While the Twins are at School
Ornate Garden arrived home a few minutes later than usual from dropping her children off at school, having hovered outside the building in worry for them and how their day would go. When she finally did return home then, she was feeling a nervous mess and was not in the mood for any shenanigans.
That’s why, when her father-in-law came stumbling down the stairs bemoaning his rightfully earned hangover, she was not a happy mare. “Are you really expecting pity after you spent half the day drinking with your military friends before stumbling home after midnight?”
“Ah, have some compassion for an old stallion in his time of need, Ornate. I feel like I have an entire platoon marching through my skull,” whined the very-much grown adult as he slumped onto the counter. “I was challenged to a drinking contest by Jelly Donut, I had no choice but to accept, the family’s honor was at stake.”
“Yes, and I’m sure you defended it with all the valor to be expected from an Equestrian soldier,” Ornate responded, levitating a glass of water onto the counter space in front of Stalwart before setting a pan on the stove top and grabbing a bowl from the cupboards. She may not have been pleased with the stallion at the moment, but she would still whip a simple breakfast up for him. Celestia knew he didn’t put anything marginally wholesome in his belly last night.
Lifting his head, he shined her a triumphant grin. “Of course, and Jelly Donut didn’t stand a chance,” he boasted, picking up the offered glass and nearly emptying it in one slam.
Ornate rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m glad somebody had a good day yesterday.”
Setting the glass down none to gently with a relieved sigh, Stalwart tilted his head. “What’s that supposed to mean? Something happen yesterday?”
“One of the twin's classmates began picking on Pureblood and her friend,” explained the mother as she rummaged through the refrigerator. “Things got physical.”
“… What!?” the stallion yelled, wincing at the volume of his own voice and missing the glare Ornate sent at him. He had nearly made her drop a carton of eggs with that. “Is Pure okay?”
“She’s not hurt if that’s what you’re asking,” she answered, her words carrying the slightest air of exhaustion. “Blueblood tried to stand up for her and was punched in the nose though. It didn’t leave much of a mark, unlike Pure’s buck to the colt who did it.”
“Is that so?” Stalwart said, scratching his chin in thought.
“Yes, she apparently knocked the foal, a colt big for his age, right off his hooves and had him crying.” There was no pride in her voice as she related this fact, unlike Stalwart Shield.
“Good!” the stallion declared, stomping a hoof on the counter.
“What?” Ornate looked up from the bowl she had just finished cracking three eggs into and turned her head.
“Great even!” he continued, oblivious to the incredulous gaze directed at him or the heat growing there. “A buck was it? I knew it’d be a good idea teaching her that! Proper follow through is everything, you know? Most ponies go their whole lives just using their back legs to buck when they should be putting their whole body into the motion. Pushing off just a bit with your front legs turns a good buck into a downright deadly one.”
“Wait, have you been- are you saying you’ve been teaching my daughter how to fight?” questioned the pink mare, eggs forgotten as she faced her stepfather fully.
“Of course not,” he answered, bringing a momentary sense of relief to the mother before he added, “I’ve taught Blueblood too, though he still has trouble keeping his stance consistent. He’ll get it down soon I’m sure.”
Nodding to himself, confident in his grandson’s future progress, he missed the slack-jawed look of the mare across the counter. A few seconds later, his ears were assaulted by a shrill call of, “WHAT!?” as Ornate stomped right up to his pained face. “I agreed to let you exercise with the twins, not turn them into ruffians! What else have you been teaching them!? Am I going to get called into school to find out one of them has crippled a classmate!?”
“Nothing! Nothing! I haven’t taught them anything else yet!” Shield defended, cowering as he was reminded of his own wife when she became irate. Why’d he have to open his mouth while they were in the kitchen surrounded by sharp cutlery? “I wasn’t going to start serious combat training until next month!”
“You won’t be starting it at all unless you want to find out what it’s like to be a gelding!” Ornate informed, brandishing a butter knife. What should have been comical was all the more terrifying as images flashed through the old stallions mind, turning his face green.
“Of course, no combat training, what was I thinking?” he said in a placating manner and forced chuckle. “Just- just put the knife down… or at least promise you’ll use something sharper to kill me with.”
Holding the glare for several uncomfortable seconds longer, she slowly pulled the butter knife away from Stalwart’s nose, though never placed it back down, and said, “You’d live.”
Crossing his back legs, he muttered, “Right… Um, listen, Ornate, I… apologize for teaching your children that without running it by you at the time. I wasn’t thinking beyond wanting the two of them to be able to defend themselves to at least some degree in case the worst were to ever come to pass.”
“I hardly think they’re at risk of attack, Shield. They’re children.” Ornate said incredulously.
“Aren’t they?” Stalwart countered, eyes hard. “Maybe I’d think the same had my own son not been nearly foalnapped before he was barely even half a decade old.”
Ornate was stunned at that. “What?”
Nodding gravely, Stalwart explained. “It was a his fifth birthday when it happened, Princess Celestia allowed us to throw the party in the castle’s garden, Bluebelle always loved big parties, almost as much as showing off her son.” His gaze grew distant as he remembered. “So of course all of Canterlot ended up knowing about the party, and at least half of them were invited.
“The princess even took time out of her schedule to attend. I swear she doted on the lad nearly as much as his own mother.” He chuckled for a moment at the fond memory before becoming grave once more. “Everypony there could see how much her majesty cared for her nephew; it was heartwarming for most, but an opportunity for a couple who had managed to sneak in.
“To this day I can’t get my mind around what they were thinking, even after they were interrogated. They were young, teenagers, full of the recklessness that came with it. The mare, born to a noble family, fell in love and had gotten pregnant with the foal of a commoner, and was kicked out her home because of it.
“Bluebelle, bless her heart, was furious about that and wanted to help the girl as much as she could even after the fact, but it doesn’t excuse what she and her sleaze ball boyfriend did. He convinced her to fake going into labor there in the gardens as a distraction, she was far enough along that nopony suspected a thing, while he tried to lure my son away.
“Blueblood though, he was smarter than that, and he refused, so the stallion turned to force. How he expected to make it out of there with a screaming colt, I haven’t the foggiest, or how he’d actually ransom our son back to us, doesn’t matter though since it wasn’t long before I caught up to him. Broke one of his legs in three places when I did too, all my fear turned into anger. Those are things I hope you never have to experience, Ornate, it haunted me for months afterwards.”
Ornate was wide-eyed and spellbound by the story, staring at the stallion before her in a new light. “And what happened after?” she prompted.
Stalwart shrugged tiredly. “The stallion was imprisoned, though he was released some years back. I looked into it of course, he fled to some settlement on the outskirts of the kingdom, and I can only hope he’s a changed pony. The mare, well, all the stress of that day had her going into labor for real, but it was a healthy foaling and she was allowed to stay with her child on parole. Bluebelle and the princess took care of her, but I admit to not wanting anything to do with her, mad as I was, so I don’t know the specifics.
“Parties were different from then on. Bluebelle never threw them as large after and was always diligent about invites and knowing everypony there. That’s something the two did manage to steal from us, not our child, but that joy. Every birthday after that was less a celebration for her and more a reminder.”
The two were silent for a while until Ornate spoke. “Blueblood never told me.”
“We made it a point to not to talk about it around him,” Stalwart explained. “Hoped he’d just forget or repress the memory. He was young, and we didn’t want his birthdays to be ruined like they were for us. Maybe it worked, or maybe he avoided speaking about it around us to try and keep us happy.
“It’s why I started training him, you know?” he said, looking down at his nearly empty glass of water and swirling the contents. “I didn’t plan on not being there to protect him even before he was nearly stolen away, but that didn’t stop it from happening, so I wanted him to be able to protect himself. It helped my peace of mind knowing that he wouldn’t be defenseless.
“And I suppose it’s why I was teaching the twins how to buck properly. Maybe it’s ridiculous, Canterlot’s one of the safest places you can raise a foal, but I still worry about it. I want those two to be as safe as possible, and this is my way of ensuring that. The truth is, Ornate, as much as we want to be there for them every moment of their lives to protect them, it’s just not possible. We’ve got to hope and put our faith in the ponies around us to look out for them too, and that can be hard sometimes.”
Once again silence dominated the room as the pink mare eventually turned around and began whisking the eggs after turning the stove on. She levitated a few spices from the rack and sprinkling them in, dumping the mix into the pan with a bit of butter.
With nothing but the sounds and smells of sizzling eggs to fill the air, Stalwart began to feel regret. He had wanted her to understand his motives, but it seemed he instead inflicted her with the same fears that had been scratching at the back of mind ever since he saw the twins riding on Celestia’s back on their first birthday. They were precious to the alicorn, and that made them potential targets to anyone wanting to hurt her, but he knew how unlikely that was to occur.
He scared a new mother for nothing, piling yet another worry onto her already burdened withers. It was while he was trying to think of a way to alleviate the mare’s fears that she finally broke the silence. “You have to teach them responsibility too, if you’re going to teach them how to defend themselves,” she said, placing a plate of scrambled eggs and buttered toast before the stallion. “And of course actually tell them what they’re learning. It seems like that should have been obvious.”
Looking from the plate to her, all Stalwart could manage was, “What?”
“You can teach the twins how to fight,” she clarified, “but you have to be sure they understand the responsibility that comes with knowing. It’s for defense only, not so they can hurt others.”
A small smile slowly spread across his muzzle as it dawned on him. “Of course, don’t know what I was thinking, teaching them that buck without teaching them how and when to use it.”
“Neither do I,” Ornate agreed, giving a small smile of her own. “Now eat your eggs and drink some more water. It’ll help that hangover.” She began to leave the room, adding over her shoulder, “And clean up after yourself when you’re done. I’m not your mother.”
“Will do!” he called back, half of his eggs already demolished along with a slice of toast. Stalwart wasn’t sure how his son managed to catch himself such a fine mare. Guess luck must have run in his side of the family.
Blueblood the 16th sat at his desk, going over papers and letters from across Equestria. The Noble House of Blueblood had landholding and investments all over the kingdom and it was his job as head of the family to keep track of it all and make sure the ledgers were in order. It was all very taxing on both the spirit and the eyes, so when he heard the door of his study creak behind him, it was a welcome distraction.
“How are you doing, honey?” his wife asked as he pulled his reading glasses off and rubbed between his eyes. “Everything okay in here?”
“It’s fine,” he answered. “Everything seems to be in order so far. How about you?”
Coming up behind him, she laid her head on his shoulder with a small sigh. “I had an interesting conversation with your father just a while ago,” she began. “Did you know he taught Pure some sort of military buck? Guess that explains how she was able to take on a colt larger than herself.”
“… He did what?”
She chuckled at that. “Yes, that was about my reaction, though a few decibels louder. The sound proofing on this room is phenomenal.”
Blueblood didn’t find the humor however and began to push away from his desk. “I am so sorry, Ornate. I never would have thought my father could do something so- so reckless. I’ll have a talk with him put a stop to this before it goes any further than it already has.”
His attempt to stand was halted by a hoof on his shoulder. “It’s already done. Stalwart and I had a very long discussion about it, and… and I agreed to let the children learn from him, with the condition that he teaches them restraint, as well.”
“You… you did?” he asked incredulous, slowly letting the hoof push him back into his seat. “Why?”
“I figured it would be good for the twins to know how to defend themselves and each other is all. I don’t plan on letting them ever be in a situation where they’ll need to know such a thing, but it’s better to be prepared, right?” As she explained this, she draped herself over her husband’s withers and pressed a kiss on the side of his muzzle. “You never know what could happen.”
She tightened the hug and gave him another kiss, leaving him to place a hoof on hers and ask, “What brought this on?”
“I’m just grateful you’re here,” was the peculiar reply, and Blueblood couldn’t help but smile.
“Where else would I be?” Turning his head, he met one of her kiss with his own. “Where else would I rather be?” he added before going in for a deeper kiss, his wife giving a small moan of approval.
When they separated, he couldn’t help but get somewhat serious. “You really are serious about letting Father teach the kids how to fight? He’s not the easiest teacher, and they are quite young. A lot younger then I was I’m pretty sure.”
“He knows not to overdo it or else he’ll get the butter knife,” she said with a curt nod.
Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Do I even want to know?”
“No, no you don’t.”
“Okay then.” Leaning forward, the stallion looked at his paper work with a tired sigh as his wife placed her front hooves back on the ground. “You know, maybe I’ll help him teach the twins. I remember most of what he taught me I’m sure, and that way I can make sure he doesn’t teach the twins anything too dangerous.”
“Really? I thought you hated training with your father?”
“Oh, I do, but honestly, it’ll be nice to get some exercise after sitting in this office for so long,” he answered. “Plus I’ll get to spend some more time with my children while I supervise them.”
Coming up to give him another kiss on the cheek, Ornate said, “Thanks, Blue, I’ll feel a lot more comfortable about this if I know you’ll be there watching over them.”
“You know I’d do anything for our children, love, even spend time with my drill sergeant of a father,” he replied, leaning his head against hers.
Giggling, Ornate gave him a light swat and backed away. “I’m sure your ‘Father of the Year’ mug will be coming in the mail any day now,” she joked, heading towards the door. “You want me to bring you anything? Some tea? A snack?”
“I’ll be fine,” he answered, putting his spectacles back on. “I should be done soon enough, then we can have tea and biscuits together.”
“Okay, love you dear.”
“Love you too.” And with that, the door was closed and Blueblood was left to return to his work. Picking up a quill, the stallion shot a brief glance out the window, imagining the warm sunlight on his coat as he spent time with the twins.
The image was enough to get him through the last of his paperwork.
Sorry there was no cute foal-ness or the school stuff. It's more of an interlude type of chapter, but I hope getting it out so fast makes up for that.
Please don't beat me with jumper cables. 
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What.
Do I want to know why you're being so specific?
With Stalwart training the foals, we all know who'll be doing the beating around here.
god I love this story always brightens up my day when I see a update
Why would i beat you with jumper cables?
that was an awesome chapter You know if any thing i should thank you for the mutch needed development for there grandpa.
7866537 true true, I want to see more celly and pure, be interesting if Celestia will notice the fact that pure has a perfect memory. Which I find really cool.
I keep enjoying how we see little facets from all walks of their lives. It helps make the world what it is.
Huh. Ah kinda expected a twist endin.
"Wait. What kidnapping?"
"... STALWART!!!!"
XoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoX
Ah miss the foal cuteness tho. Awe. Still, yay an update! Much appreciated :)
Very nice it wasn't all sweetness and roses but it was realistic and well done. While Ornate and Blueblood would rather foal-proof the world they've accepted its better to world-proof thier foals for that moment when they can't be there
I think the mother flip-flopped way too easily on teaching dangerous fighting moves, as his story was just an explanation, and not an justifcation for teaching them that. The dangers of them accidently crippling another kid by mistake are still very real.
Loved the scenario though, with the old veteran versus the sensible mother. It doesn't matter how much of a hardened veteran you are, because if you get between a mother and her kid, you'll get wrecked.
What he said! Don't start fights, but finish 'em!
Roger, you get back here right now!
(Ha ha, found the imgurian.)
I know I used the Thor video last chapter, but I didn't think it would work! All jokes aside I love this chapter, it was a great interlude and some good character development. I'm also glad you cleared up that Pure is not some Maud strength freak like some people were suggesting, but rather she just had some training and good technique.
I would never beat you with jumper cables so long as you continue to write this quickly.
And I hope Bronze Pauldron's dad kicked his ass, and told him to live up to his name before he harasses a filly half his size again, because that was just sad.
7866773
It's also a reddit meme. The account sadly went dark a couple months back.
I love your story, its heartwarming and fun. Please continue doing you.
Also, please don't feel bad about this chapter, a change in perspective every now and then can make the story that much richer.
Best of luck to you!
imagining the warm sunlight on his court as he spent time with the twins.
(Coat?)
7866534 Bad reddit joke, I believe.
I'm with Stalwart on this one. Everyone should know how to defend themselves (I've been doing martial arts since I was five). I wouldn't necessarily use the word restraint, put appropriate force is important. However you do need to end the fight ASAP and your safety is more important than theirs.
Don't this buggers have servers? Why is Ornate doing all the work, if anything someone should be getting a firing.
7866897 I believe he means his courtyard.
(Sheepishly hides the jumper cables behind his back)
What? I would never dream of beating our dear author half to death with jumper cables!
Oh hey there Chekov, you seem to have left your gun lying out.
...
welp...
guess this is the author's head canon for when Sunset Shimmer was approximately brought into existence.
...
oh yeah and author please PM me regarding if this comment's spoilers are true or not.
Just read through this story and am liking it. Looking forward to the next chapter.
7866945 ah, thanks.
*snaps his jumper cables* hmm something is off... I can't put my finger on it but the chapter feels somewhat awkward..... Don't get me wrong I'm happy it was updated so soon, but ... Never mind it's probably nothing
7867083
Actually, they did have a chef who had made breakfast for the kids and parents, but Ornate didn't want to bother him to make another meal. Also, she's taking cooking lessons from said chef and likes to practice.
7867096
7867268
... Maybe... I'll have to think about it. When I said "took care of her," though, I didn't mean adopting the foal, I meant things like getting the mother a temporary home, helping her work things out with her family, Bluebelle paid her medical bills, you know, just get her life together.
Maybe it'll be two foals and this is secretly the origins of the Flim Flam Brothers. Who knows? I certainly don't. I only plan marginally past two chapters ahead. I got ideas for the future, but they are vague and the story kind of forms up as it goes.
7867173
Mate, I've been bullied for over half my life so I know what it's like better than most. Maybe it's just me, or a quality of being British but words did nothing but provide opportunities to self deprecate or come back with something the thick bastards wouldn't understand.
There's no "blindly following the law" I know what the law is and agree with it. I have no problem with someone beating the shit out of bullies after they throw the first swing but never before. Probably just a British quirk but meh.
Swinging first only serves to land you in shit and get the pathetic cunts to come after you with weapons. (Luckily this fat shit can sprint)
Insulting back generally doesn't work either (but Christ is it great to do, managed to make one of the little pricks cry once when they tried bullying me, it was savage.)
Depriving them of what they want is the single best way to deal with them (a reaction)
Note I go the Buddhist way of "once they get physical all bets are off, I'm specifically referring to verbal abuse. For not problems with self defence whatsoever.
You seem to be the one lacking the thinking, "he said something I don't like so I kicked the shit outta him" is the kind of behaviour that leads to people dead in the street.
The mention of the foal delivered by the kidnapper's marefriend got me thinking, I know she won't be the foal in question cos she would be older than she is in the show then (How old are Blueblood Sr and Ornate anyway?), but I wonder if Pure and Blue will ever have a run in with another infamous Canterlot born mare...
pre02.deviantart.net/12be/th/pre/f/2012/251/2/b/the_great_and_powerful_trixie_by_tadashi__kun-d5e0zev.png
That would be an amusing meeting.
Also, is Sunset still about? She was Celestia's student when Twilight was a foal before hopping over to Earth.
7867683 You know with how well Pureblood does in her training I can see her joining the royal guard in the future,maybe even become an officer, especially since she enjoys the training with her grandfather.
tilted
I'll get the butter knife then
jk
7867683
The way you wrote the fight scene was great. Very realistic cause everyone knows a fight usually ends after the first or second punch.
7867860
I agree, it's better to be the one retaliating than the one starting the fight.
7867173 And I'm sure the State Appointed Prosecuting Attorney would be very... Interested in hearing your point of view on the matter... Right before they roast you over the unforgiving flames that are self defense law.
Seriously, those guys don't mess around, and even if you get a good enough lawyer to stay out of prison the legal fees can easily bankrupt anyone who isn't a millionaire without some sort of insurance...
Good thing Stalwart saw reason so quickly. What he was doing was extremely reckless. Ornate didn't even mention that Pureblood was only a few inches off from putting the other fellow in the hospital—and how that was simply due to dumb luck.
7867860
I'm with you on this.
You know, it's more related to the other discussion, but... my own dad never put a hand on me. Neither did my mother, for that matter. The reason was that his father beat him and his sisters (my aunts) so much, a day came where felt he had to threaten to kill him if he ever touched them again, or they'd end up dead. That worked.
It's one of the reasons I have for not endorsing hitting your kids. Like, at all.
I, too, am full of grates. it can be rather grating at times I hear.
Shame on you for thinking I'd do something so gauche as beat you with jumper cables! Obviously I'd clamp them to you and hook them up to a car battery like a sensible criminal, duh!
yes please let him start combat training.
, however
I think Blueblood it probably going to end up as the strong one again
I think Pureblood is going to be a dangerous technical fighter.
I'm suprised myself, but I really enjoyed this slightly emotional chapter. I already want to say that you please make this some sort of trilogy. You know a story about her foal time, one of her teenage years or maybe the second one already being an adult and about her job as Guard Captain or something maybe.
The third one could maybe be an adoption and a little romance, if you should choose her to date a Colt I would like to know a bit about him and have a believeable romance.
The thing is, since he wouldn't be a character from the show, I would like something to like about him, maybe he is a shy clutch compared to her, it would be somehow cute and it would be a trait I can enjoy easier.
I just enjoy this to much and wouldn't be happy it it is ending to soon.
7868821
Oh no, not my sensitive nipples!
*pulling on gimp suit*
7868146
Nah, man, butter knives aren't warrented. Tablespoons, on the other hand...
7867092 What about, instead of beating our dear author half to death with jumper cables, simply beat two quarters of the life right out of him?
7866691 I think it was more of a... finding it hard to suspend belief that such a veteran soldier would not think to teach restraint. That's nearly always the first thing that any serious teacher of weapons or martial activities should be teaching.
I like this Stalwart fellow, reminds me of my family.
7867683
Make a plan! I have seen too many stories ruined because the author only thought a chapter or two ahead.
7868875
Kinky.
*pulls out masquerade mask*
7867458 Wish I could explain the joke but I still have no idea. Kind of annoying. Also there something about broken arms..? man, iunno, this is why i drink...
I'll be honest, I am starting to become a little worried about what Pure's future is going to be.
Time will tell wether my fears come true or not.
7866534
Movie theaters. They're overpriced and I hate them, but with new movies there's no other option, other than watching a shitty cam version. I went and saw San Andreas a few months ago. It was the first movie I'd seen in a theater in years, and, I gotta say, that whole "theater experience" really sucks. The screen didn't look at all better than my own TV, the chairs were uncomfortable, and the floor was sticky and littered with garbage. I had to wait in line for 15 minutes just to watch that crappy movie in that disgusting theater, and the worst part about it was that my dad beat the shit out of me with jumper cables in the parking lot. I wish they'd just allow me to stream the movie at home, where I can pause it without missing an important scene and I'm not sitting next to 75 strangers who whisper and chew their food loudly.
Beat you? No, no, no you silly goose. Those are for electrocution!
T
I really like this chapter. Glad to see I was right that Pure's super-buck was due to military training and her not being a secret earth pony in disguise.
If Blueblood is bothered by his sister out-bucking him, there's only one solution: Train harder!
And then Pure took dancing lessons.