//------------------------------// // The average foal is an estimated 100,000 bit investment. // Story: The Life and Times of a Bit Monger // by KarmaSentinal //------------------------------//   “Dinner was just perfect.” Cadance thought to herself as she levitated a clean cloth to wipe the final traces of what she considered the perfect example of a meal. An amazing process in which Cadance had the privilege of watching from the very first cracked egg all the way to final dish being placed upon the generational table that had been passed down from mother to daughter. Cadance watched as her husband and his parents laughed and gossiped of the finer details of how lose their neighbor’s daughter had become and how much shame (and money) she’s been accumulating. It was a topic the business mare had always been interested in, and perhaps even thought about venturing into but when she considered the amount of bits needed to set up a daycare for the mares… “Cadance dear, when are you going to grace us with the gift every parent hopes for someday?” Twilight Velvet spontaneously asked ignoring the plastered look of horror on her son’s face. Her husband, Night Light gave a devilish grin that would make Lord Discord shout with glee; Cadance placed the cloth once more on the table next to her plate, before turning to her mother-in-law. “Is it your anniversary already mother? I could have sworn it wasn’t for a few more months.” Cadance asked while pulling a planner from the little dimensional rift she always kept near her. She opened it to the current date and tapped her hoof with the box that clearly said “Dinner with parents” and nothing more. “I’m sorry mother for forgetting, I shockingly didn’t write it down…” “It’s not our anniversary dear, and by present I mean…” She waved her hoof toward the two empty chairs across from Cadance” isn’t the table perhaps a bit to empty? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, I don’t know two certain ponies did something to fix this injustice?” Velvet hinted, hoping her daughter- in-law would understand. Cadance took even more interest at the two empty chairs across from her that held her mother’s interest. She criticized their importance nd to Velvet and how they could be in shape or form be related to her? So, using her vast entrepreneurial insight to evaluate the problem at hoof, Cadance began mentally listing every possible pro and con the chairs had and how it could that effect Mrs. Velvet. Night Light leaned over the table to whisper something to his son, Shining Armor, who had since lost the horror filled expression and had replaced with one of embarrassment. “Why does Cadance over analyze everything like your sister?” His son shook his head. “To be honest I try to believe it’s because of her business nature and that’s how her business is doing really well, but sometimes I feel she’s a bit on the dense side.” Shining quickly turned his head to watch his wife when he realized what he had just said. To his relief she was still concentrating on the chairs and took no notice of his words. “It shouldn’t be this hard to know what I mean couldn’t it?” She looked to the rest of her family who both nodded in agreement. The trio turned to Cadance who mumbled something about the wood density to age ratio or something like that, before turning to their little group once more. “So how is Twilight doing? I haven’t heard anything from her since she founded her research company and married that Stallion..” “Zebra dear. She married a zebra.” His mother “corrected” him. “Since she married that Zebra and adopted those two…” “That’s it! That’s what you mean mother!” Cadance exclaimed happily, lightly connecting a hoof to her forehead.” It makes so much sense to the point I feel special for not coming up with it sooner.” Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and her husband Shining Armor all released the collective breath they were holding. “That’s great Cadance, dear. So now that you understand, we were wondering when…” “Anytime is perfect for me. I can always clear my schedule for family, how would next Tuesday sound?” Twilight Velvet nearly screamed in joy at the prospect of finally being able to spoil grandfoals like she had always wanted. Shining Armor went red as a tomato when he heard this, and the constant teasing coming from his father about him being the pantless one in the relationship didn’t help his overall mood. Twilight Velvet had left her seat and rushed to embrace her daughter-in-law and future mother to her grandfoals. “You don’t know how much joy it brings to my life to hear you say that Cadance. Nothing wrong with it, but after Twilight married that Zebra and crushed my dreams of having grandfoals…” “They adopted dear so in retrospect they are our grandfoals.” “Quite Night Light.” Velvet ended her husband’s rebuke without every breaking the hug. Cadance in the moment of all this delicious love in the air, increased the pressure of her hug as if she were trying to squeeze more love from her mother-in-law. Twilight Velvet paid no heed to this because of the news and was now beyond the effects of pain. “I’m just surprised, but very happy for you both! To go out there and open your home to a complete stranger is no easy task to do let alone commit too.” The echo of crumbs falling was the only noise being heard for nearly two solid minutes as the stallions looked in disbelief and shock at the pink alicorn’s statement. Twilight Velvet had impressively held her composure for the most part, the trembling hooves wrapped around her daughter-in-law were the only signs of any dark thoughts. “What was that Cadance dear?” “Oh I’m just proud and happy that you two would make the decision to go out and give a colt or filly a nice and loving home! Ill more than happy to baby sit for the two of again, and we can even skip the contract.” Cadance broke their hug and began clapping her hooves together in excitement Shining Armor hadn’t seen since the two had started dating. She was nearly dancing in her seat while Velvet collapsed into the chair Shining Armor had given up to his distressed mother. “Adoption? I..I thought… I…You were the one supposed to be giving us grandfoals Cadance! Us adopting would defeat the purpose of grandfoals if we’re rising children again, and what made you think we were adopting?” Twilight Velvet asked having recovered from her partial heart attack. Both of their husbands despite the rudeness of it leaned closer to hear Cadance’s reasoning, bets being made under the table as they waited. Cadance recoiled slightly at the surprising declaration her mother-in-law had made about her. She quickly and professionally composed herself once more before dispelling any such claims about her and her husband, Shining. “Mother while I’m happy you feel that Shining and me could become parents and maybe even raise them well enough… who would watch them when we both running the company nearly 24 hours?” Velvet raised a hoof about to reply before bringing it back down, unable to come up with a viable excuse. Cadance nodded at her understanding of the situation and continued. “While I do have a very promising assistant to help me run certain aspects of the company, she is by far nowhere near ready to run it in my absence. The only shes running it today is because Shining and I were to be back in the Crystal State before tomorrow morning.” Cadance reached over to grasp Velvet’s hoof, who in turned accepted the contact. “I know you want grandfoals right now but if we were do have foals, it wouldn’t be fair to them or you when their parents are constantly working and you having to babysit nearly every day. We have come along with this company and have accumulated enough wealth to live and raise any foal comfortably, but we just don’t have the time to spend with them right now. Do you understand mother?” Cadance’s words were, to the surprise of the other poines present like the most mature thing to have ever come from her mouth; Twilight Velvet was for a lack of a better word, impressed. Her mild panic from earlier had cease allowing the aging mare to fully understand the meaning and maturity behind Cadance’s words. Velvet moved forward and gripped her daughter-in-law into another hug, this time one with no confusion behind its meaning and one to show how much she loved her. “You know Cadance dear. When Shining Armor first brought you home to us, we believed you were going to be one of those stuck up, self centered mares that only want and want while never caring what other ponies think. While you have proven us mostly right, what you just said was the most mature and selfless thing I have ever heard you said and I’m even more proud to call you my daughter-in-law. Oh and while it's wonderful you’re thinking about a ponies possible future, don’t do it too often dear, it’s just a bit weird to hear it coming from you.” Cadance loosened her grip unsure whether if she should be offended or flattered that her mother-in-law gave her a true heartfelt compliment. Deciding not to ruin Velvet’s attempt to create a “moment”, Cadance kept on hugging until the mare finally let go to wipe a tear from her eye. “I don’t want to sound rude dear, but its getting late and you might miss your train if you stay much longer.” Twilight Velvet reminded her son and daughter-in-law of the time. The pair gave a surprised look at the clock and immediately began saying their goodbyes in a mad dash to catch their train before it left. Night Light and Twilight Velvet waved the pair off as they galloped down the sparsely lit street toward the train station.Luckily it was the end of the weekend and everypony was in bed to go back to work the next morning so the pair didn’t have to stop once. They bought their ticket and boarded the train(which was empty) and took their seats next to one of the numerous windows. They had made excellent timing with 10 minutes to spare before the train departed, and had decided to settle in for the night. Cadance leaned onto her husband, careful to avoid poking him with her horn. Shining Armor appropriately responded by wrapping a hoof around her shoulder to add a bit of warmth and lovingly placed a kissed on his wife’s forehead. His heart melted when noticed his wife small tongue hanging out of her mouth because of her near drunken love state. And he felt a small wave of disgust when she started drooling on him. “Don’t..be that way...Shining.” Cadance inspite of being near asleep and drunk managed to say a complete sentence. Her husband tilted his head down to look at his wife, ignoring her greening mane. Shining Armor sighed lightly before stroking Cadance’s mane loving, who purred her approval. “What you said at dinner dear… did you really mean that or was that a lie?” Cadance responded to her husband’s question by further burying herself into his side.”may..be… investment… long..term…” She mumbled before returning blissfully to sleep against her husband. Shining continued to stroke her now green mane being careful to ignore the increasingly jagged horn, chuckling at his wife’s words. He knew his wife well enough to understand her mumbled and fragmented words to create an understandable sentence. “I would like to have foals someday Shining Armor, but they are an investment with a shaky and unpredictable outcome. In essence they’re a long-term commitment that more than likely won't return a profitable yield.” Shining Armor repeated his wife reply. He smirked in amusement before placing another kiss just above her horn. “You are without a doubt the weirdest and craziest bug I have ever met, and I love you because of that.” The moment was completely ruined by an even more extremely love drunk Cadance vomiting all over her husband.