Fireflare rose from slumber early. Old habits died hard, after all, and it was a matter of personal pride that she had enough time to perform her stretches before the day really began. Careful not to disturb her wife, she headed toward the bathroom; with a massive, silent yawn, the shower was turned on, freezing water washing the red coat clean from the results of last night. The pegasus allowed herself a happy grin as she shuddered in memory, before clamping the feelings down and focusing on her chosen task. Massive wings, comparable to the princesses, unfurled as she began her regimen; Wingups, ab crunches, running in place--very difficult in the slick tub, but not impossible.
Thirty minutes later, Wishing Star wandered in and gave her an amused look over her glasses. "How much of that is from the shower and how much is sweat?"
"I dunno... ten percent sweat? The shower water washes it away before I can figure it out." The pegasus smiled at the brown unicorn as she untwisted from a yoga pose. "Sorry if I woke you."
"Don't worry, hon. This way I get to see you... glisten." Wishing Star wrapped her forelegs around Fireflare's chest.
The pegasus smiled, but shook her head. "Starry..."
"What?" Her wife gave her a sly grin. "It's just an innocent shower hug."
"You tease."
"Besides, you can't style your mane worth a damn." The shower shut off in the emerald glow of Wishing Star's magic as a brush floated over to the pegasus's tangles mane. "Honestly, you're giving us blondes all a bad name."
"Hey, you said yourself: Platinum is more blond then pure yellow. If anything it's you and Solar Flare that should worry." Fireflare didn't resist as her wife flattened and preened the mass behind her head. "Besides, it's not like anypony expects me to look nice at the furniture store."
Wishing Star simply gave her a peck on the cheek. "I do."
The pegasus rolled her orange eyes, but her smile betrayed the pleasure she felt at those words.
***
"ALRIGHTY KIDDOS! UP UP AND AWAY!" Fireflare slammed open the door to the boys' bedroom, grinning like a maniac. "It's time for another fun day at school!"
"Yes Ma'am!" A speckled red unicorn popped out of bed, saluting his mother with eager green eyes. "Cadet Solar Flare ready for duty Ma'am!"
"You're two years old, Solar, the guard doesn't take ponies till they're at least fifteen..." Across the way, a gray unicorn shrugged off his blankets, blinking the sleep out of his own jade eyes. "Hey madre. I'll be ready in a bit."
"Well, you're only five!" Solar Flare retorted.
"But I don't want to be a guard."
"Well then, how are you going to get close to princess Luna?"
"I'll be her pen pal," the unicorn said simply. "Or a politician."
Fireflare gave him an exaggerated expression of disgust as she ruffled his mane. "Oh believe me, Moonshine, you don't want to get into the mess that is politics. I'm going to go wake your sisters up, Mommy's baking breakfast again."
Moonshine snorted as his mother walked off, straightening the red streak in his yellow mane. "Madre! Don't mess up my maaaaane!"
"You are so prissy," Solar Flare grumbled. "Why are you the oldest?"
"I dunno. All I know is it has to do with mommy and Madre's--"
"--Madre's happy fun time," the red unicorn continued with him, "Yeah yeah..."
Out in the hall, Fireflare blushed a bit, but kept herself calm. Maybe she and Star should sit the kids down for The Talk soon, it wasn't like they were idiots. She opened the door to the girls' room and sighed when she realized that, once again, Glory Star wasn't in her bed.
Fluttering up to the rafters, the pegasus quickly found her daughter, long crimson tail wrapped as usual around a single beam as she slept in the style of her bat friends. Fireflare had to admit she looked rather cute... in an eerie sort of way. Still, it was almost time to go to school.
The mare prodded the sleeping pony. Instantly her amber eyes shot open.
"Hello madre. I dreamed of burning logs. They seemed rather happy, but also sad...."
Fireflare had long ago gotten used to her daughter's odd statements. "Well... I guess they would be happy to be warm, but sad that they had to go away."
"Hmmm." Glory Star unfurled her maroon wings, gliding to the ground and gathering her things up for school. "Do you know what Mommy's making?"
"Well... I saw potatoes." The older pegasus gestured vaguely. "The small kind."
"Okay." The young pegasus put on her saddlebags, checked her pixie-cut mane, and meandered off toward the kitchen. The gentle way she brushed against Fireflare's foreleg, though, was enough to make the mare smile.
Turning to the final bed, she gently prodded the mass of blankets. "Comet Trail? Sweetie? It's time to get up..."
A small brown head poked out from under the sheets, orange eyes quivering as the filly looked up at Fireflare. "...okay..."
"...how much sleep did you get?"
"...a bit," Comet Trail replied evasively.
"Hey." Fireflare knelt down. "We're all still here, right? Mommy's making breakfast for us all, your big brother and sister are getting ready for school, and you know little Solar Flare won't let anything get to you." She chuckled. "Gets that from me, I guess..."
"I know... it's just... so quiet when you all go to sleep." The filly shook her scarlet and lemon mane, crawling out from under the blankets. "I'm sorry..."
"You've done nothing wrong." The older pegasus smiled gently. "I'm the one who should be sorry... Mommy and I need to make more time for you. Do you... want to go for a family picnic on the clouds after school?"
Comet Trail managed to smile back. "I guess... that would be nice..." She glanced at her wings with some embarrassment. "But, um... you know..."
"We'll keep to the city clouds," Fireflare promised. "No flying."