Second Chances, Many Changes

by ASGeek2012


Chapter 24 - A Loss And A Win

The soft patter of rain against the windows did little to disrupt Sweetie Belle's concentration as she held the piece of paper in her magic, carefully folding it as I had demonstrated moments before. I had to use my hooves, as my first attempt at something as intricate as folding paper with magic did little more than crumple it into a ball.

"There!" Sweetie said as she set our creation down between us. "I think I got it right."

I smiled as I cast a wistful gaze at it. "Only one way to find out." I enveloped the little paper airplane in my magic, lifted it high above our heads, and gave it a toss.

I had asked Sweetie to give the trailing vertical edge a slight bend to the left. The plane glided in a lazy half-circle before landing on Rarity's craft table.

Sweetie Belle smiled and clopped her fore-hooves together. "Neat!"

I marvelled at how well she had folded the paper. "I really hope I can do things with that sort of delicacy soon."

Sweetie's horn glowed as she picked up the plane. "Oh, you will, Candy, don't worry. You've learned to move stuff around much better in just the last few days." She set down the plane before us. "Did you really have bigger versions of this in your world that a whole bunch of ponies could sit in?"

"Oh, yeah. The biggest ones could easily hold hundreds of ponies."

"Wow! And fly all the way around the world?"

"Yeah. And they're made of metal, too."

Sweetie gave me a dubious look. "I thought you said your world doesn't have magic."

"It doesn't."

"But how would you keep all that heavy stuff in the air without it? I mean, I've seen a few things sorta like what you have in your world, but nothing that big or heavy."

Though I knew the basic idea behind how airplanes worked, I was no engineer. That the Equestrian language had some aeronautical terms meant the concepts were understood here (naturally, given that a third of ponies could fly). Unfortunately, that left me with having to describe how jet engines or turbo-props worked, and that definitely fell short in both my knowledge and the language. I fell back on Clarke's Law: any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

"You know something, Sweetie?" My horn glowed as I picked up the plane. "Maybe my world does have magic, just a different type. It's all in our machines instead of our bodies."

I tossed the plane into the air just as I heard the clop of approaching hooves from the hall. The plane arced around the room, overshot the table, and speared a purple mane to a surprised gasp.

"Um, sorry, Rarity," I mumbled as I plucked the airplane from her coiffure.

Rarity smiled. "It's okay, Candy. We should head over now so you're not late."

"Late?" Sweetie Belle inquired. "For what?"

"You didn't tell her?" said Rarity.

I slid a hoof through my mane. "I was kinda busy, uh, practicing magic."

"You can return to that later, of course."

"Oh, but, I, uh, was just getting really into it, you know? Sort of an in-the-zone kinda thing."

"Yes, I am well aware of how that can bring your focus to bear, but it is Tuesday, and--"

I thrust a hoof towards the window. "But it's raining."

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Candy."

I sighed. I hated that tone of voice. "Yes?"

"You're stalling."

Fluttershy could have claimed all she wished that her weekly tea with Discord was a pleasant experience, but I still saw my meeting him as nothing less than a confrontation. I had looked up the creature in one of the books Twilight had given me. His appearance might as well have been a metaphor for my feelings concerning him.

Rarity must have seen my ears flatten, as she stepped up to me and gently placed a hoof on my shoulder. "I'll be with you the whole time, though Discord generally behaves himself around Fluttershy."

Sweetie's pupils shrank. "You're going to see Discord??"

"Apparently so," I said, unable to stop from giving Rarity a sullen look. Her horn glowed as she magicked a pair of rain coats into the room and draped one around me.

"If it helps any, I have some good news," Rarity said. She levitated an envelope before me. "The mail mare delivered a note from Town Hall. They appear ready to approve my application. I need only to answer a few remaining questions to their satisfaction."

Sweetie hopped onto her hooves. "That's not good news, that's great news!"

I glanced at the envelope. "Hey, um, maybe we should do that first so we make sure that--"

"Candy?" Rarity said.

"Um, yes?"

"Nice try. Let's go."

"Fine," I grumbled.


So what the hell does one say to a draconequus?

Never mind that this thing had catapulted me into this strange world. Was I stupid for debating it further? I had a better life in Equestria than I had on Earth, even without the consideration that I would be dead otherwise. Had Discord intervened merely to rescue me from the bullet and let me go on my merry human way, I would still be on the streets wondering what I was doing, where I was going, and blaming myself for Michelle's death.

Yet my hoof-falls became more clipped as I contemplated my extended stay. I glanced at Rarity as if to seek some sort of reassurance, but that just made my jaw tighten. Not that I really had anything to say. That morning had been the most I had said to her since the White Tail Woods incident from a few days ago.

Rain fell harder as we approached Fluttershy's cottage. Rarity frowned as she glanced at the bit of mud that had accumulated on her hooves. Unfortunately, this affront was not enough to deter her. My heart pounded when she knocked gently upon the door, and a new set of worries plagued me. My reading had suggested that I had been subjected to nowhere near the full range of Discord's reality-warping powers. Would he turn me into a potted plant or something if I upset him?

Or was something else driving my tumultuous emotions that morning?

Fluttershy appeared at the door, frowning. Rarity's eyes widened slightly as she said, "Darling, are you okay? Did Discord get out of hoof again?"

Fluttershy sighed. "He's not here."

Even though I let out a sigh of relief, I felt a vague sense of disappointment.

"Did something happen?" Rarity asked.

"We had a sort of argument," Fluttershy said in a reluctant voice. "I couldn't get him to tell me why he took Candy out of her world or what he knew of the pendant. Um, do you want to come in out of the rain?"

"I do," I said before Rarity could respond.

"I suppose we should get the whole story," said Rarity.

Fluttershy stepped aside. Rarity levitated the rain coats from us as we entered and hung them on hooks beside the door.

"Would you like some tea?" Fluttershy asked.

"We won't be staying long. I have some business at Town Hall," said Rarity. "Now what happened, dear?"

"Well, he wouldn't answer my questions, and when I told him Candy was on her way, he suddenly remembered he had some dishes in the sink he needed to unwash and left."

Did she say unwash?

Rarity clicked her tongue. "You certainly don't believe him, do you?"

Fluttershy lowered her gaze. "No, I guess not."

"Surely he must be up to something if he didn't want to meet Candy."

"Um, I don't think that's it. It was more like ... well ... he's avoiding her."

My eyes widened. Avoiding me? I felt almost insulted. He had turned me into a pastel-colored pony without my informed consent and then had the gall not to let me confront him?

"He wouldn't do that unless he had something to hide," Rarity declared. "Really, I know you want to see the best in him, Fluttershy, but it's quite obvious he simply doesn't want to tell us something important."

Fluttershy sighed and frowned again. "Yes, I know. It's so frustrating that I almost want to scream." She shook her head. "No, not almost. I do want to scream." She closed her eyes tight and opened her mouth wide. "Ahhhhh!"

...

I had heard empty libraries louder than that scream.

"Now that you've gotten that out of your system, dear," Rarity said in a gentle voice. "Did you find out anything at all?"

"Only that he definitely meant for the pendant to go along with Candy," said Fluttershy. "His exact words were: they're practically inseparable."

From his words in the alley, I had suspected he had never meant to separate me from the pendant. I had assumed he had an ulterior motive, but hearing it so starkly laid out -- and second hoof -- made me tremble with the desire to stomp my fore-hooves.

My own reaction startled me. I wasn't that resentful towards Discord. I had barely given the creature much thought before that morning, and now I almost wanted the confrontation.

"Are you okay, Candy?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not really," I said with a sigh. "But there's nothing you can do about it."

"I'm really sorry. I tried to get him to stay, but--"

"It's fine, Fluttershy, it's not your fault." I had no idea how to explain to her what I was feeling, as I didn't understand it myself. Nevertheless, Fluttershy gave me a concerned look as if she already knew something else was bothering me. Her eyes flicked between Rarity and I for a moment.

Rarity turned to me. "In that case, we won't let Discord disrupt our schedule further." Her horn glowed, and the rain coats covered us again. "We'll conclude our business at Town Hall and head back to the boutique."

"Oh, is your application about to go through?" asked Fluttershy.

"Yes, finally. Any further interference from Spoiled Rich should end today."

Fluttershy sighed. "I don't want to think that she did this just to be mean, but--"

"That mare does nothing without a clear intent," Rarity declared. "It doesn't matter, as I have things under control now. Though it's fortunate that word of Candy's involvement in the incident in the White Tail Woods did not get back to her."

My teeth clenched again, and I forced myself to look away from Rarity. As I sought something else to focus on, my gaze found Fluttershy's concerned eyes. I opened my mouth briefly, but closed it without saying a word. My ears flattened slightly as I flicked my gaze over to Rarity for a moment before lowering it to the floor.

"Well, we best be off," Rarity said.

"Um, Rarity?" Fluttershy said. "Can I talk to you for a moment before you leave?"

"Yes, but please make it quick. We ought not delay."

When I heard nothing more, I looked up. Fluttershy looked first to me and then back to Rarity. "Um ... I need to speak to you alone," she said in a softer voice.

Rarity sighed. "Fluttershy, we really ought to--"

"It's important. Please."

Rarity hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. Candy, I'll just be a moment."

I frowned as Fluttershy and Rarity stepped into another room together. Now what? Had I done something else wrong?


The rain slackened as we trotted into downtown Ponyville, though the skies had yet to clear, at least from what I saw the only time I chose to glance up. Moisture still swaddled us like a damp blanket, and bits of fog swirled around our hooves.

"Candy," Rarity said in a subdued voice.

"What?" I snapped without looking up.

"You're upset."

"No, I'm not."

"You're not very good at hiding your feelings, Candy." She paused. "If it seems like I hadn't noticed before, I was otherwise preoccupied."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I really didn't want to see Discord this morning."

"I know, but that's not it."

I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. Why couldn't she just accept that? I opened my mouth to say something but closed it without uttering a word.

"Really, there's no point in brooding over it, Candy. I'd much prefer you just--"

Dammit. Fine.

I stopped and stomped a hoof, splashing water. I whirled around to face her. "Okay, yeah, I'm upset!" I hesitated and hated myself for it. What the hell was I still afraid of? She was right, I had been brooding over this for a few days and just didn't want to admit it. The prospect of seeing Discord again had just been a catalyst. "I knew I screwed up with the Crusaders, but I did get them out of there safely."

Rarity slowly smiled. "Yes, you did."

"I just ... I feel like ... I don't know, like you ignored it, like it didn't mean anything."

My ears flattered as if I expected a renewal of her anger. Instead, her eyes glistened as she stepped closer to me. "You're right. I did fail to note what you did. And I'm sorry."

I simply stared at her in surprise.

"Let's just say Fluttershy had a few choice words to say to me," said Rarity in a somber voice.

My eyes widened. "Fluttershy said something to you? Was that what that secret conversation was about?"

"Yes. Perhaps she's not normally very assertive, but she sticks up for those she cares about. Even if it means telling a friend she made a mistake."

I wished Fluttershy were there so I could give her a hug. What she had done sounded a lot like what Michelle would have done for me.

"Concerning the Crusaders, I do still think you should have thought things out more," said Rarity, though her voice held little reproach. "But you rose to the occasion when it mattered, and that deserved acknowledgement. Thank you ensuring Sweetie Belle and her friends returned safely. You did well dealing with three frightened fillies."

I smiled faintly. "Believe me, I was still plenty scared myself."

"All the more reason I should have noted your actions. In my defense, I've never had to deal with somepony like you before."

"An alien?"

"No. A teenager."

I couldn't help but grin. "If it helps any, I've heard adults on my world say teenagers might as well be alien life forms."

Rarity chuckled. My smile widened. I really didn't want to be angry with her. She had a point; we're both new at this. In my case, in more ways than one.

"So how about we both admit we made mistakes and move on?" said Rarity.

"Deal," I said.


As we approached Town Hall, the rain stopped, and some breaks appeared in the clouds as pegasi bucked holes in the overcast. More fog rose from the glistening pavement under shafts of golden sunlight. Twilight emerged from the entrance and smiled as she trotted over to us. "Morning, Rarity, Candy."

Rarity smiled. "Good morning, Twilight."

"Morning, Twilight," I said. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what were you doing in Town Hall?"

Her horn glowed, and she drew an envelope from her saddlebags. "Likely the same thing that brought Rarity here. I received a letter requesting that I answer a few questions concerning her fostering application."

"Indeed?" Rarity said with a small smile.

She tucked the envelope away. "Mostly they wanted to know about Candy."

My tail twitched. "Do I even want to know what they asked?"

"They wanted my assessment as to, um, any sort of magical threat you might pose."

My heart lurched, but Rarity appeared unperturbed as she said, "I trust you assuaged their fears?"

"Of course," Twilight said in a cheerful voice. She turned to me. "Regardless of your origins, Candy, you most definitely appear in all respects to be an ordinary unicorn filly."

I grinned. "I'm not even as dangerous with sharp objects now."

Both Rarity and Twilight laughed. "I honestly don't think you'll have any trouble now, Rarity," said Twilight.

"In that case, no time like the present." Rarity turned to me. "This shouldn't take long. You can stay out here if you wish."

"Yeah, that's fine," I said.

Rarity nodded and trotted towards the entrance.

"Now that the rain has let up, I need to head to the marketplace," said Twilight. "I'll see you later."

"Later, Twilight," I said.

I took a deep breath. This was finally going to be over. Despite having already accepted Rarity as my fosterer, making it official sent a few lingering butterflies flitting through my stomach. The permanence of the arrangement comforted me, but would it make my final decision that much harder? I still didn't know if Equestria was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life.

A pony brushed by me and jolted me out of my thoughts, and I realized I stood in the main thoroughfare of ponies coming and going. I turned to extricate myself from the Ponyville equivalent of rush hour, only to nearly run into an elegantly dressed pink earth mare with a purple mane and a turned-up muzzle.

"Oh, sorry," I said, backing up a step.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Do you always stand in the way of ponies going about important business?" she said in a haughty voice.

My tail twitched, and I backed up another step. "Um, no?"

She lifted her head slightly and looked down her muzzle at me. "Hmph. Obviously a teenager from the low-brow section of town. No sense of purpose or her proper place."

Wow. I didn't want to know the size of the stick she had up her tail. I simply muttered another "sorry" as I stepped more fully aside. She cast a final icy gaze at me before trotting past.

I turned back towards Town Hall and stumbled back a half-step when I found the earth mare now staring at me. She thrust a fore-hoof towards me. "You! You're her!"

"I ... what??"

"You're the pony who dared to insult not only my daughter but myself as well!"

Oh ... shit.

The mare that could only be Spoiled Rich stared at me as if I were a piece of dirt she happened to find on her hoof. "You are proof of exactly what I've been saying all along, that this town is turning into little more than a haven for random beggars and vagabonds unless ponies like me do something about it."

My ears drew back so hard they ached, my eyes wide and shimmering. At the same time, I scraped a fore-hoof as if I wanted to charge. "Look, I ... I don't want to cause any trouble, I--"

She loomed over me, forcing me to back up another step. "Don't you dare talk back to me. I will not be insulted by the likes of a miserable transplant blank-flank non-entity like you."

My lips twitched into a frown that I barely resisted turning into a snarl. I forced myself to take a deep breath. Maybe asserting myself to Rarity had been the right thing to do, but I didn't have to go spoiling for a fight, not when she was moments away from resolving this mess.

"If you ever say another disparaging word towards my daughter, you will consider yourself fortunate that ejecting you from Ponyville is all that I will see done with you."

My New York upbringing had possibly driven my reaction to Diamond Tiara that day. My mother -- and a lot of New Yorkers -- tended not to take shit from anyone. And, honestly, the hurt look on Scootaloo's face had been too much. Yet I forced myself to quell that instinct here.

But just barely.

"I have no intention of speaking to your daughter ever again, Mrs. Rich," I said in a quavering voice through clenched teeth. I had to keep reminding myself: she was the adult here, despite her acting like a word that rhymed with her last name even in the Equestrian language. Yeah, just my luck; a translatable swear word, and I couldn't even use it.

Spoiled Rich snorted. "You will not have the chance if I have anything to say about it. It's not enough that you're a blank-flank transplant. You're also of unknown, and likely questionable, parentage."

My head whipped up. "What?!"

"Even if your blood line could be established, I have my doubts it would be from anywhere but the absolute dregs of Equestrian society."

My teeth ground so hard my jaw ached. I tried to remind myself she likely had no idea I was an alien or that my mother was dead.

It didn't work.

I stomped a fore-hoof and glared at her. "Listen, you overbearing, stuck-up, loud-mouthed--"

Spoiled Rich recoiled. "You dare speak to me like--?!"

"Don't interrupt! I-I don't care what you think of me, just don't ever--!"

Rarity's voice suddenly rang out. "Mrs. Rich, kindly step away from my fosterling. Now."

Goddammit, Rarity! Let me do this! I really needed to ... I ...

... wait, what did she just call me?

My heart raced as Rarity marched up to us, a document held in her magic. I swallowed hard, not daring to believe what it could be. Rarity gave me a quick smile before turning her full attention to Spoiled Rich, and her eyes blazed.

Spoiled Rich turned towards her and snorted. "Your fosterling? This foul-mouthed little miscreant? Not if I have anything to say about it!"

She drew back when Rarity thrust the document at her face, her pupils shrinking as she barely avoided being plastered in the muzzle. All I could make out from where I stood was a seal near a top corner and a signature at the bottom.

"Fortunately, you don't," Rarity declared. "Kindly note the signature at the bottom of this document formally approving me as Candy Swirl's fosterer. It is not from some lowly clerk or random functionary, but from Mayor Mare. Your challenge ends here and now."

My heart fluttered. This was actually going to happen? I drew in a deep, quaking breath, my eyes misting, only to have my emotional tumult cut short by ...

... the smell of buttered popcorn??

"Want some?" a voice squeaked to my right.

I turned my head. Pinkie Pie was seated in a folding chair next to me, one hoof extended towards me offering me a box of popcorn, the other hoof curled around a banner that read "TEAM RARITY."

As if answering my unspoken question, Pinkie smiled and said, "I missed the last two times Rarity ripped a pony a new one. I'm not missing this!"

I had the satisfaction of seeing Spoiled Rich too stunned to speak at first, though the moment didn't last. She backed up a step, her eyes narrowing as if she somehow expected the document to burst into flame from the power of her glare alone. "You wouldn't have accomplished this if it weren't for the fact that you have a Princess of Equestria in your saddlebag," she snarled.

Rarity rolled up the document into a scroll with a snap before yanking it away. "And what of it? Two can play at these tawdry political games. My only regret is having to soil my hooves with the same dirty tactics you wallow in."

"Oo, good one!" Pinkie murmured. She reached over to a scoreboard next to her and flipped a "1" into the slot marked with a little picture of Rarity's face.

Spoiled Rich maintained her haughty demeanor despite the shifty look in her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, really, now?" Rarity said in a voice of such ice even my own ears drew back despite knowing I was not the target. "Then it must be mere coincidence that you applied for the vacant seat on the Ponyville Town Council on the same day that Candy showed up."

I raised an eyebrow. She did what now?

Rarity took a step towards Spoiled Rich. "It's not enough you throw your weight around on the school board just to have a ridiculous visage of your daughter placed in stained glass at the schoolhouse--"

"You dare call my Diamond Tiara ridiculous?!"

"No, I'm calling you ridiculous!"

Both mares had advanced on each other that their muzzles nearly touched. I sat down and helped myself to the popcorn Pinkie offered. Maybe I was still a little disappointed I didn't get the chance to tell off Spoiled Rich myself, but Rarity did it with far more flair than I could have accomplished.

"How dare you use an underaged pony as your political pawn!" Rarity thundered. Her horn glowed, and an envelope appeared from her saddlebag. At first I assumed it was the letter she had shown me earlier until I realized the envelope was a different color. "I did my own inquiries when I realized I had no idea why you would even care this much about one pony despite her lack of documentation or cutie mark. Imagine my surprise when I learned you were using invented dangers of her arrival as a means to ingratiate yourself to the Council!"

"And why not?!" Spoiled Rich roared. "For too long this town has been a refuge for the dregs of Equestrian society! I am only--!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, spare me your tired rhetoric. You simply wanted to further your own power."

Spoiled Rich slowly smiled. "I will tell you the same thing I tell my Diamond: A Rich pony always thinks of her social standing. I always believed you were concerned about your own standing as well. It was the one thing I respected about you. Apparently, I was wrong."

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps I occasionally do like to bump shoulders with the creme of Canterlot nobility, but I refuse to do so at the expense of others. Apparently, those on the Council -- and Mayor Mare -- believe as I do."

Spoiled Rich ground her teeth. "If you for one moment think I will let you attempt to sway the Council into rejecting my membership--!"

"I don't have to. You've already done a splendid job yourself."

"What are you talking about?!"

"You made it quite clear you were not interested in real facts, only imagined threats without a shred of proof behind them. Perhaps that worked when everypony was frightened of changelings, but not now. Once they had a chance to think about it, they found they wished more integrity from prospective council members." Rarity lifted her muzzle in the air and stepped past Spoiled Rich. "Now, run along and ... well, do whatever it is you do for this town. Celestia knows I've never figured it out."

I snorted and clamped my jaw shut against the laugh that would have otherwise escaped. Pinkie giggled softly and flipped another number on the scoreboard.

Spoiled Rich glared at Rarity's back. "This is not the last you'll hear from me!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Obviously, as I can still hear you talking. Let's say I take Candy home now and rectify that problem, hmm?"

"I am still chairpony of the school board!" Spoiled Rich yelled. "I will use my influence there to set this town to rights! What do you have to say to that?!"

Pinkie looked thoughtful and rubbed her chin with the back of a hoof. "Hmm. I'd say your delivery is good, and you're definitely loud enough, but your follow-through is kinda weak." Pinkie smiled. "It also doesn't help that you're a big poopy-head, but, eh, nopony's perfect."

My eyes were tearing and my sides ached from suppressed laughter.

Spoiled Rich growled and stomped a hoof. "I will not waste my time any further with such low-life ponies. Mark my words, Miss Rarity, you will regret this day, even if I have to work through Diamond Tiara to do it!"

With a final snort, she raised her muzzle in the air and marched away.

My mirth quickly died. "That's not going to cause trouble for Sweetie Belle and her friends, is it?"

Rarity sighed. "That insufferable mare has been trying her best to gain the upper hoof via the school board for some time now. She may have her daughter stir up trouble in the fall when it comes time to elect a student pony president. We'll worry about that when and if it happens."

Pinkie hopped off her chair and bounced over to us. "Maybe the Crusaders can help by, um, I dunno, helping somepony oppose Diamond Tiara so she goes down in a humiliating defeat only to reveal that she's had all this hidden pain about who she really is and after a dramatic musical number she totally turns around and becomes their friend and the Crusaders even earn their cutie marks doing it and I get to host the biggest cuteceaƱera ever!" She threw her fore-hooves in the air and gave us a big smile.

We stared at Pinkie for a few moments before Rarity broke the silence. "Yes, well, I believe we've made enough of a scene. Shall we head home, Candy?"

"That's it?" I said, my heart thumping. "It's done?"

Rarity smiled. "Yes, it's done. I am officially your fosterer now."

"But do I still need to keep quiet about--"

"You need not concern yourself with hiding your origins," said Rarity. "And I'm sorry I made you think you needed to."

"I don't understand."

"I had foolishly assumed Spoiled Rich had managed to raise what other ponies might consider real concerns about you," said Rarity. "When I discovered that it was little more than a ploy for political power, I decided to tell them the truth about you. They were far more impressed with my honesty than her bombast."

"Wait, was that why you didn't bat an eye at what they asked Twilight about me?"

"Indeed. In fact, I expected as much."

"But you made Spoiled Rich think you used Twilight to influence things."

Rarity sighed. "Sadly, ponies like her don't understand how friendship works at all. It was better to use terms she did understand and, well ..." She smiled. "If she goes off thinking I have sizable influence in town, so much the better for me."

I sat quietly in both appreciation and at least some measure of awe, not just at her prowess in dealing with Spoiled Rich, but at myself. I had actually managed to relinquish control over something, and it worked out in the end.

I stared at Rarity's face. It was nothing like my mother's face. I didn't mean the difference in species. Emotions played in her eyes differently. Her mouth shaped her unspoken thoughts differently. Despite the similarities in personality, now that I had come to know her better, she really was a different person. Yet I had trouble seeing her as the big sister I thought I had wanted. Maybe I didn't want to admit that I needed something more than an older sibling. I never had an older sister and could only guess at how it felt.

But I did know what having a mother felt like.

"Candy? Are you--?"

I bolted over to Rarity and thew my forelegs around her. "Thank you," I whispered.

I felt Rarity's forelegs squeeze me tightly even as the words left my lips. "You're very welcome, my dear," Rarity whispered back, her voice quavering slightly.

I heard a sniffle, and then Pinkie's voice. "Awwwww ..."

I smiled as we gently broke off the embrace. Pinkie gave me a hug as well.

"Let's head home, Candy," said Rarity.

I nodded. "Yes, let's."

Pinkie bounced along beside us. "You know, that stuff I said about the Crusaders and Diamond Tiara totally could happen!"

"You'll forgive me if I don't place bits on that," said Rarity.

I barely paid attention to their conversation as the pegasi cleared the last of the clouds, and the sun again shone down from an azure sky. I still had a smile on my muzzle, perhaps the longest I had sustained one since coming here.

I wasn't even upset over Discord avoiding me. Fine, let him. I didn't need to confront him as much as perhaps others thought. I had enough to worry about, like what was really going on with my pendant.

But that would keep for now. I wanted to enjoy these good feelings a little longer.