Family Frenzy
Celestia sat in silence, digesting the information Sergeant Ironlance had just shared with her. Her head was bowed down, making it look like she was meditating. But her mind was in turmoil.
Cadence is gone, she mused for the umpteenth time. Of course she's gone. It's not like my words could stop her. She is much too fond of that filly. And even while she's a princess, she's still a teenager. She looked over to the sergeant to see him sweating profusely, barely managing to hold his posture. She smiled inwardly. Poor Ironlance. He probably thinks he has failed me. Funny that he thought he could stop her. She is an alicorn, after all.
Celestia stood up and walked towards her guard, who seemed to wither away the closer she got. Alright, time to scare him a bit.
"Sergeant Ironlance," she started, rising to her full height and opening her wings. The guard blanched, shrinking under her stern gaze.
"Y-Yes, Your H-Highness?" he asked, his whole body quivering.
"For what has happened, I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, hereby order you to... calm down," Celestia concluded, closing her wings and shooting him a mischievous smile. The unicorn's jaw hit the floor as the Sun Princess dropped her act.
"You... But... Princess Cadence... " he stammered, aghast. Shaking his head, he looked at her as if she had gone mad. Celestia merely chuckled, smiling warmly.
"Sergeant Ironlance, I ask of you to calm down. You have nothing to worry about. It was foalish to believe that letting you guard her room would stop her from doing what she thinks is right. Furthermore, you would have had no chance to stop her at all had you realized what she was doing. Therefore, it is I who should be blamed. Instead of sending you, I should have talked to her myself."
"But Princess, you were... indisposed. And it is our duty to guard the princesses, no matter what. I am ready to take the full blame, for myself and my comrade, and accept all the charges you -" he was stopped by Celestia raising a hoof.
"Please, Sergeant. I told you, everything is fine. I ask that you get a new duty from Captain Bladewing. As far as I am concerned, you have fulfilled the task I gave you. Thank you very much." And with that, she turned and walked towards the window, staring out onto the streets of Canterlot’s afternoon.
"But -" he stopped himself as his dismissal sunk in. "Yes, Your Highness, of course. Thank you for your graciousness. I will do as you commanded." With that, he turned on his heels and began his way to the barracks. Stopping at the door, he turned around again. There had been a question rattling his mind, so he decided to just ask the princess.
"Your Highness? Do you have an idea where Princess Cadence could be?" Celestia turned around again, looking at him seriously.
"I have a pretty good idea," she said.
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"Now, Shining, there's one thing I forgot to ask you," Cadence said as soon as Shining had finished wiping lettuce off his face. "How come your face is pink and your mane is green?" Shining just grunted, nodding towards his sister.
"Twilight did this? But how?"
"Magic Surge," he grumbled, watching the foal munch on her cookie happily. Twilight noticed her brother watching her and looked up. She smiled at him, muzzle corners full of crumbs. Stretching one foreleg out, she offered Shining a part of her cookie. He smiled back and took the cookie half in his magic. He broke it in two and gave a half to Cadence. As soon as both took a bite, Twilight squealed and clapped her hooves together, babbling about and spraying cookie crumbs all over her high chair.
"You are quite the messy eater, aren't you?" Cadence asked, picking up a wet rag in her magic before wiping the foal's face. As soon as the princess was done, Twilight raised her fore legs in the air, jumping up and down.
"Aaap," she said, looking at Shining. The colt chuckled, picking his sister up and gently placing her on the ground.
"Alright. What now, Twily?" he asked. Suddenly, they heard the front door open.
"Shining, Twilight, we're BAAHAACK!" a female voice called from the hall. Twilight squealed in joy at the voice, her little hooves taking her towards its source. Shining and Cadence smiled at each other and gave chase.
"Twilight, my little filly, you're walking! Oh, my sweet little foal. Mommy's so proud of you," Velvet said, laying down on the floor as her daughter approached her on wobbly hooves. Twilight toddled towards her mother, pressing her little face into the elder pony’s chest. Velvet hugged her foal, delicately smoothing the filly’s hair with her tongue.
“Did you miss mommy, my darling?" she asked, picking the foal up and placing her on her back. "Mommy missed you, too." Smiling, she turned around to notice the other two ponies standing in the hall. "Hello, Shining, and-- Oh! Hello, Princess Cadence. I'm glad you could find some time."
"Oh, it’s my pleasure, Mrs. Sparkle."
"How nice of you to be here so early. I figure Princess Celestia eased a few of your royal duties off your back?" Cadence gulped. Should I tell them? she mused. No, better not. They could misunderstand the situation. Her eyes widened at Velvet’s change in expression. Oh no, I let her wait too long.
"Yes, you could say that," she explained, putting on a wide, fake smile. Her eyes darted left to right, the beginnings of sweat forming on her brow. Velvet and Shining eyed her in confusion.
"Cadence, is everything alright?" Shining asked in a whisper.
"Later," Cadence replied from the corner of her muzzle, giving Velvet another toothy smile. I can't tell them about the situation with the Nightmare. They would never even let me come near to their foal. Luckily, rescue came in the form of a heavy loaded Night Light stumbling through the doorway.
"I think I got everything, dear. Hello, Twily," he wheezed, coming to a wobbly halt next to his wife and daughter.
"Alright, then, let's start preparing. Night Light, get everything into the kitchen," Velvet ordered. Night Light nodded, starting his arduous walk. "Shining, I want you toooo-uh?" she concluded, for the first time noticing her son's new appearance. "Shining? Why is your face... pink? And your mane is... uhm, green."
"Twilight had a magical surge while you were gone. And I don't know how to fix this," Shining whined, pulling at his cheeks.
"Here, let me help," Cadence said, shaking Nightmare's words from her thoughts. She lit her horn, a surge of her blue magic washing over Shining's face. "There, good as new." The colt ran to the closest mirror, regarding himself from every angle possible.
"ALRIGHT! Thanks a lot, Cadence. You're the best." Cadence blushed, but smiled at the praise.
"Sure, no problem at all."
"Well, if you're done modelling, Shining, I want you to prepare the backyard. You know, getting the furniture ready, watering the flowers a bit, the usual." Shining blanched. He hadn't told any of them about what Blueblood had done to Velvet's most favorite flower bed.
"I'll help him," Cadence offered. Velvet smiled and shook her head.
"That is very generous of you, but I'm sure he can do this by himself. Right, Shining?" Shining gulped, nodding.
"It would be my pleasure," Cadence assured, smiling. "It is no problem at all."
"Well then, thank you very much, Princess. Come now, Twily, we will prepare dinner together. Let's see if daddy is ready -" a loud clatter sounded from the kitchen "- or if he needs any help," Velvet groaned, trotting towards her husband with a giggling Twilight on her back.
"Come on, Shining, let's do this," Cadence said, pulling Shining along as she walked towards the garden.
"Y-Yeah, I'm coming," he said, trying to ignore the bullets of sweat running down his brow
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Three hours later, the Sparkle family was in the last stages of preparing for dinner. The family occasion would be starting in thirty minutes. Velvet was making the last touches, on the dinner AND her family. At the moment, she was tormenting Shining with combing his mane . Night Light was fairing no better with his desperate attempts to change Twilight’s diaper.
"Ow, Mom. OW! Please, stop! It's like you're ripping out my mane," Shining hissed as his mother pulled the comb through his hairs like there was no tomorrow. Princess Cadence was sitting nearby, unsure if she should be sympathetic or laugh herself silly.
"Stop whining, Shining. It's not like you're gonna break or something," Velvet groaned, setting the comb aside and regarding her work. "And now you look presentable to the Canterlot Witch. Oh, sorry, I mean your grandmother," she hastily corrected herself after Night Light shot her an annoyed look.
"Please, Velvet, I'm begging you. Please, try to be nice to my mother," Night Light begged as he tried to fix a diaper on Twilight for the fifth time. The foal giggled as she again and again unfastened the diaper and flung it through the room with only a small spark of her horn.
"But she's so annoying. Plus, I can't imagine that being in the same room with both me and my parents will keep her at an bearable level." Night Light set Twilight down and stepped to his wife, gently nuzzling her face.
"I know it's not gonna be easy, but I'm sure you'll do wonderfully. You always solve even the hardest of tasks with ease, my dear." Velvet smiled, pulling his face closer and giving him a kiss.
"Ah, that's so sweet," Cadence cooed, watching them with a big smile. Night Light and Velvet blushed, but smiled sweetly. However, the romantic moment was interrupted by the sound of a raspberry being blown.
"Shining! What did we tell you about doing that?" Velvet admonished, giving her son a stern look and blushing.
"But mom, that wasn't me," Shining fought back, flailing his legs.
"Don't lie to us, Shining. Who else should have done it? Princess Cadence?" Night Light shot back. Before Shining could defend himself further, however, the sound came again, followed by giggling. The family and Cadence turned around towards the origin of the noise, their gazes landing on Twilight. The filly had her tongue between her lips, puffing her cheeks and creating the sound. Every raspberry was followed by a giggle from the still diaper-less foal.
"So, you're the one responsible. You little troublemaker," Velvet laughed. She proceeded to blow a raspberry on her daughter's belly, eliciting the same sound and a delighted squeal, moreover. "Now, let's finally give you a diaper." Twilight lay still as her mother diapered her, and raised her fore legs for a hug when she was finished. Velvet smiled lovingly at her foal and picked her up.
"Now, there's still some things to prepare. Shining, set out the candles. Night Light, make sure to prepare the wine and wine glasses," she ordered, holding Twilight to her chest. "Chop! Chop! We don't have all day," and with that, she walked into the kitchen.
"No fair. She makes trouble and doesn't even get a talking to," Shining complained.
"Tell me about it. I tried diapering her five times," Night Light muttered. Shining looked at him incredulously, switching his gaze over to Cadance when his father didn't react. The young princess gave him a sympathetic smile. Shining sighed and shrugged. Remembering his tasks, he walked into the dining room with Cadence in tow.
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"Now, Twilight, we still have the dessert to finish," Velvet said as she and Twilight entered the kitchen. Using her magic, Velvet levitated her daughter's high stool next to the kitchen counter and sat the foal down. "I was thinking of some chocolate soufflé medium with cinnamon ice cream. What do you think?" The foal squealed and clapped her hooves in response. "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Alright, and maybe a peppermint leaf as garnish?" Twilight stuck her tongue out, showing her apparent disgust.
"Alright, no peppermint. Well then, let's get to it. Would you like to help mommy?" Reaching for the cookie jar, Velvet pulled out a chocolate chip cookie and levitated it towards Twilight. "You can help mommy by eating this cookie." As soon as the cookie had reached its target, the foal bit into it like it was her prey, spraying crumbs everywhere. Velvet smiled and shook her head.
"You sure are a messy little filly," she said, immediately levitating a wet rag towards her daughter and dabbing her face. "Now try to stay clean, my dear. It will be the first time you meet your grandparents, after all." Her stern tone made Twilight slow her chewing. The little filly looked up at her with wide, questioning eyes. "That's better." She took a bottle of apple juice from the counter and poured some into Twilight's feeding cup. "Now, where is the baking soda and the flour?" Twilight watched her mother grab a jar and dive into a closet.
"Don't tell me we're out of baking soda," she groaned as she pulled her head out of the last closet. "Wait, I think there was some in the pantry. Be right back, Twily. Don't do anything silly or dangerous." With that she exited the kitchen, leaving Twilight alone with her cookie and the mysterious jar. Twilight tilted her head, looking at the strange thing. She reached for it, causing her magic to spark to life and levitate the jar towards her. Hitting the table of her high chair, the filly tilted the jar over, spilling its contents on the chair’s surface. The foal cautiously prodded the white stuff with a hoof. Finding it to be soft and fluffy, she pulled her foreleg back to find some of the powder stuck to her hoof. She squealed and clapped her hooves again, creating a dust cloud. The foal giggled and began clopping her hooves into the flour, effectively enveloping herself in a dust cloud and tipping over the juice. The fluid mingled with the flour, creating a sticky substance which Twilight continued to pound her hooves in.
"Well, there we have it," Velvet said as she re-entered the kitchen, levitating a package with her. "Now, Twilight, how have youuuuuuu-" she stopped herself when she noticed the mess her daughter had created. The foal in question wasn't faring any better. She was covered in a mix of flour and juice, giggling without a care in the world. Seeing her mother approach, Twilight stretched out her flour-covered hooves.
"Ba-ba," she said, hopping up and down in her chair. Despite the situation, Velvet couldn't help but smile proudly at her foals words.
"Twily! You did it. Aww, mommy's so proud of you," she sang, picking Twilight up in her magic and floating her closer. She almost immediately regretted that act as Twilight suddenly lunged forward and encompassed her neck in a hug.
"Ack! Twilight! Look what you have done," she groaned as she regarded the mess her daughter had smeared onto her coat. Looking up, Twilight regarded her mother with a quivering lower lip and watery eyes. "Oh, alright," Velvet grumbled, sitting on her haunches and holding the foal to her chest with her hooves. Twilight squealed nuzzling herself further into Velvet's coat and making it even dirtier.
"Hey, mom, are you reaaa - you know what, we'll just check if everything is ready," Shining said, he and Cadence trying their hardest to stifle their laughter. They turned and left, but not before Velvet sent a spark into Shining's behind, accelerating his leave and stifling his laughter. Looking down, she noticed Twilight was watching her with innocent eyes.
"Oh dear. Looks like it’s going to be a loooong day," she groaned as she regarded the foal's work on her coat. Twilight giggled at her mother's misery. "Well, Twilight, it seems we need a bath. We'll take one together as soon as I'm done here." Velvet took satisfaction in the droop in her daughter's ears her tone caused.
"She who laughs last laughs longest," Velvet said, giving her daughter a toothy grin and sitting her back in her high chair.
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Night Light was pacing back and forth in front of the door. His wife and foal had been upstairs for a two hours now. Checking the clock, he increased his pacing speed. He checked the other two occupants of the lobby. He had ‘persuaded’ Shining to dress in a suit. It came with a fitting bowtie, at which the colt was pulling constantly. Princess Cadence was wearing a light blue garment, which she had seemingly pulled from nowhere. Night Light himself was wearing his best suit. He had scrubbed every piece of lint away, leaving the suit immaculate. He had even spent half an hour polishing the gold buttons of his jacket until he could see his reflection. Looking up the stairs, he gave a relieved sigh. Velvet was finally coming down, a somewhat grouchy Twilight on her back. She had donned a dark fuchsia dress, with a pearl necklace around her neck. Twilight was wearing a simple white garment. It was obvious the foal didn't like it, as she was constantly trying to pull it over her head.
“Finally! What took you so long?” Night Light asked, annoyance dripping into his tone.
“Why thank you for your compliment. I too adore my new dress,” Velvet retorted.
“Yes, well, it’s charming. So, where have you been? You’ve been gone for two hours! My parents are due to arrive.”
“Don’t blame me for this! First it took twenty minutes to get Twilight into the tub and later another twenty to get her back out. Like with Shining when he was her age. At the start they don't want to get in, then they never want to leave! And dressing her took half an hour. She flung her diaper at me at least five times.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re here, that’s what matters,” Night Light responded. As if on cue, the doorbell rang just after he had finished his sentence. Night Light gasped, pulling his family closer and making some last minute adjustments.
“Ow, Dad, stop it,” Shining whined at his father, who was roughly adjusting his bow tie. “Why do I even have to wear this stupid thing?”
“Because it’ll make you at least seem mature,” his father simply stated.
“Night Light, relax. It’s only a casual get-together. Don’t exaggerate. Our parents and Princess Cadance are nice people. What makes you think this will go so badly?”
“I know, I know,” Night Light sighed. “But please, I’m begging you, Velvet! Be nice to my mother. Please, for the love of Celestia, swear to me that you will be nice.”
“Alright, alright, I swear. Now open the door. It would be a bad start to the evening to keep them waiting.”
“Right, thank you.” Night Light walked up to the door and, with a flourish, opened it, dipping his head.
“Finally! Were you going to let us wait forever?” Dazzle asked as soon as the door opened. She stepped in, effusively kissing her son' cheeks and letting her critical eye wander around. She was wearing a black, expensive and flowery lace dress and a matching hat made of what appeared to be a bird’s nest. As soon as she spotted the princess, she made a beeline for her and bowed as deeply as she could.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza! What an honor, no, what a privilege, no, what a blessing to be in your presence,” she stated, taking one of Cadence’s hooves and kissing it multiple times.
“Err, thank you? It’s… nice to meet you, err… Mrs. Sparkle?” Cadence said, confusion evident in her voice. Dazzle affected a laugh.
“Why, where ARE my manners? Forgive me. My name is Dazzle Sparkle, née Coronet, grandniece of the Duke of Haymilton. And this,” she waved a dismissive hoof towards her husband, “is my spouse, Orion Sparkle.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your Highness,” Orion said, stepping up and bowing low.
“Please, there’s no need for such formalities. Just call me Cadence.” Dazzle gasped theatrically.
“Oh my, we can’t do that. It’s just discourteous.”
“Please, mother, relax. This is just a casual get-together.”
“Plus, we’re not made of thin air,” Velvet murmured under her breath, quiet enough to just be heard by her. Despite her tone, she thought she saw Cadance's ear twitch in her direction
“Well, of course. If you insist, your high- I mean, Cadence.” Dazzle again affected a laugh, turning to her grandson. “My, my, who is this stunning young gentlecolt? You look absolutely magnificent, Shining,” she said, stretching out a fore hoof. Shining, unsure of how to react, took the proffered hoof in his own and shook it.
“Thank you, grandma,” he said, he said, the squint his mother gave at his action causing him to immediately regret it.
“Shining Armor Sparkle, is THAT the proper way to greet a lady? If a mare proffers you her hoof, you bow down and lightly graze it with your lips. And I told you to call me ‘Grandmother’,” she said, pinching his cheek for emphasis. Turning back to Cadence, she bowed low and gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, Princess, but it seems this household is lacking the certain nuances when it comes to etiquette.”
“Now, Mother, I’m sure it was just an honest mistake. I’m certain you just caught him off-guard.”
“Hmph, well, fair enough. Good evening, Velvet. You look… acceptable.”
“Thank you. You look… fine.” Dazzle just nodded to show she understood. Peeking around the mare, she laid eyes on the filly on Velvet’s back.
“Ah, and that must be our little grandchild. Why hello there, little filly.” Dazzle picked Twilight up in her magic, only for the foal to start struggling and whining loudly. “Relax, child. I’m your grandmother. I’m your father’s mother.” Twilight stopped for a second before wailing even louder. “Oh, come now, I just want to give you a small peck.” She levitated the struggling filly closer to her. Twilight yelped and suddenly disappeared in a purple flash, reappearing on Velvet’s back. The foal stuck out her tongue towards her grandmother, then burrowed closer to her mother’s protective back.
“Seems she doesn’t like you,” Velvet said, trying and failing to keep glee from entering her voice. Before Dazzle could retort, there was a knock at the door. “Ah, I think my parents are here.” She left the open-mouthed Dazzle standing stock still and opened the door.
“Velvet, my dear, how great it is to see you,” her mother, Aurella, exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
“Hello, my dear,” her father, Octavius, said, laying a hoof on his daughter’s cheek.
“Hi mom, hi dad. Hope you had a good journey.” Aurella was about to answer when she noticed the small ball of fur curled on her daughter’s back.
“OHMYGOSHISTHATHER?!” she yelled, zipping towards Velvet’s side and leaning forwards to stare directly into the filly's widening eyes.
“Don’t try it, Aurella. The filly has to be the most uncouth foal I’ve ever witnessed,” Dazzle said dismissively. “No wonder, having such a mother,” she added under her breath. Aurella ignored her, instead focusing on the foal, who was sticking out a hoof tentatively. As soon as said hoof made contact with her muzzle, she honked like a goose and crazily rolled her eyes. For good measure, she stuck out her tongue and waved her fore legs around. Twilight reacted on it just as Aurella had planned. The foal gave a surprised squeal followed by laughter. She used this moment to pick the foal up and hold her at leg’s length.
“Aren’t you the sweetest little filly your granny’s ever seen? Watch out, you’re so sweet granny’s gonna eat you. Nomnomnom” she exclaimed, playfully nibbling on Twilight’s belly. The foal squealed and kicked as her sensitive underside was mercilessly tickled by her grandmother. Aurella soon joined in on the foal’s laughter, giving her a hug and rubbing their snouts together. The filly nickered, then cuddled into her chest. Looking up, the pearl white mare noticed her husband watching the scene.
“Hey, Octavius, come and say hi to your granddaughter,” she called him over with a grin, gently rocking Twilight in her fore legs. Octavius smiled at the foal, bowing towards her eyelevel. Twilight warily turned towards him, regarding the strange, smiling stallion in front of her. Octavius stretched out a hoof with the intention to gently ruffle the filly’s mane, but jerked and fell to the floor with a yelp. Looking down, the family noticed a faint purple glow dissipating from his moustache.
“Seems like your ‘stache intrigued little Twilight. Looks like a magic surge yanked at it,” Aurella explained matter-of-factly, her face becoming red from suppressing laughter. Octavius only grumbled, getting up and smoothing his moustache. Even though he wanted to, he couldn't stay mad at his laughing and babbling granddaughter.
“Well, I hate to break this up,” Velvet said, picking Twilight up and placing her on her back, “but the food is ready. Let’s continue talking over dinner.”
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“So, Mr. Clef, how’s work?” Night Light asked as Velvet brought in the appetizer.
“Oh, it’s all going well, thank you. It’s not too different from your situation with our granddaughter.”
“Oh? How’s that?” Night Light asked, pulling back a chair for his wife.
“Well for one, even though they are all around twenty, my students act like newborn foals themselves. I have never witnessed ponies as helpless as they are. And since they are art students, their artistic freedom is akin to a foal’s magic surges. Well, I guess it comes with the perks of a professorship at an art academy,” the grey stallion finished with a hearty chuckle.
“I can see that. How about you, Mrs. Clef? Any new works of art?”
“Why yes, my dear Night Light. I have just finished one, to be precise. I call it ‘Luminous Toreador’. A art critic friend of mine has estimated the value to be around seventy-five thousand bits.”
“Wow. That’s really impressive,” Orion chimed in from the other side of the table.
“Yes, isn’t it? I was all aflutter when he told me. He even sent some photographs of the pictures to a cousin of his who owns a gallery. If I’m lucky, they’ll exhibit my works, maybe even my fondest of works, ‘The Lost Continuation’, which was estimated to be around one-hundred-and-fifty thousand bits. Incredible, isn’t it?”
“Yes, incredible that someone would be as backward as to buy any of this tacky ‘modern art’ works,” Dazzle mumbled, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. Looking around the table, she noticed the dark looks she was given and instead focused on her granddaughter. This didn’t prove much better, as Twilight was constantly sticking her tongue out at her with a mean mien, grumpy that she was seated right across from Dazzle.
“Anyway,” Night Light interrupted, seemingly trying to ease the tension. “I congratulate you on your success.”
“Thank you, Night Light. But enough of us. How have you been? You must really be on the fast track, considering a princess is joining us tonight,” Octavius said, shooting a smile towards Cadence and Shining.
“Well, Princess Cadence is a guest of Shining’s,” Night Light explained, smiling at his son and guest. “But you are right. We do really live on the fast lane. A week ago, I was promoted by no one other than Sir Fancy Pants to be a member of the financial department.”
“Why, congratulations. I take it that this is a great opportunity?” Aurella asked.
“Of course it is. He’s only answering to the finance minister and the princess now," Dazzle explained haughtily.
“Err, yes. Thank you, mother. It’s a really big responsibility I had to take. It was a real surprise when Sir Fancy Pants came to our office and offered me this position. Apparently, he was very impressed by my thesis about the financial influence of small villages like Ponyville.”
“Of course he was. It was a very intriguing read,” Orion said, smiling at his son. “I wouldn’t have thought that the net asset position would be weighing so hard on Manehattan’s PCI.“
“It was very interesting, dear,” Velvet said, smiling at her husband. “I’m very proud of you. And confirming the importance of Ponyville should finally stop all the discrimination and ignorance - “
“So, Cadence, you simply MUST tell me something,” Dazzle interjected, completely drowning out her daughter in law, “is it true what the ‘Canterlot Boulevard’ is writing in this week’s issue?”
“I-I’m not sure what you mean, Mrs. Sparkle,” Cadence said, uncertainty in her voice.
“Why, is it true that our Princess Celestia has a secret suitor? The Boulevard writes that ‘a well-placed source within the castle’ confirmed that an unknown pony was seen sneaking in and out every night, without even being seen by the guards. Now come on, my dear, clearly you must have heard of it. It has to be in every newspaper in Equestria.”
“Or what you would call newspapers,” Velvet muttered, earning a stern glance from Night Light.
“Oh yes. That story,” Cadence said, a bored expression coming to her face. “It’s true that there was a pony sneaking into the palace in the middle of the night several times. But he was not, I repeat, NOT a suitor of Aunt Celestia. In fact, he was the tabloid reporter who wrote the article. He almost besieged Celestia for an interview, asking her questions not about the well-being of Equestria, but about her love life. And of course if the ridiculous rumors about plans of an arranged marriage between me and some duke were true. He harassed her at least four times, even barging into important meetings with diplomats and high-ranking ministers.”
“How did he even manage to get into the palace that often?” Velvet asked, intrigued.
“Well, apparently he bribed at least eight guards and one sergeant to look the other way.”
“Yes, I remember reading about that. There was a big article about it in the ‘Manehattan Times’,” Octavius said, brushing his mustache with a hoof in thought. “Apparently, there was some serious axe-swinging going on in the ranks of the guard. Didn’t realize these two stories were connected somehow, though.”
“Yes, Captain Steel Hide was very angry. He and General Silverhoof wanted to fire and incarcerate every guard involved, but Aunt Celestia stopped them. She took every guard to her office and gave them a stern talking-to. After that, she ordered them to resume their duties. I don’t know what she did, but none of them even breathe out of order anymore. Of course, the reporter was sued and prohibited from nearing the castle, but apparently he used his little adventure to fabricate a nice little love story. I tried talking to Aunt Celestia about reprimanding him, but she just laughed and said that she found it much more entertaining to watch her ‘little ponies’ gossip about her potential love life.”
“So she doesn’t see anypony?” Dazzle asked, clearly disappointed.
“No, she doesn’t. I asked her about it once and she just laughed. She told me that, while many tried to court her, no one ever managed to capture her heart. I think it's because most of her subjects see her as goddess instead of a pony. They could never treat her as an equal. She understands that it must be hard to treat a princess as an equal, but over the years she has witnessed too many ponies trying to use her position in their own favor. She told me that, as of now, she is content with helping Equestria and its ponies thrive. She sometimes says that she sees her kingdom and its inhabitants as her children. “
“I can see that being a princess of an entire kingdom would bring forth moochers and upstarts as well. Good to know that you are there to keep her some company, Cadence. I can imagine that she can get lonely from time to time,” Velvet said pityingly. Cadence looked outside, a wistful expression passing over her face as she watched the moon rising.
“Well, I guess we’re keeping each other company,” she mumbled, shaking her head. “Not that it wouldn’t be nice to have a little cousin,” she continued, smiling at the foal in the room. Twilight, seemingly sensing she was being watched, stopped her grumpy staring contest with her grandmother and looked at the young alicorn. Identifying her observer to be Cadence, the small filly broke into a large grin, happily waving at the Princess.
“I can see that. It’s hard work, but having a foal is a wonderful experience,” Velvet said, tickling her daughter with a hoof.
They continued their dinner in silence, snips of conversation sparking only occasionally. When the time for dessert came, Velvet raised her voice.
“While I clean the table - and Twilight - would you go over to the living room? I have a plate of soufflé topped with ice cream prepared.”
“Why, Velvet, please let me help you,” Aurella offered, starting to pick up some dishes in her magic.
“Nonono, mom. Thank you very much for the offer, but you are our guest,” Velvet said, taking the dishes away from her mother.
“Nonsense. After your delightful cooking, it is my pleasure to help,” Aurella protested, yanking the porcelain back towards her
“I assure you that everything is alright,” Velvet ended the discussion, taking every dish from the table and stomping, as resolutely as one could with a wobbly tower of porcelain, into the kitchen.
“Well, maybe we should go,” Orion said to the circle of ponies, already standing at the door.
“Just a minute, dear. Just let me clean our sweet little grandchild first,” Dazzle said, adamantly stomping towards Twilight’s high stool. The filly, seeing the mare approach, squealed in fear and disappeared in a purple flash.She reappeared behind Cadence’s forelegs, hugging one and pressing her cheek to it. The princess shivered slightly at the sensation of the foal smudging her pink coat with food debris.
“Wow, she really doesn’t like you,” Velvet taunted with a mocking smile.
“Hrmph, whatever,” Dazzle hissed, wrinkling up her nose and walking out. Velvet watched her with a smug expression, then turned to Cadence.
“I’m sorry that Twilight made you all dirty, dear,” she apologized.
“That’s quite alright. In fact, why don’t you let me clean up Twilight? That would give you more time for the dishes.”
“Why, that’s very generous of you. Thank you very much.”
“You’re quite welcome. Come on, Twilight, let’s get your widdle face cleaned up,” Cadence cooed, picking Twilight up in her magic and walking towards the bathroom. The rest filed out of the kitchen, Octavius pulling Night Light to the side.
“Wow, your filly really hates your mother, doesn’t she?” Octavius asked Night Light in a hushed voice.
“Got that one from her mother,” he droned, disgruntled, as they made their way towards the living room.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“Wow, Twilight, you really did manage to get yourself quite dirty,” Cadence said as she picked the foal up and held her above the sink. “You even got your pretty white dress dirty.” Twilight looked at her then picked at her dress again. Cadence smiled sympathetically. “You don’t like it, do you? Well, how about we just take it off? I will tell your mommy it was way too dirty,” Cadence giggled. Lighting her horn, she freed the filly of the gown. The subsequent realization of freedom elicited a happy squeal from the foal. With a spark of her magic, the young princess turned on the water and levitated a bottle of foal soap nearer.
“Now, let’s see. ‘For body and face, new, no-tear formula’,” she read aloud. “Hmm. Let’s just hope this ‘new no-tear formula’ works better than it did in my foalhood,” she mused, eyeing the bottle suspiciously. She took Twilight into her magic carefully, freeing her hooves. Giving the bottle another suspicious glance, she proceeded to lather her hooves and carefully applied some under an eye.
“Hmm. Well, nothing hurts. Alright, Twily, let’s get you cleaned up.” She took the foal’s hooves and held them under the water, gently lathering them up. When she was satisfied, Cadence carefully scrubbed the foal’s face. “Aaaand we’re done,” she said, setting Twilight down on the floor. Taking a towel from a near rack, she proceeded to dry the foal off. As soon as she was done, the filly got up and toddled towards the door. Intrigued, Cadence opened the door, deciding to see what the filly was up to. Twilight trotted up towards a door adjacent to the bathroom. A sign was fixed to it, ‘Shining Armor’ written on it in a curly style. Twilight stopped at the door, looking up at the door knob. She looked over her shoulder towards the curious Cadence and tapped at the door.
“I don’t think we should just go in there, Twilight. This is your brother’s room, after all. I’m pretty sure he would be miffed if we trespassed on his privacy.” The young princess watched as Twilight toddled behind her. Once she had reached Cadence, she pressed her little body against one of her hind legs. It seemed to her the foal was trying to push her forward. “Come now, Twilight. We really shouldn’t do this. Why don’t we go back downstairs? I’m sure your family is waiting for you.” She looked down into the foal’s face, noticing the tears welling in Twilight’s eyes. “Oh, fine, but I’ll blame you if Shining finds out,” Cadence groaned, carefully opening the door with her magic. Twilight gave a delighted squeal and zipped past her into the room. Sighing, Cadence followed the foal into Shining’s bedroom.
“Wow. This is… unexpected.” She had heard from other fillies with brothers that a colt’s bedroom was always in the worst shape possible but Shining’s room was the complete opposite. Not a single piece of dirty clothing could be found on the floor. The desk was empty, save for a few writing utensils, and cleaned to perfection. Even the bed was made neatly. Looking up, Cadence noticed posters of famous soldiers hanging above the pillows. She spotted Commander Hurricane in front of a group of Pegasi. To the left stood the unicorn general Steelsoul and his infamous Doom Squad, and to the far right was Baron Earthquake of the earth ponies.
A giggle drew her attention to a far corner of the room. She spotted Twilight sitting in front of what seemed to be a photo album. As she approached, the foal turned around and presented a photo to her. It was one that had been taken a week ago. It displayed her and Shining with Twilight between them. Cadence took it into her magic and regarded it under the watchful gaze of the purple filly. She felt a warm fluttering in her chest as she thought about the fun times she had had with Shining and the fun times that were yet to come, especially with Twilight. She dreamily stroked the picture with a hoof. Gently laying the photograph down on the bed, she turned back to Twilight, who had stopped regarding her and was now curiously munching on her tail. Cadence sat down on her haunches and, with a bit of moisture in her eyes, picked up the foal. She gave her a big smile, and her heart gave a joyful lurch when the filly returned it. A tear of utmost joy running down her face, she hugged the filly close to her chest, gently nuzzling into her neck. She felt Twilight relax into the hug and cling her little fore legs around her neck.
You were wrong, Nightmare, Cadence thought confidently. I will never fall for your lies. THIS is where I belong. These ‘mortals’ are worth more than anything! I will do everything in my power to protect them. They mean too much to me. Just as… she gave a hushed gasp, making Twilight shift a little, …Aunt Celestia. Her head dropped in shame a bit as she thought about how she had treated the solar princess. I will make everything right. I will go to her as soon as I’m done here. I will make you proud, mother.
“Thank you, Twilight,” she said, softly kissing the foal’s forehead. “For everything.” She felt a small tongue caress her cheek, and noticed the purple filly had licked one of her tears away. Smiling, Cadance dried her eyes by rubbing a hoof over them. She stood and placed Twilight on her back, giving the filly a confident smile. “Now, what do you say? Should we go back down to your mommy and Shining?” The foal clapped her hooves at the mention of her mother and brother. Cadence started for the door, but stopped at the desk. She picked up a quill and quickly signed the photograph. Stepping out, she closed the door to Shining’s room and descended the stairs, her mind still on the happy moment shared with Twilight.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“Well, here she is, Mrs. Sparkle. Clean as a whistle,” Cadence proclaimed as she and Twilight stepped back into the living room.
“Great. Thank you so much. But where did you leave her dress?” Velvet asked, a little disappointed.
“I’m sorry, but it was too dirty to clean in time,” Cadence replied, smiling mischievously at Twilight.
“Aww, that’s a real shame. It looked so cute on her. Don’t think she liked it, though,” Velvet said, taking her foal and placing her on her back.
“Yeah, I think she was quite happy when I doffed it,” the alicorn said, winking at the filly. “Now, have you seen Shining?”
“He said something about ‘making things right’ nearly fifteen minutes ago,” Night Light interjected, walking up to the pair. “I think he went into the garden. Could you tell him to get back inside?”
I bet ‘making things right’ involves a bed of tulips, Cadence mused. “Of course, Sir, I’ll look for him right away.” With a quick strut, Cadence left the living room through the patio door and began looking for Shining. Just as she had thought, he was frantically working his magic on the flower bed.
“What are you doing?” she asked, making the colt jump up with a girly scream and spinning around to face her.
“Damn, don’t scare me like that. I thought you were my mother,” Shining hissed, wiping his brow.
“Charming,” the princess replied humorlessly, watching as the colt resumed his work. “Seriously, what are you trying to achieve?”
“Damage control. I dig out the broken flowers and use a quick illusion spell to mirror the good ones,” he explained, dropping a bulb into a hole. “Oh, and I’m planting new bulbs so that there’ll be new tulips soon. That was the last one.”
“Why don’t you use a growing spell on the bulbs?” the pink alicorn asked, working her magic at the fresh mounds. Soon, shoots grew from the mounds, developing into perfect tulips in front of Shining’s stunned eyes.
“Cadence… that’s fantastic! Thank you so much. You’re the best,” he exclaimed, glomping her. The young mare blushed lightly, returning the hug.
“You’re quite welcome. Now come on, your parents are wondering what’s keeping you.” They walked back inside, passing Orion and Octavius.
“Now what have you two been up to in the gardens?” Octavius asked with an impish grin. Shining and Cadence both blushed deeply.
“N-nothing at all! I was just… showing something to Cadence. NonoNO!” he exclaimed when he noticed the gleeful expression both stallions were wearing. Before he could continue, the doorbell rang.
“That must be Raindrops! Now everypony, be nice to her. She’s just been divorced and certainly could use a cheer-up,” Dazzle said. “Night Light, open the door!”
“Who is Raindrops?” Octavius questioned Orion.
“She’s Night Light’s ex-marefriend. I have no idea why Dazzle invited her. She kept dodging the question all the time. I’m in suspense, to say the least.”
“Same here, dad,” Night Light said, passing the stallions and walking towards the door. Under his mother’s watchful eye, he carefully opened the door.
“Night Light! Darling! It’s great to see you,” Raindrops squealed as soon as the stallion had opened the door. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to be invited today.”
“Good day, Raindrops. Come on in. Please, let me take your coat,” Night Light said, inviting the yellow mare in. ”How have you been? I heard you just got divorced”
“Yes, unfortunately. But I try to make the best out of my situation.”
“That’s a good attitude.” Waving his wife and son over, Night Light continued. “I want you to meet my family. This here,” he said, ruffling his son’s mane,” is my son, Shining Armor.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Shining said, stretching out a hoof. Raindrops gave a giggle, then enclosed him in a hug.
“Please. ‘Ma’am’ is my mother. Just call me Raindrops,” she said.
“Well, moving on. You still remember my wife, Velvet?” Night Light continued. Raindrops nodded with a smile and moved to hug the mare, but Velvet held up a hoof and just nodded curtly. Darting her an angry glance, which she reciprocated to a T, Night Light continued. “And this is the newest addition to our family, our little filly, Twilight,” he said, nuzzling his daughter’s cheek and earning a smile from the foal. Velvet notcied with a jolt that Raindrops was suddenly standing at her side, eye-level with the perplexed filly.
“Aw, she’s so cute. Look how tiny her hooves are. And her chest is so fluffy!” she swooned.
“Yeah, right,” Velvet mumbled, taking a step back.
“My ex-husband and I wanted to have foals, too, but the stork never answered my letters, sadly,” Raindrops continued, turning to Night Light with a big smile.
“Oh yeah, and she’s dumb as a brick,” Orion whispered towards Octavius.
“Oh, err, did he now?” Night Light asked, highly confused.
“Yes, unfortunately. But it’s alright, divorcing wouldn’t have been too good a thing for a newborn foal. I still hope I can be a mother someday.” Dazzle smiled patronizingly.
“I’m sure you will be, dearie. But for now, how about we go back into the living room? I brought some exquisite wine you simply must taste a glass of.” She grabbed Raindrops by her fore hoof and dragged her over towards the middle of the room. Dropping her off on a seat, she almost immediately shoved a glass filled with a burgundy red liquid into her hoof. Dazzle grabbed her son by his ear with her magic and pulled him right next to the unsuspecting Raindrops. She herself sat down on Raindrops’ other side, laying a hoof across her withers. Velvet stomped over towards her husband, sitting down on her haunches right across him. She placed Twilight in her lap, directly in his line of sight. The foal looked at her mother in confusion. Giving a little yawn, she curled into a ball and closed her eyes.
“Now, Orion, Octavius, Aurella, come sit with us. I bet Raindrops has much to tell us about what has been going on in her life,” Velvet proclaimed pompously.
“No, not really. But thank you,” Raindrops said, smiling widely at Dazzle. Velvet snickered gleefully.
“Come on. There must be something. For example, what do you do for a living?” Aurella asked.
“I inherited a sucessful hairdressing salon, while my ex-husband was the manager and owner of White Muzzle Mane Care.”
“Your ex-husband was Star Dream? Oh, I love his collection No.5,” Aurella swooned.
"Yes. Unfortunately, things didn't work out between us, so I had to divorce him"
“That’s sad to hear. How are you both coping with the situation?” Night Light questioned.
“Oh, well, it’s hard, but I try to cope. Star Dream is a great help. He still hurts, but he doesn’t show it. In fact, he supports me as good as he can. I really pity the poor dear now that I can look back, but we couldn’t have stayed married any longer. There was something I found out that I had to confront him with. Turns out, we had different opinions about it, and that’s when I decided to leave him.”
“Oh, dearie, I’m so sorry to hear that. Not all stallions can be like my Night Light,” Dazzle shamed. “What was it that made you leave, though? Was he seeing someone else? Oh, I’m sure he had a secret fling with one of his secretaries.”
“Dazzle!” Velvet scolded, holding her hooves over her daughter’s ears. “There’s a foal in this room, you know?”
“Oh, lighten up. So, dearie, what did this lying sack do to you?”
“Nothing at all. It was I who did something to him.”
“Why? What did you find out after all?” Night Light asked.
“Well, as it turns out, my interest in stallions is less intense than I thought it was.” Raindrops answered, casting a loving gaze towards Dazzle. Upon hearing this, Dazzle spat out the wine she had been sipping.
“Well, that’s a new one,” Orion whispered with a smirk.
“Twenty bits says your wife freaks out,” Octavius answered with a challenging grin.
“You’re on!”
“So, Raindrops,” Velvet began, grinning from ear to ear, “when did you realize your attraction to fillies?”
“Hmm,” Raindrops mused, tapping a hoof to her chin. “I think it was a couple of weeks ago. You see, I was strolling through Canterlot Mane Street when I stumbled upon your mother-in-law. Long story short, she invited me for some tea. And while I was there I realized how much fun I had with her when I was still seeing Night Light.The dates were always quite boring, but I guess the best times were when I was invited to his place. No offense, dear,” she apologized towards the slightly confused and miffed Night Light.
“None taken,” he grumbled, crossing his forehooves. Velvet interrupted her questioning to cast him a sympathetic look, then turned back to Raindrops.
“Well I’m happy for you. And I think speak for all of us when I tell you that we’re proud of you for standing for who you really are and coming out of the closet just like that. Isn’t that right, Dazzle?”
"But of course, dear Velvet. I couldn't agree with you more. We're all so happy for you, Raindrops. Very happy indeed," Dazzle answered exuberantly:
"Only a few more seconds until she snaps," Octavius whispered gleefully.
“Thank you all so much! Especially you, Dazzle. I was afraid that you would be disappointed in me or would shun me when you found out,” Raindrops said, grabbing the mare and kissing her brow. “I feel so much better now that I have this off my chest.”
“That’s… great to hear,” Dazzle responded with a forced smile, prying herself from the sun-colored Pegasus. Velvet grinned as she watched Raindrops nuzzle herself against the slightly panicked Dazzle. A stir in her lap suddenly drew her attention. Looking down, she noticed Twilight had woken up from her little nap. She was in the process of sleepily rubbing her eyes with a hoof and yawning. Smiling lovingly, Velvet picked up her daughter before gently licking the foal’s forehead just under the horn. Twilight giggled at the tickling sensation.
“Aww, this is just so cute,” Raindrops squealed, making both mother and daughter turn to her. “Oh, having a foal must be so great!”
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really the best thing in the world. Especially when your foal is such a loveable little filly,” Velvet replied, kissing Twilight’s forehead.
“Oh, I can imagine that. Hopefully, I’ll have a foal someday.”
“I’m sure you will,” Night Light chimed in. “Someday you’ll find a nice mare and get foals of your own.”
“That would be so great. Wouldn’t that be great, Dazzle? I could drop by and show you my mare and we could have some tea and talk and play with my little filly or colt,” Raindrops cheered, stroking one of Dazzle’s legs.
“Why… yes, that would be great. We could have… tea… and talk about the foal and have… tea,” Dazzle stammered, aghast, while scooting a bit away from Raindrops. The yellow mare giggled at the unicorn’s antics, flashing her a loving smile and turning towards Cadence.
“Speaking of foals and love, how come we are graced with the visit of a princess tonight?” she asked, smiling at the pink alicorn.
“Well, I was invited by my dear friend, Shining Armor,” Cadence replied, smiling at Shining.
“Oh, how ROMANTIC! Dazzle, you didn’t tell me that your grandson was in love with Princess Cadence!”
“NO!” Cadence and Shining squealed in unison, both becoming beet red.
“We’re just friends,” Cadence continued, holding her hooves before her face to hide her deep blush.
“Yes. We go to school together,” Shining added.
“Aww, that’s too bad. You two would make a cute couple together, I’m sure.” Shining and Cadence both turned sideways, avoiding each other’s eye.
“As would you and Dazzle, I think,” Velvet suggested, barely hiding her gleeful smirk as Dazzle started.
“Hey, your daughter is fighting with unfair methods,” Orion muttered towards the grinning Octavius.
“She only wants her old father to get that twenty bits. Got that one from her mother,” he whispered back.
“Well, maybe. I mean, if she wasn’t married, I’m sure I would be after her,” Raindrops joked, winking at Dazzle.
“I’m flattered, but I’m happily married, dear. Thank you very much, Velvet,” Dazzle hissed towards her daughter in law.
“Aw, come on, Dazzle, don’t be like that. She was only joking. You really need to lighten up,” the yellow Pegasus said, nuzzling her cheek against the unicorn’s.
“STOP! For the love of Celestia, just stop! Why do you have to be this way? Why are you flirting with me? Couldn’t you just have gotten back together with my Night Light?”
“Oh Dazzle,” Raindrops giggled. “You’re so cute when you’re angry. As I told you, I’m gay.”
“Why… but you … GARGH!” Dazzle screamed, storming off into the kitchen.
“Damnit,” Orion grumbled, fishing round his pocket for twenty bits. Muttering under his breath, he layed the coins into Octavius’ waiting hoof before following his wife
“Well, that was strange. Anyway, as much as I dislike it, I have to leave now. I have an appointment for a fertility dance I simply must keep. This week we’ll have our first nudity session,” the yellow mare said, rising from her spot. The Sparkle family looked at her in bewilderment. Night Light shook his head and stood up as well, accompanying her. “It was nice meeting you again.”
“The pleasure was all ours,” Velvet said, also getting up. She placed Twilight on her back again, trotting towards Raindrops with a genuine smile. “You are always welcome to visit.”
“Thank you very much. Goodbye,” Raindrops said, stepping through the door.
"Goodbye, Raindrops," they all called after her in unison. As soon as Night Light closed the door, Dazzle stormed back into the living room, followed by a very grumpy Orion.
“Well, that was a nice visit, wasn’t it?” Velvet asked, watching her husband following his parents.
“Yes, it was. Thank you for your indulgence with Raindrops,” Night Light replied, stroking his wife’s cheek.
“It was my pleasure. It turns out she was a very amicable pony. Wouldn’t you agree, dearest Dazzle?”
“Very amicable,” Dazzle replied through clenched teeth.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The rest of the evening passed rather uneventfully, except for Dazzle grumbling about Raindrops. Casting bitter glances at her son, she murmured things like “passed chance” and “damn shame”. Amid a heated discussion between Night Light and Octavius about the funding of music, a bored Aurella checked the clock and gasped.
“Oh, dear, it’s already eleven. Octavius, dear, we need to hurry, or we will miss our train back,” she said, getting up.
“You’re driving back to Manehattan tonight?” Orion asked, incredulous.
“Oh, yes. We have two seats in the overnighter. I have some classes tomorrow,” Octavius replied, also rising to his hooves.
“Well, I guess we should end our get-together. It’s late and I’m sure Princess Cadence has to get back to the palace.” Cadence, who had been busy talking to Shining and Velvet, looked up. Seeing how late it already was, she gave a shriek, waking Twilight in the process. The foal, being ripped from her slumber, promptly started to wail.
“Ohnoohnoohno! This is bad! I should have been at the palace a long time ago,” she squeaked, jumping to her hooves.
“Well, this seems like a perfect stopping point,” Velvet said, comforting the bawling Twilight.
“Well then, we will be on our way as well,” Orion said, taking his wife’s hoof and leading her out. Night Light and Shining followed the small group lead by a frantic Cadence. Velvet gave her foal a last comforting kiss on the forehead before placing her on her back and also stepping into the hall.
“It has been a delightful evening, but I have to go! Thank you very much! See you tomorrow, Shining,” Cadence said rapidly, yanking open the door to be greeted by Sergeant Ironlance. “S-Sergeant I-Ironlance,” the pink alicorn squeaked at the sight of the royal guard.
“Your highness,” Ironlance replied, eyeing her sternly. “Princess Celestia has ordered us to pick you up. Would you please follow me? Your chariot is ready.” Peeking past the Sergeant, Cadence noticed one of her Aunt’s chariots. Three pegasi were already harnessed, with one place left for Ironlance.
“I… of course, Sergeant. Thank you very much.” Turning to the family again, she gave a small smile. “Well, thank you again for your invitation.”
“It was our pleasure, your highness. Have a nice evening,” Night Light said, smiling. The other ponies assembled all nodded or confirmed Night Light’s words. From Velvet’s back, Twilight happily waved at the princess. Cadance grinned, waving back at the foal. Tearing herself away, she at last followed the guard up to the chariot and climbed in. As the chariot began to pull into the sky, she gave the Sparkles a final wave goodbye.
“You caused quite the commotion at the palace, you know,” Ironlance said as soon as they were in the air.
“I know. And I’m sorry for tricking you, Sergeant. Please consider that I didn’t do it to cause you trouble,” Cadence replied.
“I know. I bear you no ill will.”
“Thank you very much.” Hopefully Aunt Celestia won’t, either.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A short time later, Cadence stood at the door that led to her Aunt’s chambers. Gulping loudly, she knocked.
“Enter,” she heard Celestia’s voice. She took a deep breath, steeling her nerves for the inevitable, and opened the door. Stepping through, she saw the Princess sitting at the window. She was looking at the moon with an unreadable expression, her back turned to face Cadence.
“Good evening, Aunt Celestia,” she said, respectfully taking a bow.
“Good evening to you as well, Cadenza,” Celestia replied. Cadence noticed with a wince that the sun princess was addressing her by her birth name.
“Aunty, I’m so, so sorry for disobeying your rules. I know you just have my best interests at heart, but I so wanted to see the Sparkles and their foal again. And I’m really sorry for the things I said to you. Please don’t be mad with me,” the pink alicorn said, her head sinking. Celestia sighed and turned around.
“Cadenza, I’m not mad at you. I’m just… disappointed with you. You know I only wanted to save you. With what happened earlier today, I feared leaving you with a foal could be dangerous.”
“But it wasn’t, Aunty. It was a great evening.”
Celestia stared directly into her eyes. “Be that as it may, you acted rash, careless, impulsive, emotional and–“ she stopped, giving her niece a small smile “ – so much like your mother would have done.”
“She… I… what?”
Celestia chuckled at her niece’s baffled expression. “Luna always acted on her emotions. She was an artist, after all. Cadence, I’m not angry. I just hope in the future you will at least respect what I have to say.”
“I promise, Aunty. Thank you for forgiving me.” They shared a quick hug.
“You’re quite welcome, dear. Now tell me all about your evening.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“Alright, Twily, time for bed,” Velvet said, approaching Twilight's crib with her husband and son not far behind. She changed Twilight’s diaper, levitating a small bag next to the foal once she was finally done.
“What’s this, mom?” Shining asked.
“Oh, I found this while shopping today. It’s incredible what ponies make these days.” Velvet replied, opening the bag to reveal a plushie and a foal-sized playsuit. She quickly clothed the foal in it, presenting her to her family.
“It’s a… Princess Celestia playsuit?”
“Yes, it is. Isn’t this incredible?” She held Twilight in front of a mirror. The foal regarded herself, happily clapping her hooves at the sight. “And it seems Twilight likes it.”
“Of course she does. She looks adorable in it. Who is daddy’s little princess? You are!” Night Light cooed, rubbing his snout against his daughter’s.
“Alright, let's let Twilight get to sleep. We can play with the Princess Celestia suit more in the morning,” Velvet announced, placing Twilight in her crib and blanketing her. She gave the foal a kiss on her forehead and a gentle nuzzle before levitating the blue alicorn plushy into her fore hooves and a pacifier into her muzzle. “Goodnight, my sweet.”
“Goodnight, my dear,” Night Light said, also giving his filly a kiss and a nuzzle. Shining contented himself with a nuzzle and a wink.
“Say ‘Goodnight, Mommy, Daddy and Shining’, Twily,” Velvet said, smiling at her foal. Twilight just yawned and turned to her side, gently suckling on her pacifier as she began to fall asleep.
“Well, I guess it’s time for us all to go to bed. I’m exhausted,” Night Light announced, stretching his back.
“Good idea. Goodnight, mom, dad and Twily.”
“Goodnight, Shining,” Velvet and Night Light said in unison as Shining stepped out of the room.
Night Light and Velvet watched as Twilight curled into a ball, happily cooing to herself. With a smile, they stepped out of the room. Night Light switched out the lights and closed the door. As soon as the door clicked shut, however, they heard a low wail, which erupted into a high pitched howling. Looking at each other, they sighed, going into their bedroom to fetch a few blankets. It was going to be a long night.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!
Nice to see this story alive once more.
It LIVES!!!! glad to see this updated
waiting for more, when ever it comes
Arise, fic long forgotten. Rise, and breath the breath of new life!
It feels a little weird that Cadence has her own storyline when the story should really be focussing on The Sparkles, but this doesn't make this a bad story
HHHHHNNNNNGGGGGG!!!! *collapse in cuteness*
A shout out to Dragonroars comment, was my reaction to seeing twilight as a filly in the show!
As adorkable as it is, time skip please?
awes0ome to see more of it.
i have to wonder what the underlying nightmare infection thing with cadance is.
4369572 mother of god...
that profile picture is glorious.
YES.
*pumps both fists in the air*
An update! And a good one at that. I lost it when Raindrops started flirting with Dazzle.
Ha ha ha! That bit with Raindrops was funny. I wonder if it's tradition for everypony in Dazzle's family to hate their mothers-in-law?
That was the best chapter so far. Well worth the wait. I hope this story updates again soon.
I've got a pulse!
Brilliant return and boy some traditionalists, they don't know when their way has gone that of the dinosaur.
Please don't let the next update take so long.
you always deliver no matter how long the chapter/release is it is always of the highest quality keep up the great work I will await the next chapter
Only Twilight has Sparkle in her name, so calling the entire family like that kinda makes no sense
A good update, and nice to see your back.
Oh, that was a delightful chapter, especially Dazzle getting some comeuppance. :P
Very good chapter. That being said, I found some things you may want to edit.
That should be "believe".
That should be "foal's".
I think there should be a space in the middle of this.
That should be "it".
And this part repeats. I look forward to the next chapter.
4371036 The Twilight family makes more sense.
4371859 A bit
Great chapter! Little Twilight is so cute.
Looks like Dazzle's plan backlashed.
Finally, AN UPDATE!!
HNG
filly...Twilight...too...cute...
4371858
Thank you
Everything should be corrected by now
4371036
4371859
Yeah, but many think of them as "The Sparkles"
"The Twilight's" sounds weird since her father's name is Night Light and her brother's is Shining Armor
So, by that logic they could be called:
The Twilights
The Sparkles
The Velvets
The Armors
The Shinings
The Nights
The Lights
I guess the Sparkles is the most canon solution
Welp, I just came down with a case of type d'aaw
diebeetus. Thanks for that.
4371859 or it could be a clan name...
Armor clan
sparkle clan
4373191
well you are forgetting that the Apples are considered a clan... sooo we could have the sparkle clan.
it seems the family structure is the same as ours but the naming of the family is greatly different.
Working on the apparent operating theory in this fic that Luna is Cadance's mother, I just have to say how dissapointing it must have been for her, missing the entirety of her daughter's wedding at the end of season 3.
The cuteness continues!!
"faring" would be the correct word. ("fare", not "fair")
I swear it is like you are trying to weaponize cuteness at times.
Go where? It sounds like Dazzle and Orion are leaving for home.
But Dazzle is already a mother to Night Light...
cute and hilarious chapter. Loved Raindrop coming out and Orion and Octavius placing a bet on Dazzle blowing up lol.
4377778
Dazzle smiled patronizingly at Raindrops, who was speaking at that point. It probably could have been clearer, but I got the intended meaning.
4409974
I got it as well, I just think it should be better clarified so I pointed it out.
OMG please write moar soon
4407478
Wow
Such comment
Many headcanon accepted
Very plot twist
such hard work
very words
wow
LUNA IS CADENCE'S MOM!!!!!!!????.
I'm mind fucked and I'll be right back. I need to fetch my insulin.......
4371707
>Oh I know... I'll just mess Velvet's life up by instigating a relationship between Night Light and Velvet! YES! YEESSS!
>...God I'm such a bitch.
>FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
4940471
on it
The scene with raindrops! Oh my god!
I'm dying!
IT'S TOO GOOD!
4719143 Uhh, wasn't that mentioned like 3 or 4 chapters ago?
Well, that just happened.
I have no idea why tho
Also that Celestia playsuit is fuuuing hilarious