//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7 
// Story: Maybe Love Bites Twice 
// by Fat1thatyoulove 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 7 – Hooves out

The early morning sun well over most of the crystal buildings as it continues to shine down its warming rays. Despite the fact that it is still a little early the light refracting through the crystal made structures around the city's main street glows with a bright and cheerful coloring.

The colorful lights that sit a little to the simple light blue street however bring no interest to the light purple mare. Instead, her focus has been to the ponies around the street she tries to refrain from getting to close to, for fear of one of them bumping into her a little to hard.

A loud and slightly annoying intake of air comes up from the stallion on her left as Sparky's voice rings out, "We should really move to the outer part of the city."

Violet's ear flicks to the comment as she just squints to the stallion with a, why? Like look.

Sparky notices the mare's stare as he nods to the more spaced out buildings around them, "Well it's a lot more like Ponyville’s main street." He takes another deep breath as he smiles, "And that hard stone like smell is not that bad out here."

The mare just rolls her eyes to the comment as she nods her head back to the road behind them.

It takes a moment for the pegasus to pick up on the gesture, but with a pretty good guess of what she means he speaks up, "It's not really that far from the castle" The stallion turns his eyes back to the castle that still sits a decent way from them."

A slight laugh comes up from the stallion as he turns back to the more open fields of green that sit to the empire's outer area, "Come on, you don't miss Ponyville a little?"

The comment turns the mare's head as she starts to take a look around the fields to either side of her. But she does not agree to the stallion's comment as she just continues to trot along.

Sparky just sighs to the mare's turned eyes as he adjust his wings from the two satchels he has around him, "You'll like Ponyville again when you get back."

As his words come down he turns his attention to the crystal and dark wood train station that starts to get within a short gallop. However, his eyes shift from their set goal as he, like the majority of other ponies around him look to the sky for some reason.

The strange impulse to look up holds Sparky's trot as he just blinks to the clear blue sky. But his stare is brought to an end as the mare that has moved a little in front of him tugs to his mane with her low glowing horn.

Sparky brings his eyes down as he gives a slight chuckle, "I have no idea why I stopped kind of wer-..."

Before the stallion's words can reach their end a loud and unexpected sound of lightning cracking over head cuts his sentence off.

The sound brings Sparky's head up as he looks to a bizarre stream of green, pink and gold light almost like a rainbow. But, instead of the normal defined lines of a rainbow these colors seem to be smeared across the sky, stranger still it seems to be growing.

Sparky blinks to the sight in the sky as he reaches his hoof out towards the mare, "Violet do you se-..."

Sssshhhiiiizzzzzzz

The sound piercing noise brings Sparky's hooves back to his ears as he stumbles back a little, however as he quickly brings his eyes open he stares to a bright blue wall of magic that has formed in front of him.

The pegasus quickly springs forward as he shouts to the mare on the other side, "Violet?! Violet?!"

Sparky's words go unheard to the pregnant mare as she just stares dumbfounded to the wall of magic that has popped up in between them.

But her gaze to the wall is quickly changed as she snaps her head towards the bright sky and swirling colors above her. The three colored lights have now started to spin together, and from the whipping mane on Violet's head there must be some force to it.

Sparky bangs his hoof to the wall in front of him as he screams out, "Violet, can you hear me!? Violet?!"

The mare does not turn her head as she just continues to stare to the bright colors that lay only to the sky behind the wall.

However, the sight of the mare is quickly brought to an end as the wall of magic glows bright with the white similar to that of the sun's, which quickly forces Sparky to turn his eyes.

His heart pounds as he shoots his eyes open and quickly back towards the wall of magic, however as he stares out into the world outside of the wall he is left with a completely different scene.

The bright green fields with spring flowers that roll towards the woods and crystal train station are now bare with bright white fires burning to them. No train tracks are visible and the train station is no where to be seen, but the thing that now has the stallion slamming his body full force towards the wall is the absent mare that no longer stands behind this wall of magic.

"VIOLET!!"

Sparky's voice is weak as he feels himself starting to break down as he continues to stare into the fiery world that lays behind the bubble of magic he is trapped in.

But just as he feels himself starting to lose his mind out of fear the scene in front of him turns dark.

Sparky's mouth quivers to the impossibly black screen that sits outside of the magical wall. The dark world outside quickly changes again as a purpley green wisp of what looks like magic starts to form in front of where Sparky stands.

The form quickly starts to take shape as two green and red eyes open to face directly towards the pegasus.

Sparky just blinks to the sight behind the wall of magic as he speaks up in a low shaky voice, "S-Sombra?"

The figure takes on a ghostly like shape as it gets a little closer, with each inch it comes closer the dark gray coat and outline of the pony gets a little more visible.

And just as it seems that Sombra is about to walk right into the wall of magic the world around Sparky disappears into nothing but a simple black background, to which the stallion pays no mind.

"Hello Sparky..."

The red horn of the stallion slowly starts to form from the shadows around Sombra as his echoey voice continues to ring out, "...I must choose my words carefully, or your mind might kick me out. My friend you must understand this dream if you wish to safe yourself and your mare."

Just as the words ring out Sombra's figure starts to fade and the stallions green eyes look up towards where the sky once sat.

Sparky's heart pounds as he blinks to the fading figure in front of him, "W-what?! TELL me! Tell what you want? Sombra? Sombra..."

- - -

Sparky's whispers slowly bring the sweaty stallion awake as he quickly sits up in the bed. His hooves dart to his tear filled eyes as he desperately tries to remember something from the fading nightmare he was just stirred from.

His slightly frantic motions start to disturb the sleeping mare next to him as Violet clenched her eyes a little tighter all the while trying to pull the blanket that was just moved back over her.

The mare's early morning noises flicks Sparky's ear as he quickly turns to the mare and wraps his hooves around her, "Violet!"

The tight grip the mare has just been locked to quickly flings her eyes open as she tries to push herself from the stallion's hold.

Sparky is a little reluctant to let go but he does as Violet begins to use her magic to pull his mane.

As she frees herself she brings her hooves up as she gives an annoyed and rushed comment.

"I-I just had a horrible nightmare."

The mare blinks to the stallion's sweaty chest and face as he continues, "It-it was us and we were going to the train station and-and then this wall split us and I was trapped in the city! And then everything was on fire! And Sombra...muffpp-..."

Sparky's mouth is warped shut as Violet gives a silent sigh, but her magic is brought to an end as she slowly sets her head back to the pillow.

To the absent magic Sparky brings his voice up a little more as he continues, "I-I don't think we should go to Ponyville today."

Violet cocks her head to the stallion as she gives a silent laugh, her hoof slowly comes to Sparky's mouth as she holds her smile.

Sparky just blinks to the mare's reaction, but before he can bring his voice up Violet starts her hooves up.

Her comment brings a fast response from the stallion as he shakes his head, "W-what? What does me being worried about being a dad have to do with a dream like this?!"

The mare holds her little smile as she continues to just stare up to his serious face from her pillow. Again her hooves come up as she moves just a little close to the stallion.

Sparky just shakes his head to the mare as he sits up a little more, "No, Violet this dream was way too real and-..."

His words are cut off as Violet brings a hoof to his, as she wraps her hoof around his she guides it towards her large belly. Sparky bites his tongue hard not wanting to make the mare mad, especially seeing as how her mood swings could be at any moment. His pause has however started to allow his mind to doubt his own experience as he starts to entertain Violet's reason.

She brings Sparky's hoof to rest over her belly as she turns a little more to her back to bring her hooves up for a quick comment.

Sparky slowly grinds his teeth as he waits for the mare's lengthy words to come to an end, and as they do he slowly brings his voice up, "M-maybe we can send a letter to your mom huh? I mean all I have to do is take one to the library and they can send it to her with magic."

Violet rolls her eyes to the comment as she turns her head towards the still early morning sun that peeks over the city. But, she does bring her head back to the stallion as she sparks up a comment.

Sparky nods to her as he speaks up, "Ya we don't have to be at the station until noon, it only takes a few minutes for me to get to the library, and I can just tell her to send it back to the library."

The mare gives a little nod as she sighs.

"Alright i'll be back in a little." Sparky quickly moves from the bed as his voice rings out, but as he does his back leg gets tangled a little to the bed's covers and he tumbles to the ground.

The unpleasant rush of cooler air brings Violet to push herself up from the coverless bed as she just stares towards where the stallion fell.

Sparky quickly frees himself from the covers as he picks them from the ground and places them back to the bed, "S-sorry Violet."

The mare just rolls her eyes as she starts to move towards the side of the bed.

"You don't have to get up, we still have a few hours before we have to leave." The stallion's words bring the mare's horn up as she shakes her head and starts to float the covers of the bed up and into the air to make the bed.

Sparky holds his head down a little as he trots towards the door, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Violet just nods her head as she glares a little to the bed she was brought from.

The mare's stare goes unnoticed as Sparky makes quick words of the short staircase towards the stairs. Violet's spell begins to come to its end as she turns her attention to the hall, and then more importantly to the bathroom.

Sparky's trot down the stairs is quick as he turns his attention to the kitchen table, his wings flair out a little as he starts to think out loud, "Okay Sparky it was just a dream...But lets send a letter just to make sure there's no random colors in the sky in Ponyville."

His words pause his trot as he stands in the kitchen, "Oh man...I hope i'm not getting all those dreams Mr.Sparkle talked about." Sparky shakes the thought out of his head as he speaks up, "Paper...paper...paper-Ah!" The pegasus quickly takes himself from the ground as he grabs a sheet of paper and then turns back to the table to write something down with the pen Violet used to write the note she left out yesterday, which still sits to the table.

The pegasus's hoof writing has never been as good as Violet, and truthfully the majority of letters sent out are written by her, but despite this fact Sparky continues to try to bring his racing mind to words.

The sound of heavier hooves to the stairs start to clap to the house as the light purple mare just blinks to the stallion that hovers next to the kitchen table as he struggles to finish the letter he wanted to write.

Violet squints to the stallion's almost rushed hoof movements as she gets a little closer, but she only watches out of the corner of her eye as she trots past the stallion and instead more into the kitchen.

"There done." Sparky's hoover moves more towards the living room as he turns to the mare, "Alright I'll be back in a few minutes alright?"

Violet just nods her head as she continues to stare into the fridge to allow her mind to pinpoint which unbearable craving she has this morning.

Sparky moves to the door as he scoops up the satchel from the spot underneath the key rack. But just as he stuffs the letter into his bag the door on his left rings out with the sound of somepony knocking.

The sound actually catches Sparky off guard for the moment as he turns to open it.

However as he looks over the dark cream coated stallion at the door his voice comes up with a friendly and slightly confused tone, "Hey Aerolight?"

Sparky's eyes slowly drift to the pale green mare next to the young stallion, but as no name comes to mind he turns back to Aerolight.

Aerolight gives a little smile as he speaks up, "Hey Sparky, is Violet home? We were hoping she could show us around the crystal castle-..."

Before his words can come to an end the mare on his right leans into him as a girly like squall of glee runs from her, "Like OH my Celestia, I totally did not believe you were like related to Thee Violet Sparkles."

The mare's voice may be a little high pitched, but her realistic excitement brings a slight smile to Sparky's face as the mare pokes her head a little more towards him with a playful whisper, "I totally didn't believe him when he said our date was seeing the Crystal Empire!"
Sparky gives a friendly little chuckle as he speaks up, "Ya... Um-."

The pegasus's slight stutter is saved as the light purple mare comes next to him in the doorway.

Aerolight's eyes widen to the mare's puffed outsides as he takes a step into the house, "Hey Violet." The mare next to Aerolight losses her smile for the moment as she looks over the other mare in front of her.

Despite Violet's weight she is able to bring her right front leg up as she gives the young stallion a little hug.

Sparky moves aside as he allows Aerolight and the mare to come inside.

The flashy smile to Aerolight's face brings his voice up a little more to his normal tone as he turns to the pegasus in the room, "I knew you got my sister pregnant but I didn't think you would be having twins."

Sparky's eyes widen to the comment as he quickly and nervously shakes his head, "N-no we're not having twins."

Aerolight playfully turns his attention back to the mare as he holds his smile, "Maybe you should lay off the cupcakes huh?"

The comment rolls Violet's eyes as she forces herself to keep her hooves on the ground instead of trying to risk a comment. Sparky however does speak up for her as he tosses a comment to the young stallion, "Well maybe somepony would know more about his sister if he came out of the shadows more than once a year."

Minty just stands silent in the room as she watches the two stallions going back and forth with a slight smirk to her face.

"Pff..." Aerolight just rolls his hoof to Sparky as he speaks up, "No normal pony gets this big after five months." His flashy smile holds as he turns back to the mare, "But then again when have we been normal?"

The comment brings a slight wheezing laugh to Violet as she turns her attention back to the kitchen table to sit down.

Minty however brings her voice up as she holds her girly tone, "You know I hear some unicorns can have an early pregnancy like nine months or something."

Sparky's ear flicks to the mare's voice as he shakes his head, "No, we've been careful with everything."

A slight smile comes to Minty's face as she nods, "Of course..."

As her words end she turns her attention to the stallion next to her as she bumps Aerolight a little, "So are we going to the castle?"

Aerolight is silent for a moment as he shifts his head between the two ponies in the room, "Oh this is Minty Hooves everypony." A slight chuckle comes up from the stallion as he continues, "And we were wondering if one of you could give us a tour of the castle."

Minty quickly takes over as her excited voice comes out, "Yes of course, I have always wanted to see the castle." She brings her hoof up to her mouth as she continues, "...C-could we see the Crystal Heart as well?"

Violet's ear flicks to the mare's comment as she turns her gaze to Sparky for the moment.

The light orange pegasus pauses for a moment as he tries to speak up, "Uh...Well Aerolight we were actually planning on going to Ponyville to see everypony today, after I send a letter."

"OH, do you mean like your parents?" Minty taps Aerolight as she continues, "Didn't that StoneGem tell you your mom and dad where getting summoned by Celestia?"

Aerolight just blinks to the mare's words as he speaks up, "O-oh ya."

Minty playfully taps Aerolight again as she looks to Sparky and Violet, "He took me along when he took today off for our little trip, isn't that right Aerolight?"

The stallion just nods to the comment as he tries to give a little smile to Sparky and Violet's stares.

"Wait? So your mom and dad are not in Ponyville?" Sparky holds his ears up to the next words as he impatiently waits for Aerolight to continue.

With a nod the young stallion brings his voice up, "Ya, Celestia wanted them." His voice slowly comes down as he continues, "Yesterday Luna attacked Celestia, and it may be because of the elements of harmony."

Sparky and Violet's eyes go wide as the stallion speaks up for their confusion, "Whoa whoa what do you mean?!"

Despite the news Minty's expression holds no surprise, but her reaction is not what everypony focuses on as Aerolight slowly rubs his neck with his hoof, "Well we're not supposed to say anything right now...But I figure Cadence or Shining will tell you."

"W-well we just got up and I haven't gone to check the mail yet." A slight smile comes to Sparky's face as he lowers his head.

His comment however flick's Violet’s ear as she quickly brings her hooves up to him.

Sparky shakes his head as she speaks up, "N-no I said I sent the letter yesterday...But I came straight home after work because it was raining."

Violet just rolls her eyes as she pulls out a few chairs from the table as she motions Aerolight to sit down.

However he stalls for the moment as he slightly shifts his eyes to the mare.

Sparky notices his shifting eyes as he speaks up, "Well our tickets are royal tickets...So we can go any day." He turns his head to Violet as he repeats his comment from earlier, "I don't think we should go to Ponyville today."

Violet nods to the comment as Sparky continues, "Tell us what happened."

Minty turns her eyes to the clock in the room for the moment as she trots towards the table, Aerolight quickly follows after her.

End of chapter 7