“Crescendo! For the love of Celestia, we are going to be late!”
The musical professor flinched at the tone in his one time lover's voice. “Nearly ready, Rarity, I assure you.” He refocused his gaze on his reflection and attempted to straighten his vest's collar to a satisfactory state. For whatever reason, nervousness perhaps, his magic was just not cooperating. “Durum a focus cum priorum vociferaris...”
“You've taught me enough of that blasted dead language for me to know that was a complaint, darling.” she called in a sing-song voice.
Crescendo winced and tried to fix his collar again.
A new magic took control of his collar and straightened it perfectly. Sweetie Belle smiled as her father sighed in relief and looked at her. “Better?”
“Much.” Crescendo kissed his oldest's cheek and made for the boutique's entrance where Rarity and Spike waited impatiently. “Thank you again for watching your little brother on such short notice. Maybe the next time your mother sees fit to set me up on a blind date, she'll have the courtesy to give me a touch more prep time than two hours.”
Rarity dismissed his words with a wave of her hoof. “Oh, stop your complaining, darling. It took me weeks to convince Forsythia to come along and meet you.”
“Comforting.” He muttered.
“Relax, Dad. You'll have a great time.”
Crescendo followed the young voice of his son to where he watched from the upstairs landing. “You will behave for your big sister, won't you? Promitte?”
Diminuendo, Dimmy to his family, rolled his spectacle covered eyes. “Etiam Pater.”
Crescendo used his magic to ruffle the young colt's mane. “If you behave tonight, we'll go visit that new paint store down the road first thing in the morning. I saw you staring at that new shade of yellow in the window.”
Dimmy's eyes lit up. “Promise?”
Crescendo raised a hoof. “It is my solemn vow.”
Spike chuckled as he tucked Rarity into her coat. “Forgetting something, dear?”
“Oh, thank you for reminding me, love.” The unicorn focused her gaze on her daughter. “No boys.”
Sweetie Belle's jaw dropped. “Seriously? Mom, I don't even live here anymore...”
“...which doesn't matter. You're here now. My house, my rules. No boys.” Spike raised an eyebrow to remind Rarity of something else. “And no girls.”
“MOM! THAT WAS ONE TIME!” The teen mare squeaked, her blush evident through her white coat. She glowered at the three laughing figures in the doorway. “Ha ha, very funny. But seriously, not even Applebloom?”
Rarity wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. “Don't be silly, of course she's allowed.” She looked up at Dimmy. “Just make sure you don't go hitting on some older mare, young colt.”
Dimmy said nothing, just looked away.
“Oh, I'm sorry; I thought we were in a hurry.” Crescendo opened the door.
“We are, darling.” She looked back to Sweetie Belle. “We shouldn't be late tonight.”
Once the unicorns were gone, Spike looked back. “I, uh, made a cake. You can have some, but save the gems. Those are my back up plan in case this dinner goes sour.”
Sweetie Belle nodded and shut the door behind the dragon that was now almost more like a step-father than just a friend. She exhaled and turned to the upstairs landing. “Want some cake before dinner or...”
He was already gone, the distant slam of the guest room's door the only indication that he had ever been there at all.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
“I don't get it.” Sweetie Belle took another bite of toast with fresh Zap Apple Jam on it and chewed contemplatively. “When Mom and Dad are around, he's fine. But he just ignores me when it's just us. Even when I first met him at Dad's in Fillydelphia, he acted distant unless Dad was in the room.”
Applebloom laughed and washed down her own toast with a swig of cider. “You're still getting used to the idea of being the big sibling, ain't ya? You were the baby fer years.”
“You're saying this is normal?”
“Dontcha remember all those fights you and Rarity had back when you thought you were sisters? Yer tellin' me that you never ran down the hall and slammed the door?”
Sweetie Belle looked away. “Maybe you're right.”
“A'Course I am.” Applebloom gathered the dishes she'd brought over and winked at her best friend. “I've always been the youngest, after all.”
“So, based on your expert opinion, you're absolutely certain this is all normal?”
“Sweetie Belle, none of this is normal. Look at this from Dimmy's perspective; does he have any other siblings?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Three. His mom has three little fillies with her second husband.”
Applebloom waved her hooves in a 'there you have it' gesture. “So he's used to being the oldest sibling. And suddenly he's got another sister. A much older sister.”
Sweetie Belle mock pouted. “Not that much older...”
“Oh hush. Soon yer gonna have more grey hairs than your mama's able to hide.”
They laughed and hugged. “Thanks for coming over.” Sweetie Belle said when they parted.
“Anytime.” She raised an eyebrow. “So... when should I tell Button it's safe to come over?”
Sweetie Belle grinned. “I don't know if the old folks are gonna have a night-cap, so better make it closer to two in the morning.”
Applebloom gave a small salute and headed out the door. “Tell Dimmy I said 'Hi' when he finally comes down.”
Sweetie Belle nodded and closed the door behind the young earth pony. Filled with new resolve and confidence, she mounted the stairs and marched down the hall to the guest room. She raised a hoof and knocked three times. “Dimmy?”
“What?”
“You hungry?”
“No.”
“Are you sure? Spike made a cake...”
“Yes.”
Something about his tone was bothering her. She lit her horn and turned the door knob. “What are you doing in here?” The door swung open and her eyes widened at what she saw; the guest room was in pristine condition, the bed made and the pallet on which Dimmy had slept neatly folded in the corner.
Dimmy was in the midst of piling his clothes and art supplies into one of his bags.
“Going somewhere?” She asked with a smile.
He didn't look at her, just continued packing. “Just getting ready for when me and Dad leave tomorrow.”
“In a hurry to get home?”
“I'm in a hurry to get out of Ponyville.”
Sweetie Belle gaped at the cold tone in his voice and started forward. “That's not a very nice thing to say, Dimmy.”
“Not in a very nice mood, Sweetie Belle.”
An old irritation began to coil in her chest, something she hadn't felt in ages.
Sibling irritation.
“You want to tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can make it better.”
He squeezed the suitcase shut and carried it over to the others. He still refused to look at her. “No, I really don't think you can.”
Sweetie Belle's response stopped in her throat when she saw a scrapbook sitting on the room's big dresser. Her emerald magic surrounded the book and lifted it into the air. “You forgot this one. Is it some of your drawings...?”
With a cry, he leaped into the air and tackled the book onto the ground. He glared at her. “That's mine.” he hissed.
Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes. “There's no need to be rude, Dimmy...”
“STOP CALLING ME THAT!”
His shout was so loud, so unexpected, that she actually took a step backwards. “What...?”
“My name is Diminuendo! Dim-in-u-en-do!” he emphasized each syllable as though he were talking to an infant. "The only ones allowed the call me Dimmy are my family!” His rage was boiling now.
“But I'm your sister...”
“NO YOU'RE NOT!” He slammed the scrapbook down. “You... you... you're just one of Dad's college mistakes.”
His words hit her like a brick.
In the silence that followed, the only sound was Dimmy's panting breaths.
Finally, she broke his gaze and left the room. “I... I'll check on you later.”
She heard him slam the door behind her but didn't look back. She couldn't chance him seeing her tears.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
In the quiet tranquility of her room, Sweetie Belle was finally finding some semblance of calm after crying her eyes out, her head resting on her bed's feather pillows.
She was in such a calm, quiet place that she actually screamed when a knock came from her window.
“Shhhh!” the muffled voice of her colt-friend came from through the glass. “Do you want to wake up the whole neighborhood?”
“Button Mash!” Her magic opened the window and pulled the young earth pony into her room in one swift motion. “I told Applebloom two in the morning! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”
He shrugged. “Maybe. After all, I have a little one every time I think about you.”
She rolled her eyes and planted a kiss on his lips. “You are so cheesy.”
“You love it.”
“Yes I do.” She looked to the window. “How did you get up here...?”
He brushed off her question with another kiss. “Details, princess.” He looked at her face with concern. “Have you been crying?”
She nodded and sat back on her pillows. “I got into an argument with Dimmy.”
“Your brother? What in Equestria about?”
She sighed and stared at the bedspread. “He said I wasn't his sister. He said I was a mistake.”
Button's gaze hardened. “Which room is he in?”
“Stop.” She giggled and lightly tapped his chest. “You wouldn't beat up a colt.”
“Who said anything about beating him up? Just gonna have some words with him... but I suppose that's your Dad's job, isn't it?”
She shook her head. “I'm not gonna tell him he said anything.”
Button Mash blanched. “Why not?”
She shrugged and snuggled into his chest. “I dunno. Just seems like something that should be settled between us. I'm gonna go talk to him again once we've both cooled down a little bit.”
Button inhaled the scent of her mane and kissed the top of her head. “Want me to come along?”
“No. You're not supposed to be here, remember?”
He chuckled and trailed a hoof down her spine. “But I am here, aren't I? So...” He grimaced as her magic caught his hoof just as it reached her tail. “The perils of dating a unicorn...” he muttered.
She laughed and craned her neck up to kiss him. “Let me deal with this tonight and I promise I'll make it up to you. Anything you want.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Anything?”
“Name it.”
Button Mash grinned mischievously. “My house, this Saturday, Grogar's Revenge.”
She smiled. “Didn't we play that at our first sleep-over?”
Button nodded. “Only difference is that my Mom won't be in town to walk in on us this time.”
She laughed and kissed him, deeper this time. “It's a date.”
He made for the window and looked back at her. “You sure you've got this?”
“Yep.”
“Good.” He looked out the window and gulped. “Uh, don't suppose you could help me down?”
"Details, huh?" she giggled uncontrollably as her magic lifted him out of the window and down to the ground. She watched as he tipped his silly little spinning cap and vanished into the night.
With the window shut, Sweetie Belle steeled herself and headed back towards the guest room.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Dimmy didn't look at her when she reentered the room. “I... I'm sorry about what I said.” he whispered.
She crossed the room and sat next to him on the bed. “I know. It still hurt.”
“I said I was sorry.”
She looked down at him. “What's bothering you? Really? Dad always says you're so chipper and full of life... but when he's not around you kind of act like a lump.”
Dimmy shrugged and pushed his glasses up his nose. “It's complicated.”
“I thought my Mom was my sister until I was your age.” She laughed at the stunned look on his face. “Try me.”
Dimmy sighed and ran a hoof across his scrapbook's cover. “I don't know...”
“Do you not like me? Or Mom? Or Spike?”
“No!” He waved his hooves and shook his head. “You and Rarity are really nice. And Spike is the coolest!”
“I'll be sure to tell him you said that.” Sweetie Belle said with a laugh. “Then what is it?”
“The problem is that you guys are so nice and cool that... that maybe you'll make Dad not like Mom anymore.”
“I don't understand.”
He smiled up at her, the braces on his teeth shining in the light. “Things are finally starting to fall together, y'see. Sneak's gone, and now all I have to do is get them in the same place. Then they'll realize that they still love each other and...”
“Hold on a second.” Sweetie Belle held up a hoof to stop him. “I still don't see what that has to do with my Mom and Spike.”
“Well... I think my Dad still likes your Mom.”
The absurdity of the statement would have made Sweetie Belle laugh if it weren't for the serious look on Dimmy's face when he said it. “I really don't think that's the case. And besides, that still has nothing to do with...”
“But it does!” Dimmy's smile faded and he looked at her with desperate eyes. “Even if he only likes her a little bit, he'll still pick her because she doesn't have problems like Mom does!”
“Problems?”
“She...” Dimmy slapped his hooves over his mouth and shivered in horror at what he had almost revealed.
“She what?”
“I... I'm not supposed to tell anypony.”
Sweetie Belle stared as tears began to leak from Dimmy's eyes. “Tell anypony what?”
Dimmy's last reserves began to falter. “Please don't make me tell!” he pleaded. “If Dad finds out, he'll never get back with Mom... she'll never get... get better...” he began to sob and threw himself into Sweetie Belle's chest.
On instinct, she closed her forelegs about him and brushed his mane, shushing him and telling him it was going to be alright.
He cried and cried.
And then he told her everything.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It was just after midnight when the two unicorns and the purple dragon re-entered Carousel Boutique.
“Thank you, my dear Rarity, for the most mortifying evening of my adult life.” Crescendo snorted in irritation as he tossed his scarf onto the nearby rack. “Now, please direct me to the liquor stores so that I may, as my grandfather was so fond of saying, 'surge malleis super paxillum in site amet.'”
“I had a good time.” Spike muttered, trying to mask the growling in his stomach and starting to sidle his way to where his cake lay in the kitchen.
“As did I.” Rarity's magic lifted her coat onto the rack perfectly. “Besides, how was I supposed to know Forsythia would duck out mid-way through dinner?”
“She 'ducked out' to sneak the waiter into the mare's room.” Crescendo muttered.
“...she's more Suri's friend than mine anyway.” Rarity sniffed and headed for the kitchen.
Crescendo and Spike shared a look and a laugh before the distinct sound of a mare clearing her throat appeared above them. Crescendo smiled at his eldest. “How was everything?”
The look on her face drowned the humor from the room in an instant.
“Sweetie Belle? Are you okay?” Spike asked.
Sweetie Belle nodded and looked at Crescendo. “I'm fine. But I think you need to talk to Dimmy. It's about...”
Crescendo was up the stairs and down the hall before she'd finished her sentence.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It was an hour later when Rarity found Crescendo, slumped over and staring at the ground as he sat just outside the Boutique's front door. Dimmy's scrapbook sat by his side. “Please come inside. It's cold.”
He shook his head.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “I had a feeling you'd say something like that.” She lowered the blanket she'd been levitating over him and tucked it about him. That done, she pulled her own coat tighter and sat beside him. “Well? How is he?”
Crescendo raised his head and looked out at the sleeping Ponyville. “It's called Nimbus.” he muttered.
“Nimbus?”
“It's a narcotic, a drug infused cloud that some ne'er do wells in Neigh Orleans cooked up. It's mostly used by pegasi, but I happen to know that there are some unicorns and earth ponies who have fallen under it's spell. You, uh, inhale it slowly and it creates a sense of euphoria. You don't worry about anything or anypony... and it lasts for hours.” He shook, whether from the cold or something else, Rarity could not tell. “Arpeggio started using it in school. She was still using it when we started dating. I actually joined her in using some in her apartment one night.” He chuckled darkly. “It made me sick to my stomach, and she laughed at me. Called me a light weight. When she got pregnant, I made her promise to quit.”
Rarity lowered her head. “When did she start using again?”
“I caught her huffing in the kitchen during Dimmy's sixth birthday party. We fought, many underlying issues came to light... and she skipped town two months later when Sneaky Spangle came to call, promising her a whirlwind of adventure and excitement.” He chuckled again and pawed at the frozen ground. “I thought that fool would have had the sense to stop her when he saw how bad she was.”
“Crescendo... what did Dimmy tell you?”
The grey-maned unicorn inhaled and exhaled in two great breaths. “Sneak left Peg six months ago. He took the triplets with him.”
“He abandoned her?!” Rarity gasped.
Crescendo shook his head. “He found out how much of their finances were going towards her habit. He tried to get her to stop, but it was too late. She was just too far gone. He left to protect his children.” His breath hitched. “At least he could protect his children...”
Rarity reached for him. “Crescendo...”
“She's so far gone!” he croaked, pulling away from her touch. “She manages to pull it together when she comes to pick up Dimmy, but then she just spends the rest of her time in bed and riding the cloud! Dimmy cooks and cleans up after her and does his best to keep her dealers from taking advantage of her but he's just a boy and he loves his mother so much and DAMN IT ALL!” A nearby barrel lit with magic and exploded. “And Dimmy always makes it back to me and doesn't say a word. Not a word.” Crescendo's shoulders began to shake with great wracking sobs. “Why couldn't I see it? Why...? I'm... I'm a t-t-terrible father...”
Rarity wrapped her hooves about him and held him as he wept like a child. “Stop. You are a wonderful father.” she whispered. “Sweetie and Dimmy love you very much.”
Crescendo wailed. “She says the most awful things to him. She says she never wanted him. That he was just a mis-mistake.”
Rarity paused. “Did she want him?”
Crescendo shook his head again. “No... no I don't think she did. She got pregnant while we were engaged.” Calmer now, he just sniffled. “I was thrilled. I always wanted a big family. She was... less enthused.” He coughed and wiped at his snout. “But who says something like that to a colt Dimmy's age? Especially when he's her own flesh and blood?”
Rarity could say nothing.
Spike poked his head out the door and stared at the unicorns. “...everything okay out here?”
Rarity smiled at him. “Love, would you be a dear and fetch Crescendo a brandy?”
His lover's batting eyelashes informed the dragon that this was not a request. He rolled his eyes and headed back inside.
“Look at me, shivering and crying in a blanket like a foal.” Crescendo sniffed and wiped at his eyes as Rarity pulled away. “Well, I suppose I'm owed one night of acting foalish before the bitter work begins.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What else can I do? I have to take Peg back to court. I have to get sole custody of Dimmy.”
Rarity nodded. “It would probably be for the best.”
Crescendo looked up into the starry sky. “I suppose I have to look for a bigger apartment then. My current abode is nowhere near big enough for a growing lad like Dimmy to live in year round...”
“Rarity?” Spike had returned. He passed a glass of warm brandy to Crescendo who accepted it gratefully. “Has anypony moved into Fluttershy's old cottage since Scootaloo moved to Cloudsdale University?”
Rarity tapped her chin in thought. “Why... no. It's just sitting there, isn't it? It's the most darling little cottage. Plenty of room for two bachelors.”
Crescendo laughed as he sipped the brandy. “I appreciate the thought, but...”
“And the school.” Spike butted in. “Miss Cheerilee is renowned across Equestria as one of the finest educators of the past twenty years. She even helped Sweetie Belle to graduate.” A magically tossed book struck the back of his head. “Just joking.” he called back as Sweetie Belle walked up the stairs huffily.
“That's all fine and good, but I could hardly teach from...”
“And a private singing instructor would be in high demand around here, I assure you.” Rarity smiled warmly.
Crescendo looked at the pair and marveled at them. “Why? Why are you being so kind?”
Spike sat heavily on the stoop behind the unicorns, his fiery core warming them. “Because we're your family now, Crescendo. And that's what families do for each other.”
Rarity nodded and kissed her beloved drake. “Well said, love.”
Crescendo shook his head in disbelief. “Some family we are. A drunken professor, a seamstress, her dragon lover...”
“...and two amazing young unicorns.” Rarity finished for him.
He raised his glass in salute before draining it.
Spike noticed the scrapbook by Crescendo's side. “Is that Dimmy's?”
Crescendo smiled as the dragon picked the book up and began to leaf through it. “The boy's quite the artist. Not much of a singer, though...”
“Special talents are not genetic.”
“Tell that to Sweetie Belle.”
Spike made several impressed noises. “These are really good.” He paused on one page and narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Uh, what is this one exactly?” He held out the book so Rarity and Crescendo could see the page in question; it was covered completely in black paint save two glowing emerald eyes.
Crescendo nodded. “Peg and I were confused about that one too at first. You see, when Dimmy was younger he had an imaginary friend. Well, he might still have him and just not told me about it out of embarrassment. When he was about three, I asked him to draw me what Rex looked like. That is the result.”
“Rex?” Rarity laughed airily. “His imaginary friend had a dog's name?”
Crescendo peered at her. “My dear, I have been filling my son's head with ancient unicorn since the day he was born. In our household, Rex was no dog's name. 'Rex' means 'King.'” He tapped at the bottom of the page. “Years later, I advised Dimmy that he needed to go back and name his works.”
Spike looked closer at the scrawled title. “'Rex Autem Tristes.'”
Rarity closed her eyes in concentration. “Let me see... Is it... 'the Sad King?'”
“Very close.” Crescendo gazed upon his son's most mysterious work. “The actual translation is 'somber.' 'The Somber King.'”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Still gloating from her perfect shot to the back of Spike's head, Sweetie Belle peered into the guest room. Dimmy was tucked into the guest bed itself, the light long since switched off. “Hey. You awake?”
“Yeah.” came the hoarse reply.
She carefully made her way to the bed and looked down at him. “You okay?”
The colt sniffed and nodded. “I guess so.” He looked up at her with weak eyes, tired from his crying. “Do you think Dad hates me now?”
“No! Of course he doesn't.” She stroked a stray blonde hair down flat and smiled. “You were really brave, telling him what you did.”
Dimmy rolled over under the covers. “Things are gonna be bad now, aren't they?”
She considered lying, but then decided she owed him better than that.“Maybe. But only for a little while. And your big sister's gonna be here for you no matter what. Plus your Dad, my Mom, and Spike. We'll all be here for you, Diminuendo.”
He was silent for a moment, and then he looked back at her. “You... you can call me Dimmy.”
“I was hoping.” she laughed and headed back towards the hallway light.
“Sweetie Belle?”
“Hmmm?”
“...thank you.”
“For what?”
“For listening.” he yawned. “...Love you... sis.” he muttered, his voice thick with sleep.
Sweetie Belle walked back to him and kissed the top of his head. “Love you too. Sweet dreams.” He was already beginning to snore. She quietly slipped out of the room and closed the door as slowly and gently as she could. She looked at his small sleeping form one last time and let out a final whisper before the door clicked shut.
“Good night, little brother. Good-night.”