Yeah, turns out my job was stellar. I had everything I could ever want regarding where I was now. However, there were still some things that I often wondered about. Such as how those students from the Friendship School were getting along nowadays. They were all adults so I was thinking of a way to reach out to them.
I even proposed this idea to pops, and he was interested in it.
“That sounds great, kiddo,” he said to me in between writing something down on a document on his desk, “Just make sure you try to catch everyone at a convenient time. Oh, but don’t try to catch them all at once. That’ll just stress you out.”
I looked up from my notes with wide eyes as I realized that I’d been writing down a schedule plan to see everyone all at once. Pops knew me too well.
“Hehe…oops-” I muttered as I crossed that out from my notes.
My little slip-up caused him to chuckle, which was always a nice thing to hear from him. “Hmhm…don’t stress yourself out too much, kiddo. Your mom and I are no strangers to overworking ourselves. Can you believe she’s still teaching even now?”
My mom--Cheerilee--was the best teacher in the world, so it wasn’t a surprise to hear that she was still at it. She had quite a healthy body after all. “Of course I can,” I replied with a smile, “She’s the best! You’ve both done a lot for me, and I wanna see you both prosper as you get older.”
The old man raised a brow at me and replied, “Now hang on. I’m not getting old just yet. You’ve got nothing to worry about on that front. Why do you think the crime rate around here has gone down so much?”
I giggled into my hoof. “That’s because nobody is gonna dare commit a crime while you’re around. You’re the best!”
“...I learned from the best, kiddo,” Pale replied with a smile on his face, downplaying my compliments.
Speaking of which, that got me to think. “Oh yeah--how’s Ms. Righ--er, Grandma doing lately?”
“The force over in Manehattan keeps trying to convince her to retire, but she’s not about to quit just yet. Guess I take after her in that regard,” Pale said with a small chuckle--his adoptive mother always put the faintest smile on his face when he thought about her. Made me happy to see him happy.
“You sure do. You guys literally helped change the world in ways not even Princess Twilight could manage!” I squealed--I couldn’t help but shower my dad with praise--he deserved it.
And naturally, he deflected it with a roll of his eyes. “Agh--don’t start with that now, Cozy. You know I’m just doing what I can to make sure this world finally knows some semblance of peace. For instance: I’m currently investigating Starswirl The Bearded.”
I tilted my head. I thought that old geezer was an Equestrian Hero. “Wait what? Him? Why? What’s he done to warrant investigating?”
“Nothing…in this world,” Pale explained as he put his hooves together on the desk, “But I’m getting reports from The Human World that there are loads of creatures running amok and causing mayhem for the people living there. Twilight’s recently given me jurisdiction to file such incidents under the law.”
The human…oh! The human world where counterparts of us existed. I always wondered what it was like there--and if my human self was fortunate enough to be living with Pale and Cheerilee’s human selves. That’d be nice.
My wings flapped with excitement as I leaned on his desk with my forelegs. “Oooh…does that mean you’ve talked to your human self recently?”
“...Not directly, but we’re working on it.” Pale grabbed a file from beneath his desk with his mouth and showed me a few pages of it. “Long story short, there’s a few creatures that Starswirl has sent to the Human World that he’s currently being interrogated about. Some changelings, a vampony, a shadowpony--who knows how many others have been cast out into a world they don’t understand?” He crossed his hooves and tilted his head down so that his eyes weren’t visible, “Not to mention how many innocent humans are probably suffering from what they’re doing to their home.”
I scanned over each of those pages with my eyes and shuddered. It made me realize how grateful I was over the fact that I wasn’t sent there instead. I could only imagine causing unnecessary destruction for these two-legged primate creatures.
“So you’re gonna give him the ol’ grillin’?” I asked with sparks in my eyes, “Can I--”
“No.”
As expected. I knew pops wouldn’t let me, but it couldn’t hurt to ask! “Fiiine…” I replied with a pouty face as I put my left hoof to my cheek, mushing my face in a little. “Is it because you wanna protect your widdle baby daughter?”
“Yes.” Didn’t miss a beat that stallion--he looked up at me with a well-meaning smile. “Just focus on what you’re able to accomplish for yourself so you don’t get swept up in everything,” he said as he got up from his desk and ruffled my mane with his hoof. “Cheerilee and I are trying our best to break those old habits as we speak.”
I flinched, shutting one eye as he patted me on the head, then opened it as I asked a question inquisitively, “Oh? What are you both doing?”
“Well--”
Just before he could answer me, mom--Cheerilee--walked into the building with her mane done up in a bun. She was wearing a red dress that looked similar to the one she wore at their wedding--one that the dancing mares from Caballo wore.
“Pale, I--oh, Cozy! How are you today?” She approached me and gave me a hug, nuzzling her cheek against mine.
“Hrrk!” The embrace was a bit--okay a lot--tighter than I expected. I had to push myself off of her just to breathe! “Ahem--I’m doing just fine, mom. I was just thinking of going to visit Smolder when I got the chance.”
“In that case, you’re in luck--I think I saw Smolder flying near Ponyville on my way here,” Cheerilee replied, “Looking to make a new friend or two?”
Yeah, something like that. I paused and took a second to rub my hoof behind my head. “...You could say that.” Then I quickly changed the subject. “So! Uh…what’s the occasion, mom?” I asked, noting her dress.
“Oh this? Well, Pale and I are going dancing. Isn’t that right, hun?” Cheerilee looked over at pops with a wink--blech. I could already tell where that was going.
“For sure, Cheery,” he replied, approaching her and kissing her on the cheek, earning a giggle from mom--double blech. “Sorry, kiddo. I’ll have to cut our visit a bit short.”
I couldn’t be mad--they were the shining example of the perfect couple. “Ah, pffft--don’t worry,” I scoffed as I waved my hoof downwards, “I’ll just come back another time.”
“Let’s go, Pale--you want to show everyone what we can do, don’t you?” Cheerilee started trotting out of the door, and made eyes at Pale, flicking her tail to get his attention. “See you later, okay Cozy?”
Naturally, dad was obligated and had to take off. “Coming, hun!” But before he did, he took a look at me, “Quick Draw is making some poutine. Ask her for some, eh?”
My eyes lit up--that was our family’s favorite dish! Cheese curds and fries with gravy--perfection! “Oh, I will! Have fun at your dance club!” I waved my hoof in the air, happily parting with my perfect parents for now.
“Good luck with Smolder, kiddo,” Pale replied as he took off his hat and coat and placed them on a nearby clothing rack. “Do your best--but not more than what you’re able.” And with that, they left.
To say that I loved them would be an understatement.