//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: All's Fair in Love and War // by SeaBreeze173 //------------------------------// I dragged my hooves as I walked down the street to my house on Lady Bug Lane. My right eye was swollen shut, my lip was busted, and my front hooves were cut and bleeding slightly and I was certain my right hind leg was sprained. But my face was lit up with a smile as bright as Celestia’s sun, for on my nine year old flank was a brand new cutie mark. Of course, I’d gotten it during one of my many scuffles in the school yard, however that little detail was irrelevant at the moment. I was proud of the flaming sword which adorned my flank. Gypsy trotted along beside me. She looked me over and shook her head. “Papa is going to be so mad. This is the fifth fight you’ve been in this year. And we’ve only been in school for three months!” my fourteen year old sister said. “Oh, who cares what he thinks? I can’t wait to show my cutie mark to Mama!” I squeaked happily, skipping a few steps down the sidewalk. “Ow,” I winced. Yeah, I’d definitely sprained that leg. “Sometimes I wish I was like you, Aggie,” Gypsy said suddenly. I stopped in my tracks and stared up my sister. “You do?” “Yeah. You’re so brave and full of life,” “But you are too!” I said. “Thanks for thinking so, but, I’m not brave at all. I’d sooner turn tail and run before I’d even think about jumping into a fight like you do,” “I think you’re brave, you held that worm for me last weekend!” I smiled. “And you have no idea how hard that was,” Gypsy laughed, lifting a hoof and giving me a noogie. “I love you, Gypsy,” I hugged my eldest sister’s leg. “I love you, too, kiddo,” Gypsy hugged me back. “C’mon guys!” my thirteen year old sister, Penelope, shouted from up ahead, “Mama said she was making brownies after we got home from school. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get brownies!” Penny turned tail and galloped on up the sidewalk. I looked at Gypsy and she looked at me. “Think we can catch her?” she smirked. “Oh, yeah!” I giggled as she picked me up and set me on her back. “Hold on, Aggie!” Gypsy said before galloping off after our sister. “Aggie! Aggie! Aggie! Wake up!” Topaz pushed her hooves into my shoulders, shaking me awake. My eyes opened drowsily. The first thing they settled on was a blue teenaged pony practically sitting on my lap, her eyes wide and joyous and slightly frightening since she was so close to my face. I jerked back when my sleep drunk eyes finally focused, wincing as my head hit the wall behind me. “Ah! OW!” I rubbed a hoof to the back of my head. Where was my pillow? Why was I on the floor? Why did the air smell so…sanitary? Oh, that’s right. I was in the hospital. Slowly the happenings over the last few hours came back to me. Sometime after midnight on our third day in Manehattan, Penny had gone into labor. Mother had dragged me out of bed to come to the hospital with her, Penny and Anvil while Gypsy and Shift stayed behind with Topaz and Primrose. Apparently sometime between then and now, I had passed out against a wall in the waiting area. “What time is it? When did you get here? Where’s Penny? How’s the foal? I asked frantically, jumping up and knocking Topaz off me in the process. “Chill sis,” she grunted. “It’s just after eight in the morning. Me, Gypsy, Shift and Prim got here around seven-thirty,” “AND?!” “No foal,” “Good grief,” I groaned, slumping back down the wall. “It may come soon,” Topaz said. “He, Topaz. The foal is a he. Not an ‘it’,” I never liked calling a foal “it”. They are ponies, not houseplants. “I hope it—” I gave Topaz a flat look. “—I mean the foal, is a filly,” “The foal is going to be a colt,” I said confidently. “How do you know?” “Because Penny told me, duh,” “When?” “In her last letter to me,” “You two write letters? I didn’t know you knew what a quill was!” Topaz snorted. I was seriously beginning to loose my patience with this kid. I breathed out my nose in a huff. “Watch it, smart flank,” Off to the side, Gypsy and Wind Shift sat with little Primrose. Prim had just turned 3 years old. She was starting to run around more and boy did she enjoy using her legs. I’d never seen a foal move so fast. The tyke had kept me busy over the past few days. During my teenage years, I didn’t like foals very much, however my niece had brought out my tender side. She had me wrapped around her hoof. I couldn’t wait to have my nephew to cuddle with. Another hour went by before Anvil finally came to the waiting room. We all jumped to our hooves. I was especially excited. He looked tired and drained, but his eyes held the pride and joy of a new father. “Come meet your new niece,” he smiled happily. A niece! Wait a second… A niece? Oh, Penny, you little trickster. I was certain she was back in the delivery room, laughing her flank off. Anvil led the four of us down the hall of the delivery ward of the hospital until we got to room 172. He opened the door and let us all go before him. In my peripheral vision I saw Mother sitting on a big chair in the corner of the room, but my attention was on the pink and yellow mare on the bed before me. Penny looked exhausted yet happy as she gazed down at the little bundle in her hooves. She lifted her head, seeing us and smiled. “Gypsy, Aggie, Topaz, meet Morning Glory,” At first I had no idea what to say. My disappointment of not getting a nephew completely disappeared as I looked at my new niece. She was perfect in every way. Her violet and pink curly mane matched her lavender coat perfectly. Her eyes opened and they were certainly Anvil’s, a beautiful shade of green. I felt my heart melt. Mother rose up from the chair and carefully made her way over to Penny. “Don’t forget to introduce this little guy,” Sunflower Field gently laid a bundle in Anvil’s hooves. Woah woah woah. Back up! Little guy? “Oh my goodness,” Gypsy gasped. “Two foals?” Topaz grinned. “You had TWINS!?” I exclaimed. “This is Boulder Moss,” Penny giggled at my expression. “We have a nephew!” Topaz cheered, hugging me and Gypsy. My paralyzed brain finally kicked back into action as I stepped forward to examine my new nephew. “Hmm,” I peered at the little slate colored colt. I scrutinized his messy moss colored mane and examined his hooves. I playfully poked his nose with my muzzle, making him yawn and open his blue eyes. They were the color of the sky after an afternoon rain, just like Penny’s. “I’ll guess he’ll have to do,” I said lazily, shrugging my shoulders. Penny rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha, little sister. C’mon, I can see it in your eyes. You’re smitten,” she smirked. I tried to hold out, but I quickly caved. “You got me! He’s absolutely beautiful, Penny. They both are. Boulder Moss and Morning Glory. Two foals that will grow up to be a handsome stallion and a beautiful mare,” I smiled gently. “Thank you, Fire,” Anvil said as he walked up on the other side of the bed and nuzzled Penny. I backed up as Topaz, Gypsy and Shift made their way to the bed and proceeded to gush over the twins. “So, Aggie, when will I be getting grandfoals from you?” Mother whispered, coming up beside me. “I would have to be married first, Mother,” I whispered back. “Oh, that’s the old fashioned way,” she snorted. I raised a brow. “Heh, seriously? It’s you of all ponies to suggest sex before marriage,” “I’m just kidding, silly filly,” Mother laughed softly. “You know I wouldn’t suggest something like that,” “Thank goodness. I have enough issues with Sterling as it is. Having a foal out of wedlock would just add fuel to the fire,” I said absentmindedly. I heard Mother sigh beside me, causing me to glance down at her. “What?” “It’s nothing, sweetie,” she said. I knew when my mother was hiding something and I nudged her shoulder. “You can tell me,” Mother stayed silent for several minutes before saying, “Why do you call him Sterling? You've called your father Sterling or Sterling Silver since you were fifteen. You used to call him Papa. What changed?” I stiffened up at her question. “You know why,” “Yes, I suppose I do. But I want to hear it from you,” “Must we talk about this now?” My ears laid back against my head and I adverted my eyes. “No, we don’t have to,” Mother said. “But I do believe that you need to talk. With your father,” she placed a hoof over mine. “The two of you are more alike than you’ll ever know. That’s part of the reason why he’s the way he is when he is with you. And I think that frightens him. My head jerked up and I looked at the yellow mare. “Frightens him? Why?” “Because you remind him of himself,” I lingered at the hospital for half an hour more after the conversation with Mother. My mind hadn’t stopped going over what she’d said. I reminded Sterling of himself? And it frightened him? How could that tiny detail frighten my father? He was a highly respected officer in the Army. The name of Colonel Sterling Silver was known in all divisions of the Equestrian Military. He had seen things that nopony should ever have to see. Yet what frightened him was his daughter who is just like him. I had to go home. That was the only answer. I needed to go home and confront Sterling Silver. Demand the answers to the questions I’d had all my life. I trotted back to the delivery room and weaved my way around everypony to Mother. “I need to go home,” I said. “To the apartment? I did drag you out of bed in the middle of the night. I’m sure you’re tired,” Well, that was true. I was about to drop from exhaustion, but I shook my head. “No, I need to go home. Home home. To Whinnyanapolis,” Mother’s eyes widened. “But Aggie, you can’t leave. Penelope hasn’t seen you in months and she just had the twins—” “And she has you, Topaz and Gypsy to help her, not to mention her husband and our brother-in-law. I don’t need to be here,” I interrupted her. Mother averted her eyes. “It’s because of him, isn’t it?” she said quietly. “It’s because of what I told you,” I nodded. “Okay, sweetheart. I trust you to know what you need to do,” Mother hugged me. I returned the hug with all the love I had for her. We pulled away from each other and I turned to everypony else. They were still by the bed. Well, Topaz was sitting on top of the bed. They all had their eyes on me and I knew they must have heard everything. “You’re going home?” Topaz asked. I saw that a few tears had slid down her cheeks. I walked over to hurt and ruffled her mane. “Yeah, kid. I need to go home. But you’re gonna stay here to keep Penny and the old maid in check,” I said, the old maid being Gypsy. Topaz giggled and hugged my neck. “You got it!” Topaz let me go and I turned to Anvil and Penny. “I’m sorry I can’t stay,” “It’s okay, Aggie, I understand,” Penny smiled. “Besides, if I were you, I’d be getting out of diaper changing duty too,” she pulled me close and hugged me as best she could with Boulder Moss in her arms. Once I got to Penelope and Anvil’s apartment, I quickly packed my things and straightened up the room they’d given me. I set the key Mother gave on the kitchen counter and locked up. Saddlebags on my back, I trotted out of the apartment building and out onto the streets of Manehattan. I wasn’t sure what I’d say when I finally confronted Sterling. All I knew was that it was time I had a conversation with my dad.