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Chapter 5
Meeting the grandparents
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A week had passed since the night at the radio station, it was a nice day with a slight overcast as Spirit was woken up by the pleasant smell of cookies, as he opened his eyes the first sight he saw was Little Scratch laying on his pillow looking at him. "Hey Scratch."
"Meow." As Spirit started to get up Little Scratch jumped on his head and got into her normal spot as Spirit walked down the hall and into the kitchen where he found Octavia cooking.
"Morning honey."
"Morning mom." As Spirit looked around he noticed that Vinyl wasn't in the kitchen, as he walked back into the living room he didn't see her. "Mom where is Mama?"
"Oh she went out to get some things; she'll be back in a little bit."
"Oh... so what's for breakfast?"
"Pancakes." with Octavia said, as she took a plate from the countertop and handed it to Spirit. "Try not to make a mess, we have company coming over." Spirit nodded as he took the plate to the table and started to eat. After a few minutes Octavia looked in to see if everything was alright only to catch Spirit sharing a piece of pancake to Little Scratch. "Spirit you're going to get syrup in your mane." Octavia walked over and started to clean Spirit's forehead. "Try and stay clean honey."
"Yes mommy." Spirit smiled slightly as Octavia kissed him on the forehead.
"Now why don't you play in your room a little and when Vinyl gets back you and me will go to the park." with that Spirit smiled, and headed for his room. "And don't forget to brush your teeth." the sound of hoof steps heading into the bathroom got Octavia to smile. A few minutes later Octavia was busy in her and Vinyl's room when she heard a knock on the door. "Spirit can you get the door I think Vinyl forgot her key again."
"O.K." As Spirit walked to the door and opened it he smiled expecting to see Vinyl but upon seeing the pony standing behind the door he quickly slammed the door so hard with his magic it cracked the frame slightly as he ran as fast as he could to Vinyl and Octavia's room and started to sob at Octavia's hooves. "I'm sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry."
"Spirit what in Equestria is wrong, what are you sorry for?" Octavia asked, as she picked Spirit up off the floor.
"Whatever I did, I didn't mean to do whatever I did wrong just please don't let him take me."
"Let who take you?” Octavia could see Spirit was badly shaken by something recently and the only thing that came to mind was somepony he had seen at the door. “Spirit, honey, who was at the door?" Octavia asked, as she pulled Spirit in for a hug only to listen to him sob on her shoulder. The last time she had seen him even remotely like this was the first night they had met, it wasn't until there came a banging at the door that Octavia even dared to break her embrace with her terrified Colt. "Don't you worry no pony is going to take you anywhere." Octavia walked to the front door and noticed the cracked frame and let out a sigh, whoever was behind the door was someone Spirit was very scared of. "I swear if it's Hard Spoon I'll knock all her teeth out." As she forced the door open before her stood a Royal Guard Unicorn not looking very happy and the fact that there was a bit of blood coming from his nose Octavia could only guess Spirit had slammed the door on him. "Can I help you?"
"I am Metal Jacket I was informed to meet my superior here, and since I just got a door slammed into my face, by a colt I have had dealings with in the past, I can only assume that Spirit has been giving you trouble and needs a firm hoof to set him back on track to have a chance on being a productive member of society." Now Octavia knew many members of the Royal Guard, some because of how many times her group had played at royal events, but mostly because of Vinyl and who her father was. "If I am being summoned to teach the insolent whelp respect again ma-am then I must ask that you step aside and leave me to it." Metal Jacket took one hoof step past the door frame before Octavia gave him an upper cut sending him backwards and falling down the stairs.
"If you so much as look at my colt again I'll give you far worst then that." Octavia slammed the door and headed for Spirit's room, but she had just stepped into the hall when the front door was blown open and Metal Jacket walked in.
"You have just struck a member of the Royal Guard ma-am, you are under arrest and." before Metal Jacket could say anything else Vinyl jumped in and tackled him to the ground.
"OCTY THE RING!" Octavia hesitated for a second before she realized what Vinyl meant, she ran into their room and returned a moment later and placed a metal ring on Metal Jacket's horn preventing him from performing any magic, but it still took both of them to hold him down as he struggled to get free.
"WHAT IN CELESTIA'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE!" another stallion yelled, as he walked in the door way.
"Noble Steel I need your help sir, these broodmares attacked me."
"Oh you did not just call my wife a broodmare." Vinyl Prepared to knock some since into Metal Jacket when she was levitated along with Octavia to the center of the living room. The look on the Noble Steel's face told Vinyl not to say anything, but that everything was alright.
"Metal Jacket, when I sent you the message to meet me here I do recall adding to wait outside until I had arrived." Noble Steel said, as he walked up and helped Metal Jacket off the ground.
"Yes sir, but I heard movement inside and figured that you had already come inside."
"Oh I see, and when you realized I wasn't in the domicile you decided to take it upon yourself to start a fight."
"Negative sir, the earth brood struck me first." Vinyl tried to lunge at Metal Jacket but again got stopped by Nobel Steel, levitating her back to Octavia.
"Jacket, before we continue I’m going to ask that you stop calling them broodmares or any deviation of that term, one reason is that it is not the proper way a Royal Guard is supposed to talk about the citizens of Equestria, the other is ONE OF THEM IS MY DAUGHTER!!" just then a mare came walking into the house and looking at the mess.
"Honey is it safe to enter?"
"Yes dear, seems Metal Jacket caused a little trouble."
"Sir I did not throw the first punch."
"OH NO!? YOU OFFERED TO SHOW ME HOW TO RAISE MY COLT WITH A FIRM HOOF!!" Octavia yelled, only to be stopped as her mother in-law held her back and gave her a hug. "Miss Harmony he," before Octavia could say anything else Golden Harmony placed a hoof over her mouth.
"It's alright Octavia my husband will deal with it, but why don't you explain what happened." After Octavia explained what had happened Golden Harmony only smiled and then walked over to Metal Jacket.
"Uh-oh." Octavia hated those words; she hated those words most of all when she heard them come from her partners mouth.
"Jacket." Harmony said, as she walked up and started to straighten Metal Jacket's armor. "Did you threaten to beat my grand colt?"
"No ma-am, when Spirit opened the door then slammed it on my face, I had assumed that the reason I was being called was because he was being a nightmare and needed to be taught respect once more, I offered to give him a firm hoof to try and get him back on the straight and narrow and possible give him a chance to be a productive member of society."
"I see."
"I had assumed that with my past history with him, the orphanage had told these two to summon me because of how I put the fear of Faust into him last time I had dealings with the punk."
"I see." Harmony looked at her husband as she still messed with Metal Jacket's armor. "Honey, he's the one Vinyl told me about." in a flash Golden Harmony slammed Metal Jacket into the wall and held him off the ground. "Listen and listen good you slim off of a toadstool underside, if I so much as learn that you look at a foal the wrong way again I'll rip off that horn of yours and shove it so far up your plot you'll be farting sparkles for the rest of your life." Octavia stunned by this act, she had never seen her mother in-law act this way.
"Yeah, and that's why I don't make my mom angry." Vinyl said, as she leaned over to Octavia. Later that day, after the door was repaired and Metal Jacket was sent away with orders to be in Noble Steels office the next morning, Vinyl was able to introduce her parents to their new Grand colt. "Mom, Dad I would like to introduce you to Spirit. Vinyl moved to one side and Spirit looked at his new grandparents slightly shy with his head lowered slightly.
"Please to meet you."
"Oh Steel he's so adorable." Harmony said, as she walked up and picked Spirit up into a hug. "And don't you worry Metal Jacket isn't going to lay a hoof on you ever again."
"Not after you threatened to make him fart sparkles for the rest of his life." Vinyl said trying to hold back a laugh.
"You're not too old for a warm flank you know." Harmony said, as she shot Vinyl a warning look. "Well Spirit why don't you take me to your room and you can tell me all about yourself while your grandpa talks with your parents.
"Alright." with that Spirit lead Vinyl's mother away while Noble Steel walked with Octavia and Vinyl into the living room.
"So that was the little colt causing Celestia so much trouble." Steel said, with a smile on his face.
"What do you mean?" Steel looked at Octavia and smiled slightly.
"Well not really him, but the events around him, you see the trial is coming up on what happened at the orphanage, but due to the fact that most of the foals that lived in the orphanage have been."
"Zombified." Vinyl said with a bit of contempt in her voice.
"For lack of a better term yes, seems those foals have been so brainwashed that even many of the royal physiatrist can't break them out of it."
"What do you mean?" Octavia asked, as she leaned forward and listened to her father in-law.
"Well when they first arrived at the palace we were going to split them up to other orphanages, but we couldn't, Princess Luna refused to let them leave until they had been properly cared for, the only trouble is we haven't been able to break the conditioning they had been put through. In fact out of all the foals Spirit is the only one that isn't."
"A Zombie." Vinyl said with more contempt this time.
"Yes, even the royal sisters have tried, showing the foals kindness and love but still they only ask to wait on them as if they had been bread to be nothing more then servant ponies. This is also a little concerning because we don’t know what effect this might have on them finding their special talents." Vinyl stormed off leaving Noble Steel and Octavia alone. "Sad thing is this isn't the first Orphanage in Canterlot to be in hot water."
"What do you mean?"
"About a year ago, just before that massive freeze spell got put on all the adult ponies by King Sombra and the changeling queen, Luna was forced to put a foal she had found and nurtured into an orphanage because of the Nobles saying she wasn't ready to raise one of her own, Celestia told her she didn't have to listen but Luna gave into the Nobles and put the little guy in one, come to find out because he was an earth pony the orphanage caretaker wasn't all that thrilled, it later came to light, after he had ran away, that the little guy had become a whipping colt of sorts, got blamed for everything by the other foals and was punished daily."
"That's terrible."
"The worst part about it is that it was thanks to him and several foals in ponyville that the spell was broken, but from what we've been told in the royal guard by Mid Day, in a final act to give the others time to finish breaking the spell, the colt lead the Queen and King to the old castle of the royal sisters, by the time Princess Luna and Celestia had arrived Luna watched as Sombra blasted him through a stained glass window and disintegrated right before her eyes as she tried to catch him."
"That's just terrible."
"You're telling me the little guy was well liked among the Royal Guard, Well except the Royal Blue Guard, but since Orion ripped them apart I don't really count them."
"What was his name?"
"The foal?" Octavia nodded wanting an answer. "Luna named him Shade, I'll be honest with you, when Luna first brought him to the palace the little guy was as wild as a puppy, but we got to see first hoof how much she changed with him around, she was happy, he made her proud, and we got to see Princess Luna truly smile for the first time since returning when he called her mommy for the first time. Heck I could tell you stories about the little guy, as I said the day and night guard loved having him around, I even remember the day he tried to get into our formation, Mid Day was walking down the rows inspecting armors when she came across a hole in the lineup and looked down at Shade wearing a Helmet that was so big on him that it looked like it was sitting on the floor, when she asked what the meaning of it was he stuck his right fore-leg through an eye piece and saluted, I never saw her laugh so hard in my life."
"He sounds like he was a handful."
"Maybe, but it was the happiness I saw on Princess Luna's face every morning and evening that concerned me that you and Vinyl would never know that joy, but then Vinyl called her mother and told her that you and her adopted I was really interested in meeting him, but that's when Melody filled me in on the rest. I'm not going to lie after seeing the other foals; I was worried that Spirit might be slightly."
"Conditioned." Vinyl said, as she walked in with a glass of water. "Dad he isn't, he totally rocks I swear."
"You don't have to, I heard your radio broadcast, or should I say his."
"You listen to our show?" Octavia was a little shocked by this news. Getting Noble Steel to laugh slightly.
"Most of the Royal Guards listen to the show, mostly because we liked how you dealt with Blue Blood."
"Speaking of Blue Blood."
"Don't Vinyl, after an investigation we learned that when he made those rules he wasn't of his right mind."
"When is he ever?"
"Vinyl the Prince was doing better, I can vouch for that, he had even started to get his guards to start acting right until he was infected."
"Infected?" Both Vinyl and Octavia looked at Noble Steel confused by this bit of information.
"Long story, but with that being said, none of the royals can get involved."
"Why not?"
"Well Cadance is the Princess of love, and trying to help repair the damages done by the Royal Blue Invasion of her empire, Princess Luna and Celestia can't do it because of past history, and Princess Twilight is unable to do it because her group is already in the middle of something, that and some of the nobles think she might hold a grudge on Blue Blood because of what happened between him and one of her friends."
"Oh I remember that Gala, I think it was a mare names Rarity that told him off, after he had used her as a pony shield for a cake flying at him." Octavia said, as she tapped her chin and thought back to the gala of chaos. "But that doesn't explain why she couldn't do it."
"They think she might project her feels of that event on the staff at his orphanage, so we had to find two nobles to play judges."
"Why two?" Vinyl questioned as she looked at her father.
"I don't know, it was something they insisted on since this is the first time that none of the Princesses can act as judge." Steel said, as he shrugged and shook his head. "But the nobles have selected who they want to judge this case."
"And they are?"
"Jet Set, and Upper Crust."
"THOSE TWO ARROGENT WINDBAGS!" Vinyl yelled, as she stood up in anger.
"Vinyl please calm down, there must be some way we can change this." Steel shook his head.
"Sorry to say but the only way to change this is if you're able to get enough ponies to sign a petition to let some pony else judge the trial."
"Great, how many signatures do we need." Vinyl asked, ready to do her part.
"Over 200,000."
"Uh alright, I guess we can get that, how much time do we have?"
"The Trial is in seven days."
"SEVEN DAYS!?" both Octavia and Vinyl yelled in shock as they looked at Vinyl's father.
"Yes, and according to the rules, the petition would have to be turned over before the trial officially started." with that Vinyl looked at Octavia.
"Octy, we have a tone of work to do."
"Do you have an idea of who you want to be the judge?"
"Yeah I do."
"It can't be you Vinyl." Vinyl sat down and looked very frustrated. "I know it's hard but no pony is well known enough to get that many signatures in that short amount of time, even if you broadcasted it on your radio station it would still take time to gather all the signatures."
"Yeah but that doesn't mean we can't try."
"Alright, I'll see if I can't spread the word through my connections, but Vinyl you have to understand if this happens the judge is going to be randomly chosen again, which could take another week."
"I don't care, I know those two stuck up mules and nether one of them should have that kind of power."
"I really hope you’re not talking about us." Vinyl, Octavia and Steel turned and looked at the front door to see a stallion and Mare smiling at them.
"Mother, Father you've come." Octavia said, as she walked up and hugged her parents.
"Well Good Will, it's nice to see you again." Steel said, as he walked up and gave the fellow Stallion a hoof bump. "And Sweet Melody, you two are looking great."
"Thank you, Steel, and I see you're doing well as ever." Good Will said, as he smiled at Steel. "I heard there was some trouble within the guard?"
"Royal Blues, Will, not only did we find a tunnel system leading under the Mare guard shower area they also caused some trouble up North."
"I heard, what about this Orion stallion I’ve been hearing about?"
"Don't know, He has popped in a few times since the Crystal Empire event, but he only speaks to one of the two Princesses, but I believe he also talks with Princess Cadance, I'm not so sure about Princess Twilight."
"Sound like a rouge to me."
"Maybe, but he hasn't caused any trouble yet."
"Except for those Royal Blues, really Steel, what are you going to do with those, those... well I can't say what they are, since I’m not sure where my new little grand colt is." Melody said, as she started to look around, then looked to her daughter with a big smile.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry, where are my manners? Let me take you to his room." As the family followed Octavia they walked in and found Harmony sitting on Spirit's bed while Spirit sat in the middle of his room playing a song.
When the song finished Harmony started to clap her hooves while Vinyl and Octavia smiled, and the rest of the family looked at Spirit stunned. "That was amazing Spirit, thank you." Harmony said, as she walked up and hugged him, then kissed him on the cheek.
"Hey Spirit time to meet the rest of your Grandparents." Vinyl said, as she moved to one side and introduced, meet Good Will, and Sweet Melody, your grandparents on Octavia's side of the family." As the two new ponies walked into Spirit's room Good Will looked around and shook his head, then turned to Noble Steel.
"A shame isn't it."
"What do you mean?" Steel asked only to get nudged by Melody.
"This big room and we only see a few toys, isn't that a shame Steel." Steel understood and smiled slightly.
"You're so right, and it is our duty as the grandparents to spoil are new grand colt isn't it Harmony.
"I agree, TO THE TOY STORE!" As Steel levitated Spirit onto his back the four grandparents left the house with both Vinyl and Octavia following close behind.
"I knew it was a bad idea for us to get both sets together." Octavia said, as she and Vinyl took up the rear.
"Oh come on Octy what's the worst that could happen." The worst that happened was when the Grandparents had finished in one corner of Spirit's room stood a mountain castle with a mixture of day and night guard figures placed on it, a scooter, a toy plane, a boat, and full set of Action ponies and Monsters sitting on one shelf.
"I can't believe they bought this much."
“Oh come on Octy this isn’t that bad.” Vinyl said, as she walked up to the castle play set that still towered over her.
“Not that bad, Vinyl they bought him a replica of the castle from Castlemania game you and him have been playing, and it is taller then you.”
“Yeah, but it comes with these cool little figures of all the monsters in the game, Count Vampony, and Vampony Slayer figures.” Vinyl tried to defend but only saw her wife slightly annoyed by her attempt. "I know, and don't forget the play set outside." Vinyl added, as she looked around the room. "Well at least Mr. Fizzy Wigs gave us a discount."
"Us, you mean our parents, and did you hear them talking about taking him to the park tomorrow?"
"Well to be honest that was actually because I asked them to so that we could start getting things rolling on signatures."
"Oh, but still all of this." As Octavia walked into the room that was now filled with toys she couldn't help but look outside and see both her parents and Vinyl's parents laughing and playing with Spirit. "Vinyl."
"Yeah Octy?"
"We got real lucky finding Spirit." Vinyl walked up and stood next to her wife and smiled.
"Yeah, we really did." As Vinyl wrapped her fore-legs around Octavia she gave her a kiss on the cheek and turned and watched as their colt laughed happily with their parents.