, Cadance passed her the schedule in her forehoofs and exclaimed "I'll see you later to talk about them!" After, she practically galloped down the hall past the loose clutch of servants traversing the arched room.

Celestia looked down at the papers as the captain approached her.

"Ma'am!" Shining piped out before tossing up a salute.

"Stop that," Celestia chuckled, amused by his rookie behaviour, "What do you need, Shining?"

His stance loosened a decent amount before he issued his query, "Do you know where Twilight is? I couldn't seem to find her around her library, or the one on main, or the one across from Beard Avenue, or the one by Hayburgers, or the one-"

"I do know, yes." Celestia interrupted what could be assumed to be a rather extensive list. She laughed and patted one of the empty chairs next to her with her hoof. "Why don't you take a seat, captain? This may take a little while..."