“-and that’s why we’re here.” Big Macintosh concluded.
Twilight sighed in exhaustion and disbelief, “Big Mac. that has got to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. It sounds like a bad novel. But…” Twilight motioned to the collected fillies and colts, “It’s sitting right there in front of all of us.”
“Miss Twilight, I don’t think it’s very polite tuh refer to all of them as ‘it’.”
“Tr-”
“ENOUGH!” Nova yelled at the fillies, causing most of them to once again squeal in terror, “MY HORN AND WINGS ARE INFACT A PART OF MY BODY AND ARE NOT REMOVABLE!”
“Yeah but how come Scarlet and Cinnamon and Garden and Carson only get wings, and Gem and Cider and Centy only get a horn?” Apple Pie countered, “It’s not that fair, not to mention that me and Acey and Golden Sweet don’t even got those!”
“’Tis because I am of royal blood and the house of Equestria!” Nova replied.
“Yeah, but my mom’s one of the Elements of Harmony, not to mention Twilight got to become a princess tooooooooo.” Apple Pie continued.
“…Why do they keep saying that I got to be a Princess?” Twilight shook her head, “Never mind, it’s not something I should know. If I learn something I shouldn’t I could end up changing the future.”
“Miss Twilight, I reckon the presence of eleven kids I haven’t even had ought to have done plenty of changin’ already.” Big Macintosh sighed.
“…They haven’t really interacted with anypony else, right? I mean other than you, Apple Bloom, Applejack and Granny Smith, right?” Twilight continued.
“…Scarlet, Golden Gem and Apple Pie ran off to see their mothers.” Big Macintosh sighed, “You oughta talk to them about it, not me. I told them th’ meet you here, so that I can explain it to them.”
“What about Cheerilee, Ditzy Do and Carrot Top?”
“…I’m not sure. I guess I should ask them to come here too.” Big Macintosh shrugged, “I can’t do much for Apple Cinnamon, Center Stage or Nova though. Unless you wanna get th’ princesses involved.”
Twilight shook her head, “No, bad idea, they’re still dealing with the Changling attack. I can go get them; can you just stay here with them all and make sure they don’t blow up my library?”
“Eyup.”
“I’ll be right back.” The unicorn trotted to the door and left.
“Fine! If you don’t want to help us all become alicorns too, I guess I don’t have to give you the cupcake my mom made for us!” Apple Pie stuck her tongue out at Nova.
“I do not require your baked goods, for I HAVE BROUGHT MY OWN!” Nova triumphantly yelled back, as he levitated a basket towards him.
“SO WHAT? MINE ARE BETTER!” Apple Pie yelled back.
“He’s really loud.” Center Stage grumbled to Apple Cinnamon.
“Like you’re one to talk.” Apple Cinnamon and Golden Sweet giggled.
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
“You keep bragging about how smart you are so you figure it out.” Apple Cinnamon snarked.
“…How come your eyes are pointing in two different ways?” Acey Mac poked Carson’s head, “You look like Miss Ditzy Do.”
“That’s cause she’s my ma.” The colt responded, “Stop poking me.”
“I’m trying to see if I can make them go the same way.” Acey continued to poke the colt’s head much to his discomfort.
“Y…you shouldn’t do that.” Garden Royale stuttered.
“Why not?” Acey continued poke his head.
“It’s not very nice. And he did ask you to stop.” Garden Royal noted.
“…I guess.” Acey put down her hoof. “It’s still weird though.”
Big Macintosh sighed, “Oh boy…”
“Daddy.” Golden Gem tugged at his hoof.
“What is it Gem?”
“Sparkling Cider is missing.”
“Wait, what?” the stallion looked up, “…Oh shoot.”
---
Twilight trotted down the street, followed by Sparkling Cider. The mare cast an uncertain glance at the filly, who beamed back at the mare.
“Why are you following me?”
“’Cause daddy would get mad if I went back now, so I should follow you. That way I stay safe, and he won’t get as mad.” Sparkling Cider told her.
“…Well played.”
“I learned from the best.” Sparkling Cider beamed.
Twilight knocked on a house door and waited. A few moments latter, Ditzy Doo opened the door, followed by Dinky.
“Oh, Hello Twilight.”
“Hello Ditzy, Dinky.” Twilight returned the mail mare’s smile.
“…Who’s that?” Dinky pointed at Sparkling Cider.
“I’m Sparkling Cider, Twilight’s- MRHPH!”
Twilight quickly shushed the pony with a hoof to the mouth.
“What was that?” Ditzy continued as Dinky’s eyebrow rose in suspicion.
“She’s…a relative.” Twilight recovered and gave the two ponies a suspicious smile. “But I need you to come to the library.”
“For what?” the mare inquired.
“It’s…. a little complicated. Once I get Carrot Top and Cheerilee, I can explain.”
“…Alright, but I’m going to bring Dinky with me.”
“That’s fine.” Twilight nodded, “Let’s go to Carrot Top’s next.”
The four trotted off. As they walked, Dinky gave Sparkling Cider a strange look.
“What?” Sparkling Cider returned her gaze.
“You look like somepony else I know…” Dinky replied.
“Well, Shining Armor is related to me.” Sparkling Cider puffed out her chest a little.
“No, you look like a different pony I...you look a little like Apple Bloom’s brother.” Dinky pondered for a moment, “Mom, doesn’t she look a bit like Big Macintosh?”
Ditzy glanced at the filly before taking another look. Sparkling Cider. “…She does look a little like Macintosh.”
“She’s…well, she’s…” Twilight stuttered.
“He’s my cousin.” Sparkling Cider beamed.
“Right, cousins.” Twilight smiled, “one of the Apples married one of my… mother’s second cousins.”
“…Alright.” Ditzy gave Twilight a look of doubt.
“…So how come you’re here anyway?” Dinky continued to ask Sparkling Cider.
“…To visit.”
“Yeah, but why? There isn’t really anything here.” Dinky pressed on.
“Well, there’s D… Big Macintosh, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith an’ the farm.” Sparkling Cider countered.
“So you came to visit and work? That doesn’t sound very fun.” Dinky shook her head.
“Girls, enough.” Twilight and Ditzy scolded the two fillies.
“Sorry.”
The group came to a stop in front of another house. Before Twilight could knock on the door, another voice called out.
“Oh, hello Ditzy, Twilight.” Carrot Top trotted over, her hooves and muzzle dirty from working, “What brings you here?”
“We have a bit of a situation that needs you at the library.” Twilight informed her.
“Sure. Give me a bit to clean up.” Carrot Top nodded in agreement.
---
“And now we need Cheerilee.” Twilight sighed as the group continued on.
“Why do we need her?” Carrot Top inquired.
“It’s… complicated.”
“You keep saying that, but you won’t say just how complicated it I-” Carrot Top suddenly tumbled over, as something landed on her back.
“Oh my goodness, are you alright?” Ditzy Doo trotted over.
“HI AUNTY DERPY!” Acey Mac leapt off Carrot Top’s back.
“Oh no.” Both Twilight and Sparkling Cider groaned.
“Hi Miss Twilight! I know you told me and the resta them to stay in the library but I got bored, and Apple Cinnamon an’ Apple Pie an’ Nova are all fighting and I got bored so I snuck out and found my ma.” Acey Mac beamed.
“Oh no, what did you do?” Cheerilee trotted over and helped Carrot Top back onto her hooves, “Carrot, are you alright?”
“I’ll be fine. What hit me?” the mare groggily replied.
“Somepony claiming to be my daughter.” Cheerilee frowned, “I know I’ve done some strange things before I came here, but I think I would have remembered giving birth.”
“But she’s right!” Sparkling Cider blurted out. The three mares and dinky quickly turned to look at the filly.
“She’s just joking.” Twilight quickly tried to convince the others, “it’s-”
“No, I’m not!” Acey Mac yelled back, “Cheerilee is my mom, just like how you’re Sparkling Cider’s mom!”
The other three mares looked at Sparkling Cider, then Acey Mac, before finally settling on Twilight.
“Twilight, I think we do deserve an explanation for all of this…” Cheerilee trailed off.
“Ju...Fine,” the mare conceded, “But it involves a lot more that just these two and you three. The rest of the elements are involved, so I would like to go back to the library and explain to all of you at once, alright?”
---
THE LIBRARY
Big Macintosh stepped around the sprawled out sleeping fillies and colts.
“Cinnamon, where did Acey Mac go?”
“I dunno dad.” The pegasus shrugged, “I think she might have snuck out when Apple Pie and Nova started fighting.”
The stallion sighed in exhaustion, “This ain’t goin’ well.”
“I think she’ll be able to find Miss Cheerilee though.” Apple Cinnamon went on, “She’s pretty driven.”
“I suppose.” Big Macintosh smiled at the filly, “Spitfire was your mom, right?”
“Eyup.” The pegasus nodded.
“She did a pretty good job raisin’ you.”
“She’s off with the Wonderbolts most of the time. You’re the one who raised me.” Apple Cinnamon blinked, “well, a version of you did.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the story you an’ mom always tell me about how you met is that Aunty Jacklyn met Soarin’ and the two of them got married. Then you and mom met at the wedding and started seein’ each other.” Apple Cinnamon paused, “But Aunty Jacklyn lives in Manehattan, and has a different cutie mark.’
“..You are a very bright filly.” Big Macintosh chuckled while patting her on the head, “wish I could say that about th’ rest of them.”
“They’re still young, Dad.”
The library door opened, as Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie trotted in.
“Shhh. They’re all sleepin’.” Big Macintosh motioned towards the fillies and colts.
“Oh,” Fluttershy turned around, “We can come back later.”
“You ain’t getting out of this one, Shy.” Rainbow Dash spun the pegasus back around, “...Hey, why does that one over there look like hes got a horn and wings?”
“Because as best we can tell, Luna’s his mother.” Big Macintosh shrugged, “Don’t ask me how that one works.”
“Damn, big guy, you really scored in that one.” Rainbow Dash swooped down, and nudged the stallion’s side.
“Rainbow, don’t be so vulgar.” Rarity shook her head, “How is Golden Gem doing?”
“Everything considered? Not too bad.” Big Macintosh sighed, “Still, I’m a bit worried about her.”
The door to the library opened again, as Twilight, Acey Mac, Sparkling Cider, Carrot Top, Cheerilee, Ditzy and Dinky entered the room.
“HI PA!” Acey Mac yelled.
“…Oh no.” Big Macintosh, Twilight, and Apple Cinnamon groaned in horror. The assorted fillies and colts woke up and noticed the new ponies in the room. Apple Pie and Scarlet Tornado launched themselves at their mothers.
“MOM!” the two fillies yelled.
“Hi filly-who-I-haven’t-had-yet!” Pinkie beamed back at Apple Pie.
“…Okay, Twilight, this is getting ridi-” Carrot Top was cut off as Golden Sweet trotted up to her.
“Mommy?” the filly looked up at the earth mare.
Ditzy quickly dived forwards, catching the clumsy pegasus colt. He opened his eyes, and stared into Ditzy’s eyes with his own.
“Hi momma!”
The library door opened one last time and Applejack and Apple Bloom trotted in, followed by a white coated unicorn filly with a two-toned mane.
“You missed one, Mac.” Applejack beamed at the stallion, barely containing her rage.
“Hi daddy!” the Unicorn bounced over to Big Macintosh and gave him a hug.
“Who’s this?” Big Macintosh motioned towards the filly.
“Why don’t you ask her, Dad?” Applejack’s eye twitched in rage.
“I’m Apple Jam and my mom’s Sweetie Belle.”
The entire building fell into silence at the filly’s statement.
“Big Macintosh…” Rarity trotted over, “Did that filly say what I think she said?”
“...I hope not.” Big Macintosh whispered back.
“…What the fuck.” Apple Bloom stood slack-jawed, staring at Apple Jam.
“APPLE BLOOM! That ain’t the kinda language a filly should be usin’!” Applejack scolded her.
“Alright, Enough.” Cheerilee stared daggers at Big Macintosh, “Big Mac, I believe we are owned some answers. Now.” The tone of her voice made Big Macintosh sigh.
“Well, it all started last night…”
---
“...And that’s why I called you all here.” Big Macintosh concluded.
Rarity, Twilight and Applejack sighed in exhaustion as the other mares glanced at the fillies and colts and then back at Big Macintosh.
“…That’s quite a story, Mac.” Carrot Top shook her head, “and I’m really not sure I can believe it.”
“…But you look like my mom.” Golden Sweet frowned, “and he looks like my dad, but with four legs instead of three.”
“…I believe the exact quote is, ‘There is more in Heaven and Equestria than dreamt of in your philosophy, Horneightio.’”, Cheerilee quoted, “But what do want us to do? I can’t really drop everything I’m doing to care for a filly, Big Macintosh.”
“Nor can I.” Rarity shook her head. “I have a very large business order to take care of, and…I’m sorry.”
“Oh, um… I could take care of a few of them” Fluttershy offered.
“No, I can’t let you do that Miss Fluttershy.” Big Macintosh shook his head, “In fact, I can’t ask any of you ta’ take care of them for me. They all showed up looking for their dads, and I reckon it’s my duty to take care of them until we can find a way to send them all back.”
“…I’ll start looking it up, Big Macintosh.” Twilight sighed, “It’s going to take a while.”
“In the mean time, I just wanna say… that you’re all takin’ this rather well.” Applejack admitted.
“I… am not sure how to respond.” Carrot Top shook her head, “It’s just… like something out of a bad story.”
“I agree.” Cheerilee nodded.
“Well… It’s not the strangest thing to happen to me.” Ditzy shrugged.
“…Yeah, one o’ these days you’ll have to explain that to me, Ditzy.” Applejack shook her head.
“Well if nopony else has any thoughts, I reckon I oughta head back to the farm.” Big Macintosh rose up, “Alright, girls, colts, we’re leaving.”
A chorus of murmurs echoed in the treehouse as the other ponies got up to leave.
---
Big Macintosh trotted through the town. Nova trotted while Sparkling Cider and Apple Cinnamon sat on his back. The rest of the fillies and colts remained inside of the cart, hooked up to Macintosh.
“How come they get to stay out of the cart?” Acey Mac and Center Stage whined.
“’Cause the three o’ them actually behav-”
“Big Mac? Why do you have all those fillies and colts with you?”
Big Macintosh froze in his tracks, as he recognized the voice. Turning very slowly, he found the speaker.
Lyra.