Chaotic Harmony: Do Over

by shirotora

Chapter 42: Life Goes On

Author's Note:

So, like the last few chapters, I didn't want to end these net couple chapters on a cliffhanger that wouldn't be resolved for months, so I wrote out the next three chapters (including this one) before publishing. I feel I'm getting a bit over my writer's block, so hopefully these will be coming a lot faster after this.

Anyway, enjoy.

“Order, order!” Applebloom pounded their gavel to get everyone’s attention. “This meetin’ of the Junior Rangers has officially begun. That means shut up!”

The gathered youths quieted down.

“Good. Now, first order of business, congratulations to the newest group to pass boot camp and become Junior Rangers, Dinky Doo and Honey Bun.”

The two fillies gave a little wave.

After that, it was the usual. She gave a report of who achieved what, and what new gizmos and dodads they were getting, if any. They didn’t have anything new, just a couple improvements on their old stuff. It wasn’t much, but she was glad. She wanted to get it over with.

Midnight was coming to visit and she was eager to see him again. She was hoping they’d be moving back soon, but she doubted it. He and Jynx were still rather upset, despite it having been a month.

She didn’t blame them, though. She still found herself thinking about him alot. Maybe it was because of Scootaloo, or maybe it was because she had worked with him so much with the Junior Rangers. Either way, she missed him.

“Alright then, unless anyone has anythin’ else, this concludes this meetin’,” Applebloom said. “See y’all next week.”

As the foals dispersed, Applebloom wasted no time getting her things and heading for the door.

“You’re in a hurry,” Sweetie Belle said as she came up beside her friend and started for the station together. “Eager to see someone?”

Applebloom chuckled. “Heck yeah. Ah’m gonna make a right feast for him.”

Sweetie giggled. “Yeah, he’s going to need the energy, huh?”

“Damn right,” Applebloom replied with a smirk. “But mostly, Ah just miss him. Ah want to spend as much time as Ah can with him.”

“Yeah. I kind of miss him, too, to be honest,” Sweetie said.

“Oh...” Applebloom said, a bit surprised. “Well, why don’t you ask him out, too? Ah won’t mind if you come with us.”

“Oh! No, I don’t mean like that,” Sweetie said, waving a hoof. “I mean, it was fun when the four of us would hang out, trying to get our cutie marks.”

“Oh, sorry,” Applebloom said. “Still, I’m sure he’d like to see you and Scoots, too.”

“Speaking of whom,” Sweetie said, giving a wave to their third as she trotted toward them. “Come on.”

“Hey,” Scootaloo said as she cantered alongside them. “How was the meeting?”

“Same as usual,” Applebloom said.

“Thanks for taking care of it for me,” Scootaloo said.

“No problem,” Applebloom replied with a smile.

They made their way to the chariot landing strip beside the train station to wait for their friend and his mom. They didn’t have to wait long before Scootaloo spotted something.

“There they are,” she said, pointing to the sky.

It took a few more seconds before Sweetie and Applebloom spotted them, too.

They also spotted a certain purple nerd running their way.

“Woo! Made it,” Twilight said as she came to a stop, panting slightly.

“Jeeze, Twilight, I’d think you would have enough earth pony or pegasus in you to make that run easily,” Scootaloo teased.

“Hey, I have plenty of pegasus magic,” Twilight said. “I’m just... not as active as I probably should be.”

Another purple form landed beside her, “Why didn’t you just fly?” Spike asked, flexing his new wings.

“Don’t tell me the guy who's only had wings for a few days is already out flying you?” Applebloom asked.

“That’s it, I’m telling Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said.

“No! Not that! I’ll practice more, I swear!” Twilight pleaded.

Scootaloo narrowed her eyes. “Fine, but I better see you flying more, or I’m telling her you’re letting your wings waste away.”

Spike chuckled. “Besides, it should be easy. I’m flying everywhere! In fact, let’s fly up and meet them.”

“Too late,” Sweetie said, pointing to the carriage that was coming in for a landing.

Applebloom didn’t even wait for the carriage to come to a stop before running after it.

“Applebloom!” Midnight called, leaping from the carriage and running to meet her.

They tackled each other in a tangle of limbs.

“Hey, wait until you get somewhere private to do that,” Jynx said as she, much more calmly, climbed down.

“Mom! We’re just hugging!” Midnight complained.

“For now,” Applebloom whispered in his ear, turning his face beet red. “Come on!” She got to her hooves and dragged Midnight with her as she ran off.

“That poor colt,” Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head.

Jynx and Twilight hugged each other, much less passionately than the foals, and gave each other a kiss.

“I missed you,” Jynx said.

“I missed you, too,” Twilight replied. “So... are you here to stay? Also, where’s Razor?”

Jynx hesitated before answering, “Razor’s staying with mom. She insisted. As for your first question, I’m not sure. Deciding to come back, at least for a visit, was easy, but actually being here... it still hurts. I know, it’s crazy. It’s been a month but it’s still hard, sometimes. I’m hoping that coming back for a bit will help.”

“Well, if it helps, you could stay with us,” Twilight offered.

Jynx gave her a smirk. “Just to help me? No other reason?”

Twilight blushed. “I mean, of course I want to spend time with you, too, but it’s to help you first and foremost. Anything else is just extra.”

Jynx leaned in and gave her a kiss. “It’s okay. I missed my sexy nerd girlfriend.”

Twilight giggled. “And I missed my eccentric, mad scientist girlfriend.”

Jynx grinned. “Oh? Well, why don’t we go to your place and you can show me how much you missed me.”

Twilight blushed, even deeper before her horn lit up and both vanished in a flash.

Sweetie and Scootaloo looked between where the mares were and the retreating forms of their friends.

“No, you go on, have fun without us. Thanks for asking,” Scootaloo said, sarcastically.

“Sugarcube Corner?” Sweetie asked.

“Sugarcube Corner.”

---

Applebloom rolled off of Midnight, panting for air as he wrapped his hooves around her. They laid in each other’s embrace, basking in the afterglow.

“Ah missed this,” Applebloom finally said, smiling softly as she snuggled against him. “Just the two of us.” Her demeanor fell slightly. “Ah was startin’ to think you weren’t ever comin’ back.”

“Of course I was coming back,” Midnight said. “Even if mom didn’t, I would have come after I turn fourteen.”

“You’d move out that soon?” Applebloom asked, surprised.

“Well... I don’t think I’d move out that fast, but I’d definitely come visit,” Midnight clarified. “I’d probably want to stay with mom until I’m a full adult.”

“So what have you been up to? How’s Cloudsdale for an earth pony?” Applebloom asked.

“It’s annoying,” Midnight admitted. “Everything’s so... vertical. I mean, there’s accommodations for earth ponies and unicorns, but they aren’t very good in places. Plus it’s cold.”

Applebloom chuckled. “That’s what Ah figured. So, you meet any nice fillies for me to establish mah dominance?”

Midnight snortled. “Well, there is this one pegasus filly. She’s about the only pony our age I even talk to. I don’t think I like her like that, though. What about you?”

Applebloom blushed. “Ah don’t know... maybe?”

“Oh? Do tell? Do I know them? Are they a filly or colt?” Midnight pried.

“Um... Stallion, actually,” Applebloom admitted.

“Oh,” Midnight said with a shocked look. “Who? How old are they?”

Applebloom hesitated, blushing deeply. “It’s... Big Mac.”

“Big Mac?” Midnight said, raising up on one hoof. “As in, your sister’s husband? Your brother-in-law?”

“Look, Ah said ‘maybe’ for a reason, okay,” Applebloom said. “Ah’m still figurin’ out mah feelin’s.”

“Okay... so, when did this happen?” Midnight asked. “I’m not upset or anything. I mean, he’s an awesome guy. It’s just... surprising.”

Applebloom took a deep breath to calm her nerves before speaking. “It was about a week after you left. The nightmares had come back somethin’ fierce one night and AJ was off with the girls to deal with somethin’. I woke up screamin’ and Big Mac came in to check on me and... well... one thing led to another and... we...”

Midnight’s eyes shot open when he realized what she was getting at. “You... you had sex?”

“Ah’m sorry!” Applebloom said, quickly, a little panicked. “Ah know Ah should’ve asked you first, but it was just a heat of the moment kinda thing. We didn’t plan it or nothin’, it just... kinda happened.”

“No, no! I get it,” Midnight said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. It should’ve been me comforting you, but I wasn’t there. I’m grateful to Big Mac, honestly.”

Applebloom wiped a tear from her eye and leaned into him. “Thank you. Applejack was a mite angry until we explained what happened. She asked if this was gonna be a regular thing, and... Ah couldn’t answer.

“Ah’ve thought of Big Mac as a big brother for so long, but now... Ah don’t know. How Ah feel about him changed, for sure, but Ah don’t really know what Ah feel about him, anymore.”

Midnight held her tighter. “Well, if you do feel that way about him, I approve. Like I said, he’s a great guy, and I know he’ll treat you right.”

“Really?” Applebloom asked. “Thanks, that makes things a little easier.”

“However, first there’s one thing I have to know,” Midnight said, sternly.

“Anything,” Applebloom said.

Midnight’s serious expression morphed to a teasing grin. “Was he better than me?”

Applebloom laughed. “Well, he does have a lot more experience than you, so...”

“Well,” Midnight said, rolling on top of Applebloom. “I better get more practice, then.”

---

“-and then the reverse extends the joint,” Jynx said as the jointed rod straightened out again.

“That’s amazing,” Twilight said. “And you can set this according to a chain spell?”

“That’s right,” Jynx replied. “With this, I’m almost ready to start work on Equestria’s first independent automaton.”

“So, you’ll be able to set it to a job and leave?” Twilight asked, amazed. “You won’t have to keep a connection and control it constantly?”

“Yes, but also I can set it to physical controls, allowing non-magic users to use the device,” Jynx clarified, smugly.

Twilight smirked. “Somepony’s trying to bring Teran technology to Equestria.”

“Without the drawbacks,” Jynx added. “More than just their current tech, too, but tech they’ve only dreamed of. I’m going to leave Earth in the dust.”

Twilight looked at Jynx with pride. “There’s the drive and ambition I love.”

Jynx blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Yeah. I lost who I was for a bit, I think. I can imagine what Shiro would have said, though. He would have said something like, ‘Naw wut chu draggin’ ass fer?’”

Twilight laughed. “Oh, gods, that was a terrible impression... but yeah, he probably would have said something like that.”

“Speaking of which,” Jynx said, hesitating. “Did... you ever find out what they were doing?”

Twilight winced. “No. Whatever ritual they used had a built-in scrubbing spell. Whatever they did, there isn’t enough at the scene to figure out what it was.”

“Damn!” Jynx growled. “So we can’t even figure out what Shiro died for.”

Twilight’s demeanor dropped. “Not by just the evidence at the scene.”

“I swear, if I ever get my hooves on that-” Jynx was interrupted by a knock at the library door. She sighed. “I’ll get it.”

Jynx was actually grateful for the distraction. She didn’t want to get caught in the downward spiral that usually came with thinking of him.

She opened the door. “Hello, welcome to Golden... Oaks...”

Smiling up at her was a pale unicorn mare with a black mane, alongside a well dressed lycanthrope.

“Hello Missus Charm,” said the pale mare, with a sickly sweet grin. “It’s been a while.”

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[Titan Commander Sebaste]

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