Fluttershy awoke as she heard silent giggling beside her. She yawned for a few moments, silencing the laughter. She smacked her lips and fluttered her eyes open. She raised her head from her pillow and looked to her side with a gentle smile.
Playtime was looking at her with faintly glowing eyes as she tried to keep herself from laughing out loud by covering her muzzle with her hooves. Closer to her, the new addition to the small family, Terra was doing the same, his little cheeks puffing out while covering his mouth.
Her smiled widened, leaned down and nuzzled and kissed them both with motherly love.
Terra giggled out and wrapped his little arms around her head and muzzled her back, “Morning, mommy.” He planted his own kiss on top of her muzzle.
Fluttershy fought back her tears. Every loving kiss and embrace coming from her little dragon were both heart ranching and blissful. She gently wrapped her own hooves around the little bundle and nuzzled him again. “Good morning, Terra.” She looked to her side and dragged the grown filly closer to her, sandwiching the small dragon between them, “You too, Playtime.”
“Mommy?” she looked down at her son.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Why am I not a pony like you and sister?” he asked.
“I don’t exactly know, dear.” She gently caressed his head, “But you have mommy’s eye color, so you must be my little, fluffy ball.” She pecked the star on his forehead.
Playtime nodded, “Uh-huh. You also look like daddy when he turned very little so he won’t scare the animals away.” She wrapped her hooves around him and crushed him against her chest lovingly.
“You think he might have liked me?” he asked once more while still being hugged by his sister.
“He would be proud of who you became, Terra. Don’t you forget that.” Fluttershy answered and pulled herself out of her bed, stretching out her wings and legs. “Come now, you two. Time for breakfast.” She walked over to the steps of her stairs, both Playtime and Terra quickly hopped off the bed and following after her.
Playtime and Terra were just outside their home, going around their garden. Terra sat down in front of a lone, small, closed flower and started concentrating on it. The flower started to slowly grow and bloomed out its colorful peddles in the sunlight. The grass around it also grew a few inches but stop as suddenly as it started. He plucked the flower with his mouth and ran inside. He ran around the corner to enter the kitchen.
“Mommy! Mommy!” he lightly bounced on his hunches, holding out the flower to her with a big smile.
Fluttershy looked down from the counter and smiled down at Terra. She leaned down and pecked him on the nose. She sat down herself, gently took the flower from him and put it in her mane. “Thank you very much, sweetie. Now go get your sister. Lunch is ready.” She patted him before he scurried off.
Right after, lunch, they all got ready and went out to head for Ponyville’s Carousel Boutique. As they entered the small town, Terra was riding on his sister’s back, his little limbs dangling down on either of her sides.
Playtime giggled, “I hope I didn’t tire you out too much, little brother.” She giggled once more.
“M-maybe a little.” He answered and nuzzled into his sister’s warm coat, “But worth every second, sis.” He said into her coat, earning a giggle from both his mother and sister.
As they went through town, the little family received happy waves and greetings from the local residents, but few scowled and whispered among each other. Every once in a while, she would hear them say words like, ‘Witch’ or ‘the animal cuddle’r’. Those few ponies also blamed her for bringing misery and destruction that happened years ago in their quiet little town.
One day, she believed what those ponies were saying and spent a whole day, mourning and blaming herself for everything that happened to their little town and to her family. Her friends tried their best to convince her they were wrong, but it never really worked. But, when evening came, her children hopped on the bed with her and cuddled together. Playtime’s words forever changed her that day.
“Mommy?” she whispered.
“Y-yes… ‘sniffle’… yes, dear?” she wiped her eyes and cheeks.
“If Daddy hadn’t come, then you wouldn’t have us…”
After a long moment of silence, Fluttershy’s depressive shell fell apart at the realization. Those ponies were right in some ways, but they also wouldn’t be here as well. If she hadn’t met Nebula in the forest, her children and her also, wouldn’t be here at this very moment. She wiped her eyes and cheeks a little more, spread a wing over her precious daughter and son and pulled them closer to her. She leaned in and nuzzled her daughter, smiling from ear to ear.
“Sweet dreams, Playtime.” She whispered. Then she heard a little whimper. She looked down and saw the year old Terra looking up at her. She silently giggled and nuzzled him affectionately, “You too, Terra.”
Fluttershy gently knocked on the door to the Carousel Boutique, her friend calling out from inside, “Sweetie, can you get the door, please!?” after that, they heard a set of hooves galloping over to the front entrance and opening it.
“Welcome to Rarity’s Carousel Boutique, where…” before the teenage filly could finish up her practiced speech, Playtime tackled her friend and rolled inside, Terra quickly following after them with a laugh.
The two friends wrestled around for a few moments on the floor, giggling to each other before Playtime pinned her on the floor. She sat down on her haunches and threw out her hooves in the air, “I win!”
Sweetie Belle giggled and rested onto her side, “This time, anyways.” Terra hopped up onto her side smiling happily at them. She quickly snatched him in her hooves, hugging him tightly. “How’s my favourite, fluffy, little dragon?”
Terra chuckled from the embrace, returning it in kind, “I’m good.”
“Good, because I have a surprise for you.” She let him go, seeing him grinning from ear to ear made her giggle. She got up and waved for them to follow her up stairs.
As the kids left for Sweetie’s room, Fluttershy moved on over to Rarity, the mare looking at the stairway with a smile. “Good afternoon, Rarity.” She greeted.
“Good afternoon, to you too, Fluttershy. Doing well?” she lead her friend over to her couch and both sat down.
“Mhm.” She nodded as Rarity levitated a set of cups and a steaming kettle from her kitchen.
“How about Playtime and Terra?”
“Happy as always. They’re getting a little excite that tomorrow will be the start of Terre’s first day of school.” Fluttershy held the small steaming cup Rarity given her and took a small sip.
“You think he’ll do well?” Rarity took her own sip, holding the cup in her magical grasp.
“I hope so…” she looked at her friend, “You know, you didn’t have to give him a free saddlebag. I could’ve paid for it myself.”
Rarity waved it off, “Nonsense, darling! Ponyville owes you more than it has! I’m just giving you a token of appreciation. Besides, being a single mother isn’t easy.” Rarity reached out and brushed aside her friend’s mane and spotted a silver strand sprouting out. “I wish I could do more for you, Fluttershy, I really do.” She hugged her friend tightly.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Terra’s voice echoed down the stairs, as well as his little feet. As he reached the bottom, he slipped and rolled forward a few feet. Fluttershy quickly flew over to her dazed son and pulled him in.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” she caressed his head to try and see if he was injured in anyway.
“Mmhm.” He slowly nodded and looked up at her with a smile. He took his saddlebag from his back and showed it to her. “Look what they gave me!” he said excited and looked at Rarity with a big smile. “Thank you, Rarity, for the saddlebag!” then the teenage fillies went down the stairs, “You too, Sweetie Belle! Thank you!” he said happily and hugged his new bag closely.
“Can I see you with it on?” Fluttershy asked. Terra looked up at her and nodded happily. He separated from her and put the bag over his back. He tightens the strap on his belly and posed heroically for his mother. Fluttershy gasp, covering her mouth with both hooves, “You look, stunning!” she said and looked at the little green, metal clip shaped like a leaf. If only her dragon was here to see this.
After bidding Rarity and Sweetie Belle thanks, the small family went out and went to go buy a few items for Terra for his first school day, tomorrow.
Fluttershy stocked up on parchment, bought a small jar of ink, two blue quills of her son’s choice, three pencils, a small box of crayons and a green lunchbox with its own canteen inside, and every single item fit snuggly inside Terra’s new bag. With that done, they went to the market to get groceries.
As Fluttershy moved onto the next stand, Terra was greeted by two twins by being tackled to the ground. “Hey, Terra! Miss me?” Pumpkin fluttered her eyelashes at him while resting down onto his left, touching the tip of her nose to his.
Pound made a gagging noise before he spoke, “So, Terra. Wanna come to our birthday party, tomorrow afterschool?” he asked.
“Sure! Hey, mom!” he called out as two of his friends helped him up.
Fluttershy looked back and smiled at the trio, “Yes, dear?” Playtime stuffed carrots in her saddlebag.
“Can I go to Pound and Pumpkin’s Party tomorrow!?” he asked excitedly, waggling his tail side to side with a grin.
“Of course you can, dear.” She answered.
“Mom!” she looked down the street to see Playtime at another stand, holding out a carton of eggs, “Do we need eggs!?” she yelled.
Fluttershy took out her list, scrolled down and looked back at her daughter, “Not yet, Playtime!” she answered. Playtime nodded her head and put the eggs back on the stand, nodding at the pony with a gentle smile.
When they arrived home, Terra quickly scurried up the stairs and into their shared room, the bag bouncing on his sides as he went. Fluttershy and Playtime went into the kitchen to drop off the groceries, then Playtime went up to her mother, “I’ll take of care of the animals, mom.” She said, kissed her on the cheek and went over to a bag of kibbles and dragging it out. Fluttershy rested on the still wet spot on her cheek and smiled thankfully at her daughter.
As Playtime and Terra took care of the animals, Fluttershy was in the kitchen to cook for her small family. She called out once it was finished and the trio ate happily. Once they finished, Playtime and Terra insisted to wash the dishes while telling their mother to take a break.
Fluttershy trotted out the kitchen and looked out the window to see the stars beginning to twinkle in the night sky. She smiled and went over to the door and got out. Closing the door behind her, she gazed up at the sky with a smile grin, “Hi, Nebula…” she greeted the new constellation, Nebula. The blue star located in the eye of the dragon, brightened and twinkled in reply, seemingly smiling down at her as well.
She walked a bit away from the door and gently sat down on the grass, crickets, frogs and toads filling the night air with their songs. “I re-really miss y-you.” She sniffled and wiped her tears away, “It’s getting a little h-hard without you here. ‘Sniffle’…” she smiled, “Tomorrow’s Terra’s first school day… he’s going to make good friends with his sister…” her lower lip quivered, but kept on smiling, “Playtime’s becoming a wonderful, young mare… ‘Sniffle!’ she misses you too…” she whimpered, her tears flowing down freely, but bit down on her tongue to stop herself from crying out. She whimpered a few more times, but after a moment, she took a deep breath with closed eyes, and slowly breathed out, calming herself down. “I’m so proud of them both…” she whispered in the air.
“Mommy?” Terra’s voice echoed into her ear.
She wiped her eyes and cheeks before looking back at him and Playtime with a small smile, “Yes, sweetie?”
He and Playtime got out of their home and went over to their mother, and immediately hugged her. Their tears started to soak her coat, “We love you, mom…” Playtime said to her, Terra nodding his head against her stomach.
Fluttershy wrapped her hooves, wings and tail around them both, pulling them closer to her, “We love you too…” she whispered and placed gentle kisses on their head.