Kind Hearts & Coronets

by Shinzakura

III: It Happens All the Time, This Crazy Love of Mine

“Oh, dear, oh dear, oh dear.” Rarity moved around the kitchen like a mare obsessed – mainly because that’s what she was. “Oh, I do hope I got everything correct.”

“Everything is well in hand, milady,” a younger pegasus mare, making sandwiches, gave her a comforting smile. “I’m sure milady has thought of everything for her outing with Cornet Silversteel.”

The former fashionista gave her maid a smile. “I just want everything to be perfect, Sky Skimmer, I truly do. This is my first chance to have a full weekend with Silver and I want everything to be perfect.” She squeed in practical joy. “I don’t want a single thing to go wrong.”

“You’ve been dating him now for a month, milady. No doubt you and he know each other well enough that any issues would be brushed over.”

“True, but a mare wants things to be perfect for her paramour. It’s all about that crazy little thing called love, as they say.”

“With due respect, milad—”

“Okay, that’s enough of that ‘milady’, if you don’t mind, Sky. That’s getting old.”

Sky suddenly laughed. “Aw, c’mon, Rares!” The “maid” suddenly became a lot more informal as she drolled, “What, cousins aren’t allowed to tease each other?”

“Sky, I agreed to let you live here in the mansion with me while you’re attending college at Royal Canterlot U. But I didn’t tell Aunt Periwinkle that I needed a maid.”

“Well, cuz, single mare like you livin’ in a house all alone like this…nobles’ll talk. Trust me, I’ve run into some of them and they don’t believe I’m your cousin, much less that I’m staying with you out of the generosity of your own heart. They see a run-of-the-mill pegasus like me, and they head for the hills.” Sky fluttered her wings in annoyance. “Easier just to say that I’m your maid.”

“They don’t give Sweetie Belle any trouble, and she stays here on the weekends when she’s not at the Academy dorms.”

“That’s because she’s a unicorn, just like you, Rares,” Sky said, fluttering her yellow wings in emphasis. “Some of us aren’t that lucky in that regard, if you catch my oh-so-tragic drift.”

“I know. I wish it were different,” she commented, “but it’s not. And I would prefer you not pretend to be my maid, because I refuse to have anypony in my family looked down upon.”

“Wow, no wonder that colt of yours is getting a winner,” Sky laughed, winking. Suddenly the doorbell sounded and Sky said demurely, “Shall I answer that, milady?”

Rarity playfully swatted her cousin with her tail. “I’ll get it.” The moment she opened the door, she found Silver standing there, and she couldn’t help but launch forward and kiss her beau. “You’re earlier than I expected. Sky and I are still making lunch, and Sweetie hasn’t arrived yet. I was hoping we could do a picnic over on the Royal Museum grounds.”

He returned her kiss, but there was a sad look on his face. “Rarity, I really hate to do this, but I have to cancel out on our weekend plans. I have to head to Ponyville immediately.”

She looked at him worriedly. “Is there something wrong?”

He nodded. “Just got a frantic note from Sparkler this morning. Derpy was attacked last night and she’s in the hospital.”

“You know, sis,” Sweetie Belle said as she adjusted her seating in the chariot an hour later, “while I wanted to go back home in the near future to see Scoots and Bloomie, this wasn’t what I had in mind.”

“None of us did, Sweetie,” Rarity said, sadly. The moment she found out, Rarity wasted no time in requisitioning one of the royal chariots to have them fly to Ponyville. Waiting for the train would be too long and from what Luna had informed her, the others were already in Ponyville, leaving her as the odd mare out.

“Look, I’m just going to stay out of your way for the weekend, Rarity,” Sky commented in the seat next to her. “It’ll be nice to catch up with Uncle Magnum and Aunt Pearl anyway.”

“I think they’d like that,” the fashionista told her cousin. However, Rarity’s mind was elsewhere as she looked at the pensive, distant look on Silver’s face. Being an earth pony, it was already bad enough that he was very uncomfortable flying – a condition that she also shared, though Sweetie had traveled enough with Twilight in her balloon and Sky obviously had no trouble being airborne. But his features clearly showed that his mind was elsewhere and she knew where that was – he was already at his former fiancée’s side. She didn’t begrudge him that; the fact that he was here with her said everything she needed to know: but it also made her wonder how his daughters with Derpy would form in the life she and Silver shared.

Silver, what will our future be, if we have one together? she wondered. She never pictured herself as a stepmother.

“Your grace, we’ll be in Ponyville within the next five minutes,” one of the guardponies pulling the chariot commented. Sure enough, in the distance could be seen two colored specks growing larger as they approached, one sky blue, the other a soft yellow. “Looks like Duchesses Jennet and Andalusia are approaching.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” she answered. “Please, land us as close to the hospital as you can.” The guard nodded his head and, in unison with the other guards, began their descent as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash caught up with the chariot.

“Shining and Cadance are already at the hospital, along with AJ and Pinkie,” Rainbow told Rarity as the chariot began its controlled landing. “Twilight’s train arrives in ten minutes.”

Fluttershy, on the other side of the chariot, looked at Silver. “Your daughters are fine, Silver. They were at a party at Sugarcube Corner when it happened. They’re staying at Sweet Apple Acres right now, but Mac and Bloomie will bring them to the hospital so you can talk to them.”

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” was all he said.

As the chariot approached within ten feet of the ground, Silver leapt off and the moment his hooves hit the ground, raced into the hospital. Rarity, not wanting to spook the guards further, waited until the chariot came to a complete stop before bounding out of it and racing inside. She’d gotten as far as the lobby when she saw the group of ponies standing there, talking. “Rares, it’s good t’ see ya, but Ah wish it wuzn’t under this situation,” Applejack told her.

“I know. I didn’t want to be like this either.”

“Hey, y’re here fer yer stallion – that’s important. Now, when Ah see Noteworthy again, Ah’m gonna tar that colt fer not bein’ here t’ help a friend.”

“I thought you disliked him, Applejack.” A soft smile crept up onto her face. “Do I detect a certain stallion in your life?”

“Les’ just say that havin’ one too many t’ drink that night wuzn’t th’ worst thing in th’ world,” she said with a coquettish smile.

Meanwhile, Silver fixed his eyes on Cadance and Shining the moment he walked in. “What room,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

“Silver,” Cadance said, “I’m not sure that it’s best that—”

“Cadance, you are my friend and my princess, but please, not the buck now, okay?” She gave him a hurt look and he recanted. “Look, sorry. I’m just a little worried right now.”

“I know. She’s in room 212.”

“Thanks.” He turned to Rarity as she came in. “I have to go see her, Rarity. There are too many things that were left unsaid and too many things left unclosed, but don’t worry – I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know.” However, the look in her eyes didn’t share the confidence that her voice did.

“I promise you, that I wo—”

“DADDY!” Dinky launched herself at Silver, followed in short order by Sparkler. “Daddy! I was so scared and what’s going to happen to Mommy and when are you coming home and….”

“Dad, it’s good to see you again,” Sparkler said, crying into Silver’s coat.

“Everything’s going to be alright, girls,” he told them as he held them close. “Everything will be fine. Your mother’s going to be alright.”

Rarity watched as Silver held the two girls he thought of as his own. He’d been utterly honest with her about his life with Derpy and how Dinky and Sparkler fit into it; he’d gone out of his way to make sure she wasn’t The Other Mare, though this was the first time she’d been back in Ponyville since the start of their relationship. She’d always known about Dinky and Sparkler being Derpy’s daughters, but she’d always seen them as the mailmare’s foals, not anything else. This brought a new dimension to everything.

“So you’re her, huh?” Rarity blinked and found herself staring at Sparkler, who was eyeing her critically. “I have to admit, when Mom told me, I didn’t think Dad would be seeing anypony again, and I especially didn’t think it’d be you, Miss Rarity.”

For some reason, the elder unicorn felt a pang of guilt. “Sparkler, I….”

The filly placed a solitary hoof up, a gesture more mature than her years. “I’m not going to say anything – I don’t know if it’s my place. Yes, I wish Mom and Dad were married and that we lived together, but I also know what Mom told me – and I know that I love my Dad enough to want him to be happy. If your parents broke up, wouldn’t you want the best for them if they chose to see other ponies?” she inquired. “But I want you to know something: Mom still loves Dad. A month apart doesn’t change things, and knowing Mom, it never will – and knowing Dad, it won’t change for him, either. Is that going to bother you?”

“I’m really not sure that’s any concern of yours, Sparkler, dear.”

The younger filly shook her head. “It is. He’s my father. Yes, there’s no legal binding, I know that – Mom spelled that out. But she also knows how I feel about him, and he would never abandon me. So if you’re going to be in his life, you have to be ready for me and Dinky, whether you like it or not.”

“Sparkler, I’m not sure this is the best time to talk about this,” a new voice called out. Both unicorns turned in the direction of the voice to see Twilight Sparkle enter the foyer. “Right now, the only important thing is your mother.”

Sparkler nodded. “You’re right, Miss Twilight.” She hung her head down. “Sorry.” She then looked up and her eyes were filled with tears. “I just remember the last time this happened: I was about Dinky’s age, and both Mom and Dad were nearly killed in Appaloosa. Dad’s safe this time, but….”

Rarity couldn’t help herself. Sitting down, she went and embraced Sparkler. “I’m so sorry you have to shoulder this burden, Sparkler. But you’re a brave young mare and Silver’s blessed to have a daughter like you.” Sparkler just looked at Rarity with a helpless gaze for a few seconds before resting her head on the older unicorn’s shoulder, letting herself go and crying once more.

Silver watched as Rarity embraced Sparkler. He didn’t know what happened, but whatever it was, thank Celestia it hadn’t been a disaster.

“Muffin,” Silver said as he looked at Dinky’s tear-stained face. “I have to go talk to your mother. I want you to stay here with Princess Cadance and Prince Shining, okay?”

“Then are you coming home? I don’t want you to go again!” she wailed.

“We’ll…talk about that later.” He couldn’t answer her directly; there was no answer to be had. Instead, he kissed her on the crown of her head and walked towards the stairs, headed towards the upstairs hospital room.

---

“And that should be the last of them.” Golden Sun said to her flight, the four of them in flight armor rather than the usual flightsuits the squadron wore. “Gamma flight will continue to mop up and search for any other changelings in the area, but our orders are to let the 37th Heavy Infantry and 225th Engine Cohort deal with the hive but to be prepared to hunt down any potential reinforcements.”

“Hey, where’s 18th HQ? Aren’t they the changeling specialists, ma’am?” a sergeant in the back row spoke up.

“Couldn’t tell you.” Everyone looked in the direction of Tiger Lily; while all their armor had been scuffed up during the engagement against the changelings, hers was covered in the ichor of dead changelings. “Maybe they took a vacation to Pearis or Roam,” she said, cracking a wild grin.

“Looks like Tiger slipped the leash again,” he muttered to himself and many in the squadron agreed; Tiger’s need to brawl and tussle was well known within their unit – as well as a few others.

Goldie ignored it and said, “18th hasn’t been mobilized yet; wouldn’t be surprised if they show up in a day or two to peek and poke around and what’s left of this hive and interrogate some of the surviving changelings. In the meanwhile, everypony take a break – lick ‘em if ya got ‘em. Dismissed.” As the assembly broke up, Goldie said, “Sergeant Lily, I want to speak to you.”

“Sure thing, ma’am,” Tiger said as she approached. “What’s up?”

“What do you mean, ‘what’s up’? You know the rules: no one goes out the night before an op – I can only cover for you for so long, Tiger. Now where in Tartarus were you?”

“Getting hot and heavy with your brother, of course.” When that was met with a deadpan stare, she said, “Okay, okay, I was over his place last night, but I was gathering intel for my eventual plans. He’s looking at another mare, from what I understand, and I don’t like that, not one bucking bit.”

“Look, Tiger, I know we agreed to this plan, but even you have to follow military regs. Seduce Silver whenever you’re good and ready, but please try not to forget you’re a guardspony?”

“Roger that, ma’am. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to wash off some of this changeling blood. Kinda stains the gear.”

As Tiger walked away, Goldie wasn’t done yet. In a cool voice, she said, “Oh, and I also got a report through some channels that last night, his ex, Derpy Hooves, was beaten within an inch of her life. Supposedly it was a break-in into the post office rather than the residential part of her house. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

Tiger froze in her steps. She then put her raised hoof down, and, not looking at Goldie, said, “Hey, Ponyville is between Cloudsdale and Canterlot, but I have an alibi – you can ask Silver. I’m sure there were some hours I could be technically unaccounted for, but you know what kind of upstanding guard I am, a credit to Her Majesty’s Service, right?” Waving a wing, she said, “Talk to you later, Goldie.”

---

The hospital, ironically, reminded him of the time when he and Derpy had been in the Appaloosa infirmary after the deaths of Wisdom Seeker and Tiny Dynamine. He still remembered that event and how damn misguided that aged unicorn had been; in the end, his prophecy had been correct: the stars did aid in her escape – Twilight Sparkle, with the other eventual Knights Elemental, rescued Princess Luna from the hellish prison she’d been trapped in for a millennium. But it had cost the life of a promising mage, one that he was sure wouldn’t be happy to see this day come to pass.

“Hi, Derpy,” Silver said, as he approached the bed, looking at her. Her right wing was in a cast, as was her right hindleg and her left foreleg. One of her eyes was patched, and her mane had been shorn off in order to accommodate the bandages. She looked like hell right now. And, to be honest, she also looked so beautiful to him. That part, he knew, would never change.

“It’s sad,” she said. “The last time we were like this, we’d started our relationship and you were the one in traction. Now we’re at the end, and I’m the one here.”

“Derpy, I…I still love you. I want you to know that.”

She nodded as best as he could. “I so wanted to be the mare that would be there for the rest of your days, Silver. But I can’t. I don’t have that kind of strength in me. I can’t just sit there and wait as you go out and possibly be killed. I love you too much to see that happen, but I can’t – I won’t – force you to step away from what your life’s work is. That way lays madness.” Her good eye began to glisten with tears. “Forgive me for not being strong enough to be your wife.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Derpy. You gave me happiness and two foals to love.” He could feel his own eyes tearing up. He never wanted this moment, but it was happening regardless. It was that neat and bittersweet, that’s how he saw the world – but he knew that there would be a part of her that he would never let go, and she him. But he had to change the subject, lest he break down. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I was closing up shop – I’d sent Par Avion and Sodasplash home for the night and I was locking up when something black attacked me. Whatever it was, the only thing I could tell was that it was a pegasus, maybe female, I’m not sure – and whoever it was, he or she was good at fighting.”

“A fighter?”

“I don’t know much about martial arts, but I remember those Turf Fu routines you practiced in the backyard. Something like that, only made for pegasi.”

He thought about that for a second. “Well, there’s a few disciplines: airkido, wing chun, cloudpoeria…. But it sounds like the pony that attacked you knew what he or she was doing.”

“It hurt. I had to crawl all the way to Roseluck’s for help.”

Silver gasped – that was a quarter-mile, and she did it on a broken wing and two broken legs. And this mare’s afraid of me getting killed?

“Derpy, I’m going to find who did this to you. I’m going to find them and make them pay. Nopony messes with my family,” he said.

“We’re not family anymore, Silver.” Derpy looked at him sadly and said, “I pushed you away. I don’t deserve you anymore.”

“You’re the mother of our foals, Derpy,” he told her calmly. “You’re always going to be a mare I love and family. Plus, we don’t know if they went after you or the girls.” At that, Derpy’s eye went wide in fright. “Think about it, hon,” he said. “We know that Oriental Blossom and Bottlerocket didn’t contest the severance order or the adoptions, but what if they left a few years in-between in order to let us let our guard down before trying to get the girls back? Plus, when they went to jail, they’d been working for mercenaries…and I’m sure there are more than a few soldiers-of-fortune who are martial arts experts.”

“If it’s true, Silver, you can’t let them take my muffins – our girls!” she gasped, ignoring the pain that was radiating in her good eye.

“I won’t,” he vowed as a knock came at the door. As he turned around, he found Rarity poking his head in.

“Silver, dear, we just received a message from Sheriff Caramel. He would like to see you at the post office as soon as you can.”

“I’ll come as soon as I can,” he told her, his voice filled with tension.

Derpy fixed her eye on Rarity as she stood by the door, and then an idea came to her. “Silver, I’d like to speak to Rarity alone for a moment, if I can.”

“Derpy, I….”

“Please, just wait outside. I won’t be long.” He nodded slightly and then suddenly it was the two mares in the room. “Rarity, please close the door.” The unicorn did so, and then approached the bed. “So, do you love him?”

“Derpy, please understand, I never mea—”

“Do. You. Love. Him?” the pegasus said firmly, though without any hint of anger or malice.

“I….” Rarity blushed. “We’ve only been together a month now, and…he makes my heart a-flutter, like no stallion I’ve ever met. I see that smile of his, and I know it’s only just for me. At the risk of cliché, dear, he makes me feel…well, like a mare.”

Derpy smiled weakly. “I’m glad. I’m glad he found someone he could love and actually deserves it.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself, dear. You have a past with him, and foals. You two still love one another.”

“Yes, but I’m not the right mare for him, Rarity. I know that now. I don’t regret having him in my life, don’t get me wrong, but…we were two clouds passing in the air, and we were both Celestia-blessed that we had time together. I will always cherish that. But I want him to be happy, Rarity. Will you do that for him?”

The two mares looked at each other in silence for what seemed to be endless minutes. It wasn’t a test of wills, but instead an unspoken conversation between the past, the present and the possible future. To a casual observer, had they heard Derpy’s question, it would have almost seemed as though there was a torch being passed, a baton being moved on down the line towards its goal.

“Yes,” Rarity said, finally. “I can’t promise that he’ll be happy, but I promise I will try to make it so.”

“That’s all I can ask for,” she said, an easy smile suddenly coming onto his face. “Oh, and Dinky will probably hate you for a while, be warned: she’s a jealous little filly. Sparkler, thankfully, is old enough to understand. She might not be happy about me and Silver breaking up, but she understands.”

“I’ve spoken with Sparkler. You’ve raised a wonderful young mare.”

“Thanks, Rarity.” A yellow eye fluttered slightly, sleepily. “I need to get some sleep now, so, please, just take care of my love and that’s enough for me. I guess I’ll see you later?”

She nodded. “Take care, and if there’s anything you ever need, please don’t hesitate to ask.” But by that time, Derpy was halfway asleep. Rarity smiled softly at her predecessor – though it felt weird for her to think that, she admitted to herself – and left the room quietly. As she stepped out, Rarity looked at Silver. “She’s almost asleep – I think you should say your goodbyes, so we can go talk to Caramel.”

“I already did,” he told her, but she held out a foreleg in front of him.

“As Macintosh is so fond of saying, ‘Nope.’ Did you give her a goodbye kiss?” He looked at her oddly and she asked again, “Did you kiss her goodbye?”

“You were in the room when I left, Rarity. You know the answer to that.”

Rarity pointed towards the room, a determined look on her face. “Go. Now.”

“Why?”

She gave him a loving look. “Because that mare’s giving up one of the most important things in her life to me, and that’s…well, it’s generous. And if there’s one pony in this world who knows what Generosity is, it’s me.” She took his forehooves in hers and said, “I trust you, Silver, and I know you’re with me now. But you were with her before that. And she needs you right now, and you’re going to go in there, kiss her and let her know that no matter what, you love her. Then you’ll come back out and we can get back to our lives, understood?”

He nodded, both in awe and surprise. “Yes,” he told her as he went back into the room.

Footsteps fell down the hall. Without looking at them, Rarity said, “I know I’m doing the right thing, Cadance. And no, it isn’t easy. But as a mare just taught me, sometimes Generosity is about doing the right thing rather than the easy thing.”

“Well, if it counts, I’m proud of you,” the romance alicorn replied. Shining, standing next to her, merely nodded as Rarity peeked in to see her coltfriend kissing his now-former fillyfriend farewell. They would depart as friends, she knew, and their hearts would heal, their romance replaced by a fondness that would endure.

---

Caramel bent down, looking under a counter in the post office. Right now, Derpy’s home and post office was cordoned off for investigation by the town sheriff. “Whatever pony did this was a professional,” he said aloud. “Left very little trace, and what ground contacts there were are so faint that they either could have been done by a pegasus, or just a really light unicorn, as the prints of an earth pony would be more marked.” He turned to address the others in the room. “I’ll be honest: this isn’t going to be an easy case, but it’s my case,” the sheriff told Prince Shining Armor, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Cornet Silversteel and the six Knights Elemental. “I understand that Miss Hooves is a friend of yours, but this is my bea—”

“Caramel, can the crap and just get to your point,” Silver said irritably.

The goldenrod stallion rolled his eyes. “Just trying to do my job here, Silver. Anyway, I’ve had my deputies sweep for hoofprints, coat, tail or mane hairs or feathers, and the only ones that are around here match either Derpy, her daughters or her employees, all of which have rock-solid alibis…and no, I’m not accusing your foals, it’s a figure of speech,” he said, placating his friend. “My crew’s nothing but earth ponies and pegasi; we have no unicorns on staff, so I’m gonna need a little bit of help here.”

“Allow me,” Twilight said, as her horn flaring with power as she lit up the immediate surroundings. The room was suddenly engulfed in brilliant purple as her magic literally poured through every nook and cranny within the building. A second later, she released the spell, and a dozen hairs and feathers floated in front of her, all encased in her magic.

Caramel turned to his senior deputy. “Bag and tag, then get a hold of the Cruppersville Sheriff’s Office and see if they’ll lend us their magic identification specialist for a few days.”

“Won’t be necessary,” Shining said as his own horn came alight with blue energy. The items in the bags interleaved with the magic of both siblings, and when it was done, the prince said to Caramel, “I’ll broadcast that over to our ponies in the intelligence bureau. I’ll have them look into it.”

“Can you do that? Derpy’s just a civilian.”

Cadance shook her head. “No, at one time, Derpy was an official Crown representative for something needed in Appaloosa. That makes her a potential target for any possible action against the Crown and we don’t take it lightly. And I’m not just saying that because she’s a friend, Sheriff.”

“Yes, your highness.” Caramel took an appreciative look at the ponies assembled in the room not under his command. “Whoever hurt Derpy is probably going to regret ticking off you folks. I wouldn’t want to be in their hooves.”

---

“Thanks for letting me stay at your place, Rarity,” Twilight said as the two sipped coffee at the table later that night.

“It’s not a problem, Twilight, dear. I wouldn’t want you to stay in a hotel, since you no longer live at the library. As it is, Shining and Cadance are staying with Applejack and her family, and Silver’s staying at Derpy’s home with the fillies until she’s discharged from the hospital. My cousin and Sweetie are at my parents, so that left just you.” She sighed as she looked at her surroundings. “I’m going to miss this place.”

“Can’t you keep it?”

“Well, yes, I will, but I’ve appointed Mister Rich to be my double-blind CEO, and the lower floor will have some temporary employees minding the store while Diamond Tiara moves in with me for her apprenticeship. Truthfully, I’m glad she and Sweetie reconciled their differences. It’s interesting enough having Sky living with me, but now I’ll have an apprentice working with me in my spare time.”

“And the residential part?”

“I’ll have that as a guest home for whenever I’m visiting in town. Of course I’ll give you a key as well, should you ever need it.”

“Thanks.” Twilight took another sip of her coffee and said, “Cadance told me what you did with Silver and Derpy. I have to admit, I’m not sure I’d have that kind of confidence.”

Rarity waved it away. “They love each other. They were a family before I came into the picture. I don’t have the right to take that away from them, and I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

“And yet he’s sleeping in his old fillyfriend’s bed tonight.”

“Alone, Twilight – and he’s there because Dinky has nightmares, the poor thing,” Rarity pointed out. “Twilight, I trust Silver completely and those are his daughters. What are you trying to get at?”

“Look, I just don’t want to see you hurt, is all. I don’t want you to end up as The Other Mare.”

“Twilight, as much as I hate to say it, Applejack stands that happening to her more than I, because she’s so taken in with Noteworthy and he’s always been somewhat of a playcolt. But I told Silver that from the very beginning I refuse to be the mare on the side, and he’s been very sincere with me in the short time we’ve been together.” She brushed her mane out of her eyes and looked at her friend intently. “I promise you, Twilight, that I’ll be fine with Silver. I have the utmost faith in him, and Shining wouldn’t have introduced us if he even remotely thought something would be amiss.”

“If you’re sure….”

Rarity nodded. “I’m quite sure, dear, but I very much appreciate your concern. But please, let’s focus on more pressing concerns – like how Mrs. Cake found Pinkie and Thunderlane in a ‘compromising position’?”

Twilight’s jaw practically hit the floor. “You’re joking.”

The ivory unicorn feigned innocence. “Blossomforth told me about it – you know how the Cakes treat Pinkie as one of their own, so when Mrs. Cake found Thunderlane asleep with Pinkie in her bed, Mr. Cake apparently read him the riot act. I think they’re worried about how Pinkie will fare when they’re gone.”

“They’re leaving?”

“Didn’t you know? One of their mothers – I can’t remember which – is infirm in San Franciscolt, and the Cakes are moving there to take care of her in her dotage. They plan to sell Pinkie Sugarcube Corner, though knowing the Cakes they’ll probably just give it to her since she’s like a daughter to them. But they’ll be moving in a couple of months once their new business opens there.”

“Wow. I don’t live here anymore, you’re moving, and Applejack says she’s thinking about it, now that she’s accepted Celestia’s offer of ministry. And now the Cakes are leaving too, and Mayor Mare’s considering retiring. This place is really changing.” Twilight sighed wistfully. “I guess it’s true what they say: you can’t go home again.”

“At least we have each other, dear. At least we’ll always have one another.”

---

“Where’s my buckin’ money?” The stallion standing in front of the mare looked at her with a nasty glare. “We had a Luna-damned deal – I take out that post office harridelle, and you give me that cash.”

The mare stood there, looking at him coolly. “You done bucked up, Dragonkick. They found feathers and manehairs – didn’t I tell you to be more careful? That nag’s buckin’ connected, so dealing with her had to be delicate.”

“Hey, I did exactly what the buck you asked for – hospitalize the linebred freak – and now I want my cold. Hard. Bits.” The look in his eyes was murderous. “Now pay up, or am I gonna hafta take it out of your hide?” He looked at her and suddenly leered, adding, “Not that that wouldn’t be a bad deal either. Mare like you, bet your tail goes up for a long, long time.”

The mare looked at him coldly. “Dragonkick, mercs like you don’t stand a chance against me. I already paid you half on the condition that you get the rest if you did the job right. You screwed up hard – so you don’t get the rest, because I’m going to need it to cover your tracks and mine.”

“Not my problem.” He placed a wing on her withers, brushing her back seductively. “Last chance, filly. Bits or get comfy on the ground.”

She groaned. “You’re an idiot.”

And then she moved.

By the time he realized what was going on, she’d already blasted forward, stopping just in front of him and swinging her wings forth. The close-range sonic boom hit him hard, knocking him off his feet, and taking advantage of that momentum, she turned and lashed out with a flurry of kicks, each one connecting against his exposed barrel. As he hit the ground, she grabbed him and pulled him up by the mane.

“Just because I hired you to do a job doesn’t mean I’m not capable of doing it myself – I’m just not as stupid as you,” she said. “And the world’s not going to miss another soffie.” With a vicious grin on her face, she slammed his face into the pavement with strength that could have rivaled an earth pony. She then picked up a nearby loose brick, lifted his unconscious face once more, then smashed it into his muzzle, cracking the brick and breaking his jaw.

Letting him fall back to the floor, she acted quickly. Pulling out a few feathers and messing her mane and tail, she then quickly smashed the side of her face against the nearby wall. Making sure she was bleeding, she then stumbled out of the alleyway, timing it just as a town deputy passed by. “Help!” she gasped.

“Hey, what happened to you?” he asked.

“That…that stallion in there. He pulled me into the alley,” she cried, her eyes frantic. “He was going to…he was….” She shivered in fright. “I hit him with a brick so I could get away, but…please, help!”

“It’s okay, you’re safe now, ma’am,” he said, comforting her. His horn flared, as he sent a signal flare into the sky; nearby deputies would immediately rush to the vicinity. “I’ll stay here to protect you until reinforcements get here. You’ll be fine – the Baltimare Sheriff’s Office is here to serve and protect.”

“Thank you, deputy. I don’t know if I would’ve survived,” Tiger Lily lied.

---

“There,” Silver said, coming back to the kitchen of the house he once spent a lot of time in and was all-too-familiar with. “I put her to bed, and she’ll be sleeping with me in your mother’s bed tonight in case of problems.”

Seated at the table and doing her homework, Sparkler looked up and looked at Silver. “It’s weird hearing you say that. Just another sign that you’re not here anymore.”

“Sparky, you know I’m not going away, kiddo,” he told her warmly, reaching up and patting her on the head. “I wanted to marry your mom. Part of me still does. But sometimes things just don’t work out.”

“I know, Dad, and I’m not blaming you. Mom specifically said that it wasn’t you, it was her. But I was just hoping that it would work out. I’ve already lost one set of parents – I don’t want to lose another.”

“You never will, Sparky. I promise. I’ll always be here.” He looked at her work. “What’s that?”

“Some homework. About a couple of weeks ago, I started my apprenticeship with Miss Raspberry Beryl – she’s the jeweler and lapidimancer in town, and she’s very strict about knowing your gems, so she’s having me do homework every night until I’m familiar with the cardinal and secondary gem systems.”

“Looks tough.”

She nodded. “It is, though Miss Beryl is a good teacher. Hope I can be as good as she is someday.” The unicorn continued to fill out the work, until she looked up again. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you love Miss Rarity?”

“Well, we’ve only been together for a month, muffin. I don’t know if it’s love, per se, but I am attracted to her. She’s different from your Mom. I love your Mom for different reasons than I likely will Rarity.”

“That’s good. So then should I expect new brothers and sisters soon?”

“Um…that’ll be years down the line, Sparky, if that even happens. But if it does, I know you’ll be the kind of big sister – both you and Dinky – that would do anything to protect them.” He looked outside at the snow-covered grounds of Ponyville and thought. “Hey, think I’ll make some hot chocolate. Want some?”

“That’d be nice,” she said, erasing an answer. “So, will you be living in Canterlot still, or moving here to Ponyville?”

“Canterlot. My duties are there, and even if that wasn’t the case, Rarity’s already moved there. But I still have my place and your mother and I will work out something so you two can see me often.”

“Dinky’s not going to take this well, just thought you should know that.”

“I know. She’s always been sensitive. But she already knows some families that live separate. Aren’t Sparkleshine’s parents divorced?”

“Yeah. Her mother moved back up to Cloudsdale afterwards, but because Sparkleshine and her dad aren’t pegasi, they still live in town. I think Dinky’s more worried about our family ending up like…well, I hate to say it, but like Aunt Ditzy’s. Mom tries to hide it, but Aunt Ditzy and Uncle Autumn aren’t always on the best of terms and our cousins have been coming over more and more lately. I really feel for Hazy – she looks more like Mom than Aunt Ditzy, and I think Mom’s got a soft spot for her, which really pisses off Aunt Ditzy.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that about your aunt, muffin.”

“I know, but...look, I’m just saying I think that’s what Dinky’s afraid is going to happen. I know you wouldn’t ever do that, but Dinky’s just a filly, and you know how they are at that age.”

“You were at that age not too long ago, sunshine.”

She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

---

“So, this colt of yours is in town and hasn’t come by to introduce himself?” Magnum asked his older daughter as a stern look came into his face. “I don’t care for that.”

Rarity sighed. “Father, I told you, he’s taking care of his foals right now.” When she decided to come over and have breakfast with her parents, sister and cousin, this was not how she planned things to go.

“He has foals with another mare?” Pearl gasped.

Rarity looked at Sweetie and Sky for help; unfortunately, neither of them could provide anything other than moral support. Looking back at her parents, she gave a weak smile and said, “Mother, Father, I’ve already explained to you the situation about Silversteel and his foals. Neither of us would be in town right now if their mother hadn’t been in an accident.”

“That may be true, Rarity, but I still want to know why he hasn’t bothered to speak to me about what his intentions are for my little filly.”

“Uh, Dad? Thought I was your little filly,” Sweetie drawled. “And honestly? Silver’s a nice guy, and perfect for Rarity. I don’t know what you’re worried about.”

“Yeah, Uncle Magnum, Aunt Pearl, Rares wouldn’t put herself in any situation that she can’t get herself out of,” Sky said. “Besides, she’s a Knight – what could go wrong?”

“Sky, dear, you haven’t lived in Ponyville,” Pearl replied, as if that explained everything.

“Look, as soon as it’s practical I’ll ask him to have dinner with us sometime. Maybe we could have a nice family get-together at my new home. You two haven’t come by there yet.”

“We were planning to come next month when Cloudsdale squares off against Canterlot for the regional championships.” Magnum smiled. “Okay, I’ll agree to it, but only because you’ll always be your father’s little filly.”

“Yeah, because I’m chopped rutabaga,” Sweetie grumbled.

---

It was two days later when Caramel approached Derpy. At the time, Silver and Rarity were in the hospital room with her. Sparkler was at her apprenticeship and Dinky was playing with her friends. “Hey, we got a positive match; thug out of Baltimare by the name of Dragonkick. According to the BSO, he’s known for both small-time jobs and big merc stuff, but currently he’s sitting in the pokey over there for attempted assault, so it made it that much easier to identify. Funny thing is, though, BSO can’t figure out why he was here – it’s not usually his MO.”

“The girls,” Derpy said weakly. “Caramel, you know the history about my fillies. Silver and I are worried their birth parents might be after them again.”

“I thought you might have those concerns, so I did some tracing. Bottlerocket’s sitting in the prison up in Vanhoover for petty theft; he’s been up there for the past three years, so there’s no chance of him being involved. And as for Oriental Blossom? Geez, I really don’t know if I should mention this.”

Silver looked at him. “My girls have nothing to do with them anymore, Caramel. You can tell us.”

“Died of a salt overdose about two years ago in a hotel room in Neighvada. She’s actually buried in the potter’s field there; we traced her via hoofprint records.” He hoofed over the files to Silver. “Your kids are safe, you two.”

“Plus, I promise you both that we would get involved if they were ever in harm’s way,” Rarity assured both Silver and Derpy. “To me, this is a case that involves the Knights Elemental, and we defend our own.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that pissing off the Elements of Harmony was not quite what Dragonkick planned on, if that was his plan. But if you ask me, he’s only a pawn, and there’s a Nightmare Moon behind the Princess, if you get my drift.”

“I don’t care for that phrase, Caramel,” Rarity said.

“Figure of speech, Rarity, don’t bite my head off, okay? I know you’re sensitive about her, and I’ve always thought Princess Luna’s good pony. But what I’m saying is that if they didn’t hire Dragonkick, it’s possible that the fillies weren’t the target. Derpy, have you been doing anything important as of late?”

“Well, there’s a project that I’ve been proposing to the Royal Science Foundation,” she said, “but as usual, they never listen to me. I may have to end-run it around them via Twilight or Cadance.”

“High-value project? Potentially lucrative?”

“Not at all, at least not in the short-term,” Derpy commented. “Any potential profits – and that’s a very slim potential – would be decades away at the very least. Only ones who could sit and stand to wait that long are alicorns, dragons and the kinds of folks who don’t need that sort of money.”

“Okay, so that removes that lead.” The stallion shrugged. “I’ll keep working the angles, but I’m not positive that we’ll find anything anytime soon, folks. Best I can say is that you keep a low profile, Derpy, and that we’ll do what we can to keep you under safety observation for a while. Silver, if you have any sort of military jurisdiction you can pull, I could use the help.” And as he turned to Rarity, he said, “And I know you can mobilize everything short of the princesses themselves – and for them, all you have to do is ask. But please don’t stomp all over Ponyville while I’m working the case. This town is getting used to not having a misadventure every other day and I like the idea of constant panic not happening on a regular basis.”

“No promises, Caramel,” she insisted. “But the boots come off if the girls or Derpy are in danger.”

As Caramel departed, Silver and Derpy looked at each other, then at Rarity. Both simultaneously said, “You were a little hard on him, Rarity.”

Rarity looked at both Derpy and Silver, blinking as she realized what they both did. Then a small smile came over her face as she said, “I’m jealous, you know that?”

“How so?” Silver asked.

“You two are so in tune with one another that you’re speaking at the same time. I can only hope that Silver and I can reach that level of love.”

Derpy smiled softly. “You will, Rarity. I’m sure you will.”

“Well, now that that’s settled, I can go pick up the girls and take them to lunch. I think it’d be a great way fo—”

“I HATE YOU!” The voice of a small filly rang out and the three adults in the room turned to see Dinky standing there, angry as could be, with a somewhat embarrassed Sparkler behind her.

“Dinky,” Derpy began.

Dinky went right up to Rarity and kicked her in the cannon. “YOU’RE TRYING TO TAKE MY DADDY!” she shouted. “I HATE YOU!”

Sparkler looked mortified. “She saw you and Dad kiss,” she explained to Rarity. “I tried to explain, but….”

“It’s okay, Sparkler, dear,” Rarity said, wincing as the filly got in several good blows. Derpy, confined to the bed, could only look at Rarity with sympathy, something that the unicorn much appreciated at the moment.

Silver pulled her away. “Okay, Dinky, that’s enough.”

“Daddy, please don’t go,” she begged. “I’ll be good! I don’t want you to go away like Sparkleshine’s mommy did!” She wailed as she cried in her father’s forelegs, worried sick.

“Silver, give her to me,” Derpy said, and Silver placed the filly on the bed. “Dinky, I want you to listen to me.”

“But Mommy, I’ll be good! I’ll eat all my Brussels sprouts! I’ll do my homework on time! I’ll clean my room! Please don’t let Daddy go away! Please!” The tears of the young filly started to affect everypony in the room, and Rarity felt a pang of guilt once more, wondering if her relationship with Silver was the right call.

“Muffin, do you think your father and I love you?” Derpy asked Dinky, reaching out with her good foreleg to caress her daughter’s face.

“Yeah,” she sniffed.

“We do, I promise you that. And…yes, your father and I aren’t going to be together anymore, but we’re still friends and we still love both you and your sister. He’s not going away like that. Even when he was living in Canterlot, didn’t he visit all the time?”

“Yeah, but—”

“But nothing, sunshine,” Silver said. “I know Sparkleshine’s mother doesn’t visit her often, but I’m not like that. You and your sister are important to me, always. I’m always going to be here for you. Things are going to be different, but different isn’t always bad, Dinky.”

“You promise?”

“I promise, sweetie.” And to prove it, he recited Derpy’s Muffin Promise:

“Muffin Promise I thus make,
A solemn vow to never break.
If I cannot keep this wish,
No muffins e’er grace my dish!”

Meanwhile, Sparkler looked at Rarity’s bruised leg. “Are you okay, Miss Rarity?”

“She’s got quite some strength for a unicorn filly,” was Rarity’s pained response.

Sparkler nodded. “According to the records we have, Dinky and I descend from Stronghoof the Mighty – only unicorn in history with the strength of an earth pony.”

“That would explain it, then.”

“I don’t envy you. You’re going to have an uphill climb convincing Dinky you’re not taking Dad away from us.”

“And how do you feel about it? I know what you said the other day, but I want to know if you still felt the same way.”

Sparkler shook her head. “I owe you an apology. For all my comments about Dinky, I wasn’t behaving much better. I’ve seen how you and Dad have been the past few days, and I know you really care about him. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you two in the future, but as far as I’m concerned, as long as you make him happy, I’m okay with that. Mom accepts you, so should I.”

“Thank you, Sparkler. That’s very mature of you.”

“Yeah, well, you get that way when Sweetie Belle chews you out,” she said, blushing slightly.

“I wasn’t aware you knew my sister,” Rarity replied.

“I don’t, well, not at least until yesterday. I was over at Twist’s and Sweetie and the other Crusaders came over. Twist introduced us and things went downhill from there.” She rubbed the back of her head. “Your sister cares a lot about you – that’s a good sign.”

“I’ll have to have a talk to her about that,” Rarity answered, though she wasn’t sure if it was the good kind of chat or the bad.

---

“I’m glad you guys came by,” Sparkler said as she embraced her cousin. “With Mom in a wheelchair for a while, I can use all the help I could get.”

Flutterwonder smiled. “Ah, c’mon, cuz! We’re family! We’re always gonna help each other out!” As Fluttsy let go, she said, “But seriously, sorry to hear about your parents.”

Standing next to her sister, Orange Box agreed. “Yeah. Never thought Aunt Derpy and Uncle Silver would break up. I always thought it would be…well, you know.”

Sparkler nodded. “Yeah, I know. So how long are you going to be here?”

“Well,” Orange said, “either until Mom and Dad stop fighting, or….” She looked over, to where Dinky and Hazy Jane were playing with their Smarty Pants dolls. “Well, maybe Hazy’ll be a grownup before then.”

“Yeah,” Fluttsy sighed. “Well, at least you know your dad loves you. We can’t say the same thing about our mother….”

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, Derpy, Autumn, Silver and Rarity sat. Derpy had been discharged from the hospital earlier in the day, and just by coincidence – he hadn’t known of the attack – Autumn brought his girls down to stay with Derpy while he and Ditzy fought for the umpteenth time. “So, I never thought you two….” he began. “If anything, I always thought that Ditzy and I would split.”

Derpy looked at Autumn. “Look, Mama said it best: ‘If there’s a gal who deserves to be happy, it’s a Hooves gal. And if there’s a gal who’s going to screw that up, it’s a Hooves gal.’ I’m okay, Autumn. I’ll always love Silver, but I’m okay with this. Just like when we were together.”

Silver looked at the stallion who would have been his brother-in-law. “Like you two were together?”

Autumn had a weak look on his face. “Uh…Derpy and I dated briefly before I hooked up with Ditzy.” Silver’s eyes narrowed and Autumn nodded. “Yeah, it wasn’t one of my better choices. Thankfully, Derpy’s forgiven me and has been a confidante when dealing with Ditzy.”

“I see.” Silver stiffened automatically, and the pegasus stallion suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Silver, darling, it’s in the past,” Rarity said, laying a hoof on his. “No need to get worked up about it. It’s between them. I can hardly fault you for anything between you and Derpy, right?”

He relaxed. “Yeah, you’re right,” he said, nuzzling her. “Sorry, Autumn, got a bit carried away there.”

The pegasus waved it off. “Hey, if it were me in your hooves, I wouldn’t blame you one bit. Still friends?”

Silver grinned. “Always, brony, always.”

Derpy suddenly thought of something. “Rarity, can you wheel me into the kitchen for a sec?” As the stallions looked at her, she said, “Filly talk for a sec. We’ll be right back.”

“Certainly, Derpy.” Rarity got behind the wheelchair and pushed, until they were in the kitchen. “So what did you need?”

“Nothing,” she said, a soft smile on her face. “I just felt they needed time to get it out of their system. They’ve both been a part of my life, and now they fill different niches. Surely you’ve had somepony like that in your life before?”

The unicorn shook her head. “I might seem worldy, but in truth, Silver’s only the third date I’ve ever had. The first one was a literal royal disaster.”

“Literal?”

“Trust me, dear – if Prince Blueblood ever asks you out, run as far as you can. Even Celestia doesn’t think too highly of him, even though she does care about her wayward nephew. As for the second, it was the night before I met Silver – my date that night walked out on me. He later came by to apologize, but Silver put the fear of Celestia in him.”

“I wonder if I’ll ever find someone who is right for me,” Derpy said softly. The look in her eyes was lost, fragile.

Rarity embraced her friend. “You’ll find somepony, Derpy, I promise you. You deserve to be loved and you’ll find somepony who will.” As she let go, blue eyes focused straight on yellow. “Promise me something, if you would.”

“Of course.”

“When you find that stallion, and we’re all old and gray, let’s all take a vacation together and talk about when we were young and carefree,” Rarity said with a soft smile.

Derpy looked up at her friend. “It’s a promise.”

Comments

[DreadedCandiru2]

Too bad she can't keep that promise.......

[DWK]

Christ, these characters are all so mature...they're all like "wow, this hurts, but that's life, so we might as well be friends and wish each other the best." If I was in any one of their shoes, I would've committed at least one murder by now.

In that same vein, I like Tiger Lily. I mean, she's a horrible fucking person and a complete sociopath, but I like that type of character. Don't get mad at me, Shinzakura, but I'm starting to like this more than AAG...then again maybe it's just been too long since I read AAG.

Anyway, well done, sir. I await the next chapter.

[Flynt Coal]

Goddamn, can't take all the tragic foreshadowing here.

[fedback]

3620534 Murder sounds reasonable

[fedback]

Man.....you left open so many redemption arcs in reflection and is kind of sad to see that they flopped.

[wolfdreamer]

Love this side story like all your stories, but I have one comment.

Isn't Dinky a bit young. In MLPFIM Dinky appears to be about the same age or a little younger then the CMC. So if the CMC are teens, then wouldn't Dinky be the equivalent of a middle school girl, say 10 or 11. But the way you have her, she seems more like 6 to 8. Not a big deal, but it does take a little out of the story for me.

Still can't wait to read the next chapter though.

[Shinzakura]

3797452
I think I mentioned it in a blog post, but some ages have been adjusted for storytelling. Canonically, Sparkler's either a teen or an adult (depending on how she's portrayed in the series) and much older than the CMC. I had to make the adjustments because otherwise there would be some in-story confusion.

I knew from the start that there were going to be some issues like this, which is part of the reason the AU tag is there. And Dinky's not the first age error: earlier on, I had Rainbow Blitz (who's the same age as Elusive) with his birth mentioned after the Foalnapping, which would make him the same age as Pinkie's kids. Since I always meant him to be Elusive's age, I had to go back and make adjustments.

Hope that helps clear things up.