//------------------------------// // Motherly // Story: How my Little Brother Became an Alicorn // by WiseFireCracker //------------------------------// The letter had arrived in the morning, early. When she had seen the seal and whom it had come from, her first action had been to keep the scroll away from her, but, within minutes of diverting her gaze, it had started naturally turning back to it. In the end, she hadn’t resisted. Dear Twilight, It is unfortunate that this must be the second time I must present an apology to you, but I cannot simply silence this. My actions have made you uncomfortable and this is a fault I mustn’t repeat. I am afraid my self-control failed me in your presence. If I could promise you perfect control, I would, but I am afraid my attraction to you might be stronger. Until we can both be certain of our sentiment for one another, if there is such a thing, I would nonetheless hope we could continue communicating via these letters. I have heard from my cousin that you have a remarkably fast way of keeping contact with her. Perhaps this could allow us to learn more from each other without… internal influences. With hopes that you will reply to this letter, Prince Ventus. Her magic keeping the message afloat, Twilight bit her lips, pensive. What was she supposed to think? Her sentiments toward the whole situation and the stallion himself were still muddied by uncertainty and, today, she would like things to be simple. As such, Twilight telekinetically grabbed her two train tickets and her number one sleeping assistant, departing for the station. Visiting the Crystal Empire with her parents would be quite nice, she decided, especially when they had inside ponies to give them support should it be needed. Sometimes, it paid off to be related to so many royals. -- The song of roosters had long since echoed in the orchards of the Apple family. With each sunrise, the three earth pony siblings would rise from their slumbers and prepare for their daily chores with various degrees of acceptance. Youngest and most energetic of them all, Applebloom had made a habit of putting a token protest at wasting her time with chores every day. Unsettled as of the moment for a future she knew nothing of, the filly certainly could not focus long on mundane tasks when there were crusade to be had. The Apples’ kitchen remained stunningly calm and undisturbed, with the exception of a few dishes being handled. Similarly, the bulky hooves of the eldest sibling carried him not in the fields, but upstairs, carrying a very special something in his mouth. Despite his weight, none of the wooden planks creaked and his little trip upstairs went on in peaceful silence. Unfamiliar witnesses might have believed he was going to wake his little sisters for the day, but both were busy cooking downstairs. It was not before his room that he stopped either. Gently, Big Mac grabbed the handle of the door and pushed it open, careful not to make any noise. Only darkness would have welcomed him beyond the slimmer of light he brought in, had it not been for a few words mumbled by a cranky old voice. After putting his gift on her bedside table, the red stallion softly brought her up from the land of dreams. “Morning, Gran.” Blinking and muttering, Granny Smith’s first reflex was to grab for the first thing she could, which happened to be her curtains. Hurriedly, breaking from his unperturbed stride, Big Mac almost ran to catch up his grandmother before she threw herself down the bed and broke her hips. It, unfortunately, wouldn’t be the first time. “Lil’ Macky?” The elderly mare called in confusion from his front legs, her wrinkle face crunched up while she tried to identify her grandchild. “Eeyup.” He nodded, and picked up the bouquet he had brought with him. “AJ, Bloom and I got ya this.” Giving the flowers a tentative lick and sniff, Granny Smith turned her focus entirely on the little folded piece of cardboard rather than the enticing snack. “Aw, you big doofus,” she said as she picked the card up, though her tone implied playfulness. “Ah can’t read s’mething so small without mah glasses.” “’s okay, Granny.” His mouth curled up in a smile. “Ain’t the words that’s important.” No, indeed they were not. -- In other parts of town, a few more ponies stirred away from their sleep, some of them mothers receiving the pleasant surprise of a breakfast in bed cooked by enthusiastic foals. The results, sometimes quite spectacular in more ways than one, always felt special to those lucky mares. How else could a mother react to a token of her family’s affection? The love was palpable, even in the craziest displays and shows of appreciation. Mrs. Cake was visited by an escalating sense of foreboding before it all went to Tartarus. -- I had not welcomed the rising sun this morning. Its light had caused pounding against the sides of my head. The sensation had not been unrelated to a bad hangover, though I was certain that I hadn’t drunk on the airship. Mostly certain… My memories of the day before were… hazy. I did remember the essential, namely Calx owning the local poker game and the windigo, but after that…? I wasn’t quite sure. Caelum had been whispering in my ears. Or at least, what I assumed to be his voice, but then again, it sounded ridiculously similar to mine. The differences were mostly in the tone and the inflexions. It made for a blurry recollection, leaving the airship a little later and going back to our shared room, laughing at the stories told. A mist covered most of these images. The guards… the servants… the nobles… Calx… their faces are there… but I can’t hear them. Like others wouldn’t listen to me. A pulsing flame heated the depth of my chest, trying to spread a boiling anger to the rest of my being, but it remained… muted, muffled. It remained, a fragment of hatred that would neither fade nor take over. Doing my best to ignore it, I tried to relocate my attention elsewhere, but the other scene available to me at the moment was just as heart wrenching, though with sorrow rather than hatred. Calx looked a lot less confident and boastful than usual. His demeanor was eerily calm, with his wings placated against his sides rather than flaring up at every opportunity, with his gaze dull and unfocused. At first, I couldn’t tell the reason behind this sudden change of personality and it struck a chord in me. At first. My own nature worked against me today. I was hearing the voices of the Equestrian. It wasn’t new. What had changed however was that I could not tune them all out so easily, not with the event of the previous day still so vivid. My mind felt out of balance and, as such, so did my magic. To be completely honest though, even perfect control over my magic could not have stopped me from hearing it. The words exchanged were simply too attention grabbing. “Happy Mother’s Day!” They said, all around Equestria. My heart contracted painfully enough to send shockwaves through the rest of my being. So suddenly, the metaphorical blade had cut straight through my chest and emptied it. Less than longing, perhaps more, there was a craving in me for even a small morsel of motherly love today. I just wanted… I wanted them to know how much I loved them… Which ones? I asked myself, but the answer came out surprisingly easily. All of them, of course. Likewise, my little brother certainly had thoughts of the same type. His hooves seemed to be too heavy, grating the stone with each step, for it to be another reason. “Come on,” I whispered, lifting Calx up with a twist of my magic. “Let’s try to have some fun today, okay?” “…’Kay…” He muttered, crestfallen. I hoped the emptiness in his voice was only temporary. -- It would be blatantly unfair to say that she did not understand the spirit of the holiday; it would be even worse to say that her own mannerism was proof of her lack of respect for her parents. No, Rarity did understand how important it was to honor one’s parents and make it apparent. Still, would it have killed her mom to choose clothing that wasn’t draining the fabulous from the air simply by existing? It was true, however, that in comparison to her last outing, Miss Pearl’s fashion sense had improved drastically. That peculiar occasion had made Hoity Toity faint. Luckily, his recollection of the events fortunately left out Rarity. Nowadays, Miss Pearl’s clothing habits simply had the fashionista internally die each second she spent in sight of that outfit. Her whole family had gathered at a small restaurant near the edge of town, reputed to serve nice quaint little breakfasts, light and healthy. It was delicious. That, however, was a double-edged sword, as a fair number of ponies had chosen the location for an early family reunion. “And then, there was that time when I stayed at Rarity’s house and the girls came for a mini-sleepover!” Her sweet little sister shouted, gathering more attention and thus causing Rarity to die more on the inside. Again. “We stayed up all night!” “Y-yeah…” The fashionista gave a faint chuckle, her eyes darting around to “It was so nice to take care of you and your friends all night after you destroyed my supply of perfume.” Sweetie Belle had the good grace to look guilty. Their mother would have made a comment, which, judging from her expression and dismissing wave of hoof, would have been along the lines of “Aw, cut your sister some slack, Rarity. I’m sure her and her little friends didn’t mean to.” However, before any remark could be made, the small family heard a syrupy voice. “My, Rarity, what a pleasant surprise!” They turned toward a beige pegasus speaking with such sweetness that flies would soon be attracted to her person. “I didn’t think I would see you today.” “Fine Stitch, the shock is absolutely mutual.” Rarity assured her icily. Her parents and her sister glanced at the mare, before turning back to the fashionista. “Who is that, my little bumpkin?” “This is Fine Stitch,” Rarity said mechanically, remarkably neutral sounding. “She is a semi-professional mannequin that just recently moved here.” “Why, then, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Miss Stitch. Pretty fancy clothes you’re wearing there, darling.” Pearl gave an approving nod, which her husband replicated. “Yes, yes they are. I love to follow the latest fashion trends. This scarf here is a Calves Klein. Isn’t it lovely?” “Sure is, Miss Stitch.” Sweetie Belle giggled, then, to the horror of her big sister, added a little something. “Do you want to have lunch with us?” Celestia suddenly found herself being silently prayed to about how, in the name of all that is fashionable and drop dead gorgeous, she should lead that pain in the rump Stitch away from them forever. The Alicorn of the Sun unfortunately had no time to share for this triviality. Thus, the sapphire blue mare sent a look to the table they were sharing. The food served in particular gathered her attention. “Hay Fries and Salad?” The haughty mare remarked in mock shock, eying the meals they were sharing with a convincing concern. “Dear, isn’t that a little… plain?” At that point, even cute innocent Sweetie Belle had stopped smiling. However, her sister had not. It was a smile too large, too big and frankly, too insincere to resemble anything but a snarl. “Then again, I could understand you not wanting to ruin that…” The mare’s eyes fell on Pearl’s clothes, causing the edges of her mouth to curl upward with smug superiority. “...That outstanding ensemble.” Confused as to whether she should be happy with the compliment toward her mother, Sweetie Belle settled for finding out the source of that blood chilling scrapping noise that had started saturating the air. She shrunk back in her seat when she realized it came from her sister grinding her teeth together. “Oh, it. Is. ON!” The white unicorn stood up, eye twitching. “I challenge you to a duel to the fashion death!” “My poor Rarity, you were always too pre-” “The game is hoofball!” Rarity slammed her hooves into the table, making her father grin like Heart’s Warming Eve had come early. “First mare to score fifty points wins, loser has to wear last week’s fashionable ensemble!” Suddenly, Fine Stitch spontaneously realized that she had gotten herself in a whole leap of trouble. And that last week’s fashionable ensemble did not fit with her mane at all! -- The staff on hoof had been minimal, serving only a few nobles in the dining hall in contrast to the overwhelmingly large room. With so many empty seats around us, it was quite awkward to eat breakfast. No recognizable faces to exchange vapid pleasantries with, no, just a silent introspection and a terrible aching for our parents. Still, I made an effort to be polite and gentle with the maids stuck serving us on what appeared to be a national holiday. It might have echoed empty and my smile might have appeared hollow, but the look in their eyes conveyed understanding, at least. Nopony made any comment when we decided to leave early, though one green mare seemed to hesitate, looking at Calx sadly. The hallways of Canterlot Castle gave the impression of being void of life. We would be hard pressed to run into one servant or guard. The holiday’s importance seemed to be just as big as I had evaluated. It made it impossible for us to think of anything but them. At this point, I just felt like the Universe was rubbing salt in my wounds purely for the sake of it. Mechanically, my little brother led the way to his tutor’s room in the castle. It was in an isolated part of the western section. On my own, I wouldn’t have bothered visit the place. The door to the living room seemed to have been unlocked, as he pushed on it without even bothering to knock, instead making his way in like it was his second home. Honestly, the environment was cozy enough for me to accept it without even a mental fight. Drapes and cushions were placed strategically, creating an impression of intimacy that could be quite welcomed in a learning studio. In the middle of the room, in front of a chalkboard, a simple student desk awaited him. “Hi Mrs. Catch Crop,” Calx dully recited, showing little to no energy. In my mind, the only images that came to me were seriously disturbing pictures of pony zombies. “Hello, Mr. Iugum.” A familiar alto voice came from the adjacent room, growing slightly louder as she appeared in the doorframe. “Have you completed your homework on the second Equestrian conflict with the diamond dogs?” I didn’t know who I expected, but it certainly wasn’t HER. The difference between the mare was in the lighting. This time, we weren’t almost alone in the dark, but Calx was still an unknowing witness. My first assessment back then hadn’t been wrong, she was sexy, with the right curves to her red hips and that little kick in her movement, but darn it if I didn’t hate her face. Especially when her gaze fell on me and switched from normal to predatory. “Hello Prince Ventus.” Okay, the Tartarus? How’d she make a simple hello sound like an invitation to her bedroom?! “I am very glad to see you. You left so abruptly the last time. It was so lonely to wait alone in that big empty bed.” If you didn’t get the message after I run the buck away from you, you’re a moron! “Didn’t I tell you last time to-” "Hey, Miss Catch!” Calx suddenly cut me off, a grin appearing on his face. “Is it okay if I go fetch my homework and leave you alone with my brother?" We both turned to him with wide eyes. "Like... for two or three hours?” He asked innocently, though I knew better. “Would that be enough?" Sometimes, the fact that he could read me like an open book was a curse. Seriously, he knew exactly how much this pissed me off, which made it that much more hilarious for him. Watch your back, you little squirt! You’re going to get it later. Catch Crop’s smile turned downright saucy. “Perfect, Calx. You also get a bonus point on your assignment.” I watched in astonishment as my little brother ran snickering, toward his freedom and leaving me with this skank. Wait, is he really selling my body for his grades in school? Nah, it’s to get a vacation. Twilight Zone… and not the cute librarian type either. “Tell me I’m dreaming.” “Oh, it is a dream,” she said, stroking my chin with her tail. “And it’s about to get even better.” I didn’t know what pissed me off the most: the fact that she had groped me or that she was just so utterly unashamed of having done it. Also, I was SO going to practice my wrestling moves on Calx once this was over. “Have you no shame?” I hissed. “You courted me, despite my protests, in front of him! TWICE!” She truly seemed unflappable. “If the issue was the place, you could always just knock at my door tonight.” My face unfortunately exploded with heat. The knowing light in her grin was enough to accentuate the humiliation. Through gritted teeth, I let out a frustrated growl. “Don’t wait up, you might get to experience another ‘lonely night in that big empty bed’ of yours, which I suppose is quite often for such a bitch!” Oh, this time, she certainly didn’t shrug it off. In a flash, her expression went from confident seductress to that of righteous fury. With a snarl, she threw herself forward, an impulse going down her right front leg as she raised it to strike. My rational mind went down the drain. For a split second, something animalistic, primal, took control of my limbs, blinding me to everything but the all-compassing hatred of that idiot mare that dared move to hurt me. In a blur of colors, I stood on my hind legs and stomped. As quickly as it had started, that outburst died, with one of her leg firmly stuck against the ground. Catch Crop had fallen on her side, the momentum of her attack throwing her off balance when I had pushed over that very same leg. I loomed over her, seeing her through a filter of blood thirst and anger. Both our breathing was heavy; but while mine was pants of anger, hers resembled a series of panicked whimpers. Her pupils, shrunk to dots, were hard to see through a small film of tears. My body felt cold, my wings were fully extended and stretching, each one of my exhalation brought a small could of icy air; I could hear the song of the blizzard’s wind. Shrilled ringing was threatening to split my head open. Briefly, I lost sight of the thing under me, my vision turning white. Beneath me wasn’t a castle of stone and an impudent mare, but the wide open space of the sky. The land stretched for miles beyond what my eyes could see. My body wasn’t solid. It was air. Cold air. The land was warm. It was covered in green. It needed to be white. “P-please… let go…” The terrified whisper broke through my trance. Trembling was communicated to one of my hoof, but I wasn’t the source. It was her. The fleeting thought of making her realize that I wasn’t playing hard to get was sweet. I shouldn’t… this is already dangerous waters to thread by… Slowly, I lowered the pressure applied on her hoof, then stepped back. The fur in that spot was ruffled and the shape of my own hoof was imprinted there. It looked bad. Darn it. I put too much strength in it… “This will leave a bruise.” A silky thread flew by us, cooled by an icy breeze, then enlaced her hurting limb. “Try not to put too much weight on it.” The care I tried to put in my voice rang hollow, even to myself, but I had to try. I had to keep trying to put on the right mask, even when it felt much too late. It mattered not in the end. Out of shock or fear, she did not call me out on it. She’s more likely to avoid me like the plague now… Feeling the weight of my action starting to wear on my shoulders, I turned toward the door swiftly. Trying to keep the nausea at bay, I focused my gaze onto the painted windows outside the room, in the hallways. Feeling her eyes still on me, I saw an opportunity. “Calx is not coming here anymore. It matters not what Celestia has to say about it, he’s not keeping you for a teacher.” She did not say a thing. Breathing in… breathing out… It was her respiration. Not mine. No, everything she breathes IS mine, I should- I shook my head, trying to chase the idea before it led to a fatal consequence. This isn’t working… Sooner or later, I’ll end up killing somepony… And then things will become really dire. Without realizing it, I put more strength in my legs, pushing harder against the ground and moving faster. My mind was still toward the hyperventilation and the breaking that came from Catch Crop’s room. I was too close, I could still feel everything about her and it made disgust crawl over my skin. I had to get away, quickly! My hooves created a thundering sound hitting the floor, again and again. I didn’t even think to become immaterial, all that mattered was to escape this slithering malice clawing at my heart. It was this desperation and mindless impulse that guided me straight into the pony walking around the corner, the impact of our collision having pain flash in my face and making me bounce backward. Unceremoniously, I fell off on my rump, forcing me to, appropriately, look up to the one I had ran into. “Cousin Celly?” I asked, blinking. The image of the white alicorn, radiant, shedding light over me had the darkness recede, if only out of fear. Her benevolent smile barely affected me, though I did let out an inner sigh of relief. “Why, hello Ventus.” She offered a hoof to help me stand up, which I accepted gratefully. “Are you alright?” “I… yes. I apologize for this…” Heat crept up to my cheeks, as my ears drooped with the embarrassment. “I had too much on my mind.” Thoughts of murder and horrific pain, mostly. “Well, we can call this a lucky accident then.” Celestia turned around, flexing her wing forward as an invitation to walk next to her. “I was looking for you.” “Looking for me?” I repeated, hesitantly making my way up to her side. As was becoming a recurring occurrence for her, the lightness of her interaction decreased, reaching a polite but distant tone. “I have heard of your escapade yesterday evening.” The weight of her words had me sweating. Uneasy, I fought a grimace, looking away from a split second before giving a curt nod. I didn’t trust my voice to remain calm or strong enough. “So you consciously disobeyed my orders and left the castle’s premise?” Buck, I can’t believe that didn’t even cross my mind before! “…Yes.” The sound came out almost raspy. “I did.” Her gaze hardened, but not overly so. Disappointment rolled off of her in waves. Keeping up a calm exterior, I waited for her to go on. Truthfully, I was kicking myself for not planning ahead for this conversation. There had to be a skillfully fabricated motivation I could use to justify that, but being put on the spot didn’t help my concentration, especially not with the words whispered in my ears. She sounded surprisingly calm when she addressed me. “Would you care to justify your actions?” Admittedly, I spent a small moment silent, figuring out what to say. That I had felt the impulse of our race? That Tom wanted a bit of fresh air and it was the best available option? That I was considering buying one such airship? …When did lying become my first course of action? Oh right, since I decided to hide the truth of our origin, whatever it is now… If I were to start that moment over, would I change anything? And thinking back on Blueblood, who was making progresses, I realized that, at the very least, I didn’t want that to be lost. This time, the truth really seemed a much more elegant and simple option. “It had been requested of me.” “By our nephew?” She guessed accurately. “Yes, he wanted… my opinion of his airship.” The way her lips formed a tight line, I guessed that she had understood with just those words. Still, my guts were telling me not to under evaluate what my actions were about. “I felt it more important to support Prince Blueblood in his soul searching than to obey your command on that one occasion. What is happening to him is a grand and powerful change, that I dare not stifle, as it may be his last chance at a greater life. If he stops now, there is no guarantee he will not snob his next chance. I chose what I believed would be for the best.” Celestia looked at me silently for a long time. Finally, she spoke without a single trace of emotion. “The goal of staying in the castle was to minimize the possible impacts your presence and that of your brother would have in Equestria. Was there any incident worth noting during this little excursion?” “A windigo.” It was funny, truly, to see the carefully guarded princess blink in surprise. The sight made it harder for me to keep a grin off my lips. “I took care of it,” I said simply. “It’s gone.” Throwing her off her game with the absolute truth. Just to give the impression that she can at least trust me when the horseshoes are off. “Gone?” She repeated slowly. “The one we met will never bother you again, this much is a certainty.” Contrarily to my expectations, Celestia simply closed her eyes. “If that is the end of it… so be it.” Now, I was surprised. “Are you not going to punish me for defying your orders?” Is it not how alicorns act? As she turned to me, her eyes opened, showing leniency and perhaps even worry. “No. I believe I understand your reasons and this time, I am willing to overlook your actions.” “T-then…?” I was so confused. Why would she insist I follow her if not to inflict some other form of punishment on me? Her lips curled up in a small smile at my own surprise, but I could also detect… pity at my reaction. “Equestria is not so cruel a world, Ventus.” “Tia!” Another alicorn’s voice rang through the corridor. Hearing this call, Celestia turned quickly, as did I, toward Princess Luna. For a second, my mind became a blank. From the impression I had first been given, she lived through a nocturnal cycle most of the time, accompanied by her guards and any pony that wished to deal with Luna rather than Celestia. The other impression of her that I had concerned cold contempt for me and age olds question about the very essence of my soul. So yeah, daytime meeting with Luna, not what I expected. But my gaze didn’t remain on the Alicorn of the Night for long. I was much preoccupied by the blue colt following her halfheartedly. It was a far cry from his earlier impishness around his tutor… but rather close to his behavior beforehand. His head hung low, scrapping the ground with every step and refusing to make eye contact. A bad presentiment visited me, but the desire to protect him was stronger than even my fear. “Hey.” I kneeled down to his level, opening a wing for him to hide under. “What’s up, lil’ brother? You look sad.” “There was this…” His voice broke and he fought a sob, quickly hiding his face in my shoulder. “This filly, she was calling for her mother…” I heard this sound of breaking, caused by the schism that jumped in my chest and slowly pushed two sides apart. My heart sank, broken, leaving only an emptiness that made it hard to breath. I could only try to fight my own aching for our parents. “It’s okay,” I whispered, closing my wing over his body. “We’re going to see them soon.” His grip hardened. “I miss them…” Closing my eyes, I nuzzled him with the hope to transmit even a little of the sentiment he craved for. “I know.” To my shock though, twins sets of wings pressed on my own back, gently spreading a comfortable warmth to my whole being. For a second, my consciousness went to my past, toward the Astral Planes and the numerous alicorns. Father and Mother had held me so, most of the times at my demand. I could see their faces… I could see their love… Opening my eyes was a torture at this point, for I knew the reality would quickly replace the fantasy. Regretfully, I allowed my eyelids to part and let the light filter my surroundings again. My gaze was on Calx, only on him, as I did not think I could face either Celestia or Luna at the moment. I couldn’t summon up the strength to be annoyed at them! Even if I only wanted us to be left alone, the delicate and comforting touch was slowly melting away my reluctance. The two royal sisters were acting… motherly. And Elders, Calx and I needed that so badly. “Now that we are all gathered, it feels appropriate for us to speak of our idea,” Luna started, a small tender smile directed at us. Continuing, Celestia also smiled, alternatively looking at each alicorn in the hallway. “This is a delicate topic, we know, but we also understand the longing for a mother long lost.” …W-what? “Would you accompany us today in our endeavors, young ones? It would please us greatly to share our agenda with you.” I had no words. -- The loud whistle rang through the train station, bringing a wince to the few ponies that got off. Their ensuing glares at the train driver made him smile sheepishly and amicably wave their way. There were a few that hadn’t been bothered by the loud and shrill noise, as they had just been reunited with an important part of their family. “It’s good to see you, B.B.B.F.F.,” Twilight stepped forward, passing a front leg around his leg and squeezing. “Same here, lil’ sis, same here.” Shining Armor replied, patting her back a few times, before breaking the hug. “So, how’s the trip been? Peaceful I hope?” “Oh, it was really nice.” The young mare nodded, lifting her luggage and her assistant’s with her magic. “Spike slept almost through the whole thing, so I had plenty of time to dive into the latest book in Miss. Sleeping Heart’s novel. Of course, before that, Pinkie had to give us a small farewe-” “Shining Armor!” A childish voice abruptly cut her off, as did the purple blur that ran straight into said stallion. “Whoa there, little guy.” The eldest sibling looked down to his leg and the baby dragon attached to it. “Missed me?” “You think?” Spike groaned. “It’s just girls stuff all over. All the time. Save me!” “I wouldn’t be much of a royal guard if I didn’t help my fellow males to escape the domination of the evil, yucky mares, would I?” The white stallion chuckled and lifted his little brother on his back. Next to them, Twilight rolled her eyes, muttering something to the effect of “Colts…” However, she straightened up when, after noticing her reaction, both boys had started snickering and looking for other ways to annoy her. “Where’s Cadence?” She swiftly asked, preempting any of their attempts. “Oh, back at the castle, Twiley. Somepony had to stay and show off our inner gymnasium to our parents. It just so happens that Cadence lost a bet recently.” The young alicorn’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean everypony’s already here?” “Yeah, Mom and Dad arrived yesterday night.” Shining Armor mentioned offhandedly. “Wow, I didn’t think they’d already be here.” Blinking, Twilight brought an unfolded scroll “Sounds like you’re the last one to arrive. One could say that you’re…” He broke into a teasing grin, waggling his eyebrows at them. “Tardy.” Spike’s claws abruptly covered his mouth, snorting loudly, while Twilight’s cheek colored a deep purple. “Hush!” She flicked her tail at her brother’s face. “Come on, let’s get going. With the others already here, my whole schedule is messed up. No time to lose.” Nodding, the other two members of the Sparkle family exchanged a look and agreed to follow. Seeing as Twilight was getting ahead of them, Shining Armor used the opportunity to ask a certain question. “You’re sure you're doing fine in Ponyville?” “Well… I don’t get a chance to hang out with a lot of guys back there, you know?” The little dragon said after a short hesitation, grimacing. “I get where you’re coming from, Spike, but if it was male bonding you wanted to experience today… well, it’s Mother’s Day. Today’s all about honoring Mom.” With a sigh, Spike dragged himself away from Shining Armor, hoping to catch up on Twilight. Neither him or his alicorn big sister heard the white stallion mutter under his breath. Had their senses been more attuned Shining Armor, they might have lost their mind, for he had said: “And next year, Cadence too.”