//------------------------------//
// Still Growing Up 
// Story: Synthesis of the Atheist 
// by BlackRoseRaven 
//------------------------------//

Chapter Fifty Seven: Still Growing Up
~BlackRoseRaven

Twilight Sparkle sighed in relief as she settled down against the bedding in the den, shaking her head out briskly as the stitching over her features stretched slightly: not with stress, but only with her wide smile as Innocence burbled softly and pawed at her quietly. Scrivener and Luna both gazed warmly at the mare, then laughed even as she said for the thousandth time: “Thank you.”
“Oh, stop it.” Luna shook her head with a grin, but there was a faint, pleased blush on her features all the same as she stepped forwards and nuzzled the mare warmly. “Look at thou, beautiful mare... 'tis been only a little over a week and already thou art back on thy hooves, even if thou hast... a few more stitches than usual. But fear not, thou art still beautiful.”
Twilight blushed a little at this, shifting a bit but smiling softly in appreciation all the same as she looked up at the two quietly. Scrivener and Luna only gazed back at the new mother softly, and then the violet mare turned her eyes down to Innocence: dressed not just in a little diaper and her cute, pink little onesie, but with little mittens and booties over her claws to stop her from scratching herself. She was a little more active already, burbling a little, but not developing much faster than Antares had been, still spending most of her time grasping at things and feeding on breastmilk.
She cried a little sometimes, but Luna and Scrivener had always been quick to soothe her, using a variety of tricks they had picked up while taking care of Antares as a baby. Not that they weren't both glad that Twilight was here to help out now... they'd both forgotten just how draining it was to try and take care of a baby.
Antares was helping out as he could, too, but he was a little exhausted himself, far from used to being around a baby and only just now beginning to understand what he was in for. And he at least didn't have to live according to the baby's schedule like his parents did. Now and then he looked after the baby for a few hours, though, so that Luna and Scrivener could have a few moments of privacy with each other, which they appreciated more than they could say.
Now Twilight was back, though, and Scrivener had never been more happy there were three of them than they were at this point. That, and Twilight seemed to have already formed a natural bond with her daughter that let her understand what the filly was crying for when, and she was so loving, and gentle, and simply... good. Of course, it probably helped that Twilight didn't have to deal with a lot of things other new mothers did... even if unlike most new mothers, she'd also had to find herself a new body after giving birth.
The mare kissed her daughter's forehead gently, then smiled softly and studied Innocence, feeling a flutter in her chest. The baby looked up at her quietly: she had a silky, dark blue mane and tail that were both already growing in, and a horn that matched her dark scales, which were beginning to lighten slightly towards a regal purple. Twilight was fascinated with her baby, and couldn't explain the depth of affection she held for the babe already.
And that love had only made her love for her partners all the greater, as she blushed a little and looked up at them softly, and they both smiled back. Luna and Scrivener had been so good to her... everypony had been. She had been so afraid for a little while that everyone would judge poor, innocent Innocence because of her appearance, or her... strange family... but no one had. Everything was coming together so well... everyone was so determined to make her feel like she fit in, and she honestly had begun to feel like maybe everything really was going to... work out.
Innocence murmured quietly, then began to fuss a little, and Twilight glanced up at Luna, asking softly: “I think she needs to feed a little. Can you, Luna?”
“Aye, Twilight, of course.” Luna said softly, striding forwards and curling down beside the mare, and the Lich smiled over at her even as the sapphire mare added mildly: “Thy babe is already growing in her teeth though, just as happened with Antares... and 'tis another thing I curse Scrivy for. And I curse thee, too, Twilight Sparkle. Thou would not find the nips as uncomfortable as I do, with thy... Lichyness. Damn thy teats.”
Scrivener coughed loudly at this and turned to head towards the kitchen as Twilight sighed but smiled amusedly all the same, while at the same time the violet mare carefully lifted Innocence and held her over to Luna. The sapphire mare grumbled a bit, but shifted into the comfortable position her body still remembered from all those years ago with Antares... before she winced at that less-welcome and still-familiar nipping feeling of the baby latching on and those sharp little teeth scratching her sensitive parts. “I would like to push towards bottlefeeding. Thou and Scrivener may milk me like a cow and we will just feed the baby through bottles.”
Twilight only sighed at this, and Luna huffed at the Lich as the violet pony reached out and gently rubbed along her baby's back. “Well, you can express a little, Luna, but it's better if-”
“Express? I am not coffee nor mail service.” Luna huffed, and Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head slowly, deciding it was probably better just to let Luna vent and not offer any possible solutions. “No, I simply wish that of all things, the teeth developed last. But I suppose... thou recognizes that his means...”
“Yeah. I've been thinking about it a lot, to be honest.” Twilight glanced up with a small smile. “I appreciate you all holding out until I was back before doing anything to Innocence, running any tests or anything... I want to be here for my baby every step of the way. And no matter what, I... just look at her. She's so... she's so happy. She's just a little baby. She's...”
“Innocent.” Luna couldn't help but remark, and Twilight smiled embarrassedly as her eyes flicked up, and she nodded quietly. “Aye, she is. She is, and Twilight, even if her blood is corruption more concentrated than Scrivener's or... she possessed the terrible and great core of the Tyrant Wyrm, or she was... I do not know, fat, I would still love her.”
“All babies are a little pudgy, Luna.” Twilight said in a reprimanding tone, and Luna huffed before the Lich added mildly: “And you know, you're going to hurt somepony's feelings, you know. There's nothing wrong with a little-”
Luna groaned loudly, throwing her head back. “Oh, do not be such a... Scrivener, give me a word to call Twilight Sparkle.”
“No.” Scrivener said clearly from the kitchen, and Luna glared over her shoulder at him before the stallion added mildly: “Twilight's in mommy-mode right now. If there's one thing I've learned it's you don't poke the mare in mommy-mode. You just agree with her and tell her how beautiful she is.”
The sapphire mare huffed, then looked over at Twilight... before quailing a little at the smoldering look the Lich gave her. After a moment, Luna grinned lamely, then said awkwardly: “Thou art... thou art very pretty?”
Twilight only sighed... then her eyes roved to Innocence as the babe drew back from Luna, and the Lich gently lifted her up to burp her, before gazing softly over the child and smiling after a moment. “We should give her a little bath, I think, just to see how she reacts to the water.”
“Oh, so we can put some of those baby soaps thou demanded we buy to use, aye?” Luna almost bounced to her hooves, and Twilight smiled amusedly before nodding, and the sapphire mare turned to prance happily off towards the baby's room, where they had stored most of the specialty supplies.
Twilight gently picked Innocence up and set the baby on her back, spreading her wings slightly to form a safe cradle, just in case. Innocence only smiled happily, quietly pawing at Twilight's back and not shifting at all as the mare strode into the kitchen, where Scrivener was already filling the sink with water, smiling slightly over at Twilight. “Tea's almost ready and yes, I scrubbed the sink out.”
“You're a good Dad.” Twilight leaned over and kissed Scrivener's cheek gently, then her horn glowed and tuned the taps off, leaving the sink a little less than half full. “We don't need a lot of water, and it'll just be a quick bath. You know, I'm surprised though, she hasn't complained much about her teeth or anything...”
“Well, I don't wanna make any guesses towards anything. She does cry a little whenever she nips her tongue, though, just like Antares.” Scrivener said softly, picking the baby up and beginning to undress her... then wincing away from the slight stink coming from her diaper. “Oh great. I guess I better take care of that first.”
Twilight laughed, then glanced over her shoulder as Luna came back with the sweet-smelling soap pressed almost against her nose, and the Lich couldn't help but laugh again. They were strange and quirky but... such good parents. She was lucky to have their support... but also glad that they were careful to always acknowledge her as Innocence's blood mother, and the first pony to have her word on how they should treat her baby.
Innocence seemed very content in the water, it turned out. She seemed a little uneasy at first, sitting in the water, staring up at her parents, but then her big eyes turned down to the water when she splashed one claw through the soapy liquid. Twilight couldn't get over how small she was... the sink really was like a tub to her, and the few inches of water a sea. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but Twilight felt so... so... fluttery still, and it made everything so huge for her.
She was careful to gently scrub down her daughter, smiling softly and taking her time: at first she'd meant to just quickly rinse the baby off, but Innocence seemed to like the water, and enjoyed the massage of the cloth against her scales. So Twilight drew the bath out a little, and smiled softly down at her daughter as Luna leaned over the counter with a warm, loving look down at the baby, while Scrivener rubbed a hoof slowly up and down the violet mare's back, his eyes locked on his daughter. His new little girl, Innocence.
Twilight let Luna finish up the bath and gently dry the newborn off with a soft towel, while the Lich herself went to pick out a new outfit for her. A cute little yellow onesie, with shapes of animals in white over it, hoof-stitched by Rarity...
The Lich closed her eyes, burying her face into this for a moment, and for a second she felt like crying. So many ponies, treating her and her child so wonderfully... when every day, in the back of her head, worries nipped at her. She loved her baby, but with it, that love brought a fear of how Innocence would be treated by the world as she grew up, and it was only tempered by the fact that Twilight knew Ponyville would always be a sanctuary, and her family would always be there to catch the newest member of their clan.
She got herself back under control, then headed back out to the kitchen... and Luna and Scrivener both hugged her tightly, and without hesitation Twilight took the moment to hug them fiercely back. And everything was alright again, that moment of emotion passing as Twilight gazed up and murmured: “Thank you. Thank you all, so much.”

Antares yawned loudly, then dropped his head with a thump against the table outside of Sugar Cube Corners, rattling the bowls of ice cream and milkshakes across the table as Meadowlark gently patted her coltfriend on the back.
Avalon only grinned widely: she was splattered with mud, but didn't seem to care about that as she said with relish: “Yeah. Having lots of fun with your new baby sister, aren't you?”
“Hey, be nice. I wish I had a baby sister.” Aphrodisia paused, reaching up and playing absently at the crimson locket that hung around her neck, peering thoughtfully at Avalon. “Hey. You know, you're really small and all...”
“Yeah, how about no, Apps. Eat me.” Avalon replied with a rude gesture, but Aphrodisia only looked at her thoughtfully before the tiny Pegasus winced back a bit. “You know, forget I said anything at all. Let's just pretend I'm in a bubble, okay?”
“Can I pop your bubble? Or crawl in there with you?” Apps batted her eyes at the little Pegasus, and Avalon huffed and picked up her spoon, flicking a bit of ice cream at the demon, but Aphrodisia promptly snapped this up in her jaws and swallowed it down before smacking her lips loudly and smiling brightly. “I missed sugar. We don't get a lot of sugary sweets down in Subterra. It's really super expensive down there.”
Avalon grunted, and then Tender Trust asked curiously, turning her eyes towards Antares: “But this is a good experience, is it not? A child has joined the tribe. Although it is strange, all the same... I still do not entirely follow the custom your parents follow.”
“It's the 'Dad's a pimp' custom, T.” Avalon said informatively, and Antares rose his head and scowled at her, but this was made slightly less menacing by the napkin stuck to his face, as Avalon grinned amusedly over at him. “Well what would you prefer I call it? 'Mom likes sandwiches?'”
“I like sandwiches!” Aphrodisia said brightly, and all eyes stared at her before the mare added informatively: “Burning Desire taught me that. He says it's really important to be able to be as silly as possible, 'cause then no one ever knows if you're really talking about sex or not.”
“Great work, Pinkslap. Sounds like you're learning worlds from Burning.” Antares said dryly, and then he sighed and brushed the napkin off his face before slapping at his cheeks a few times, mumbling: “And I'm not that tired, really. I'm not. It's just... all night, Mom and Dad are running around, and now that Twilight's back I... I mean, I'm glad she's back, but there'll be three of them around, and whenever they try and put Innocence down she does this... whimpering thing and...”
“You're lucky.” Aphrodisia said firmly, and when Antares looked at her blankly, the demon huffed before glaring around the table.
Meadowlark smiled uneasily, Tender Trust nodded calmly, and Avalon snorted and crossed her forelegs, saying dryly: “Screw that. I might whine about it now and then, but you know what? Being twenty three and still getting an extra dessert if I'm a good girl has some great perks. Then again... Dad often gets an extra dessert if he behaves, too, so... you know... anyway, no. There's no pony in Ponyville nearly as badass as I am, but if I had a sister, she might come close, and I might have to actually step up my game. And worse, if I had a brother...”
Avalon's expression grew moody, but thankfully Tender Trust spoke up, redirecting the conversation before it could tempt fate further: “Sometimes my brothers and I frustrate each other, but I would never want to be without them. We all work to take care of one-another, and provide support for each other when times are difficult. Family is important.”
“Hey, I didn't say family ain't important. I said I ain't about to go sharing my parent's love.” Avalon retorted, and Antares sighed tiredly before the tiny Pegasus looked moodily down at herself. “Although having someone who could help uproot the old trees, that would be nice. Big Mac is selling apples today, can you believe that? So I got Dad helping out.”
“And Rainbow fell asleep on a cloud or in a tree, so you decided to have a break, right?” Antares asked dryly, and Avalon nodded a few times before the young stallion rubbed slowly at his face. “How is it that you can get away with doing the same things you did when you were just a kid, and me, if I screw up something as simple as forgetting to show up on time, it always turns out to be just about the end of the world?”
The Pegasus shrugged at this, then absently wiped at one large splotch of mud on her breast before replying: “Different expectations, I guess. Look at it this way, Antares, people actually trust you with stuff, and that's really cool. You're a leader. You're boss. Me? I am pretty clearly not cut out for actual leadership. Being number one, hell yes. Leading people to victory, or even showing up on time? Yeah, no. That's your bit. Not mine.”
Antares sighed a little at this, and then Meadowlark said pointedly: “That's something you could work on though, Ava. I mean, right now, for example, you could go back to work instead of spending your parents' money on ice cream.”
“Screw you, any bits in the jar in the kitchen is bits for the entire family.” Avalon argued crankily, and Antares sighed and dropped his head in one hoof. “Yeah, you. Y'all suck.”
“That's what straws are for.” Aphrodisia said informatively, and Avalon groaned and rolled her eyes as the demon picked up her milkshake and sipped loudly from it, before pausing and peering thoughtfully at Avalon. Avalon looked moodily back, and then Apps added kindly: “It's okay though, Ava. None of us here want you to be a responsible leader-type pony anyway. That would probably throw everything off and we might have to actually start respecting you, like we respect Nova.”
“Wouldn't want that.” Avalon said acidly, glaring at the demon, who only nodded rapidly in return. “You know what? I'm glad you're gonna be in Subterra for like, ten years. You're a jerk.”
Apps looked injured at this, touching her chest, and then she huffed and reached out to swipe Ava's ice cream, the Pegasus shouting in outrage. But the demon was already pouring the sugary treat down her gullet, and Avalon glared before buzzing into the air and kicking both rear hooves into the demon's stomach.
The result was not pretty: Aphrodisia belched and Avalon was covered in ice cream and orange saliva in a wave of brightly-colored mist, the tiny Pegasus yelling and flopping out of the air with a loud clunk. Antares only groaned and dropped his face back against the table as Meadowlark dropped her face in her hooves, and Tender Trust looked curiously at Aphrodisia as the demon groaned and hugged her stomach, eyes watering a little before she hiccuped. “T-That's not fair, Ava!”
A pause, and then the demon frowned, leaning down a little before she asked uncertainly: “Avalon? Avalon? Are you okay?”
Avalon only gurgled weakly, and Aphrodisia blushed and covered her mouth before she looked up with something like horror at the sight of Applejack striding quickly across the square towards them, looking baleful. The demon looked back and forth, then hurriedly looked down as her eyes locked with the senseless, stunned Pegasus' own, giving a single bright flash and powerful mental order.
Almost immediately, Avalon leapt up to her hooves and shoved almost muzzle-to-muzzle with Aphrodisia, and Antares and Meadowlark gaped as Tender Trust only cocked her head curiously. Applejack, meanwhile, gave a loud groan and half-turned away from where she had just reached the patio, wincing a bit as she snapped: “Dammit, Ava, I don't wanna see that, and you're in enough trouble already! Now get your butt back out to the farm or you can spend the next week helpin' your father with the septic tank!”
Avalon's eyes blinked dumbly as the sense returned to them, and she squeaked as she realized where she was and what it probably looked like she was doing, zipping backwards before staring over her shoulder as Applejack turned and strode away, grumbling but not daring to look back. Avalon opened her mouth, but was smart enough not to call out as she looked back and forth lamely, then finally asked: “What... what just happened?”
“I don't think you want to know. But you better go back to the farm, you were caught and uh... well. Apps tried to help. I am not sure it really... helped.” Antares said carefully, but Aphrodisia only smiled brightly, shrugging cheerfully.
“I think it did. After all, she didn't come over her and scold all of us. She just kind of left.” Apps remarked, and then she picked her milkshake back up and added: “And I'm happy to come and help out, too, you know. Burning says that it's just as important I find good hard work to vent my Wrath instincts as it is I act a little silly and fun from time-to-time to try and loosen out that other part of me.”
The tiny Pegasus mare looked moodily at the demon, saying dryly: “Thanks but no thanks, Apps. Last thing I want to put in your hooves is an axe or a saw.” She stopped, then hesitated for a moment before asking awkwardly: “But uh... look, if you're gonna be around tonight, why don't we go out for a drink? Hell, you and Meadow should come too. And I'd invite you T, but... you're... a little below drinking age.”
“Alcohol is poisonous to my kind, anyway.” Tender Trust said with a kind smile, bowing her head politely, and Avalon looked surprised at this before the half-Phooka added gently: “I appreciate the thought all the same.”
“Uh. Yeah. Cool.” Avalon said finally, and then she cleared her throat before looking over at Apps with a shrug. “So what do you say?”
“For an hour or two, sure. But then I gotta go back to Subterra.” Aphrodisia replied with a smile and a nod, and then she gazed out over the table, adding: “So please-please-please can you come too, Nova, and... well, I guess you can come too, Meadowlark. Even though you're smelly and I still don't like you all that much and all.”
Meadowlark sighed, and Antares mumbled a little as he rested with his face against the table before nodding reluctantly. “Fine, I'm not going to sleep much tonight anyway. I'll be there. But I'm not getting drunk. I show up at home drunk and Twilight will hang me upside down from a tree.”
“You could crash at Meadow's. Or in my barn. Or just in the forest, I guess.” Avalon said pointedly, and Antares gave her an amused look, before the Pegasus held up her hooves. “No, wait, let me guess. This goes back to that whole responsible adult talk, right?”
Antares nodded, and Avalon snorted, muttering: “Then am I ever glad I'm never going to be a responsible adult. But... hell, I better get going then. Mom knows that if I'm not back at the farm before her, I'm probably slacking off. Meet you guys tonight around eight at the usual place, okay?”
With that, Avalon leapt into the air and buzzed quickly off, and Antares shook his head a little as Aphrodisia waved cheerfully and Tender Trust smiled, before the half-Phooka bowed her head politely, and quietly excused herself to head home. As she walked away, Aphrodisia slowly slurped at her milkshake, making the straw rattle loudly against the bottom of the mostly-empty glass and drawing pointed looks from both Meadowlark and Antares.
The demon only looked back at them for a few moments, then she drew her head up and smacked her lips a few times before saying brightly: “I wanna go and play with Innocence!” She paused, then giggled stupidly. “Play with Innocence. That sounds so dirty.”
Antares sighed and dropped his head back against the table with a loud thunk, and there was a moment of silence as Meadowlark soothingly rubbed the stallion's back, before the demon asked curiously: “But honestly... aren't you happy, Nova? You should be happy about this, you know that, right? You should at least be really happy for your Mom. Even Burning's happy for your parents, and you can just imagine how hard that is for him... although having Ersatz around helps a lot.”
The glossy-black unicorn nodded a little, then he sat up and rubbed a hoof against the table before murmuring: “It's just hard to think about. I don't want to whine-”
“Although that's what you do. You do that a lot.” Aphrodisia informed, and Antares scowled at her as Meadowlark did her best to hide a smile behind a hoof.
“Like I was saying. I don't want to complain, but it's hard getting used to this idea that... I have a little sister. It's not even that she's the one getting all the attention right now or anything, but... she's...” Antares looked morbidly up. “I'm twenty four, and I'll be twenty-five this autumn. I'm too old for a new sister. And it makes me realize that Mom and Dad could... could have another kid. I mean, Dad and... either... of my Moms.”
Antares slumped again at this, and Aphrodisia looked amusedly over at Antares before she asked curiously: “Why are you too old for a new sibling?”
“I... well. Because.” Antares said finally, and even Meadowlark gave him a flat look at this explanation, the glossy black unicorn wincing a bit. “It's... it's just weird, okay?”
Aphrodisia slowly gestured at him, then slowly at herself, before spreading her forelegs wide. “And what about any of us and any of our family is normal? Nova, I hate to break it to you, but for us... weird is normal. And do you really want us all to be normal?”
The glossy-black unicorn didn't really have a reply for that, shifting awkwardly back and forth before he finally nodded grudgingly, and the demon smiled warmly at this and knocked a hoof against the table. “Good, 'cause I don't want a thing to change either.”
The stallion couldn't help but smile a little, rubbing slowly at his face before Aphrodisia added affectionately: “And besides, you just wait and watch, Antares, once you get some more time to bond with your little sister you're gonna be doin' nothing but telling us all about her all the time, until we have to start putting a muzzle on you to make you shut up.”
Aphrodisia paused, then asked curiously: “Are you into that, by the way? I just wanna know so I have an idea of what to buy you for your birthday. Some of the stuff you can buy down in Subterra is really pretty, but... Lust demon are often very good with their claws.”
Aphrodisia twiddled her hooves, smiling pleasantly as Antares turned bright red and Meadowlark tried to shrink her head a little, and then the Pegasus finally said awkwardly: “That's... that's very sweet of you, Aphrodisia, but I really don't think that either Antares or I are... really... looking for... that kind of thing right now.”
“Oh fine, then I'll just find something else for Nova. He's not hard to buy for, anyway, everything he's ever owned he's broken at some point or another so you can just buy the same thing for him every year, and he's none the wiser.” Aphrodisia said mildly, and Antares glowered as he reached up and pointedly patted his star pendant. “That's different! And for girls. I think I'll buy you some other girl accessories then, Nova.”
The stallion looked dryly across at Aphrodisia, and then he shook his head slowly before glancing at his melted bowl of ice cream, and his half-drunk milkshake. He pushed both away after a moment with a shake of his head, then slipped out of his seat and said finally: “Meadow and I gotta go, Apps. Thanks for the snacks, though. We'll see you tonight, okay?”
Aphrodisia smiled and nodded firmly, and the stallion shook his head but smiled back after a moment before he and Meadowlark turned to head out into Ponyville. They strode quietly side-by-side through the streets, the two trading a quick look, but not speaking: they didn't need to, as the stallion began to loosen up a little and Meadow nudged him gently.
Finally, the glossy-black unicorn nodded as they wandered in the general direction of her apartment, saying softly: “It's funny, 'cause... I do know, you know? Everything that Apps said... it's kind of true. Well, you know, the smart stuff, not the… Apps-stuff. She's so weird but every day I understand a little more why she's my best friend.”
Meadowlark smiled a little, saying softly: “Still makes me a little jealous that she is. But I know, Mir. I think she's right though, once you get used to her being around, she's probably going to be all you wanna talk about. I know how much your family means to you. I know even more how much your family being happy, and together, means to you. And hey, you haven't had any problems with being treated like a kid lately, right?”
Antares nodded a little, looking up as he smiled back. “Yeah, that's true. I know there's lots of good things, too. It's just...” He stopped, shaking his head a bit. “It kinda sucks too, to be honest. I guess I'm just never happy, right?”
“That sounds pretty accurate.” Meadowlark replied, and Antares checked her lightly, making the Pegasus laugh before she bumped herself gently back against him, gazing amusedly into his eyes. “Well you said it!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Antares shook his head, giving a chuckle before he paused and then turned curious eyes to her, with perhaps the slightest hint of embarrassment. “But hey, right. How did your latest article go over? You said you were doing uh... book reviews or something, right?”
“Yeah, I was really excited for the job.” As always, Meadowlark brightened visibly when Antares asked about her work, her personal things, the little things that... he admittedly sometimes forgot to pay attention to, amidst the big hubbub of life. He forgot sometimes about 'normal things' and 'normal life' in the face of everything they were often dealing with, and just got wrapped up so much in his own head sometimes that... well, I get a little selfish. And Meadowlark deserves better than that.
“They sent me this book to review by uh... he's an older author, one of the ones your Dad hates...” Meadowlark smiled amusedly at the pointed look Antares gave her. “Okay, I know that doesn't narrow it down much. Why does your Dad hate so many old authors, anyway?”
“He says that it's not really skill that allowed a lot of old authors to leave their mark, but just their position in history, their wealth, their status... you know, his usual cynical stuff. It's funny, though. I've heard him defend an author's writing and hate the writer in the same breath.” Antares replied, and Meadowlark smiled slightly again and shook her head slowly.
The Pegasus paused before answering, then she said finally: “Axes Lochaber, that's it. Military writer... but he wrote this whole series of poems and stuff between writing his military treatise. Really pretty stuff, like uh... 'but sometimes the rose must lift its thorns, to shed red blood and stain its petals, if so wood-gnawing beetle doth trespass upon the garden...'”
“That sounds like something my Mom would write about my Dad.” Antares remarked, and Meadowlark snorted in amusement. Then the stallion smiled a little, adding quietly: “I'm... I'm really glad you're able to do work on this stuff. I mean... I feel kind of silly how sometimes I hear you talking to my Dad about it, but we never talk about it much ourselves. I'm sorry about that, I... I really am interested in your life, Meadow. You're a big part of my life, after all. Maybe the best part.”
Meadowlark blushed a little at this, but she smiled warmly all the same as they continued onwards through Ponyville, their bodies pressing side-to-side, continuing to talk a little about Meadowlark's work. And as always, Antares was impressed by just how much she knew: she could quote authors by heart, reference old texts and all kinds of literary rules and tenets, and knew a little bit of something about everything. It amazed him, to say the least.
They reached her apartment in a good mood, Antares finally feeling awake and refreshed, and with his mind clear. He smiled at her as she gazed back at him affectionately, and then they traded a short, slow kiss as the apartment door swung closed behind them, before the mare reached up and gently rested a hoof against his chest, asking softly: “You want me to put on something? Ice cream isn't much of a lunch, and you didn't even eat all that much. Just kind of sulked on the table.”
Antares laughed a little, then smiled lamely and said finally: “Let's wait a little while. Then we can have a nice dinner so... you know, we don't get too drunk tonight. I really do want to make it home and... well... you know, you're more than welcome to come back with me. I don't think my parents mind at all or anything. I just wanna be there for them, and for... for Innocence.”
Meadowlark nodded, reaching up to stroke his face gently. “Celestia's been staying over too when she can, right? Does Discombobulation stay with her often?”
The stallion cocked his head curiously at this, and the mare shrugged a little, turning and heading across the ratty, two-room apartment: the walls were old and faded, the living room clustered with beaten-up old wooden furnishings. Her bed was little more than a worn mattress on a rusting frame, but she had a good few pillows and sheets to make up for that.
The little kitchenette that sat at one side of the apartment was much nicer: the stove was old but trusty, and everything was kept clean and neat. Meadowlark shook her head as she walked into this to poke at her coffeemaker: unsurprisingly, a gift from Luna and Scrivener for her birthday. “Well, let me put on this... fancy stuff I got from Barry. He's a pretty nice guy, your Dad's agent, once you get past all the...”
“Douche?” Antares asked mildly as he flopped down on the bed, and Meadowlark gave him an amused look despite herself. “What? I'm allowed to not like people. Besides, in Barry's case it's probably a compliment. Even he says it's part of his job description and all.” Antares replied with a bit of a shrug, and then he looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling before continuing softly: “But I do appreciate that he's been helping you out, even if sometimes I think it's just because Dad asked him, and he's scared of Dad kicking him off the job or something.”
Meadowlark shook her head at this, but she was smiling all the same as she dug through her cupboards for the fancy little pouches of special coffee Barry had sent her with her last paycheck. “Yeah, well, I think there's more to him than that. I think he's envious sometimes... he tried to be a writer himself, you know.”
“Dad said that but I didn't think it was true.” Antares glanced up from the futon, then patted beside him, adding: “And you know, you really don't have to like, take care of me and stuff, we can just curl up together. I don't come here because you always insist on feeding me.”
“I know that. But I also know that if I don't take care of you, no one else will right now.” Meadowlark smiled slightly as she turned the coffeemaker on, then strode out of the kitchen to flop down on the bed beside Antares, and the two snuggled tightly up together as the stallion smiled softly at her. “Tell you what. You can fix the coffee when it's ready, then. And I'll just lay here and later, you can rub my wings and maybe my hooves.”
“Don't push it now.” Antares smiled slightly, and Meadowlark laughed quietly and punched him gently in the shoulder, and the two gazed at one another for a few soft moments before they traded a quiet kiss. Then Meadowlark shifted, burying her face into the side of his neck as she clung to him tightly, and the stallion fiercely squeezed her up against his body, closing his eyes and cradling her into the warmth of his chest.
They didn't part for a good ten minutes or so, and then Antares slipped over her with a quick, stolen kiss before he headed to the kitchen. But he only had the time to get the mugs out of the shelf above before he felt hooves rub over his back, and Antares smiled slightly as he felt them slide up into his mane, then gently turn him around so he was gazing into the mare's warm eyes, the two meeting in a soft kiss before he pushed her backwards into the other divider, and Meadowlark tilted her head down as Antares leaned into her...
Afterward, the two shared coffee and quiet blushes, studying each other almost shyly, murmuring soft conversation as they lay together on the bed, Meadowlark comfortably curled up against his chest with one of his forelegs around her shoulders. They talked about everything and nothing, as the mare listened to the beat of his heart and breathed slowly in and out, feeling... good. Feeling right. The apartment was tiny and the soundproofing was garbage and you could hear the old pipes clanking loudly away, and none of it mattered. They had this expensive vanilla coffee they were sharing, and they had friends and family, and they had each other. They were adults who were still growing up, but in a good way. And everything felt... like it was going to be just fine.
Eventually, Antares insisted on trying to make food for them, but after he managed to set a piece of bread on fire attempting to make toasted tomato sandwiches, Meadowlark gently but firmly insisted on helping him. The stallion had his mother's hooves when it came to trying to work in the kitchen... and she definitely didn't mean Twilight's by that, but Luna, as Antares cursed and burned himself on the pot for the second time, and Meadow couldn't help but laugh before shoving at him and laughing louder as he pushed his hoof against her face. “I hurt myself, and you laugh at me? Now you gotta kiss it better.”
“Mir!” Meadow laughed again, ducking under his hoof before she smiled amusedly when he looked at her pleadingly and suckled at his own hoof for a moment. “Oh, fine, you big baby. But you really do act just like Luna sometimes, you know that?”
“I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that one day I'm going to magically just become Mom, yes. I don't really like that thought all the time but... I guess it could be worse.” Antares mumbled, as Meadowlark gently took his hoof, pulling it to her mouth before she kissed it softly, and he smiled a little. “And you know, it really does feel better when you do that, so... there.”
“Right.” Meadowlark said amusedly, and then she picked up the spatula and slapped him gently with it to make him move out of the way so she could flip the sandwiches on the griddle over. Then she smiled over at Antares as he leaned against her, dropping his head against hers, and unicorn and Pegasus sat in soft silence for a few moments as the sandwiches finished grilling.
They ate, and drank more of the expensive, vanilla-flavored coffee, and simply enjoyed their time together. Outside, the sun eventually began to descend, but neither pony got up even as evening set in and darkness slowly crept through the apartment, leaving them bathed in blankets of deep shadow. They didn't want to be apart, their empty coffee mugs placed aside on the floor, their bodies curled up together, listening to the sounds of each other breathing as Antares nuzzled slowly through Meadowlark's mane and the mare massaged her hooves quietly up along his breast.
It wasn't long before it was time to get ready, if they still wanted to meet Avalon: there were still a few faint rays of sunlight outside, struggling to pierce through the deepening dusk. Antares and Meadow traded soft smiles with each other, and then finally, reluctantly pulled apart. The mare headed to her little bathroom while Antares took the mugs to the sink and cleaned up a little, puttering around and already half-regretting the decision to go out with Avalon, knowing that he was going to end up hungover and cranky the next morning already.
The Pegasus came out with mane neatened and teeth brushed, and Antares looked at her for a moment before he asked mildly: “Did you put on eyeshadow?  What, are you trying to leave me for Avalon or something?”
“Clearly that's the entire point of tonight, yes.” Meadowlark replied in an entertained voice, giving the stallion an amused look. “Besides, Mir. The way you and Apps act, sometimes I think you're the ones cheating on me behind my back.”
“Oh shut up, she's my cousin. And if we were she wouldn't ask all those creepy questions.” Antares shivered a little, and Meadowlark laughed and shook her head before the stallion nudged her gently with his muzzle, smiling slightly. “But alright. Just don't blame me when Avalon makes fun of you tonight for being all girly.”
“Some mare around here has to be.” Meadowlark replied, and she nudged him gently before heading to the door, the stallion following with an amused look after the Pegasus.
The walk through Ponyville was pleasant, the village quiet and yet not unwelcoming. Everything felt almost like it was under glass, the world trapped in a soft darkness that soothed their nerves and helped Antares feel more at peace than he had in a long time.
As they drew into the area around the tavern that Avalon favored – likely no coincidence that it was the same one Big Mac and Rainbow Dash frequented themselves when they had the time, Antares thought – the town took on a bit more vitality and life around them. They passed other ponies now who were chatting cheerfully, heading to or from the pub, while the sounds of a live band filtered out of the open doors of the tavern and spilled down the street. Or well, if not a band, then at least a loud, clear voice paired with the sound of an acoustic guitar.
Antares and Meadowlark both smiled as they strode into the tavern, and were unsurprised to see Avalon was already waiting for them. Apps was here too, and both ponies were seated at a table near the stage on the lower level of the bar. One thing Ava was never late for was time at the bar with friends, after all.
The couple made their way down to their friends, as Antares took a quick look towards the pair playing up on the stage, but from that distinctive voice and their jazzy melody he had already recognized who it was. Two Pegasi: one was small, slender and effeminate, dressed in ribbons and lace but singing in a surprisingly-powerful voice, while the other was larger, brawnier, and playing the guitar with almost unnatural grace, hooves flicking quickly over the strings as he smiled slightly, unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth.
Graceful Melody and Riffraff: they were both stallions, even though the small one with the spiky cerulean mane and periwinkle coat looked and was dressed like a mare. His cutie mark was of a microphone stand with an explosion of fireworks lighting the air behind it, and he was clearly putting his talent to full use as he sang to the crowd, silver piercings glinting in his ears and along the underside of his muzzle as he strutted to show off the lightning-bolt tattoos over his forelegs.
The other Pegasus stallion was maybe the size of Scrivener, and with a cutie mark a crossroads, complete with signpost: not his natural cutie mark, but the symbol of a contract made with a demon. His coat was crimson and his mane light pink: he had a single piercing in one ear, and a harmonica hung around his neck as he played slowly over the beautiful acoustic guitar. It was made of juniper and strung with ivory-colored string that almost glowed, runes carved all along the bridge and over the front of the beautiful instrument.
“Hey, guys!” Avalon shouted cheerfully over the music, waving a hoof at Antares and Meadowlark as they joined them, and then she grinned widely and turned to wave a hoof wildly at the waitress on duty. “Yo, pitcher over here! And garlic bread!”
The waitress gestured at them to show she had heard as she finished taking an order at another table, and Antares rolled his eyes with amusement before looking pointedly at Avalon, but she only laughed and turned her eyes to the stallion with a wink. “We gonna have us some fun tonight, right? It's been way too long since we all got to hang out like this, after all!”
Antares only snorted in entertainment even as Apps nodded rapidly, and then Meadowlark smiled and glanced up towards the stage, asking curiously: “Did you know they were going to be here? They're from Canterlot, right?”
“Nah, great surprise, though.” Avalon picked up the empty bottle in front of her, trying to shake a few last drops out of it into her mouth before she huffed and glared at it. “I swear she gave me one that was half-empty or watered down or something.”
“Yeah, well, you get drunk too easy anyway, Ava. Which is funny, considering how much you drink on a regular basis, but I guess that has to do with the fact that you're... well... vertically-challenged.” Antares said carefully, and Avalon glared at him before buzzing suddenly up into the air, launching herself almost to the ceiling with a few flaps of her wings before dropping straight back down into her chair and landing with a thump on her rear hooves... and even standing on her seat with her front hooves on the table, still not even coming up to the shoulders of the sitting ponies.
Aphrodisia giggled behind her hooves as Antares cleared his throat loudly, looking awkwardly away before he said lamely: “Okay, uh... maybe I should just stick with the whole 'you're the size of a cat' metaphor that Cowlick likes so much.”
“Screw you. Screw all of you. I will drink all your flanks under the table.” Avalon said firmly, shoving a hoof down against the table, and Antares rolled his eyes in amusement before the mare grinned widely. “What's wrong? You chicken, Mir? What about you, Apps, Meadow, you two gonna try and duck out like the sissies you mares both are?”
Aphrodisia looked offended at this, and Antares rubbed slowly at his face as he asked in an exasperated voice: “Ava, are you already drunk? Apps is a Lust demon, and you've already got two empty beer bottles in front of you. You can't even outdrink me and I'm a lightweight.”
“This is war!” Avalon declared, and Antares threw his forelegs up into the air before the mare added: “Besides, I totally got some tips from Big Mac. You just wait and watch. I'm gonna be a goddamn... kung fu drinking master.”
“No, you're probably just going to throw up in the bathroom again. I think the only reason they still serve us here at all is because of all the money you spend buying booze and food. You know, you probably spend half your family's profits here.” Meadowlark said pointedly, and Avalon only glared at her grumpily before the Pegasus sighed and reached up to absently touch the scarred side of her body. “I... oh fine. I guess it won't kill me to spend one night drinking to put you in your place.”
“Oh, oh, oh, you think you're hot stuff, huh?” Avalon snorted at this, raising her head and glaring challengingly at the red mare, but she was barely resisting a grin all the same before all three mares looked towards Antares as the song on stage came to an end.
And, as the music smoothly moved into a softer blues number, the glossy-black unicorn sighed and slumped, then looked up as the waitress approached with a pitcher, several already-filled glasses of ale, and a large platter of garlic bread. “Just keep the refills coming. And I apologize in advance for Avalon.”
“Don't worry, I figured.” the waitress replied kindly, giving a half-exasperated, half-entertained look to Avalon, who only beat a quick tattoo against the table with her hooves as he eyes gleamed. “You know, you're not gonna be young forever, kid. Even Dash started growing up one day.”
“Yeah, well, I ain't ready for that yet. Bring us some nachos too, could ya? And let's get this party started!” Avalon said cheerfully, swiping up one of the glasses and raising it high. “Here's to bein' young forever, or at least not living long enough to ever be old!”
Antares laughed despite himself at this: it was the kind of thing that normally would feel ominous, but somehow tonight the challenge felt... he didn't know. It got his heart pumping as he and the other two mares picked up their own glasses, clinking them together before all four ponies drank deep, Avalon guzzling her entire cup in a few swallows and ignoring the streams of amber that flowed down her face and muzzle before she slammed the glass down.
“One!” She grinned brightly; and by five, she was still grinning just as brightly, although she was clearly more than a little bit tipsy. Meadowlark was holding up surprisingly well, and Aphrodisia had long pulled ahead of them, giggling a little but far less affected by the alcohol than any of the other ponies. Antares blamed the massive constitution she had inherited from Pinkamena, but he knew part of it was that Apps was just... Apps.
The demon had to excuse herself after only a few hours to return to Subterra, though, and she traded hugs with everyone present, making Meadowlark blush a bit: she wasn't always sure of the footing she was on with the demon, after all, who could sometimes still be a little childishly spiteful. But Apps did care about them all: she just had a funny way of showing it sometimes.
After Aphrodisia left, Avalon looked longingly after the mare before rubbing absently at her lips, then asking finally: “Would it have been gay if I'd kissed her? I think I shoulda kissed her. Not that I like her or anything, but she says... that's like, how... Lust demons shake hooves, right? I think I want her to kiss me. Her.”
“Okay, you're drunk. Let's get you home.” Antares rolled his eyes amusedly, expecting a fight... but to his surprise, Avalon nodded before pausing, then she picked up the last slice of garlic bread and gobbled it down. The stallion glanced over at Meadowlark, but the mare only smiled at him, and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised. She had matched him drink-for-drink, and he was pretty sure he was only one glass behind Avalon's total of eight. At least he thought it was eight. It was getting hard to count things.
The three ponies left a hefty tip for the waitress, waved at the ponies still on stage – Avalon gave a few loud whoops and Antares barely stopped her from flinging some bits at them – and then made their way out of the tavern, knowing it would all be stacked onto Avalon's tab. The stallion thought meditatively that maybe that was the reason Ava always got so drunk: at the end of the month she was always scrounging up every last bit she could find to pay off what always ended up being a ridiculous bill to the tavern.
They walked Avalon to the still-open north gate: these days, they were often left open all night long, to let Nightmares and Phooka wander calmly in and out of Ponyville. There was a vibrant, hidden life to the nights in the village these days: servants of darkness slipped through the streets to watch over their little town and keep an eye on ponies while they slept. Everyone was used to this by now, although sometimes foals stayed up at the window to try and catch sight of their dark protectors.
At the gates though, Avalon shook herself out and hopped off Antares' back, buzzing into the air and swaying a little before she half-rolled and flopped to the ground on her back. The stallion winced a bit at this, but after a moment, the mare picked herself up and grinned up at him, saying firmly: “Guys... g-guys, this... this has been... the best night ever, okay? Okay. Good. I'm happy for you two. I'm happy for me, too. I'm... I'm happy, so let's all be happy, and... Antares, hey. You are lucky, you got that? I wish I had a big brother sometimes just like you or Big Mac and... you know, I'm all talk but... you know...”
She hiccuped, then shook her head out before smiling and saying finally: “Be happy, you lunkhead. You've been through enough crap in your life, you should know what's good and what's bad, so... be happy. I'm gonna go now and sleep in the drunk so Mom don't know I'm barn. See you later.”
Avalon nodded firmly, then staggered around in a circle before throwing herself into the air... and landing on her face in the dirt. Antares and Meadowlark stared at her before the Pegasus' wings began to flap, and a moment later she lifted upwards into the sky and buzzed through the gates, zigzagging a little back and forth as she flew onwards towards home.
The stallion sighed a little, shaking his head out before he laughed despite himself as he gazed over at Meadow. She smiled warmly back at him, and then then two turned and began to walk back through Ponyville, the stallion smiling at the feeling of the crisp night air tickling over his skin as Avalon's words resounded with him. Drunk or not, it felt like good advice... but then again, she's the kind of pony who always gives her best advice when she's a little out of it.
The stallion laughed to himself, smiling again as he strode through the quiet town with Meadowlark pressing up against his side, nuzzling into him with a soft look on her face. There was silence for a few moments, and then the ebony pony finally murmured softly: “You held up way better than I thought you would, to be honest. Thought you didn't do that.”
“Well, I don't. But before we went out  I made sure to take a little home remedy that Zecora taught me. Just something to help even the odds a little.” Meadowlark smiled slightly over at Antares as he looked at her dumbly, and then the stallion snorted and shoved her lightly, and she laughed and bumped back against him.
“You cheater. Cheaty cheater.” Antares said finally, and he smiled warmly at her as she looked back with sparkling eyes, and then the two laughed again before stopping to share a quick, short kiss.
They pressed together as they made their way out of Ponyville and into the Everfree Forest, walking down the beautiful, well-beaten path. Luna had ridden her motorcycle more than once down this dirt trail, which had helped flatten it out a little, and the living forest had seemed to naturally shift so that the walls of trees were apart enough for Epona and her sidecar to pass comfortably.
Flowers and vines grew all along the bases of the trees, and nocturnal animals hummed and whispered through the darkness  of the forest around them, as moonlight bled through the canopy above and cast just enough of a glow to light the trail ahead of them. It felt like they were walking through some endless cathedral corridor, Antares smiling at the serene and sacred feeling of nature all around them as Meadowlark stayed close by.
She knew enough about the Everfree Forest to know that wandering it in the deep darkness wasn't the safest thing in the world: at night, Bitterweavers became more aggressive, timberwolves prowled more freely, and sometimes even large, hungry marsh drakes wandered in from the bog. But she felt safe with Antares, who walked through the night as comfortably as he did the day. He was like... the stars above, lighting up the world around him, she thought, and that light he burned with protected them both.
They reached his home in good time, and both ponies smiled a little bit as they walked across the front lawn. Yet the stallion hesitated for a moment in front of the door, biting his lip for a moment as Meadowlark looked at him curiously, before Antares nodded once and then said softly: “You guys are all right. I'm... I am lucky, and things are only going to get better from here. Innocence is a good thing, and the fact my sister's trying to have a baby too... that's good. She deserves that. I gotta stop being so selfish.”
“And you have to stop pushing yourself so hard for other people, too, Antares. Neither is good. Try and find a decent middle ground, huh?” Meadowlark said softly, nudging him gently, and the glossy black unicorn smiled a little before he nodded once. The two traded a short, soft kiss, and then the Pegasus turned and pushed the door open for him, making him laugh even as he shoved her gently.
He loved her insistence, though. She might cut him a lot of slack, but not a lot of ponies really saw how stubborn Meadowlark was. When she decided that he had to get his flank moving, she always made sure he got going one way or the other, and she didn't let him sulk or cry or just fall apart. She was... she reminded him of Prestige like that, he thought.
He felt that faint pang of pain, like he always did, as he studied the mare for a moment before blushing and turning quickly ahead, even as the Pegasus cocked her head curiously. But any need to answer was cut off as the unicorn strode quickly down the hall and into the den room, unsurprised to find his parents there... before he groaned and covered his eyes, turning away from the sight of his mother feeding Innocence. “Oh hell.”
“Oh, thou great big baby!” Luna huffed, even as Twilight giggled despite herself behind a hoof and Scrivener shrugged awkwardly with a sympathetic look at his son. “I shall have thee know I fed thee just like this as a babe! Furthermore, thou wert just as nippy with thy teeth as Innocence is.”
“Mom!” Antares groaned and covered his face as Meadowlark laughed behind him, and the stallion sighed tiredly. And somehow, even as he felt embarrassment turn him beet-red, he couldn't help but be happy for his whole family... eccentricities or not.