It had been short work to gather up the school supplies and get everypony loaded into the cart. Wishing Star couldn't help but glance out the front, where her wife glided through the air on those majestic crimson wings of hers, not once complaining about the weight on her back. She could see the faint line under the harness where her coat had been pressed flat day after day...
"Here we are, Westwing Elementary!" Fireflare clipped to the ground, letting the wheels of the cart roll to a stop. "Hop on out, fillies, and have a good day!"
"I believe today will result in spring tea," Glory Star commented as she breezed toward the door.
"I guess that's good...?"
Comet Trail shivered, glancing at the milling crowd of young ponies. "Why can't I go to school with Moony?"
"Because the people who made the schools were racist and the people in charge now are idiots."
"Fireflare!" Wishing Star snapped.
The red pegasus sighed. "I'm not going to lie to my own daughter."
"She's worried enough as is," the unicorn groused. "Be gentle with her."
Fireflare sighed, her ears flattening. "...sorry. Um... Comet, you'll see Moony this afternoon. Buuuuuut you should try to enjoy the time here at school too! You have friends here, right?"
Comet Trail nodded, though her eyes were on the ground.
"I'm sure you'll have a good time with them!" Fireflare leaned down, nuzzling her younger daughter. "Try to? For me?"
"...okay Madre."
"Oh come on, don't let me leave without you smiling!" Wishing Star leaned out of the cart and tipped Comet's chin up. "Please? I want to see you smile, please please please please pleeeeeeeeease?"
The filly giggled, blushing a bit. "Alright, Mommy, I'll keep smiling!"
Star grinned right back. "That's my girl!"
"Try to keep that smile on, you hear?" Fireflare added, smirking. "I gotta get your brothers to school now. Glory! Don't provoke Feather Quill again, okay?"
The other pegasus filly clipped her wings shut. "If she does not bother, I will not speak."
"Glory Star..."
"...I'll be good."
"Good." Fireflare gave her a pointed look. Then her wings spread wide and with a powerful flap, she was in the air again.
***
The Spiralform school for Young Unicorns was dominated by a tower, which Fireflare mentally labeled The World's Most Stupidly Fancy Magic Gym. Intellectually, she understood the reasoning behind the tower; keeping magic accidents far from the ground would lessen fallout, and hey, some of the nerds would never get any exercise if they didn't have to clamber up that long staircase.
But did they really have to make the thing out of MARBLE? Good old skyscrapers were fine back in Manehattan...
Nevertheless, she kept a smile on her face as her colts hopped out of the cart. "You two have a good day at school! Learn... magic stuff, I guess!"
Moonshine frowned at her. "Madre, why are you acting like you don't know what--"
Without a word, the pegasus flicked a wing at a teacher who was busy herding some other foals around.
Wishing Star rolled her eyes. "Really, Flare? Really? You're still holding that against her?"
"If Sparkstone changes her tune, I'll be willing to sit down with her. But until then, it's a lot easier to just play dumb and avoid a conversation."
"Madre, you are weird." Moonshine nodded firmly, point made, and headed inside. Solar Flare looked between his mothers and his teacher in confusion.
Fireflare sighed. "Don't worry, private, it's just some stupid grown-up stuff."
"I'm not a private!" the colt insisted. "I made Sargent rank!"
"Oh, but you'll always be a private to me soldier."
Solar Flare smoldered at his madre's smirk. "Disrespect is not allowed in the royal guard!"
"And neither are noogies!" she replied, mussing up her son's mane playfully. "I'm capitalizing on the time I have!"
The unicorn glared at her as he escaped her reach and ran for the school. "I assure you, madre, that time will be short!"
Wishing Star frowned, leaning over the front of the cart. "You really shouldn't tease him like that, Flare. Especially not when he's so young."
"He'll work off his anger in sparring," the pegasus replied... though she did turn around to face her with a worried look. "Do you... really think I should hold back?"
The unicorn waggled a hoof vaguely. "Mmm... let him know you love him in ways that don't make him feel less awesome. I think that'll work."
"...alright. I'll try." Fireflare smiled. "But you got to admit he's just so darn cute with his soldier games..."
"Oh, I wonder where he gets that from," Star singsonged.
"I wasn't a soldier, I was with the DAIA. We were mercenary."
"Like he's old enough to understand the difference."
Fireflare shrugged, flapping and taking to the air again. "Trust me, it's loads different. For one thing, I never had to work under Shining 'prettyboy' Armor..."
***
"...look, all I'm saying is that princes are ponces, and Shining Armor is a prince."
"He married into the position, hon! Besides, he's the sister of Princess Twilight."
"It's not about blood, Starry, it's about behavior! Have you ever talked to the guy?"
"Have you?"
"...no. Okay, fine," Fireflare grumbled as she landed. "Maybe he's not a bad guy. But maybe he's not a good guy either. All I know is that he's a prince and the few princes I have had the joy of meeting were self absorbed dicks whose contribution to society consisted of 'Fuck it all I'm popular nerneyner!'"
Wishing Star smirked as she hopped out of the cart. "Prejudice is unbecoming, hon."
"...did you just call me preju--?"
The pegasus was silenced by a sudden lunge as Wishing Star locked lips with her wife and draped her forelegs around her neck. Her eyes widened for a moment before she returned the gesture, pulling the unicorn in closer as the shared breath.
After a good half minute, Wishing Star broke off and gave her a gentle smile. "Hon, I love you. You know that right?"
"Aaaaaa...."
The unicorn giggled. "Fireflare, snap out of it."
"Aaaaa... um." Fireflare shook her head. "Right. Yes, sorry. What were you saying, Starry?"
"I was saying that I love you."
"I..." The pegasus blushed, but managed a cocky grin. "Yeah, I think I got that. I love you too--"
"And because I love you, I've gotten to know you quite well. And I know that you hate royalty with a passion."
"Hey! I don't hate royalty! I..." Fireflare looked around. "I just don't like the lazy bastards that leech off people who actually do work because of some inheritance!"
"You and me both," Star grumbled. "But we both know that royalty isn't ALL like that. So please don't judge ponies based on their titles?"
"...fiiiiiine. I'll be good."
"Thanks. Well! Off to another day of filing papers!" The unicorn bounced off into the office. "The Pippington trade company needs my expertise!"
The red pegasus smiled and waved. "Watch out for pirates, they be sailing these clouds!"
"Don't worry, matey, I'll keep me booty safe!" Wishing Star waggled her tail as she entered the building. "Yar har!"
Fireflare giggled, snapping her wings out. "I'll hold ye to that, lass!" With a few powerful flaps, she was once more in the air, flying off to her own place of work.
***
It was a matter of a few minutes to lock her cart down behind the store and unlock the office. She pulled out all the mail from the drop in, mostly purchase slips from various shipping companies--Pippington Trade having a few more then any other group--and organized it into the proper folders. Somepony had to be the manager, unfortunately, and of all the ponies working here Fireflare was the most efficient in keeping the books aligned.
The other workers were only just pouring in when she stepped out, arranging couches and chairs and tables. She grinned, flying over and helping Soft Cushions move a bed into place. "Hey, how are things?"
The ivory earth pony rolled her eyes. "Oh you know. I'm still looking for a good stallion, one that likes me for me and not..." She flicked her blonde-and-pink mane back meaningfully.
Fireflare nodded, lowering the bed into place. Soft Cushions was extraordinarily hot, to the point where the pegasus had initially assumed it was actually her special talent; when she found out the mare's cutie mark was actually symbolic of upholstery, she'd been more then a little embarrassed. "I don't know what to say, Cush. They're all going to see the wrapping first. Just... stick with them and find out if they're interested in the package underneath, okay?"
"I guess... it's just so frustrating! Everypony thinks I'll hop right into bed with them!"
"Every pony?"
"Yes!"
The pegasus snorted. "You know what your problem is, Cush? You're paranoid. You read too much into things."
Soft Cushions rolled her eyes. "You know I don't have to listen to this."
"Sure you do, I'm your boss."
"Flare, seriously. Stop."
Fireflare rose a placating hoof. "Alright, alright.... I'm just saying, not everypony's mind is in the gutter all the time." She walked across the room, lightly kicking a couch into a more precise alignment with the surrounding chairs and making various minor adjustments to the whole store's setup.
Only when she was completely satisfied did she flap her wings, hovering in the air. "ALRIGHT EVERYPONY! Oh, and Genevieve."
The sole griffon in the building rolled her eyes at the small chuckles of her coworkers.
"You all know the drill! Advise but don't pressure, listen to what the customer is and isn't saying... and above all, have fun with this." Fireflare grinned. "Even though we're selling furniture, I don't want you sitting around all day!"
The store workers split between laughing and groaning at the horrible joke.
"In all seriousness, though, it should be a slow day today. Not many people are moving into new houses and we're only just hitting heat season, so no broken beds yet. Mostly rich ponies coming in and looking for something to flaunt. I know," she added wearily, "they're idiots, but keep smiling, okay?"
"We'll try our best!"
"Thanks Cush. Now.... let's open for business!"