//------------------------------// // I Feel Joy Again // Story: When I see Their Faces // by MarchPony //------------------------------// I feel joy again I honestly don't know how I did it. I managed to hide the fact that I was a single mother from the rest of the world. White Rose helped. I mean she helped a LOT. After we left Madam's School she started a day care to earn money. I would drop off Ragtag and Shooting Star before school and pick them up as soon as I could. This continued even after I graduated. I couldn't afford to go to collage and my heart wouldn't let me leave the twins. Everything was cool for five years, Ragtag and Shooting Star were five, I was twenty-three. I had been called to a group meeting by Rarity, who had been going to Manehatten for a while now. So White Rose agreed to watch my kids while I was gone. "But Mommy," Ragtag complained, "I want to spend today with YOU." "I know sweetheart but I have grown up stuff today." "Fine." She started to pout. She remind me of myself, trying to tough when sad. "I'll make it up to you." She looked up. "Promise?" "Promise." She smiled. I loved love her smile. It's so perfect. Like her. I remember when she first smiled. I cried I was so happy. Her smile was also very contagious. I smiled back. "Mommy, how long will you be gone?" Shooting Star asked. "Only a few hours." I pulled up into the driveway "Here we are!" White Rose met us at the door. Her son Lightning ran up. "Hey guys, ready to lose at video games!" Shooting Star laughed. "You wish!" The kids ran inside, no doubt to play video games. "Thanks again." I said. "No problem. It's fun." I nodded. "I'll call you if there's any problems." "K" When I got to Sugercube Conner, I saw that Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Sunset were already there. Applejack looked at me and said, "Looks like we're just waiting for Rarity... again." Rarity pulled up in a limo. "My friends! So glad to see you again!" "You too Rarity, how was Manehatten?" Sunset asked politely. "It was simply grand. Also..." She held out her hand. "I'm engaged!" We all jumped up and squealed. "Oh Rarity, I'm so exited for you!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "We'll need a 'Rarity's Getting Married Party'!" "An 'Engagement Party' sugercube." "Yeah, that." "Who's the groom?" Twilight asked. Rarity smiled. "Oh Paws honey come out!" Paws? No no no. That's not possible. He's in... Manehatten? This can't be happening. Nope this is a very bad dream and I am going to wake up. Paws came out of the limo. My ex-older brother. The one I hadn't heard from in years. Was. Standing. In. Front. Of. Me. "Oh Rarity yo're engaged to Paws, the world famous vet!" Fluttershy exclaimed. Paws looked around and then he saw me. "Rares, I didn't know you were friends with my baby sis!" He tried to hug me. 'I am not your sister, you all made that very clear." I avoided his hug. "Are you talking about first grade? Cause if you are- " I interrupted him. "No I'm talking about my sophomore year. You know how long I got money after Gramps death? 6 weeks! That was the last I ever heard from you!" "What? I'm still sending money!" "Well I don't get it." "Well maybe the 'awesome Rainbow Dash' decided she didn't need any help and threw all the money away!" "You think I can do that?! I have four jobs and I didn't go to collage, DOES THAT SATISFY YOU?!" I had years worth of anger stored up inside me and I was going to let it all out. Not all of it was directed at Paws of coarse. Some of it was directed at my grandmothers, my parents, and most of all my twin sister. We were just about to yell again when Rarity beat us to it. "STOP! What is going on here? Shouldn't you two be happy to see each other after such a long period of time?" "Not in this family." I muttered. "Rainbow Dash, what's gotten into you? you should be more polite!" I ignore her and turn back to Paws. "Anything else you have to say?" "Well the family is coming and we thought 'Hey Dash has Gramps huge house, why don't we stay there?' just until the wedding is over." I was trembling with anger. These knuckleheads dared to invade my home! I was about to give him a piece of my mind when I realizedWait! Ragtag and Shooting Star's stuff! How am I supposed to explain that? Calm down Rainbow, calm down., "Uh....... When are they arriving?" "About one hour." An hour? Welp I'm doomed. White Rose can't take care of my kids for, how long again? \ "When is the wedding?" " In two months." Two months! And I can't spend that long without Ragtag and Shooting Star and with my OTHER family. What to do.....THAT'S IT! I had an idea so crazy it had to work. "See you later!" "Uh.... Dash?" I ran to my car. I drove to White's house to tell her my plan. "So you're going to get an apartment where you and the twins can live until your family moves out and you want me to hid some of their stuff." "Yes." "Can't you just tell them?" "NO!" "Okay I'll do it." White Rose never nosed around. She was great that way. I thanked her and went to get all the stuff she was going to hid.Then I got an apartment, I was just leaving when my grandmothers arrived. "Rainbow, darling, what are you doing?" Grandma D (Dad's side) asked me. "Well I'm renting the house to you! Enjoy it! I'll take all the money after the wedding!" "What?" Granny C (Mom's side) looked puzzled. I love making them look like that. "Yep! It's ten dollars a day per person. Tell Rarity it's free for her." "Huh?" "See you later!" I left them confused and stunned. "Mommy, why aren't we going home?" Shooting Star asked. "Well sweetie.... we're going on an adventure." "An ADVENTURE! COOL!" Ragtag said. I smiled. My children were so innocent. Unlike me at their age. We got to the hotel soon after that. The kids started to chase each other. They loved to do that. I stopped them and we had dinner."So how your day?" "Well," Ragtag started,"We went to the zoo with Miss Rose. It was so fun!" I looked at Ragtag and then at Shooting Star. The day had been rough and I was an emotional wreak but, when I saw their faces, I could feel joy again.