“Flurry!!” Cadence called out as she poked her head into Twilight’s library and eeped seeing her sister in law deep in study. “OH sorry Twilight. Have you seen Flurry? It’s time for her nap.”
“Hey sis, sorry I haven’t.” Twilight chuckled looking up from her desk. She was glad that her family came to visit for the week. “I know she’s walking on her own now but she couldn’t have gone too far.”
“You’d be surprised. Ever since she became mobile, Shining and I have had our hooves full keeping her fenced in.” Cadenced huffed. “And that’s not including her newfound teleportation abilities.”
Twilight nodded as she was amazed at how much her niece was growing. Not only physically but in power as well. “Yeah I know that much. Having her teleport into my bedroom last night while I was,” Twilight coughed. “Occupied with Twi was more then I was expecting. So I’m looking to see if there’s a spell to block it that will actually work with her.”
“Thanks. And again I'm so sorry about that. She has that knack about doing the same with me and Shining.” The two shared a light laugh. “Well if she teleports into here. Try and hold her down for me.”
Smiling Twilight nodded. “Will do.”
Kohaku hummed as he rested comfortably at the river's edge. Thankful to get away from the constant reminders from his Pearl and Twilight about how he should behave around Ponyville, his front legs behind his head while his hind legs crossed. A hind paw tapped to the beat of his music player when he felt a sudden thump several paces behind him.
Opening his eyes he looked up to see a pink bundle rolling down the hill till it bounced onto his head. Smirking, he looked up and saw a pair of crystal blue eyes looking down at him.
“Well hello, there little one.” Kohaku chuckled rolling over onto his belly and looking at the young filly in front of him. “So what's your…” Gasping he felt a shiver down his spine as he looked deeper into those crystal eyes. A visage of the crystal pony from his dreams flashed in his head. Making his heart jump several beats.
“Oh boy. Are you Flurry Heart?” Kohaku asked as little Flurry giggled and booped him with her small hoof. Looking up he saw the castle in the distance and smirked. “You out here on your own aren't you?”
“Uhh huh?” Flurry murmured looking at him.
“Well, I can’t leave you all alone.” Reaching down he griped the foal by the scruff of her neck and flipped the alicorn filly up and over to land belly first on his back. An action that was rewarded with a laugh. “Oh, you like that huh?” Kohaku grinned seeing the kind of bravery she was showing. Looking back and forth he smiled. His Pearl wouldn’t return for at least a few more hours to get him. And he didn’t know when he would again have this kind of opportunity to see just how daring his future dream girl could be again. “How about we have some real fun?”
Flurry smiled wide and nodded rapidly.
“Then grip tight kid. We’re going for a ride.” Kohaku laughed as he dashed into the Everfree Forest, Flurry laughing as much as he was.
By the river a set of eyes watched him dash off with the little Filly and gulped. “Oh, this can’t be good.” Turning herself into a pony, Summer flew up and toward the castle.
“What do you mean you can’t find her?!” Twilight fumed, pacing back and forth between her throne and the Cutie Map. “How do you lose a baby alicorn?!”
Spike shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know, Twilight. Nopony’s seen her in a while now. And no one in Ponyville’s said anything either. You know they’re supposed to say something if they see her.”
Twilight growled. That was true at least. “Oh… Cadence is going to kill me, and then banish me.”
At that moment, Pearl poked her head inside. “Is this a bad time?”
Twilight did her best to compose herself for her student and smiled. “Not at all, Pearl. Come in, please. I don’t suppose you’ve seen my niece by any chance, have you?”
“Princess Flurry?” Pearl asked, before nodding. “Yeah. She dropped in on me a few hours ago.” She giggled. “First time that’s ever happened. I think she likes me, though. I gave her a few piggyback rides around my room. Then she teleported off. Haven’t seen her since.”
Twilight sighed. So much for that avenue at least.
Pearl looked between the princess and Spike, before facehooving with a groan. “Oh for… How the hell do you lose a baby alicorn? You guys stick out like a sore wing.”
Spike snickered while Twilight groaned. There was the snark and forthrightness she had come to love and dread from her student. “I don’t know. Cadence is going to kill me if she finds out.”
“And then banish you, or throw you in a dungeon in the place she banishes you to,” Spike smirked.
Twilight shot him a glare, while Pearl giggled. “Not. Helping. Spike,” she growled.
Pearl’s ears dropped. “Come on. She can’t have gone that far. Wouldn’t someone in Ponyville say something if they’d seen her?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes. I’ve made it clear that if anyone sees Flurry by herself around town, they need to say something. But no one has, and that’s what worries me.”
“I have seen her actually, princess,” River said, as she flew into the room. “But you will not like where.”
Pearl blinked, as she and the Pegasus locked eyes for a moment. Why did it feel like there was something there? She shook her head. Not the time.
Twilight frowned. “Where, River? And why am I only now hearing about this?”
River sighed. “Someone took your niece into the Everfree Forest. He appeared to be a rather large fox with three tails.”
Twilight’s anger flared. “He did what?!”
River nodded. “I was too far away to try and stop them, but young Flurry seemed rather happy with the idea.”
Twilight ground her teeth. “Of course she did. I’m going to strangle him for this.”
Pearl placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “He won’t eat her, will he?”
Twilight shook her head, hearing the worry in Pearl’s voice. “No. But that’s not what I’m worried about. Neither of them knows how dangerous the Evefree is, and I’d rather not have to explain to his family if something happens.”
River frowned. “You show quite a lot of worry for someone who seems to be nothing but a pain.”
Twilight was taken aback by the coldness of her voice. “Because as much as he is, Kohaku is still a good friend of mine, and is under my care while he’s here. Even if he doesn’t need it.”
Pearl rolled her eyes. Leave it to the princess to be friends with such a pain in everyone’s ass. “They can’t have gone that far. If we hurry, we can still find them before something else does.”
“What’s her deal anyway? I get she’s worried about Flurry. But does she have something against this furball?” Pearl asked as she and Twilight followed River into the Everfree.
Twilight rubbed her snout. “It’s a long story and not a pleasant one. I might tell you one day, but it’s still too fresh for me to explain.” Pearl nodded slowly as she followed Twilight through the thicket along the river. “River and I first met when I thought out loud if there’s an eastern dragon in the river. She just appeared as a pony, and we talked for a while. I eventually brought up the feud with kitsunes, and she turned ice cold.”
Pearl's grin would have made Pinkie proud as she buzzed her wings. “There’s an eastern dragon in Ponyville? Why did nopony tell me?!”
Twilight giggled. “I believe so, my student. But no one has met them yet. Do not forget that the Rose River flows for many miles, so it could be hard to meet them.”
Pearl smirked. “They don’t know me very well if they think that’s going to stop me. Spike is an awesome friend, and he does know a lot. But he is so biased with his Dragon Code.”
Twilight nodded, before winking. “Well. I’m sure you’ll meet them eventually, Pearl. With persistence if nothing else.”
Pearl giggled. “I better. Mom’s gonna kill me if I go looking by myself. Been in enough trouble for going off on my own. OUCH!” Pearl yelped as a branch hit her in the back of the head. “Why couldn’t this furball take Flurry someplace nice?”
“I don’t know what goes on in his head. I’ve known him longer than I’ve known you. And I still can’t figure him out.” Twilight groaned as she half-tripped over the root of a tree. “I should be giving Flurry a bath right now.”
With a yell and a squeal of delight, Kohaku and Flurry leaped from the top of a waterfall two hundred hooves down into a large lake. Landing with a splash that leaped up fifty hooves high. As He bobbed his head up out of the water. Kohaku saw Flurry bounce up in a bubble that popped and started to dog-paddle around him with a smile and a giggle.
Reaching out he pulled the filly close. “Come here ya little seapony,” With a whip of his paw he created a float ring and placed Flurry in it. Then with another wave of his paw, summoned up a set of sand soaps. “Let's see. You strike me as a lavender girl. Am I right?” Kohaku asked as he held up a pawfull of purple sand.
Flurry smiled and nodded rapidly.
“Okay then.” Spinning her around, Kohaku started to lather her mane as three timber wolves walked up to the edge of the lake. The fox smirked as he looked them dead in the eyes, half ignoring Flurry’s frightened squeeks. Before he could utter a word all three Timberwolves knelt down to the grass, heads on paws, and looked at the pair like puppies.
Flurry looked up at Kohaku and blinked.
“Honestly, why are ponies so afraid of this place?” Shrugging he went back to bathing the young filly.
Cadence hummed as she looked about the forest. “Okay, Flurry. Hide and Seek is over now. Come out. It’s time for your nap!” She yelled before almost bumping into Spike.
“Oh, Spike I’m so sorry.”
Spike shrugged as he closed his comic. “Eh, no worries Cadence,” the young drake chuckled. “Still can’t find Flurry?”
“No. and I’m starting to get worried. I’ve looked all over this castle and Ponyville twice. And now I can’t find Twilight either,” the crystal princess sighed as she sat down. “I know she likes to spend time with her niece but this is getting out of hand. She’s still a filly. Yes, she’s four but still. Did you have any luck?”
Shaking his head Spike sighed. “I checked in the library. Every square inch. Found a dozen new comics to read but no Flurry. But I’ll keep looking.”
“Thanks, Spike,” Cadence smirked as he walked away, his snout buried in his comic. “This is getting frustrating.” Looking out the window, she saw the sun had already passed mid-day. “I should be putting her down for a nap right now.”
Kohaku lounged about in a high tree. Five strong vines expertly weaved together to form a hammock that supported his weight and that of the sleeping filly on his chest. One front leg rested along her waist while the other one rested behind his head. His back two legs crossed one over the other as his tails acted like a blanket for the small girl.
He purred ever so gently, taking in long soft breaths while watching birds fly overhead. In his mind, he guessed at the shapes of clouds overhead. Below him, a hundred hooves down. The three timberwolves all rested. Their emerald eyes kept watch all around.
“Can life get much sweeter than this?” Closing his eyes, he was blissfully unaware of the two ponies that carefully inched themselves away from the trio of slumbering timber wolves as he himself started his own nap.
Pearl trembled as she held her breath. Her and Twilight both moving away after Twilight had magically grabbed something from the trio of timber wolves. She couldn’t see what it was outright. It was an hour after they had finished running away in fear of waking the wolves that she finally asked.
“Twilight, what was that? What you grabbed?” Pearl bit her lips as she saw Twilight’s haunted look as she held up a blue teddy bear.
“I gave this to Flurry two years ago.” Twilight trembled as she talked. “She never goes anywhere without it. Oh Celestia, what have I done..” Twilight began to tear up before falling to her knees.
Pearl bit down on her lower lip as she moved forward. “Maybe she just dropped it? Should we…” Pearl started but Twilight’s voice soon drowned her out.
“Cadence is never going to forgive me for this… Flurry was in my care, I…I should have been watching them closer I…” A groan and a sniffle escaped her lips before walking on towards the forest edge and back to Ponyville. “And Kohaku… oh gods his family is going to kill me..” Walking past Pearl as if she wasn’t there Twilight continued to ramble on and on.
Pearl bit her lip as she looked back. Her heart ached at the thought of what was lost.
Twilight kept her head down as she slowly walked up the hallway of her castle her head pounding from convincing Pearl to go home. As stubborn as that girl was, Pearl agreed that what happened next was between Twilight and Cadence. On reaching her throne room. Twilight put her hoof on the door. Taking a long deep breath she pushed it open and blinked seeing Cadence talking to Pearl.
“About time,” Pearl smirked as she stretched.
“Twilight, where have you been?” Cadence shook her head as she walked forward. “I’ve been worried sick wondering where you have been. And where is my daughter? She’s hours late for both a bath and nap now.”
Twilight felt herself get dizzy as she turned her attention to Pearl. “I thought I sent you home? How did you get here before me?”
Pearl blinked and then giggled. “I think you have the wrong Pearl. I came through the portal mirror ten minutes ago. I’m here for my furball. His sisters sent me here to pick him up. He’s an hour late returning home.” Pearl gave Twilight a smirk. “So where is he?”
“I…” Twilight began as she shivered noticeably. “Something bad happened. I… I’m so..” Twilight broke down. Tears fell from her cheek as she brought out Flurry’s bear.
Cadence came forward and raised an eyebrow. “Twilight? Where was this?”
“I,” gulping, Twilight breathed in through her nose. “I found it amidst some Timber Wolves. I had gotten news that he and Flurry went into the Everfree Forest.”
Cadence and Pearl looked at each other for a moment then down at Twilight. Their own feelings getting deeper felt in their chests.
“I tried to find them. But, I guess I was just too late. I’m so sorry. I failed you both. Please… please don't hate me. I never meant for this to happen.” Twilight bowed her head as she felt Cadence wrap her wings around Twilight and held her sister-in-law close. The two princesses looked at each other before both bursting into tears.
Pearl huffed as she kicked at a wall, cracking the crystal. “Damn you Kohaku!!”
“What?” a confused voice called out from the double doors. Pearl, Twilight, and Cadence all turned and saw Kohaku standing there. His trio of tails swished about as Flurry swatted at them with her hoof.
“Kohaku? Is that… are you?” Twilight half blubbered as Cadence squeed and ran out and picked up her daughter off his back.
“Oh, Flurry. I was so…” Cadence hugged her daughter tight as the young girl groaned trying to pull away.
“I knew it... Okay, what’s going on Kohaku?” Pearl huffed as she walked over and swatted her friend upside the head with her wing.
“Ouch! Hey what did I do to deserve that.” Looking about as he rubbed his head. “And what’s with the waterworks? You all looked like someone had just died.”
“I thought. Well, the timber wolves and this.” Twilight pulled out the bear as she felt her mind grind to a halt as Kohaku walked up.
“So that’s where it went.” Plucking the bear up Kohaku tossed it over to Cadence and Flurry. “Heads up kiddo.”
Flurry giggled and cried out as she caught her bear with her magic and hugged it tightly.
“I thought those wooden rascals ran away with it.” Sighing he looked back up at Twilight. “So what’s this about Timber Wolves?”
Pearl sighed. “She thought Timberwolves ate you and the kid there.”
Kohaku blinked as he sat up and looked at Flurry who finally broke free of her mom and flew over to Kohaku, who caught her and hugged the girl tight. “Those powder puffs? Eat me? Seriously?” He looked at Twilight and quirked an eyebrow.
“Well it’s your first time here in Equestria, you don't know how dangerous our Everfree Forest is.”
Nuzzling little Flurry for a moment he looked at Twilight and shook his head. “Oh please. I’ve seen flower beds more dangerous than that place.”
“Well to Ponies that place is very dangerous.” Cadence stepped up and looked down at Kohaku. “What made you want to bring my daughter into such a place.”
Shrugging he just looked at the Filly in his arms. “I was bored. And I thought she was too given how she was teleporting all over the map. When she landed on my head. I just thought Twilight was too busy to watch over her. So, I took over.”
“Be that as it may, she could have gotten hurt. What if she teleported away from you and the worst had happened?”
Waving his paw aside, Kohaku shook his head. “She was perfectly safe. And as for teleporting away. Not happening. I disabled her magic moments after she was in my grasp.”
Cadence and Twilight blinked and looked at each other. “You did What!?” their voices in unison.
“What? Like it’s hard. One pressure point was all it took. It wasn’t good to have such a young girl just wondering about all willy-nilly.” Kohaku sighed and leaned back.
“Well since nothing wrong really happened. I’m not going to press the matter.” Cadence smiled as she levitated her daughter. “Now if you excuse me, this little one is late for a bath and nap.”
“Both of which have already been done. She had a nice luxurious bath with lavender soap. And a nice long nap high up in the trees. That must have been when her bear fell to the ground. I kicked myself for not noticing it. But I was more concerned keeping this little one safe.”
Blinking Cadence smiled. “You took care of her bath and nap already? How do you know how to take care of foals.”
“OH, Kohaku is very good with kids.” Pearl, who had been enjoying the interactions finally stepped up again. “He actively watches children for high-end parents.”
Twilight looked at Kohaku and felt her lip quiver a bit. “I’m afraid to ask what you charge.”
Laughing Kohaku walked up and came nose to nose with Flurry. “Well, for my high-end clients I usually charge a great deal.” Quirking an eyebrow he smiled at everyone. “But for this little angel.” Taping Flurry’s nose, he chuckled at her giggling. “I’ll watch for free.”