Princess Preparatory

by Melody Song

Home For the Holidays

Author's Note:

Heyy! I'm back with a new chapter for you all!

Remember this line:

"Don't even try to use this as an excuse to get out the car."

From the Chapter Meanwhile? Well, you're about to find out what car Thorax was talking about. Read on!

~Melody Song

Twilight stood outside Princess Preparatory, surrounded by her friends. Cadence made her way over, dressed in a pink overcoat with white leggings.

"Hey Cadence." Twilight said

"Hello Twilight. It's great we're going to be home for winter, isn't it?"

"Yes, I just wish we were all spending it together."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Cadence told her, as they watched Fleetfoot and Spitfire get in a carriage that looked like a Phoenix, waving as they set off. Twilight and Cadence waved back.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing towards a bubblegum pink carriage, decorated with real balloons tied to each side. Rarity entered one with diamonds studded on each side, followed by Sweetie Belle. Fluttershy climbed into a carriage with wood carvings that looked like ivy and animals. Applejack and Apple Bloom stepped into one shaped like an apple. Sunset and Starlight climbed into one with a sun symbol on it.

"Where are you two going?" Twilight asked

"We're both heading to my kingdom, after we pick up our brothers." Sunset explained, leaning over the side of the carraige, waving.

"Bye!" Cadence called as they left.

The only ones left in their friend group was Rainbow, Daring, and their little sister Scootaloo. Pretty soon everyone else had left too. The three sisters of the Light Kingdom headed over.

"Who's carriage is that?" Twilight pointed to a carriage with a snowflake design that had yet to be chosen.

"That's Fleet's. Her parents are gonna be mad that she's not coming home..." Rainbow said, as the Headmistress and Vice-Headmistress walked up to them.

"Cadence, are you all packed?"

"Yes."

"Why does it matter?" Daring asked

"Since Cadence doesn't have any real family still living, she lives with my sister and I."

"Our summer castle was in your village." Cadence added to Twilight

"Well, that explains why you only ever visited."

"But I'm going with you now to spend the whole winter with you." Cadence exclaimed, hugging her.

"It's funny. I always thought Sunset was your secret daughter." Rainbow joked

"She might as well be." Vice-Headmistress Luna agreed

"Well, Sunset and Sunburst are not, no." Headmistress Celestia shook her head. "However, their parents are close with me and named me their guardian should anything ever happen to them."

"That makes sense." Daring shrugged, then turned to look behind her. "There's our carriage."

The Light Kingdom carriage was colored with rainbows and clouds. Rainbow and Daring let Scootaloo climb in first, then Daring, and finally Rainbow.

"We'll text you later, see ya next semester guys!" Rainbow called, waving.

"Bye! Have a good break!" Twilight called back.

"There's our carriage now. I guess they stopped to get the boys first." Cadence said, as Spike hung his head out the window.

"Hey!" he called. Their carriage was modeled after Cadence's kingdom, with purple-blue crystal outer decoration, but a velvet-adorned interior, to provide comfort.

"There you two are." Professors Ember and Tempest had joined them as a long black car arrived.

"Woah." Twilight gasped

Vice-Headmaster Pharynx and Headmaster Thorax exited the car.

"Sweet ride. We're taking your limo, mine's in the shop." Tempest joked, reaching to run a hand along the sleek black exterior.

"The last surviving piece of Empress Chrysalis' reign. The rest was destroyed, but this..." Pharynx laughed "Oh, I'm keeping this baby."

"Pharynx convinced me to let him drive it out here." Thorax sighed "I wanted to take a carriage."

"Cadence, if you lived with Headmistress Celestia and Vice-Headmistress Luna, does that mean you know about their friendships?" Twilight asked in a low voice as they stepped into their carriage.

"Yes." Cadence replied, holding out a hand and making a halting motion to indicate to the driver not to leave. "They often had Pharynx, Thorax, and Ember over. Tempest is a newer friend so I occasionally saw her but by that time I was spending more time with you three."

"Cadence, we'll be home the whole time, if you need anything just write, okay?" Headmistress Celestia asked

"Of course Headmistress."

"Please Cadence, we're on break."

"Alright. I'll video call you once we're in the village. See you then Auntie." Cadence said, leaning out to peck Headmistress Celestia on the cheek politely.

"I'll look forward to it." Headmistress Celestia laughed, then waved as they left.

"Auntie?" Twilight and Spike echoed Cadence.

"I started living with Celestia and Luna while I was very young. I developed a habit of calling them my 'aunts' and the names just stuck."

"Are you okay Twily?" Shining Armor asked

"I'm just sad my friends decided to spend the holidays at their own kingdoms..."

"Twilight..." Cadence rested a hand on her soon-to-be sister's lap.

"Twily, I'm sure they had their reasons." Shining said

"I know. But..."

"Come on Twilight, your friends are all so different and they come from different kingdoms. They each have their own customs and traditions that I bet they don't want to miss. Besides, technically it's their first time away from home too, school only started for them this year. Like you." Spike said

"...I guess I never thought of it that way." Twilight smiled "Thanks Spike. Now, I hope we get home soon. I'm in the mood for one of mom's fritters."

They all laughed.

---

"So, we're going to Tia and Lulu's this year, right?" Thorax asked

"Yep." Ember replied, leaning against him.

Thorax and Ember were sitting on one of the side seats, looking out the window. Luna and Celestia were in the very back, Luna was reading and Celestia was typing out something-most likely a school related email-on her phone. Tempest and Pharynx were in the very front, Pharynx was driving and Tempest was staring out the window from the passenger seat.

"We have to drop Tempest off first." Pharynx told them

"I'm sorry I can't be there guys." Tempest added

"It's okay Tempest, we understand." Ember told her

"I just wish I could come." Tempest sighed, crossing her arms.

"You'll see us next school semester." Pharynx said, smiling at her. "Speaking of school, it's about time you, Ember, and I had another meeting. So I can take you to it."

"Ha-ha, very funny. If anyone's going to win it's me." Ember growled

"You three and your monthly sparring matches." Luna sighed, turning a page in her book.

"We've got to stay fit somehow." Pharynx replied, glancing back momentarily. "But it hasn't been monthly lately. We need to work out a schedule that works with the school. I can only leave Thorax by himself for so long."

"Hey!" Thorax cried, and they all laughed. Well, almost everyone.

"You're awfully quiet Tempest, is something wrong?" Celestia asked

"Huh? Oh, no. Just....thinking." Tempest replied, leaning against the window, gazing absentmindedly at the things flashing by.

"You're not a hero." her boss's words echoed back in her mind.

"Temp!"

"Huh?" Tempest turned to see Pharynx looking at her. "Sorry, what?"

"We're stopping to grab some food, I asked if you had anyplace in mind."

"Oh, um...no, anything's fine." Tempest told him.

"What's up with you today?" Ember asked "You've been doing this since...well, since the ball, actually."

"Nothing's up with me. I'm just thinking about something." Not a lie, technically. Tempest had been thinking about something.

"You sure?" Thorax asked, and Tempest shifted her whole body to get a better view of them. Luna had looked up from her book, gaze fixed on her friend.

"I..." Tempest sighed "Guys...would you call me a...a good person?"

"What? Of course." Pharynx replied, glancing over to smile at her. "You're great Temp."

"Yeah. Of course you're good, why?" Ember asked

"...No reason...just wondering." Tempest sighed

They pulled into a diner and most of them got out.

"You coming?" Pharynx asked, and Tempest gave him a small smile.

"I'm not that hungry. I'll wait here."

"You barely had any breakfast." Ember argued.

"Guys, I'm fine, honest." this turned out to be bad timing on Tempest's part, the second she said this her stomach growled.

"Uh-huh." Pharynx teased, and Tempest blushed slightly.

"I just...want to get home quickly."

"We can order the food to-go and eat while we drive...?" Thorax suggested

"Great idea baby bro."

"Thanks!" Thorax paused "Wait, you'd never say that..."

"Because you're driving." Pharynx tossed him the keys.

"What?!"

"Come on, I gotta eat, don't I?"

Tempest laughed along with the other girls at the two brothers, but it was forced. She turned back to the window, hand supporting her head as she looked out, frowning.

"You're no hero. Stop pretending like you belong among them." Tempest told herself. "You aren't a hero, Tempest Shadow. You work for...him. And you need to push these feelings away, because if you continue to have them you're going to end up losing your head."

"Temp, c'mon." Pharynx called, and Tempest exited the car silently, following them in.