//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Stallions and mares // Story: Morning in Ponyville // by Skarsnik //------------------------------// It was saturday evening in Canterlot Castle, Princess Luna was at her writing desk when a knock on the door announced the arrival of her usual guess. She put her quill down and said, “Come in Cadance.” The pink alicorn entered the room and moved to sit on one of the cushion near a small table with a tea set “Good evening auntie Luna.” Luna left her desk and joined the other alicorn at the table “Good evening, we requested to have some infusion herbs from our servants, we don’t want to trouble thy sleep with tea.” “Oh thank you” Cadance levitated some of the box containing the said herb that rested on a shelf near by. “Yesterday thee talked about Twilight Sparkle’s birthday we realised we did not gift her nor she receive a proper reward for saving Equestria”, Luna paused to make her usual mix of tea, “Dear sister said she stopped giving land or title.” After choosing some herbs Cadance replied, “I don’t think Twilight is interested in this kind of thing.” Luna pointed to a shelf of books in the corner of the room, “Maybe we can gift her with the hoof of our nephew like in the stories we found in some of the books thee lend us” the lunar princess giggled and raised a hoof in the air. “Sir Knight Twilight Sparkle, by thee heroic action thee had saved our kingdom from great foes, thee proof thyself worthy of the hoof of our dear nephew Prince Blueblood.” Cadance put one hoof in front of her muzzle to hide the start of a laugh “Twilight and Theodore? That would be rich.” It was sunday in Ponyville, for Twilight Sparkle strict schedule it was usually her free day, when she could spend time for herself. Saturday was friends day where she tried to mix study and random things her friends wanted to do. She knew her friends found funny her obsession to be so organised, but even with Princess Celestia giving her less work, she still had to take care of the library and Spike, so organisation for Twilight was not only a hobby or a bad habit it was just needed. Sunday was precious to Twilight, before she was forced to move to Ponyville it was the day of the week she could spend with Morning Star outside of holidays. This sunday she had originally planned to do a tour of Ponyville with Morning, but waking up aside of the precious filly, she just wanted to spend all day with her showing her the library, explaining the rule of the place, and just do whatever the filly would want to do. It was actually better to wait tomorrow, her friends would be working and Twilight did not want them to ask too many questions to Morning. Twilight was alone in the kitchen, she usually didn’t go to bed that early but she could not deny the understandable request of a little filly changing home, and the excitement of the party made them both drift to sleep very quickly. She opened a drawer where she had stored small bags containing different blend of coffee, a gift from her father for her birthday. He was the one that initiate her to the precious beverage that make long night of study possible. She pick up something with a lot of flavor but not strong, she just wanted to enjoyed the taste for once and started making coffee. The coffee was half way ready when she heard some knocks coming from the window, she could have wondered who could knock at seven in the morning on sunday but the pink hoof knocking happy birthday was a good giveaway. She opened the window to face a smiling Pinkie Pie. “Good morning Pinkie” “Hey! Hi Twilight, you look funny in the morning” Twilight passed a hoof to her disrupted mane, “Ho, I didn’t want to wake up Spike and Morning. But what are you doing here?” “I realised yesterday we did not clean up, and a Pinkie Party is not right if I let the attendant clean! So I wanted to be here before you do it”, the party pony said with a small frown on her face to make her claim very serious. “It’s kind of you Pinkie, but It’s fine” “Nuh Nuh Nuh, silly. It’s my honor of party pony at stake!” “Alright, you don’t mind waiting for everypony to wake up?”, Twilight said as she watched the party pony enter from the kitchen’s window that was obviously not large enough to let a grow up pony pass, especially a grow up mare balancing a white paper box on one hoof. “I brought some cupcakes, donuts and I wanted to talk with you!” “Talk?”, There was a bit of surprise in Twilight voice as she was pouring herself a mug of coffee now that it was done. “What do you know about stallions?” Twilight was taken aback by the question, nearly letting the pot of coffee felt of her levitation.“WWhat?” “You know the birds and bee!”, the pink pony found a mug for herself and grabbed the pot of coffee without Twilight noticing it. “I am not sure what are you talking about Pinkie.” “Don’t play innocent with me Twilight, you were not that prude yesterday, so how many stallions?” “It’s just”, Twilight bit her lips, she was not uncomfortable with the idea of sex but talking casually about it was still weird, “Why are you asking me that?” “Oh sorry, when Spike told me you were turning twenty one, I was like, no way she so much older than me and I thought you have a coltfriend I was curious how you get one? and when I saw you reaction to your presents I thought, no way, she must had more coltfriend that all of us together, but that make no sense if you don’t have friends before us”, Pinkie put one hoof under her chin like she was trying to solve the great mystery of life. “I still don’t understand, do you want sex advice? It’s maybe not the right time and I am not the right pony” “OOh, you are stupid Pinkie, maybe I should say”, Pinkie paused and winked at Twilight, “marefriends?” “Pinkie, what do you want?” “Sorry, it’s just it’s spring.” Twilight knew with the return of more sun in a day at the beginning of spring and the natural reminder of the need to mate, some mares choose to just take that as a push to start a family, she did not picture Pinkie wanting to do that so young, she was only nineteen, but she never really aborted the subject with her friends so she threw a blind guess, “You want foals?” “No way! I am too young for that, it just Mma Cake is due soon and I see those two love each other make me think. I like fun, I mean sex for fun, but sometime I wish I had more you know? I don’t know, I wanted to know if you had some advice, since I really thought you were bringing a coltfriend” “Oh I see, I can’t really help you”, the unicorn replied while nursing her cup of coffee. “Because you prefer mares?” Twilight sighed, it was the main reason she was glad her friends never bring up these type of discussion until now, gay relationship was still not well perceive by most ponies but Pinkie did not look upset, “if I say no you will bother me all the morning with mares or stallions?” “Yep!” “Listen Pinky, my sex life is probably the same as your, I never had a serious relationship. I only had fun when I was younger”, Twilight paused to take a sip of her coffee, “Why you don’t ask Rarity? it’s the only one I heard talking about seeking a relationship”, Twilight smiled a little at Rarity poor attempt with Prince Blueblood at the Gala. “Na, Rarity is fine advice if you want to stay single.” Pinkie giggled a bit “Sorry, it’s just she like to give advice but she never had a coltfriend” It was a bit weird for Twilight, it was no wonder Spike had a small silly crush on Rarity, she was objectively a beautiful mare that took a great care of the way she look, she probably had a lot of colt and stallion trying to woo her. “Really?” “Really. But more important, you like mares?” Twilight had avoided answering Pinkie’s question twice but she did not denied it either so she simply replied, “Yes.” “But not us?” It was the obvious question she wanted to avoid, “Not like that”, Twilight looked at her cup and looked back at Pinkie “I don’t want to have fun with you Pinkie if it’s that what you ask.” “Nop silly, I am not fan of mares in bed! but what abouuuuuuut Rainbow Dash?”, asked Pinkie with a teasing tone. “RRainbow Dash?” Pinkie tried to make an impression of the voice of a filly by pressing her mouth with her hooves “Twilight talk a lot about you” and resumed with her normal voice and a big smile “Did they say the truth come from the mouth of foals?” Twilight giggled and blushed a bit “Ok, Ok” then she collected herself “she impress me.” “Impress you? Because she is”, Pinkie paused and crossed her foreleg, “awesome?” “Maybe. it’s more, you know Canterlot has a majority of unicorns and earth ponies. The sky is under very stick regulation when you are not an official service like guards, delivery or weather control. So when I saw Rainbow Dash doing the stunts she does, yes it’s impress me because I never see something like that”, Twilight eyes were glittering with a bit of passion and a small blush was still visible on her cheek. Pinkie pondered the answer and a grin formed on her face “Oh, it’s not her lovely athletic, svelte sculpted body?” Twilight’s blushing intensify a lot “It’s…maybe?” “Want a piece of her well toned flank?” “PPinkie, I thought you didn’t like mares” “Just teasing you!” Twilight tried to collect herself one more “MMaybe we can talk about something else. I don’t want Spike or Morning walking us talking about that.” “Oh right, but one day you will tell me everything!” “Everything?!” “Like how many mares, what do you like, what is my rating as a mare.” “Ok, ok, but not now?” Twilight grabbed a donut from the box and start nibbling on it, she was not the one to refuse fresh pastries in the morning especially brought by a friend. “Yep! Actually there two other things I wanted to ask.” Twilight raised an eyebrow “It’s not about stallions or mares?” “No No” Pinkie grabbed and ate a cupcake in one go “Can I borrow you Spike to help me with some party?” It was an unexpected question for Twilight, but so far she did not expected to have Pinkie to show up to talk about stallions or mares at seven o’clock of the morning on a sunday. She had no reason to object since it was probably an activity more safe that digging gems “Well If he is ok with that but you will have to stole his precious time with Rarity” she rolled her eyes thinking of Spike crush for Rarity and added “But why?” “He was the only one helping me with your party, he helped me a lot and he is funny!” “Funny?” Twilight knew Spike could be a bit playful and foalish but she was curious what Pinkie found funny in him. “He is a bit like you, like “hey Pinkie you forget that!”, “or Pinkie you are so silly”, but he said that with a smile so I know he is just joking and not being a meany pant.” Twilight had trouble figure how that could be called funny, but it seem an honest answer from her pink friend “Well, just ask him when he wake up” “Yippy! It’s more fun to plan a party with a friend!” both mares take a pause to sip some coffee and finished their pastry. “And the other thing?” Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin “This one, it’s more delicate” she paused to do what seem to think “I know you don’t like to show off, but Snip’s parents asked me if you could do a magic show for his birthday.” Twilight just sighed, “I don’t really know if I will have time to work to prepare a show, and I am bad at it.” “Bad at it? You, the smartest unicorn I know, bad at magic?” “I am maybe good at academic and some practical magical field, but” Twilight stopped to take a bit of another donut ”Do you remember Trixie?” Pinkie get out her chair and took a sherif pose and said with something close to Applejack’s accent “She was a big meany to everypony but ya show her ya were the most smart and powerful unicorn in town” Twilight giggled a bit “Yet. When Spike tell this story to Morning, she asked me to do the same thing than Trixie, and...I had to admit, I know the base spells she used, but I was not able to reproduce what she did, At least I get some laughs from Morning, because “You look silly with a hat”” “Ha. Is that a no?” “It’s more I don’t know. I will try to see what I can do and give you an answer later in the week, ok?” Pinkie pulled Twilight for a hug “Thank you Twilight” she sat back in her chair and poured orange juice in her mug “Hey, maybe we can find Trixie to teach you!” “Good luck with that, I tried to write to her, but I never found her” “You have a crush on her too?” Twilight sighed, it was bad enough that Cadance tease her every time she mention a mare she shown a bit of interest in, now it was Pinkie “And that why I did not want you know I like mares. You will try to pair me with every mare I met, don’t you?” “Maybe” “Maybe I should start pairing you with some stallion let say…” Twilight paused to think, actually she did not know a lot of stallion name in Ponyville, at least not one that were not married or too old “Big Macintosh?” “Eeyup.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at the evasive answer “Eyup?” Pinkie started giggling like a filly “Oh don’t tell Applejack, but her brother is not innocent. He does not talk that much but he know how to fill a mare, if you get my catch” the pink pony winked. Twilight tried to suppress the image of the big red stallion taking Pinkie somewhere in his own farm, he was large and she didn’t want to imagine what he could do to a mare if the rest of the anatomy was that...bulky “Too much information” she whispered to herself. “But wow really? I mean I thought he was...” Pinkie completed her sentence for her “More prude? like her sister? But I thought you were more prude! We were expecting to embarrass you yesterday! Maybe we should do a sleepover to talk about stallions and mares!” That was a dread though for Twilight. On her first sleepover she was just too focused to get the sleepover right and seeing Applejack and Rarity fight was a good distraction from this topic, but having all her friends talk about this specific subject close to her, she was scared what she could do. And there was still the possibility some of her friends did not take well the news “I don’t know, I don’t want you to feel nervous around me, I prefer if you don’t tell the other I like mares.” “Oh right silly me, that’s not a good idea” “Really?” “The rest of my family had a very strong opinion of how a couple should be and some farmer on Ponyville could share the same view.” “Applejack?” Pinkie’s mane deflated a bit “I am not sure, but… I had a bad fight with one my sister, she was bullying one of my friend because of that” Twilight’s brain take a while to process this, she considered Pinkie a pony a bit carefree, yes not stupid but just carefree, always smiling and enjoying life, she had expected the party pony to said she didn’t have to worry, that her friends would be understanding, so Twilight was grateful she did not go full party mode to rush a sleepover “Thank you Pinkie, I did not think you could be prudent.” “Thinking I am always crazy? Like I thought you were all pure and innocent and you are not!” “Sorry, It seem we still have a lot to learn about each other.” “It’s always fun to have surprise to keep to your friends, like your lovely sister! And you already sound less grumpy.” “Grumpy?” “I never see you smile that much yesterday! And trust me, I am specialised in smiles, plus you kept giggling and smiling.” They both paused to finish their respecting mug and pastry, Pinkie was humming a small melody on her own, Twilight was reprocessing this whole conversation in her head to try having a better understanding of her friend. Twilight’s thought were interrupted as her ears perked as she heard the sound of tiny hooves step and realised something. She was chatting with a pony she just told the day prior Morning was her sister and the same filly walking in the kitchen saying, “Good morning mommy”, was probably not the best idea to keep her friendship. She had to make a decision, but too late she heard some sobs and something that sounded like “Mommy? Where are you mommy?” Leaving the bed was not a good idea after all, Twilight instantly dropped the donut she was eating to rush upstair. Waiting in front of her room was a little filly sobbing while holding a pillow, she noticed the older mare and raised her head too look at her “Mommy?” Twilight grabbed the filly in a hug and with a smooshing voice tried to calm the filly “Mommy is here, little star, ssh.” The filly just said between sobs, “You promised you won’t leave me” Twilight keep stroking the mane of the filly “I know. I know” and when Twilight felt the filly could listen to her she continued “Mommy was in the kitchen, I should have wait for you to wake up., Can you forgive your stupid mommy?” After some more smoothing, the filly calmed and the sob stopped “I forgive you, just...don’t leave me” Releasing the hug Twilight lowered her head at the height of the filly, “I will never left you anymore, I promise. Do you want to have breakfast?” She was answered by a shy nod of approval, but before Twilight could lead the filly in the kitchen she met a stunned Pinkie Pie, a small smile on her face. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat, she had forgotten about Pinkie. There were no way she could escape a real explanation if Pinkie had saw the whole scene, but first she had a filly that need her mother, she just looked at Pinkie with a sigh and went to the kitchen, keeping a smile on her face to appease the filly. Twilight purposely ignored the pink pony while she helped the filly to sit on a chair, then she pour some milk in a bowl and grabbed a box of cereal. Twilight waited for the filly to start eating before talking again “Mommy need to talk to Pinkie, I am just in the next room, it that ok with you Morning?” “Yes mommy.” Twilight closed the door of the kitchen before facing her friend and sighed “She is not my sister.” Visibly the pink pony did not really know how to react and just said “Wow.” Twilight take some deep breath to calm herself, it was a conversation she eventually wanted to have but not that soon “My birthday was important for me because twenty one is the age you can legally adopt a foal” “Oh, you adopted this little filly! That is fantastic!” after beaming with glee the pink pony stopped and she pointed an accusing hoof at Twilight ”But why not telling us? Why she was crying?” “It’s… complicated” Twilight bit her lips “The Princess did not want I take her in Ponyville sooner. She was too afraid I spend most of my time with her and not you. That why she was crying, she thought I was gone again”, Twilight paused, “I did not want to scare you girls with me having a filly. I was hoping you get used to have her around me before I tell you she is my daughter.” “I don’t understand, you already have Spike and we never complained.” “It’s different, Spike doesn’t need that much attention. But please Pinkie, can you promise me to not tell the other?” Twilight was anxious “I… don’t feel ready” Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin “I don’t know.” Twilight tried to make a puppy face like Morning could do when she want something, it feel foalish but she really did not want Pinkie to spray the word “Pinkie Promise?” Pinkie giggled at the unicorn attempt to look cute especially with her still slightly distraught mane “Ok, but with some conditions” Twilight was a bit afraid of what Pinkie would impose on her, but she did not really had a choice so with reluctance she said, “I listen.” “I want the exclusivity for planning all her birthdays’ parties” “All?” The pink pony just nodded and added “ALL” “Ok. ok. that’s all?” A small grin was forming on Pinkie’s face sending the message to Twilight that it was clear she was not finished “Oh no silly! You will also do the magic show and you will have to ask Dashie on a date.” Twilight sighed “And if I agree with that, you will tell nopony?” Pinkie put a hoof on her chest “Pinkie Promise!” For Twilight it was not a too bad deal only the date part was kinda intimidating “For the date...can that wait a bit? I mean, I will do it, but I need time for settle Morning to Ponyville” “Okie dokie lokie” Pinkie replied and proceeded to do the Pinkie promise motion. “Thank you Pinkie. I need to stay with Morning, do you want me to wake up Spike and he help you clean? It’s not I don’t like you Pinkie, but” Twilight made a small motion with her head toward the door of the kitchen. “You need some quiet time with your daughter? of course!” Twilight nodded in appreciation with her head and get back in the kitchen, leaving Pinkie Pie alone in the main area of the library. When Twilight get back in the kitchen Morning had nearly finished her bowl of cereal. “See, Morning I am still here” Morning lowered her head to the table “Sorry.” Twilight levitated a glass and the bottle of orange juice then poured a glass to Morning “Oh no, don’t be sorry” she went near Morning “Please don’t be sorry when I do something wrong” When Morning finished her glass of orange juice and her cereal, Twilight levitated everything in the sink “Do you want to wake up Spike?” Morning left her chair and replied cheerfully, “Yes!” When Twilight and Morning get out the kitchen they were welcomed by the sight of a Pinkie Pie resting her head on a small groom and loud snore noises coming from her muzzle. The unicorn mare looked at Morning with a smile “Or maybe we can go back to bed?” did she really stay up all night? Receiving a possible answer from the filly, Twilight grabbed Pinkie in her magic and put her in the bed of the guest room and installed herself and Morning in her own bed. Twilight had some final thoughts after watching Morning fall back at sleep Why did I trust one of these ponies that quickly? Maybe making friends here was a good thing?