"Moooom!!! Lightning took my manebrush!!!" A medium sized Pegasus whined at her mother's side, begging for attention with her big blue eyes.
"Lightning Dasher, give it back NOW!"
A small grey-haired Pegasus stood in the doorway to the bathroom, brush in mouth.
"But mom, I don't have one!" In Lightning's attempt to speak, the brush clattered to the ground, only to be picked up again fairly quickly.
"I'll get you one on Friday!"
"Friday's too far away!!"
"Lightning Dasher! If you don't give it back this instant you will be in a heap of trouble!"
Peace followed soon. The brush was returned to the blue eyed one, and Lightning muttered, "No fair. Moonlight Dancer is always treated better. We're supposed to be twins."
Flare Jumper breathed in quietly as she prepared for the next sibling battle. Why had she ever decided to have four kids? Two pairs of twins, to be exact.
Ever since Thunderlane had left, she had been working a terrible job, with barely enough money to support them all. It was enough to drive anypony insane.
"DINNER IS READY!" Flare called through the apartment. The clattering of four sets of hooves filled up as every filly came rushing to the table.
Groans arose from all the fillies when they saw what was for dinner. Bean Casserole. Soon whines of "Mom, I don't like bean casserole! Mom, I already ate! Mom, this is disgusting!" filled the air. She tried to tune it out as she said her mealtime prayer.
"May unicorns bless the food we eat, so graciously given by earth ponies, and so warmed by Pegasi. May Celestia keep food plentiful, and bless the moon goodnight."
Quickly after she said that, the doorbell rung. Eagerly, Sunset Climber lit her horn and raced down the hallway to open the door. Flare Jumper was faster. "Ohhh, no you don't! We don't know who this is!"
Flare opened the door. On it stood the mailmare, a grey Pegasus with yellow wall eyes. "Delivery for Miss Flare Jumper of East Canterlot?"
"That's me," Flare replied. "Thank you, miss, uh-"
"Derpy Hooves," the mare replied. Of the famed Derpy's Canterlot Mail Delivery. Best there is! Of course, we also deliver to Ponyville, Trottingham, Manehattan-"
So focused was Derpy, she failed to notice that Flare Jumper had already closed the door.
"-Neighagra Falls, Cloudsdale, Los Pegasus, Applewo- Hey, where did she go?" The confused mare looked around, and seeing as she couldn't find her, promptly flew off to finish her deliveries.
————
"Mom! What's in the letter?"
Flare opened the envelope slowly. The letter didn't have a return address. She turned the envelope away, and opened the letter.
"Dear Flare," she read aloud, "It is with a light heart I write to you now. I have found a successful job here in Ponyville—"
"That's where the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony live!" Moonlight Dancer was wide-eyed with respect, her blue eyes glinting with the thought of the Elements.
"—and wish to request to you and the children," Flare continued, "That you come and enjoy this summer here with me. I have tickets for the train enclosed in the envelope. Love, Thunderlane."
All mares in the house were silent for a bit, but not for too long. Lightning Dancer figured out what it meant.
"OHMIGOSHWE'REGOINGTOPONYVILLE!!!! RAIINBOWDASHLIVESTHERE!!!! I'VEALWAYSWANTEDTOMEETHER!!!"
"NO! FLUTTERSHY IS THE BEST!"
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"
"APPLEJACK!"
"RAINBOW DASH!"
"FLUTTERSHY!!!"
"BE QUIET! WE ARE NOT GOING!"
All fillies were shocked at their mother's reply. She had never raised her voice before, or cried. And yet, she was doing both.
"But mom-"
"I said we aren't going. That is final!" To make her point even clearer, she took the tickets and tossed them into the trash.
She stood up and walked away. Once in her room she fell to her bed, crying. "Why now? Leave my family alone."
She cried herself to sleep.
At the table, Lunar Eclipse, who was always more in touch with her mother's feelings, was sniveling. The other fillies quietly cleaned up. They were still in shock.
Who was Thunderlane? Why was he making their mother cry? They had to find out. So Sunset used her magic to get the tickets out of the trash, which was luckily empty. And so, all four fillies hatched a plan.