Chapter 35: Sufficiently Short on Surprises
No matter the dimension, the first day of the weekend was always a favorite for school children. It was a day to forget about homework. It was a day to get a few extra hours of well-deserved sleep – unless, of course, there was something fun planned. When plans existed, there was no time to be wasted on sleep, regardless of what parents or neighbors might think of impromptu notifications. One quartet of boys having a sleepover was living proof of that. One of their numbers had invited the rest to join him for a glimpse of the magical world – a night in a suburban wizarding house, hiding in plain sight in a stodgy old neighborhood.
What was mundane to magicals was marvelous to muggles. In all honesty, the adults should have known better than to expect anything less than the sheer pandemonium that had ensued. There was no way the children could be sufficiently admonished for nearly giving the boggart in the basement a heart attack. The going rumor, however, was that it had been mollified by being offered the starring role in the haunted house that the boys were planning for the coming Halloween.
The quartet had found their adventure unexpectedly accelerated when, in a desperate bid to preserve her sanity, Hector’s mother had summoned Owlowiscious at 2:07 a.m. and stuffed the boys into the bird’s pouch with orders to drop them off at Sweet Apple Acres for the foreseeable future.
Big Macintosh had set them to work mucking out pens and slopping the hogs in the hours before breakfast was ready. Even knowing that humans could become quite adept at milking the cows, the large red stallion came to the conclusion that in this case the risks outweighed the rewards. Overall, youthful energy and novelty made short work of the chores.
After earning their keep, Granny Smith treated the boys to two types of pancakes – buckwheat flapjacks with butter and real maple syrup, and baked apple pancake with raisins and hints of cinnamon and cloves. There was nary a hint of artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The elderly green mare could not help but beam as the boys showed their appreciation for her cooking.
Swallowing his last bite, Hector said, “Granny, I’m going to show my mates around Ponyville. I want to introduce them to Crisp Lick; she’s always going on about meeting humans.”
“Ah don’t see how that could be a problem,” Granny said. “I reckon y’all would need to put in some serious effort ta cause half the trouble mah granfilly and her friends kin manage.”
“We aren’t looking to cause trouble, ma’am.” Brad, one of Hector’s friends, said. “We just want to look around.”
“Yeah,” Geoffrey said as he craned his neck over the offerings. “Hector has been saying that he can change into a pony, and he’s yet to prove it.”
“I keep telling you; my mum threatened me with a year’s worth of grounding if I do that at school.”
“Well, we aren’t at school now,” Wilbur said, munching piggishly on the last of his pancake. “Show us, already.”
“I was getting to that,” Hector said with a grin.
“Ah see somepony likes funning with his friends,” Granny said, giving Hector the eye. “Be mindful that y’all kin take it too far if’n yer not careful.”
“I just didn’t want to show off.” Hector pouted, standing up before shrinking to his pony form. “See, it isn’t that big of a deal.”
“That’s the truth.” Geoffrey stated, towering over the little unicorn. “You’re tiny,”
“He’s jus’ the right size,” Granny said, pushing herself up from the table. “Y’all wait here a sec an’ Ah’ll go rassle up some bits. Ah reckon y’all will be wanting to have yer lunch at the Sugarcube or one o’ the other cafés in town.”
It has been noted before that the residents of Ponyville were used to sights that would be considered unusual anywhere else in Equestria. Three colts playing ball as they walked down the main street really had no reason to be on that list. True, they were human colts -- something not yet seen in town, but they held a surprise factor of zero. Still, everypony couldn’t help but stop and watch as they were clearly having fun. Their ball . . . not so much.
“This isn’t funny!” Hector cried out as he caught some hang time.
“Yes, it is; you should see yourself flailing about,” Brad said as he caught the furry ball and immediately tossed it to Wilbur.
“Just you wait until I get my feet back on the ground!” Hector got out as he went from Wilbur to Geoffrey.
“We’ll just have to keep you in the air then.” Wilbur said, awaiting his turn.
“I’m gonna be sick!”
“I thought ponies could fly!” Brad retorted. “It’s good practice!”
“I’m not a pegasus!”
“Should we do something?” Hallowed Candle asked as she watched the airborne unicorn foal.
“Nah,” Taro Root said as she also watched. “I’m pretty sure this counts as colts acting like colts.”
“Isn’t it bullying?” Umber Shine asked as her head tracked the movement.
“Nah,” Taro Root repeated. “They wouldn’t be doing it in front of everypony if it were. You can tell they’re all friends.”
“You better not complain when I barf all over you!”
“Yeah, I see what you mean,” Vanilla Cream said. “He doesn’t seem too upset.”
“That actually looks like fun,” Cloud Kicker commented.
“Says the mare with wings.” Cherry Blush grimaced.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Cloud Kicker countered. “He ends up in a snow bank?”
“I’m more worried that he’ll bounce off the ground a few times,” Hallowed Candle said.
“Totally worth it.” Cloud Kicker shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt that much.”
“I think we are just going to label your attitude as ‘one of those pegasus things’,” Vanilla Cream quipped.
“What are you doing to him?!” a voice near ground level yelled.
“Oh, hey there Crisp Lick. How’s it going?” Hector asked as he rode the airwaves.
“Are you all right, Hector?” the young filly asked as she watched her friend being tossed around.
“Aside from the urge to bite someone when I get down, I’m fine.”
“Crisp Lick?” Brad asked as he took his turn to lob Hector. “She’s the girlfriend you’ve been telling us about?”
“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just a friend who happens to be a girl.”
“Okay, this is entering familiar territory,” Taro Root muttered.
“Despite the flying unicorn colt?” Umber Shine asked.
“Some things are just universal,” Cloud Kicker said.
“Put him down!” Crisp Lick demanded, stomping a forehoof.
“We’re not going to drop him,” said Geoffrey. “You should try it.”
“I’m not going to try it! You need to stop right . . . Eeeeeeeek!” Crisp Lick found her sentence cut off as Geoffrey scooped her up, and she suddenly found herself headed toward Brad’s arms with much less ground under her hooves than was her liking.
“Okay, this is going to get out of hoof,” Umber Shine said as she watched the human colts add another ball to the rotation.
“You got to admit, it is kind of funny,” Taro Root countered.
“Eeeeek!”
“I don’t think Crisp Lick is having fun,” Vanilla Lick said.
“Just give her some time for the shock to wear off,” Cloud Kicker said.
“Totally a pegasus thing,” Cherry Blush commented.
“Eeeeeeeek!”
It was at that time that Wilbur looked down, prompted by an unexpected tapping on his leg. There was an itsy bitsy pegasus foal looking up at him with awfully big eyes -- awfully hopeful, big eyes. He looked up again in time to add momentum to both Crisp Lick and Hector before he reached down to grab what could only be a baby pony.
“Weeeeeeeeee!”
“Eeeeeeeek!”
“Oh, come on!”
“Yup, totally a pegasus thing,” Cherry Blush repeated.
“Watch the little one. He’s a whole lot lighter than the other two,” Brad commented after a throw.
“She’s a filly,” the smallest foal’s mother said from where she was watching. “You colts be careful, now.”
“Yes ma’am,” the three human colts chorused
“Weeeeeeee!”
“Eeeeek!”
“This really isn’t so bad.”
“Okay . . .” After about a minute, it was surprisingly Cloud Kicker who stepped out into the middle of the roundabout. “It’s time to stop; I can see your forelegs are starting to shake. You’re getting tired.”
“Aaaaaw!” the human colts complained, even as they immediately stopped tossing ponies around.
“You’re just too heavy, lard butt,” Geoffrey said as he sat Hector down on the ground.
“You do realize you are getting flying lessons once I learn how to control my horn,” Hector shot back.
“Whaaaa!” The pegasus baby was making her displeasure known as Brad handed her over to her mother.
“Here you go ma’am,” Brad said. “I don’t think she’s happy that we stopped.”
The mare smiled up at the boy. “She had fun. When I next need a foalsitter, I’m coming for you and your friends.”
“Um.” Brad wasn’t sure how to respond.
“Hector,” Crisp Lick said with shaky legs.
“Yes?” Hector quickly trotted over to her, making sure she didn’t fall over.
“Just so you know, your friends are gonna get bucked to the moon,” Crisp Lick said. “And back.”
“I’ll help,” Hector said as a large group of foals, who had been hiding on the sidelines, made themselves known.
“That looked interesting,” Yew Leaf, a filly from Cheerilee’s class stated bravely.
“I was thinking; terrifying,” Peppermint Twist corrected.
“It was fun,” Wilbur said, bending at the waist to make it easier to talk to the small ponies.
“Your hooves never left the ground.” Zipporwill trotted over to look up at the human.
“You have human colt friends,” Yew Leaf accused Hector as she pointed a hoof at one of the boys.
“Are they our age?” Peppermint Twist asked.
“Guys,” Brad said as he hurried over, throwing a glance over his shoulder. “We need to make a run for it before we get some babysitting jobs.”
The Muggle Studies professor was walking down the hall, chatting with two of his colleagues as the three of them enjoyed their free time.
“Ah, such a nice, peaceful, and quiet day,” the Muggle Studies professor said with his hands in his pockets.
“Great,” Berrytwist said. “You just jinxed us.”
“I hardly think so,” the Muggle Studies professor countered. “Besides, I deserve a quiet day. I am taking the seventh-years to the mall tomorrow.”
“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” Berrytwist shook her head.
“His timing was a little off,” Professor Trelawney stated. “He needs some practice.”
Berrytwist sighed. “What do you . . .”
Professor Trelawney held up a hand to halt her. “Wait for it.”
Berrytwist sighed again, this time joined by The Muggle Studies professor.
A second later they heard the scream. “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
“Nice doppler effect,” the Muggle Studies professor stated, looking down the hall. “I didn’t know that Miss Aloo had a scooter.”
“Me, I’m wondering how they talked Miss Granger into riding in that wagon,” Berrytwist added.
“She does have a pair of lungs,” Professor Trelawney noted.
“Oops! Pardon us, professors!”
“Okay, the thestral-drawn wagon is slower than the pegasus slash scooter-drawn one,” Berrytwist noted dryly.
“Howdy Professors!... See ya, Professors.”
“I’m surprised the pegasus-drawn wagon is in last place,” the Muggle Studies professor said.
“Technically, the first-place wagon was drawn by a pegasus,” Professor Trelawney corrected. “She just had the added benefit of the scooter.”
“Where’d they get the little red wagons?” The Muggle Studies professor mused.
“Seriously?” Berrytwist asked. “There is absolutely nothing stopping Miss Patil from teleporting wherever she likes. I’m just surprised that it took them this long to remember that flying ponies can pull wagons.”
“Hurry up, Pink Boy! We’re falling behind.”
“Seamus, I swear I’m gonna dump this thing over and you can walk! And, it’s fuchsia!”
“Oh look. Two ponies are faster than one,” Professor Trelawney observed.
Gordon had lucked out, and he knew it. Granted, he always thought he’d find a nice hen someday and settle down. Heck, his mother had drilled that requirement into him as an unavoidable fact of life. Her insistence in the matter may have lent a little toward his decision to spend some years in Canterlot. Okay, to be fair, it may have lent more than a little. After all, the odds of him finding somegriff with the desire to acquire him in a city full of ponies were pretty slim.
Tonks had been a surprise. And, wasn’t that an understatement? He had known he had liked her when he thought she was just a colorful pony. And, wasn’t that a concept in of itself? She stood out as ‘colorful’ amidst a race whose normal hues ranged from bright and cheerful all the way to diabetic seizure waiting to happen. And yet, Tonks had been sunshine compared to their moonlight. How many times had he had to remind himself that griffins don’t do herds? It had practically become his motto.
Yet it was undeniable that those words had fallen upon the deaf ears of fate. Was fate normally deaf? She was probably just ignoring him. Hens tended to do that when they didn’t want to acknowledge a valid argument.
There had been something there that everycreature around them had almost instantly recognized. No matter how much he had tried to deny it, the others wouldn’t allow the two of them to just be friends. Not that he had wanted to limit himself to that, but wow, the mothers on both sides had pulled out all stops.
Fortunately, it turned out that Tonks had similar feelings for him. In truth, odds where they would have eventually gotten together without all of the prodding. The only real obstacle had been worrying she’d back out once he let her know that griffins mated for life. It had been a relief when her reply had been that witches marry for life. After that, things had gotten intimate and Gordon had gotten a surname. Now he was living in an apartment with a pseudo herd. In truth, they were just two separate mated pairs, trying to keep Clementine out of the claws of some herd-happy mares. The good news was that they had a solid legal basis for rebuffing the desperate. The bad news was that the new arrangements were now drawing mares with more exotic tastes.
There were benefits that came with being with Tonks as well as some drawbacks. The worst of which was her second name, a name he was forbidden to utter, despite it being her personal, nonfamily specific, designation. He had tried once and that had resulted in him flying lopsided for a week; meanwhile, she had a new favorite quill for her collection. Never again would Gordon be skeptical of her qualifications for being a griffin hen.
But the pros far outweighed the cons. While he would have been happy with just the companionship, the perks of her otherworldly origins were nothing to sneeze at. Take the VCR, for example. Tonks’ father, who was also named “Tonks” but “Ted” as well as “Edward” – human names are so confusing. Anyway, the older male was more than happy to send Gordon tapes of a game called “football”. The young griffin may have become a wee bit obsessed with the humans kicking that ball around.
He was devouring the latest offering an owl had recently delivered when Tonks stepped out of their bedroom with a weird look on her face.
“Gordon,” she said, and he snapped his gaze in her direction, instantly alerted by the strange tone she had used.
He hadn’t realized he had moved from his seated position in front of the telly before he was standing a hair’s breadth from her. “Tonks! Is something the matter? Of course, something is the matter. You look like something is the matter. Are you all right? Are you hurt? You don’t look all right. I’m gonna fly you to the hospital.”
“Gordon,” Tonks said again, ruffling the feathers of her griffin form, “I’m fine.”
Gordon tilted his head in confusion. “Then what?”
“I just . . . That is . . . Look, you’d better come in here and see for yourself.”
Worriedly, Gordon followed his mate into their bedroom only to freeze in shock when he saw what was lying in the middle of their bed. “Is that an egg?”
“Yeah,” Tonks said managing to blush through her feathers. “That’s an egg.”
Gordon stared at it for a second before looking at Tonks. “Where’d you get it?”
“Where’d I get it?” Tonks’ voice was verging on shrill. “Where do you think I got it from?”
Looking back at the object, Gordon said, “It’s just . . . It’s an egg.”
“Yes, we’ve established that.” Tonks growled. “Believe me when I say its appearance was a startling surprise.”
“But . . . But . . . an egg.”
“Yes, Gordon, an egg,” Tonks said. “You are going to be a father.”
“But . . . But . . . an egg!”
“Gordon, there is no other possible candidate.” Tonks was getting angry.
“But we’ve never had relations in our griffin forms,” Gordon complained.
“Two words . . . 'sharp' and 'pointy',” Tonks instantly retorted.
“Mom says that’s the best part.”
“I have some reservations about your mother.” Tonks informed him.
“Understandable,” Gordon said, looking back at the bed. “But . . . an egg?”
“Yes Gordon, an egg.”
“But . . . But . . .” Gordon took a deep breath before collecting himself. “Tonks, griffins don’t lay eggs.”
“What?” Tonks asked in surprise.
“Our fronts may be avian but our backs are all feline.” Gordon turned to look at his mate. “You know, the part with all of our reproductive pieces.”
“Griffins give live birth?”
“Yes.” Gordon nodded.
“As in, beaks and all?”
“Of course,” Gordon answered.
“What is it with Griffins and sharp items invading that region?” Tonks demanded.
“It can’t be that bad.” Gordon shrugged only to receive a withering glare from Tonks. “Okay, okay, point taken.”
“Was that supposed to be a pun?”
“No. No.” Gordon hastily assured her before turning back to look at the egg. “Aren’t we supposed to sit on it or something?”
“How should I know? Humans don’t lay eggs either.”
The pair continued to stare at their future child. “Maybe we should get a doctor to look at it.” Gordon said after a pause. “At the very least, your mother.”
“I am not looking forward to her reaction when I have to tell her about this,” Tonks said.
“I thought you cast spells to prevent pregnancies,” Gordon ventured.
“Well, apparently the charm doesn’t take egg laying into account,” Tonks huffed.
“I’m not trying to assign blame,” Gordon said slowly. ‘I’m just trying to come to terms with it all.”
“Sorry Gordon.” Tonks wilted where she stood. “It just came as a surprise. The shock hasn’t worn off yet.”
“We’re going to be parents.” Gordon stated the obvious.
“Yeah . . .” Tonks stared at the egg. “Question. Do griffin babies eat solid food or drink milk?”
“A little of both,” Gordon said. “Why do you ask?”
Tonks winced. “I just realized sharp and pointy was going to be applied to another portion of my anatomy.”
“What is with you and your fascination with those two words?” Gordon asked.
“I happen to like the thought of my flesh being unbroken.”
Gordon sighed. “I can understand that.”
“We are sooooo going with bottle feeding.” Tonks informed him.
Lord Greengrass was having a wonderful day. Truth be told, most of his days were wonderful at this point. Despite his first marriage being arranged, he had found himself with a loving and attentive partner; one who had given him two beautiful daughters. Now he was lucky enough to have two such partners, a pair of women who were as affectionate to himself as they were to each other, proving that, of all things, family was his greatest treasure.
It was, therefore, not a sacrifice to be spending the afternoon being entertained by his wives modeling fashions for him. Rarity had opened a new store in the pony city of Canterlot, and they were eager to get his opinions on some of the wares they would be offering; a pastime that was somehow both overtly cute and glamorous at the same time, since they were doing it in their pony forms.
It was starting to become incomprehensible how much he owed Lord Discord. Not only was he responsible for his youngest daughter being cured, it was also his indirect actions which led to Lord Greengrass meeting his second wife. And those weren’t the only boons the rings had ended up bestowing. Though Lord Discord had been quoted saying that he had not intentionally included such enchantments, it was apparent that the rings had an effect on fertility. Prior to the transformations, the lord and his first wife had been devastated by the news that complications with Astoria’s birth had left the lady sterile, yet here she was with child for a third time. That had been a pleasant surprise.
Currently, his women were showing off a pair of flowing gowns. The one his first wife wore was white with purple highlights, matching the coloring of his younger wife perfectly. Meanwhile, Rarity was wearing something golden, which, in turn, matched his first wife’s coat. They were beautiful, glowing with happiness and the lives that were growing within them.
It was almost a shame when the family owl appeared and started hooting for attention. Tearing his gaze away from his wives, Lord Greengrass noted that the rune on the owl’s pouch denoting passengers was glowing slightly. Almost absently, he reached out with his wand and tapped the rune. “Ex dimittere,” he commanded.
There came the expected distasteful noises as two ponies were disgorged; Linda Blair would have been proud. The first passenger was obviously male; he landed on his back with a wuff. The second, looked female as well as startled, flailing her hooves helplessly as she unintentionally headbutted the stallion’s proof of gender on her way down, playing out Tonks’ nightmare scenario.
That horn had to have hurt!
“Yeeeeeeeeeeeee!” squealed the stallion in a voice much too high for his frame.
“Mother! Father!” Rarity called out, rushing forward. “Father! Are you all right?”
“No,” squeaked the stallion in a forced soprano.
Rarity turned to her sister wife. “Call a healer,” she commanded in a no-nonsense voice.
An hour, a few spells, a barrage of potions, and a massive amount of soft tissue regeneration later saw them all sitting around a table with tea set out before them.
“Well, now that that is over with,” Rarity said using her magic to pour everyone a cup. “My dear herdmates, I’d like to introduce you to my parents, Cookie Crumbles and Hondo Flanks.”
“A pleasure,” Lord Greengrass said with a nod as Rarity went on to introduce him and his first wife.
“Please call me ‘Magnum’,” Rarity’s father said after the pleasantries. He still had a grimace on his face despite the healer assuring him he’d made a full recovery already.
“So, Mother, Father, while it is always a pleasure to see you, to what do I owe this unexpected surprise?” Rarity got directly to the point.
“What a silly question,” Cookie said. “We received a letter telling us that not only was our daughter married but was expecting a foal. Of course, we hauled tail and got our horns to Ponyville as fast as we could gallop.”
“You galloped all the way to Ponyville?” Lady Greengrass queried.
Cookie gave the golden unicorn a questioning look before answering with a chuckle. “It’s just a saying; we took the train, of course.”
“Ah,” Lady Greengrass acknowledged. “I apologize. I should have realized.”
“So, this is your stallion?” Magnum asked, eyeing the human man. “Exotic.”
“Where are my manners?” Lord Greengrass said, shrinking down into a blue earth pony. “It would be more polite for me to take this form.”
“Magnum didn’t mean anything by that,” Cookie said with a nod of approval. “Who our daughter loves has always been and always will be her decision and her responsibility.”
“I assure you; no offense was taken,” Lord Greengrass said smoothly.
“So . . .” Magnum turned toward Lady Greengrass. “Are you able to change, too?”
“Yes,” Lady Greengrass said. “I was born human, the same as our husband.”
“Human, hmm?” Cookie mused. “That explains a few things. So, our Rarity has herded with humans.”
“Yes mother,” Rarity said. “I am quite happy with the arrangement.”
“Good,” Magnum said. “As long as you are happy.”
“Which brings us to the main reason for our visit,” Cookie said with a suddenly serious tone. “Do they know?”
Rarity looked ashamed at that question as she tentatively reached out and tapped her teacup with a hoof. “Humans don’t react that way,” she said after a few seconds.
“That’s a relief,” Cookie said with a hard glare. “But you haven’t answered the question.”
Rarity continued to tap her teacup with a contemplative look on her face.
“So, we won’t be needing to take Sweetie back with us?” Magnum asked.
“No, why would you?” Lady Greengrass replied. “She is welcome here, and it wouldn’t do to interrupt her schooling.”
“We feared . . . complications,” Cookie returned warily.
“As stated, Rarity’s little sister is always welcome,” Lord Greengrass said. “There will be no complications.”
Cookie looked at the earth pony, narrowing her eyes before turning to her daughter. “You need to tell them. They are your herd, and you can’t keep secrets like that.”
“I was planning to . . .” Rarity winced. “. . . when the time was right.”
“Oh.” Lord Greengrass’ ears tilted forward as realization hit and he gave his younger wife a thoughtful gaze. “I see.”
“I’m sorry.” Rarity’s ears and face wilted. “I know I should have told you before this. It’s just . . .”
“Hush.” Lord Greengrass cut her off. “Apologies are neither warranted nor necessary.”
“You must think me a terrible mare,” Rarity said with tears in her eyes.
Lady Greengrass perked up before jumping out of her chair to hurry over and give Rarity a hug. “Oh, that’s why you were telling us those stories. You wanted to gauge our reactions. It makes sense now.”
“Truly.” Lord Greengrass nodded. “Rest assured, I would never have reacted in such a distasteful manner.”
“You would have made a wonderful Slytherin,” Lady Greengrass said, nuzzling Rarity.
“You’re not mad?” Rarity wailed as she broke out in tears.
Lord Greengrass would have been disappointed if she had done so in public, but in private, it was a different matter. With all the dignity he could muster, he left his own chair and trotted over to comfort his wives. Dignity was strained in this form as he did have to pick himself up off the ground; trotting was something he also needed to practice. “There, there.” He said after he managed to put his front hooves around his women.
“So?” Magnum asked cautiously. “We’re all good then?”
With his forelegs still encompassing the mares, Lord Greengrass turned to look at the other stallion. “Lady Rarity is my wife,” he said. “That is no mean statement. For better or for worse, her successes are my successes. Her failures are my failures. Her joys are my joys. Her woes are my woes. Her means are my means. Her troubles are my troubles. And most importantly . . .” Lord Greengrass looked between Cookie and Magnum before giving a serious smile. “Her family is my family."
He gave Rarity a kiss. "Your daughter is my daughter.”
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Well, I laughed out loud.
Aw.
It's certainly nice to see it openly acknowledged, beyond the comments section I mean.
11677193
I think I missed something here but I'm not sure what.
I wonder what little bundle of chaos is in the Egg?
Even more so if it turns out to be a multiyolker?
Going for the darker Harmony?
I wonder if the target was known?
Beautiful chapters, missed the humor and the occationaly very deep topics
♡
11677266
A Griffling of course. Thought if so does the foal, or however you want to call it start out as larva or directly in its final stage?
Well now. I sure as heck wasn't expecting Tonks to lay an egg. That sure as heck surprised me. And I'm guessing it's a changeling egg. Given they know she's a changeling, they really ought to be consulting a changeling on these matters. They already have several sources they could inquire about that with.
So we finally get confirmation that Sweetie Belle is actually Rarity's daughter. It does make me who the father is and why they're not in the picture. Be it for tragic reasons or because they are scum.
Thank you very much for the update and for continuing this story as long as you have! I always look forward to this story updating.
11677264
Way back in probably the first book, or early in the second, the parents/legal guardians are all called to the infirmary by Discord about something the foals had done... I can't remember what exactly, but instead of Cookie Crumbles or Hondo Flanks being summoned for Sweetie Belle, it was Rarity who was summoned. Then, when the Mane Six were discovering they were pregnant because humans were fertile all the time, one voice called out "Not Again!" At the time it came across as one of the witches exclaiming about one of them fainting again. However in a later chapter Pinkie Pie does a Pinkie moment and says "Hey, Did Rarity say "again"?"
So that all pointed towards Rarity being Sweetie Belle's actual mother, and here we have confirmation.
11677264
Rarity gave birth very young and told everyone Sweetie was her sister to make things easier.
So... I've been rereading this story and realized something...
What happened to the Earth Unicorn stalion? I don't think he's been mentioned since the end of the first book.
11677341
Considering that he wasn't there when Discord summoned the parents, without actually knowing who he was summoning. The only ones who didn't show up were already dead.
And Applejack in place of her parents, being why Rarity went mostly unnoticed.
Or he was there and Rarity likes older stallions. And that family tree is even more complicated.
oh...oh my...does this mean that one day the Greengrass's will get The Harry Potter as a son-in-law? because that is a huge thing politically...
11677512
Oh, yes, there's an entire new side being formed around Harry's herd. It ties together the Greengrasses, the Blacks, the Longbottoms, the Weasleys, and probably more that I've forgotten. These are old names, from both sides of the spectrum, and will likely form a power bloc that will move forward uninterested in the traditional points of contention between the two sides.
She really, really, would have. She's cunning, ambitious, and understands how to motivate others.
Here's some reference material:
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1021277/unofficial-hazy-days-and-magical-ways-ch-35-thread-tracker
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1021278/unofficial-hazy-days-and-magical-ways-ch-45-character-listing
Oh Gordon and Tonks won't be dealing with a Mervin (Griffin baby) but a Changeling grub. And if the rings did increase Tonk's fertility they will have a small swarm of colorful nymphs in no time.
You know, I have no problem with Rarity being Sweetie's mother... and I do so love this story.
However, being from the Deep South (Alabama... and yes most of the jokes are true) I happen to have grown up with a different view of things.
First is unwed teen pregnancy... In the Deep South it was common (up until the late 80's) that if a girl suddenly became pregnant, the family kept it secret until she began to show, then had her take a trip to visit a distant branch of the family, usually ones who lived in the big city because the hospitals where better equipt to help. After the birth, the young girl had several choices,1; give the baby up for adoption. 2; Give the baby to a relative to raise. 3; Take the baby home and raise it as a sibling... 4; Swallow her pride and keep the child.
Now then, let's take on the Raising Of A Sibling for your parents... in the DS, (and in Japan) it is not unheard of for parents to send a younger sibling to live with an older one. Especially if the older child is a lone bachelor-bachelorette who has established a stable career... it is done in hopes that it will encourage said older child to want to get married and start a family of their own.
Now, knowing Canon MLP-FIM... Who of the main-6 suddenly had to go to the Big City to see her relatives, had a change of heart, and decided to come home to be with family... while never once did we see in the flashback her little sister... Meanwhile, we know Rarity's parents are still alive and kicking, and that Rarity runs a good business...
Again, knowing what I know... It's easier to believe AJ is Apple Bloom's mom... than Rarity is Sweetie's
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They'll be uninterested in the two sides, because they'll be too busy playing damage control for whatever the CMC Herd gets up to.
At least, one of them got a good survival instinct.
Wait... Twilight didn't tell Tonk a changeling lays egg? I thought she went thorough all the researches on Tonk's biology already.
Remnent 2 disgaea 7 and a new fallout 76 update for me. Plus the no mans sky update but i can only deal with that one in small doses
What did they do to terrify a boggart like that?
Well, in Starfield's case, you'll probably be waiting on the usual litany of post-launch patching because Bethesda releasing anything that just works isn't possible in this timeline.
Another fun chapter!
And yes, understandable concerns for free time when three big games are coming.
For some reason, I never realized this sequel came out, so i'm listening to it now.
I have to say that I like the muggle studies professor. Just the way he stands in the scenes watching and making calm comments as crazyness goes on around him. I often picture him holding a coffee mug, casually sipping.
I also like how in many places the professors actual names aren't used, but rather their position. It so reminds me of how Terry Pratchett wrote The Unseen University. Makes for a fun read and hits me with some nostalgia.
Said the Professor for Invisible runes.
Said the professor of Inadvisably Applied Magic
Said the head of the Department of Post-Mortem Communications (It's not necromancy...nope, not necromancy at all. Walking skeleton? No, No, No, He's just been ill.)
My only complaint is that in the earlier chapters, (which is where I'm at) It seems to "scene jump" a lot. Rather than a fully flushed out scene followed by the next, it's a series of snippets. There were times when I felt; "Wait a minute, we're moving on to something else? But we just got here with these guys."
Other than that minor complaint, Im liking this quite a lot.
By the way, Dogger made the quotes list.
Monk
"To be honest, hormones have the backing of countless generations of evolution; thus, they can and will trump common sense or even self-preservation with disturbing regularity." -Dogger807
Wait. How? Did she use her owl to send Owliiscious a letter, "Please come and get a package for delivery"? How do you spell Owllicious, anyway?
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The thought occurred to me: how certain are we that we're dealing with an egg, and not an egg sac?
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Oh dear, that would make things more complex, not just one squirmy changeling grub but several! Luckily she discovered love honey already, the little buggos wouldn't starve. Just imagine Tonks with 5-7 nymphs clinging to her back like she was a momma opossum.
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I am imagining it, and it's adorable.
I wonder if this is how you get Hippogriffs? Gordon needs to spend some time as a female to appreciate the value of not applying sharp and pointy things to certain anatomy parts.
Boggart Haunted House bribe....could see that.
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Somecreatures like that though
I must have reread the ending of this chapter half a dozen times. It might very well be my favorite scene of the whole fic.
I hope we get to see when Sweetie Belle is told Rarity is her mother.
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I just have to play devil's advocate here. That scenario would have Applejack constantly lying through her teeth. While the rest of the logic is more than solid, that alone makes it untenable.
Sweetie being Rarity's child is something thats been in a lot of diferent storys, seeing her as such here is not a major suprise, though it will be interesting to find out who the father is.
What I find to be more interesting, is actualy the growth of Mr Greengrass and his wife, and sorry I can not remember there first names right now. He has gone from some nose in the air aristricrat, to someone showing a lot more personality, and kindness than would have been expected of him. ALso shows slithereans as not being inherently evil, closer to smart and tricky. One can be smart and sneaky, slippery and all that, without being a bad guy.
Playing ball with the a pony, honestly, not sure why the ponys have not considered such a thing previously. As for Tonks and Gordon, I think both of them are getting suprised by changling biology. Be interesting to see what the child is like.
that's the hard thing about having such a long story be updated so rarely. i forget a lot of what happens before the update. there are so many background characters that i forget who's who.
New Story Art? Looks nice.
Loving the cover art.
... Huh. Huh. That is... a choice.
Mind you, you have made many significant-pause A Choices in this story that I wouldn't necessarily agree with. This one isn't a dealbreaker, but it is one more on the pile. Also, you've definitely hit the issue of so many developing plot threads that whole story's become a morass of slice-of-life vignettes with little to no plot progress. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does end up feeling incredibly unfocused.
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Well if you go with Hogwarts Legacy as canon the janitor/grounds keeper job was done by the same person who was magical. So I'd guess he handled things the house elves couldn't like ground's work or managing magical incidents between students. Perhaps with the whole clothing thing his main job was doing the laundry?
New story cover art? Neat!
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I understand, and like I said, I have no problem with Rarity being Sweetie's mother for I do so love this story. So please keep working your magic, and you will always have a fan in me.
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There are many possibilities, often it is happening differently in FIMfiction story's or not at all.
Well, well, well. I noticed that back in the Chapter 52 of Magic School Days, Rarity referred to Harry Potter as her "eventual son-in-law":
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I noted that Rarity could be Sweetie Belle's mother in a post but a number of readers dismissed me for reading too much into the line. Now comes this line:
All I have to say is:
media.tenor.com/5iXomuvuRQ4AAAAC/drop-the-mic-obama-mic-drop.gif
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ICR where, but when Rarity was told she was pregnant her response was to exclaim "Not again! and faint.
"We will also prove that Justice is not blind. She's cross-eyed."
Like if you get that reference.