//------------------------------//
// Episode 25: Forever Free Family Pt 1 
// Story: My Little Pony: Sparkling Harmony: Season Three 
// by Captain_Cosmos 
//------------------------------//

Deep in the Everfree Forest, in a village hidden away, Melody Frost was packing a Saddlebag in her room in the orphanage, while talking to a crystal projection of Fleur De Lis and Aqua Blossom, two of her cousins. “So you’re moving to Ponyville Fleur?” Frost asked.

“Yes. Fancy and I decided it was best to leave Canterlot and start fresh in the de facto Capital of Friendship.” Fleur responded.

“Nice.” Aqua responded. “Maybe I should move there after summer is over and you me and Sparkler can finally be sisters together.” She mused.

“Aqua. You know full well that she can’t know that you’re her sister too until she’s ready.” Frost told Aqua.

“I know. And I hate it.” Aqua responded, pouting.

“Don’t you think I want to tell her I’m her cousin? Believe me I would love nothing more than to do just that. But Clear-Cut was very specific. Sparkling Medley is to remain ignorant in order to live her life as happily as she can before the darkness comes back.” Frost said. “And HE got that directly from the top. So all of our hooves are tied.”

“I’m just about ready to give the top the double middle hoof.” Aqua commented.

“Take solace, cousin.” Frost responded. “According to Clear Cut, the time is near.”

“It better be near.” Aqua said.

Frost nodded. “Alright, I’m off. Fleur, I'll see you when you move to Ponyville.” She said. Aqua and Fleur disappeared and Frost’s pendant stopped glowing. Frost saddled up her bag and climbed up on the window sill. “Alright Frost. Time for patrol.” She told herself.

“Frost! Could you come heat up the water? The water heater’s broken!” Called in an older mare.

Frost inwardly groaned. It was the director of the orphanage she lived at. Who had very quickly started calling on her for every little thing because she was an Alicorn since she had arrived last year. “Coming Madame Motem.” She called out with a sigh. One of these days. I’m gonna get out of here. She thought.

It wasn’t that she HATED the orphanage. The foals there were nice and overall the orphanage did take care of her, minimally. But she longed for the day she could get out of there and be with her biological family, like her cousins Fleur and Aqua. Soon Frost, soon you won’t have to hide it anymore. She thought as she climbed off the sill inside the orphanage and went to do as she was asked.





Sometime later, Sparkler, Twilight, and Moondancer were in the Castle of The Two Sisters in the Everfree Forest. The gang had decided to take a group trip to the Castle to resume their project of restoring it. A project that Sparkler and Moondancer happily signed on to assist in. Today, Twilight had the three of them organizing the library. “Hey. While we’re here. Anypony want to see if there’s any mention of Sparkler in here?” Moondancer asked.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What?” She asked.

“Think. This castle is probably older than Canterlot. Who’s to say it doesn’t have a record of earlier Crystal Empire history in it?” Moondancer reasoned. “For all we know the answer to it all could very well be here.”

Sparkler and Twilight glanced at each other, Sparkler shrugged. “I mean, we are already here so it could be worth a shot.” She said.

“Yeah.” Twilight said. “Why didn’t I think of that? That’s a great idea Moony!” She told Moondancer.

Moondancer blushed while Sparkler chuckled. It had only been two weeks thus far. But she could tell the two were trying to make up for lost time. This allowed her to see just how similar Moondancer and Twilight actually were to each other. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they were actually clones of each other. She thought. It had surprised her how similar the two looked when she first met Moondancer. And…she wouldn’t deny that for the briefest moment, she held the slightest attraction to Moondancer. Now, two weeks into Moondancer courting Twilight, and two weeks into Sparkler’s own investigation per the section on polyamorous relationships, she had already come to the conclusion that yes, she was not monogamous and she would not mind having multiple lovers.

Once she had figured that out, she began looking for signs of a spark between her and Moondancer. She already had noted that her appearance definitely would be a factor. Which showed her that she had a type for Twilight’s specific mane and tail style. And under that, she had jotted down Moondancer’s surprising musical history knowledge. She didn’t strike me as somepony to know much about musical history. Talk about a surprise. She thought.

While Twilight, Sparkler, Moondancer, and the Mane 6 went about their business. Frost, who was finally set free after doing a few more chores than she expected, had noticed them through her magically heightened vision and decided to investigate. There they are again. She had thought as she spied on them through the holes in the walls. This was not the first time she saw them at the castle whilst on patrol. And it always intrigued her why they kept coming back. This castle is beyond repair. Surely they know that. She had thought.

At one point, she spied through a window which led to the Library, and her eyes widened when she saw SPARKLING MEDLEY in there. Sparkler… She stared at the older Alicorn going through a book, her mind racing. She must have come here with the others… She concluded. She struggled to keep her breathing under control. She’s right there…I could…she shook her head. She couldn’t. She knew that she couldn’t. “Not yet.” She whispered, before something happened that scared her to death…she let out an involuntary cough.

The cough was loud enough to alert Sparkler, who was the closest to the window. Frost saw Sparkler turn her head towards the window. So she bolted away from there before Sparkler could see her. Crap! She thought. Her cover was nearly blown.

Inside the castle, Sparkler heard the cough and glanced around to the source. She looked out the window and saw what she thought was the tip of a tail disappearing behind the wall. “What?” She asked aloud.

“What is it Sparkler?” Moondancer asked.

Sparkler glanced at Moondancer, then the window, before shaking her head. “N-nothing.” She said. Why do I get the feeling we’re being watched? She thought.

To be continued…