First of all, I am so sorry this chapter took so long. I was totally blind-sided by Cadance wanting to adopt Kaye, I spent weeks trying to figure out what to do, until I realised recently that I was just procrastinating, and that... is not fair to you, readers. I forgot the spirit I had when I first started this story, where I was going to try to only have a vague outline for the story, and just let things happen. Lately I've tried to plan this story out more, and it wasn't working, and it was only this morning in the midst of the snow-storm that I was approaching it wrong.
So as we approach the two-year mark of when this story was first published, I just wanted to apologize, and say that I hope to get more chapters out there, now that I'm trying to return to the spirit of this story. I apologize if it isn't as funny as normal, but I'm still getting back into the swing of things. (That, and you all bullied me into adding the Comedy tag in the first place...)
But enough rambling! Enjoy the new chapter!
“You… you want to what?” Shining Armour asked, jaw dropping as he blinked.
I… huh? But- she can’t, that’s not… She’s cheating! She can’t do that! Come on, what’syourface! Talk some sense into your wife!
“But… Cadance, this isn’t something you can just… just rush into! We don’t even understand what she’s saying! Cadance, I- you know I love you, and I know why you want this, but I can’t… I can’t agree to this. Not with so much…”
The stallion waved a forehoof around, searching for the right word to use.
“Instability?”
He looked to me, raising an eyebrow. I blinked, then fore-pawed as I was reminded for the upteenth time that they couldn’t understand me.
“He said instability,” Wisp answered for me.
Cadance blinked, before narrowing her eyes at her husband. “Instability? What, pray tell, is unstable about a married couple with steady jobs, especially when we’re already expecting? How is that-”
“You’re pregnant?!” Twilight and Rarity exclaimed, eyes growing wide as they looked at each other. “Eeeeeeee!”
“I’m going to be an aunt!” Twilight began jumping around in circles.
“Foal clothes!” Rarity added, clasping her hooves to her chest as stars appeared in her eyes.
“Rapid mood swings!” I added, my tail beginning to swish back and forth.
*Whack!*
I rubbed the back of my head, not needing to turn to recognize the feeling of frozen claws rending my skin apart. “What, it’s still true,” I grumbled.
*Bop!*
While I rolled on the floor, clutching my throbbing head, Wisp and Crystal exchanged a high-paw. The jerks.
“Well, congratulations Cay,” Blueblood said as he gave Cadance a quick nuzzle. “I suppose it’s far too early to know what he or she might be?”
Cadance looked torn for a moment, before hugging Kaye once more. “Later. Right now, I think Kaye needs more love.”
“Huh? But I gets love!” Kaye replied, tilting her head. She looked past Cadance’s forelegs around her body to look at Luna before turning to Crystal and I. “They play with me all the time and stuff! They’re my fambily; they said so!”
“Yeah!” I cried, a paw shooting up from my position on the ground. “We Eeveelutions stick together! Especially when they’re adorable!”
“Even if one certain one is a half-brained moron who can’t keep his trap shut,” Crystal said somewhere behind me.
And you know? I think that was a very horrible, mean-spirited thing to say! I mean, come on! Poor Moony isn’t even here to defend himself! That’s just cruel.
“Hey!” Kaye pipped up, narrowing her eyes at us. “Dun say scan… scar… sacrilegious things ‘bout Moony! He is not a moron, so take that back!”
Hell yeah! Take that, Crystal! Kaye is taking my side! I actually win for once!
“We wish to partake in the offer of tea you made earlier, niece Cadance,” Luna spoke up, cutting through our conversation. “Could we start making our way? I am sure much of what We wish to discuss should be kept private.”
We all looked around at the crowd of gem-like ponies that was gathering as excited whispers started making their way around the crowd. Cadance chuckled weakly, glancing at her subjects. “You uh, didn’t hear that, did you?”
“The Empress is having a foal!” half of the sparkling ponies shouted. Several of them immediately split up from the crowd, heading in different directions, likely to inform their family, friends, and most importantly, the newspaper. Gotta love the greed of money for reporting interesting news to the media.
“For the last time, I am not an Empress!” Cadance exclaimed, the exasperation clear in her voice. “I’m a princess!”
“Whatever you say, Empress Princess Cadance!” Several of the front-row ponies said, bowing with a smile.
Oh. I see how it is. Her subjects are a bunch of trolling yes-men. Err, yes-ponies. Dang. Okay, note to self: don’t be a huge prick to her, because she already has enough to deal with, and you really, really don’t want to be the one that nudges her over the cliff of kindness into the gorge of retributional judgement. Hey, wait a second… What happened to the two Pokemon that were here when all of this started? They just disappeared! Oh well. Muscles hurt too much to care. Ow…
Hmph! Serves Glenn right, making fun of whatsherface for being pregnant. I’d beat him up more, but I’m sure his muscles are already doing that for him. That, and if I did anything more, they’d ask why, and then…
Focus, Jess. Gotta figure out how to prevent Empress Princess Whatsherface from adopting Kaye. She’s my little sis, and you’re not going to take her away from me! I don’t trust any of you ponies with her care! Well, alright, perhaps Luna, but still!
The city is really bright, but I can tell my eyes are adjusting to help offset the glare. Maybe it’s because Glaceon is an ice-type that is usually surrounded in snow, and needs a way to prevent that snow-blindness thing with the sun? I’d ask Vampire Bait over there, but who knows what kind of experiments she’d want to run, and or how long it could take? No thank you!
My eyes wandered to Discord’s signature for a moment. Was that really him, or did he just play along and just manage to say all the right things? Ugh. So troublesome… Still, at least-
“Crysissy!”
I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus quicker. Serves me right for not keeping an eye on her. A kid has no right being this strong as a Pokemon at such a young age. I mean, that actually hurt, and I do not hurt easily! At least, from physical attacks I don’t. But I’m getting side-tracked.
“Hi,” I wheezed, slowly rolling to my paws.
The cute menace jumped onto my back, deciding to give me a hug. “Didja hear?! Didja hear?! I’m gonna be a-a princess! And that’ll make you a princess too, and Moony will be a prince, and so will Fluffy!”
“Err, come again?” I asked, trying to follow her logic.
She gave an exasperated sigh, her tone trying to imitate a lecture. Have I mentioned she’s adorable? “Because! Moony bees my older brover, and you’re Crysissy, so you bees my older sissy, and since you an Fluffy is dating, that makes- H-hey! Stop rolling! You’re gonna make me sickened!”
I was too busy laying down and laughing to listen. She thinks Fluffy and I are dating? Where did she even get that ide- Fluffy… I am going to kick his ass if he insinuated anything to her.
After I calmed down, she asked, “What? What’s so funny? I nearly got hurt!”
“Where on Earth did you get the idea that Fluffy and I were dating?”
“Because you are!” Kaye sighed, rubbing a paw on her nose. “You and Fluffy is friends, and you both eat together and do stuff together, so that makes you dating! Plus,” she added, crossing her forelimbs as she nodded, “you is already aquifying with each other like married peoples do!”
Okay brain, catch up, process what she’s actually saying… loading… loading… “T-that doesn’t count!” I argue, starting to walk faster to catch up with the others. Not that I could really get lost, since the design of this city made it really easy to see where the palace was. “We only eat together so I can watch what he eats to make sure he doesn’t cheat on his diet! And we fight because Fluffy’s a moron!”
*Shing!*
It’s all I can do to keep from shouting out as I stagger to a knee, Kaye having swiped at my shoulder. Holy shit that stings! What does she sharpen her claws with, diamonds?!
“Stop being a meanie!” Kaye exclaimed, hopping down to glare at me. “He, he is not a moron. You are! You always be mean to him, but he’s nice anyway!”
“Well maybe he deserves it!” I shoot back, narrowing my eyes. “Maybe he-”
*Shing!*
“T-then maybe you deserves them too!” Kaye shouted as I clutched my chest. I forced my eyes open to see Kaye starting to cry. I slowly reached a paw to her, but she flinched away.
“N-no!” she said, her voice struggling to speak loud enough for me to hear. “E-either you bees nice to Fluffy, or-or I don’t want you!”
Well, at least my injuries weren’t throbbing as badly as my muscles were protesting. Stupid Mies had it easy, riding on Luna’s back as he took a nap. I’m surprised he can sleep, considering that… wait, it’s actually quiet. Why is it quiet? Crystal and Kaye alone should be-
In that moment, I knew something was wrong. If you’ve been a babysitter, or you’ve had kids, or even siblings that are significantly younger than you, you know that kids are more dangerous when they’re quiet than when they’re being loud and rowdy. Well, guess that means I should look for them. They were behind us, so I guess I’ll start in that direction. Not like I can get lost with a freaking huge palace like that. I’d bet they could see it from space. I bet the pony who had that built was compensating for something, if you know what I mean...
I turned around and started limping back, forcing my muscles to keep moving so they wouldn’t lock up. The last thing I needed was for one to cramp or something. It didn’t take long for me to find them. They were near a building, and it looked like they were talking, until I saw Kaye swipe her claws at Crystal. My jaw dropped. Kaye is the last person I expected to lash out at someone, regardless of the reason.
I forced my muscles into motion again, having stopped in surprise when she attacked. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good. I nearly jolt to a stop again when I see Kaye swipe at Crystal again, but managed to speed up instead. As I get close, I manage to hear Kaye say, “-luffy, or-or I don’t want you!”
I freeze to a halt as Crystal’s pupils dilate a little as tears started to fall. I limp forward as quickly as I could force my muscles. I stop near Kaye, panting as I looked down at her. I rapped her lightly on the head to get her attention. “No! You do not use violence to solve your problems, Kaye! That is a horrible, mean thing to do, and you aren’t a meanie, are you?”
“B-but she,” she cried, pawing at her eyes.
I put my own paw on her mouth, raising an eyebrow. “Are you a meanie?”
“N-no,” she whimpered, starting to hiccup.
“Then you give her a hug and apologize to her, and she’ll forgive you, and then apologize if she did anything wrong,” I continued. “And I think we might take away your dessert tonight, once we get a chance to talk about what happened.”
She whined, though the effect was ruined by a hiccup. She stumbled towards Crystal before carefully hugging the legs. “‘m sorry you’s a meanie…”
I narrowed my eyes at the kit before growling, “Don’t make us make it a week without desserts, Kaye…”
“... ‘m sorry I scratched you, Crysissy…”
I looked up to Crystal, but her eyes were still vacant, though still slowly crying. I sat down in front of her to the side, and carefully poked her. “C-Crystal? Hey, are you okay? Do I need to go get a doctor or something?”
She blinked, her eyes slowly coming back into focus. She turned to me, then narrowed her eyes. She took a deep, shuddering breath, before turning to look at Kaye, who was still clutching the Glaceon’s legs as she cried quietly. She slowly got a leg loose, before using her paw to pet Kaye’s head. “I-I… I forgive you, Kaye. I’ll… think about what you said. Promise,” she added as Kaye looked up at her with watery eyes.
Aside from her hiccups, Kaye was silent as she slowly climbed on me, burying her face in my mane. Crystal was also oddly withdrawn, keeping her head lower than normal, her ears flat against her head as she walked, and I can’t believe I’m using this word for her, meekly. Perhaps that isn’t the best word to use, but it’s the best I can think of to describe it. Just what happened between these two?