Should I?

by The Collapsed Library

Pure Heart-1: An apology in a room full of echoes

Author's Note:

This takes place chronologically before the chapter 4 of the arc, I had it started way back in January and decided to finish it instead of letting it sit and gather dust. Take this as my apology to all of you for my not updating in like, forever! Tell me what you think and I'll see you later.

"ON YOU'RE LEFT!!!" Pure Heart shouted to Twilight as she kicked the offending bug as far away as she could, "JUST SHOOT HIM ALREADY!!!"

I'm on it okay! I don't pay you to criticize my sparkly ways.

"You don't pay me at all, I-" Suddenly two silver streaks filled the forward sensor, bathing it in light. By the time the sensor was clear again, the changeling was falling to the pile of it's brethren on the ground below. As she watched Twilight battle against the oncoming swarm, Pure Heart couldn't help but remember how she had reached this point...

---

Many Years Ago...
The early morning light filtered through the windows, making strange patterns on the floor and illuminating the enchanted hallway to near blinding levels despite the significant cloud cover. It didn't help that the enchantments constantly cleaned and waxed the alabaster floor, as the service industry seemed not to understand that there were in fact nobles who lived away from the capital. As she bounced down the hallway, Heart couldn't help but giggle. Today was her mother's birthday, and that meant it was time for her father and her to present their gift. She could barely contain her excitement as she bounced down the hall. Reaching her parents room, she drew herself up to her fullest height, a lady was supposed to be regal after all. upon entering their room she ran and pounced on her mother's sleeping form, startling her in the process.

"Heart!" Her mother, a mare by the name of Violet Dream, exclaimed, "What are you doing up so early?" Looking back at her bed and noticing the absence of a certain stallion she added, "and where's your father?"

"Dad's in the courtyard... Oh, and happy birthday by the way!" Heart jumped off her mother and proceeded to circle around the room. Running back to her, Pure grabbed her and proceeded to drag her out of bed saying, "C'mon Mom! Dad's waiting for us!" As she did so. Pulling her mother out into the early morning sunlight, she decided to run ahead and meet her father in the courtyard. Once she got there she found her father, a rather large stallion named Steel Soul, hiding inside a bush. Hunkering down next to him she couldn't help but giggle as he ruffled her mane. As they sat there waiting, Heart decided to look at the flowers on the bush; she'd never seen this particular bush bloom before, and it's blue buds looked rather good. Taking one of the blue flowers, she munched on it noisily, only stopping when she saw her father give her a glare. Smiling with all the sweetness she could find in her tiny frame, she handed him one of the buds, which he promptly ate before rustling her mane once more. The wait for her mother felt like it would never end, but when it did her and her father were ready.

"SURPRISE!" They cried as Heart's mother rounded the corner. Heart couldn't help but giggle at the look on her mother's face as they jumped out of the bush.

"Heart! Steel! Oh... Get out of that bush!" Heart's mother ignited her horn and lifted the pair out and away from the bush, before quickly dashing over and examining it.

"Relax Vi, it's just a bush," Steel Soul tried to reassure his wife, "I'm sure it's fi-"

"This is one of my experiments Steel, the pollen on the flowers is medicinal!"

"Oh... Hey, you wouldn't happen to know what would happen if, oh i don't know, two ponies accidentally ate one or two flowers do you? Hypothetically speaking of course..." Steel asked, trying his hardest to imitate his daughters saccharine smile from earlier. As he spoke however, his wife drew herself up as straight as her regal frame would allow and slowly turned to the duo, smiling so much that they had probably broken something.

"No... I don't know, because hypothetically speaking, those two ponies should've read the sign!" Violet shouted, pointing to the, until this very moment, forgotten sign which clearly read "Do Not Touch"

"Oh... Yeah, that." Heart's father lamely answered, "so I take it you don't want your cake?" The speed at which Heart's mother could change her emotional state was the stuff of legend, some say it was Celestia's secret weapon against the changelings; others, that she was the daughter of discord himself. Regardless of which rumor you believed in, two ponies bore witness to the sheer speed of Violet Dream's emotional shifts that day, and would carry that witness with them for as long as they lived.

"You made me a cake?" Heart's, suddenly teary-eyed, mother asked, "all by yourselves?"

"It was Heart's idea really, she didn't want to get the servants up for it so we did it all really early this morning." Steel replied as the three walked down towards the kitchens, "so, do you want your present now or after you eat your weight in cake?"

"Oh hush you, that was one time, and I don't mind getting it now." Once he'd received his answer, Steel turned and presented a small box to his wife, "happy birthday Vi." Upon opening it, Violet began to tear up, as she pulled a brooch in the shape of her cutie mark out of the box. It was gold inlaid with amethyst and diamond, and almost as soon as she picked it up it slipped from her hoof and collided with the stone below.

---

Heart's mother had been understandably upset, and spent the rest of the morning moping and drowning her sorrows in chocolate cake. Heart and her father had gone to find the blacksmith, which took them questioning most of the servants and some of the locals of the town neighboring the estate. By the time they found him Heart was beginning to question how finding a blacksmith could be this difficult. The blacksmith was also upset at what had happened to the brooch, but nonetheless repaired it before noon. Upon returning to the castle, they found Vi comatose in her seat, a plate of cake on one side, and five or six empties on the other. Despite having stuffed herself to the brim, Heart's mom had somehow retained her regal form, and was more than happy when they returned the repaired brooch.

---

Hey, Heart!

"hmm." Pure Heart was suddenly back in the present, the last of the changelings was gone, and Twilight was climbing up into one of the many windows.

You okay?

"Oh, yeah... just remembering. So, where are we now?"

Once we're in we'll be on the floor with the chapel, I'm not really sure how close we'll be though.

"Do you want me to open up the sensors?"

Nah, why don't you take a break for a while.

"You're sure?"

Yep, you just take it easy and I'll deal with this.

"Alright... I'm still gonna turn the passive sensors on, just in case."

Alright. With that, Twilight hauled them up over the windowsill, and they were inside.

Comments

[Dragonwaz]

Heart and her father had gone to find the blacksmith, which took them questioning most of the servants and some of the locals of the town neighboring the estate. By the time they found him Heart was beginning to question how finding a blacksmith could be this difficult.

I really feel like this is a reference