//------------------------------// // Are you my Daddy? // Story: To be her Mother... // by Mayhew Cullen //------------------------------// Two young fillies were rolling on the floor in side splitting laughter at the latest derailment of the Canterlot Express. Between them was the wreckage of the aforementioned toy lying on its side in otherwise perfect condition. Crystal was the first to stop giggling and she turned to her younger cousin with a joyful grin, “That was fun Rosie, but why are you so careful with your train? You aren’t like that with your other toys.” The hoof painted wooden train was gently picked and held in Pacific Rose’s forelegs as she replied with a smile of her own, “Because daddy made it for me. It’s my treasure because it says he loves me.” She then turned the bottom of the train to face Crystal so she could read the carefully printed letters that read in bold black letters, “For my Pacific Rose, love from Daddy.” The word ‘love’ caused Chrysie’s stomach to lurch. Not in a feeling of disgust, but that of hunger. The little Pegasus had over her short lifetime begun to notice an odd taste to the air whenever she was surrounded by those who loved her. Her aunts and uncles, her cousins and friends, but more than any other she tasted the love of her mother in the sunlight and the love flowing freely from a little green star in her aunt Luna’s night sky. She had more love than she would ever need, but... she did not have a daddy... or perhaps she did and she simply did not know it. In that moment of thought Rose’s father entered the room. Weary from his hard day at work the red stallion still held the strength to happily embrace his daughter as she ran toward him calling out, “Daddy! I missed you. Did you miss me?” A joy filled, “Eeyup!” was his only response as he held his daughter, however he still managed to greet his young niece while still holding the tiny purple bundle of energy called Pacific Rose, “Howdy Chrysie. Are y’all gonna be joinin us fer supper?” Crystal wore a toothy grin as she happily emulated her big red uncle, “Eenope! Auntie Twilight is going to take me back to her castle and Uncle Spike will help me make dinner.” While the filly was proud of being able to help with dinner, Big Mac only chuckled at the thought of Twilight’s ‘castle’. It had been years since Tirek had wreaked havoc all across Equestria and in one of his last acts of vandalism he had burned Golden Oak’s Library. Still as his Granny Smith would often say, magic does what magic will and magic is what happened in the aftermath of Tirek’s defeat. A strange magical lock box, opened by his sister and her five closest friends poured its magic into the smoldering remains of the library causing a thousand years of regrowth to occur in a matter of seconds. The tree grew taller and stronger than ever. It had not only become the grand public library of Princess Twilight Sparkle, but also the Grand throne room where Twilight and the other five former bearers of the elements of harmony held their royal court. Macintosh had never seen Twilight so relieved as when her home had been restored. Pinkie’s “The Library Grew Back Celebration” lasted for days. It had taken Spike three weeks to reshelf all the out of place books. Macintosh’s reminiscing was suddenly interrupted when a lively pink filly asked childishly, “Uncle Mac, are you my daddy?” Big Mac was immediately happy that he had not been drinking some of his Wife’s freshly made lemonade as it would have no doubt ended up all over his daughter and niece after an exaggerated spit take. After finally composing himself he replied gently, “No ah’m not yer daddy, but if’n ya don’t mind me askin, why would ya think I was yer father?” “Because Daddy loves me!” Crystal joyfully exclaimed, but to say that Big Mac was confused would be a dreadful understatement. “Well how do ya know yer daddy loves ya if y’all don’t know who he is?” Obviously Macintosh had no idea how simple his niece’s logic would prove to be as he suddenly felt impressed by her reasoning. “Well, you love Rosie and Uncle Shiny loves Gleam... so my daddy has to love me too right?” The stallion couldn’t hold back a laugh at Crystal’s childish but logical argument. However the filly had other thoughts as she realized that there was another possible father candidate she would have to question... after getting to Auntie Twilight’s castle. It was then that Big Mac began wondering just who Crystal’s father was. Of course all those thoughts were erased from his mind as he watched the two resume their joyful play at wrecking the little wooden train in heavily populated areas of Equestria. He quietly observed until he heard the familiar voice of his wife as she approached from the direction of the kitchen, “Thank you so much for your help princess, this is going to make things so much easier on the kids.” “Really Mrs. Cheerilee, it’s no trouble at all and your argument was entirely valid. Like I said before, I think the neighsayers are just the noisy ponies who are afraid of change. I’m really surprised you didn’t ask me for help earlier.” Twilight replied with a smile as she entered the quaint sitting room of Macintosh and Cheerilee’s little home situated on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. She gave a small wave of recognition to the stallion as she listened to his wife’s reply. “Well, I never wanted to ask you to abuse your authority, just because you’re a friend of the family.” Twilight’s laughter was musical yet it still interrupted the speaking mare. In the resulting silence the princess spoke in her own defense, “Mrs. Cheerilee, if I were going to abuse my power in this I would have simply pulled your schoolhouse from the little hill it’s sitting on and moved it myself to your proposed destination. All I’m going to do is get the ball rolling in the right direction by having a little chat with the city council and school board reminding them who they are supposed to be working for.” Cheerilee let out a relieved chuckle at hearing Twilight’s pure intentions for her part in her upcoming proposal to Ponyville’s self-proclaimed board of education. Twilight on the other hoof had been mobbed by the two little fillies crying out in unison, “Auntie Twilight! Sunshine sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” They had both completed the dance that went along with the poem and were rewarded with a warm bout of laughter from their royal aunt. Twilight had only been alone with Cheerilee for twenty-five minutes, but the girls had already managed to start missing her. So she answered the playful greeting by using her telekinetic magic to lift the pair of fillies and rub her nose against theirs. Reluctantly she lowered Rosie and moved Crystal to her back before issuing her goodbyes and instructing the filly holding her neck to do the same. “Bye bye Rosie, Uncle Mac, Auntie Cheerio. I love you!” Twilight chuckled, the little filly had so much kindness in her heart that she seemed incapable of not loving every pony she met. The little one even occasionally spoke of two fillies she had met on the same night as the foalnapping. Crystal called them her best friends even though she hadn’t seen them since. Twilight smiled as she carried the happy filly toward the Ponyville library. It was a pleasant feeling having something small and warm clutching her neck as she walked, it reminded her of when Spike did the same thing. Nostalgia was a curious thing. “Auntie Twilight? Can you help me send a letter?” the interruption to her thoughts can suddenly and Twilight turned to her niece with a slight look of confusion. “Why do you need to send a letter, sweetheart?” Twilight asked gently as she theorized all the reasons the small filly might have. Chrysie nearly fell from her aunt’s back as she almost jumped with her response, “I need to ask Uncle Shiny something, but he is too far to talk to him. So I send him a letter.” Twilight barely held back another round of joyful laughter as she tried over and over to get Chrysie to spill the beans on the topic of her question. Of course the filly was no diabolical mastermind as she shouted the moment they entered the living area of the first floor of Twilight’s living castle, “Uncle Spike! Take a letter!” The confused dragon turned to Twilight for reassurance and was greeted with an approving nod. So quill and scroll in his claws he began writing everything Crystal said. “Dear Uncle Shiny! Are you my daddy? Love, Crystal Dream!” Regardless of his further confusion Spike was about to roll up the scroll and send it when Twilight ripped it from his grasp and tore the letter into pieces before throwing them into the fire, all in a matter of seconds. Crystal was about to ask Spike to try again when she felt the embrace of her aunt’s wings and fore hooves. The soft tone of her loving voice calmed the filly only slightly and only for a moment, “Oh Chrysie, I’m sorry, but Uncle Shining is not your daddy.” Crystal was heartbroken... if Shining Armor was not her daddy, then who was? Before her tears erupted however the calming voice of her aunt continued, “I’m curious though, what brought this up?” “Well, Rosie has a daddy and Gleamy has a daddy and Auntie Pinkie has a daddy and Auntie Rarity and Auntie Twilight...” The slight pause was enough for Crystal to have another idea about her daddy’s identity and she happily jumped on it, “Uncle Spike! Are you my Daddy?” Twilight’s laughter filled the library and Spike had to ask, “Wait what?” “Are you my Daddy?” “No Chrysie, Spike isn’t your daddy either.” Twilight quickly answered for the stunned dragon after forcing her laughter to cease. Still she wanted to get to the bottom of Crystal’s new fixation on finding her father. Her tone was now far more sober as she asked, “Tell me sweetheart; why are you trying to find your daddy?” Crystal let out a heavy sigh. She was so tired after a long day spent with her aunties in Ponyville. Even moreso now that she had failed yet again to find her daddy. She did however perk up slightly as she revealed her motivations to Twilight, “Because daddy loves me... I want him to know that I love him back.” Twilight’s heart melted. Such pure innocence that made her wish she had let Spike be the filly’s daddy... There really weren’t any ponies left that could play the part... except, “Well Chrysie, I think you only have one more option left.” A confused expression adorned Crystals face as she considered all the stallions in her life. Uncle Macintosh, Uncle Shiny, Uncle Spike, and... “Uncle Discord? Auntie Twilight! Is Uncle Discord my daddy? If he is then he would be Daddy Discord.” “That’s right Chrysie.” Twilight smiled at the filly’s expression of pure joy at finding exactly what she was looking for. Also the young princess smiled at the thought of how Discord would react. “Oh my, did somepony call my name? Was it Sunbutt’s little squirt? Or was it Chrysie?” As sudden as the voice from nowhere, Discord appeared before them in a puff of yellow smoke that smelled like burnt blueberries. Twilight smirked, unable to hold back as she thought to herself, Yeah laugh it up Discord. Prepare to meet your adorable match mister god of chaos. Crystal jumped for joy as she squealed, “I did Daddy! I said your name, um... a hundred times!” Discord was silent until he felt the filly embrace him tightly. He finally got up the nerve to ask, “That’s very sweet of you little one, but what is this all about?” Crystal only beamed brighter as she finally told her daddy exactly what she wanted him to hear, “Daddy Discord loved me all along, but I didn’t know... so now I know so I can say, ‘thank you Daddy for always loving me. I love you too.’” Much to Twilight’s amusement, Discord was speechless.