Polarity: A Tale of Two Sisters

by Shinzakura

Chapter Seven: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Derpy continued to work on the Stereolab. After all, it had been just a couple of days ago that she’d become too heavy to fly, and thankfully that had come just after she’d helped Flutterwonder on her project. She’d gotten the best grade in the class, and Fluttsy had to say that it had been “all thanks to the best mommy in the world, my Aunt Derpy!” Derpy smiled nervously at that statement; after all, it was a foal’s innocence that had made the unintentional double entendre, which made all the parents there notice her foal bump and made her have to tell that lie over and over again.

Sooner or later it was going to get to somepony who was going to know the truth.

Sooner or later everything would come crashing down on Derpy.

Sooner or later….

“Knock knock!” Without waiting for a response, Raspberry Scone came in, the smile on her face chipper and serene. “Heya, Derpy! How are things?”

The gray pegasus smiled wanly. “Well, I’m grounded now. Parcel has me working in the office while Lemon Drop takes over my route.” She sighed. “And really, there’s nothing much to do at work, so more often than not, I’m just working on my private little projects.”

“Sorry to hear that; I know how much the job means to you,” the earth pony said, her ears flattening in sympathy for her friend. But they jaunted up like soldiers at attention as she said, “Well, I know what’ll perk ya up! Lunch at Sandwich Harry’s, on me.”

“That’s sweet of you, Sconey, but really, I—”

“You’re eating for two now, and that means you also have to get the proper exercise and all that,” the farmpony reminded her friend. “You can’t just carry your cousin’s foal and call it just that – you have to take care of yourself as well, or else what’ll the parents think you’re doing for their little one? And for that matter, what about that hot coltfriend of yours, right?”

Derpy blushed furiously. She hadn’t seen Silversteel in a week, but the sudden mention of his name made the gray pegasus experience conflicting feelings inside. She hadn’t intended to fall for the junior soldier, but in the weeks since the incident in Appaloosa, there was no denying that the two had become close…and that scared Derpy as much as it thrilled her. She finally had a stallion in her life, but…he was in a career fraught with peril, so much so that if she’d ever had foals, she’d list his occupation as a top fear.

Meanwhile, Sconey waved a hoof in front of Derpy’s face. “Earth to Derpy…hello….”

Derpy’s cheeks flushed once more. “Sorry, Sconey, just…thinking….”

“Ah, hah,” her friend said wryly. “Well, save the saddle ‘n’ socks for after the foaling, so you can get looking good again, girl!” she said with a wink.

“Sconey!” The earth pony just giggled, and Derpy herself had to smile at her friend’s charm. “Just for that I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.”

“Times two, I’m guessing,” Sconey continued as both departed Derpy’s home. As the two made their way towards the sandwich shop, Sconey continued to chatter: “…and so, yeah, I was considering doing the Running of the Leaves, especially since I wanted to check out some of the stallions coming over from Ponyville and Cruppersville and other nearby towns. There was this especially cutie of a hunk that I remember from last year, earth pony stallion with a brick-red coat and wheat-blonde mane and oh did he have the cutest green eyes. Didn’t talk much, so I never got his name, but I’m hoping he’s single since I’m guessing he’s about our age. I was hoping that you and I could go together and find colts of our own, but since you have that all wrapped up in hoof for yourself,” she sighed dramatically, “I guess I’ll have to manage somehow.”

“Maybe I can ask Silver if he knows anypony who might be interested in taking a charming young farmmare out for a date,” Derpy replied.

Sconey practically swooned at that. “Derpy, if you do I swear I’ll be your best friend forever!”

“I thought you already were.”

“Technicalities, technicalities!” the earth pony insisted.

“Like I said, Sconey, I’ll see what I can do,” Derpy said with a grin.

---

“Sparkler, see me after class.” The unicorn filly still moved carefully, gingerly, trying not to wince in pain every time she took a step. When she said she had to stay after school, her friends Apricot Sundae and Jazzmatazz agreed to stay as well, but things got worse when Miss Cottonball told them that it had to be Sparkler alone.

And now here she was, the only one in class. Her friends had gone home, and even those two bullies who teased her for being a blank flank, Fruit Punch and Evergreen, had left as well. That just left Sparkler in the class, waiting for Miss Cottonball to show up – she was apparently in a meeting with the school principal, Miss Sparkle Bliss.

Finally, the two adults entered the class and Sparkler overheard the vaguest bits of conversation:

“…and that’s what’s my concerns are, Miss Bliss. She’s just a foal and she’s got injuries that….”
“Forgive me for taking this with a grain of salt, Cotton, but you do realize what you’re accusing Sparkler’s parents of, correct?”
“No, I mean…that is…it could be anything, really – I don’t want to say I’m accusing anypony of anything. I just want to make sure my student is safe and healthy!”
“Well, let’s check her out then.”

Finally the two adults entered the room: the soft pink and white earth pony with a gentle smile that was Miss Cottonball, and the blue and yellow unicorn that was Miss Bliss. The latter walked right up to Sparkler and said, “Miss Cottonball has given me…concerns…that something is wrong with your health, Sparkler. Would you care to tell me the problem?”

“I…um….” Sparkler wanted to crawl under the desk. She didn’t want to say anything, because she knew that it would get her in trouble. If she lied, she’d be in trouble with the teachers. If she told the truth, she’d be in trouble with her parents. Either instance would end up with her being in hot water for something or other. She involuntarily flinched at the thought.

Cottonball’s soft blue eyes caught the burn instantly. “There! On her right hindleg, Miss Bliss – that’s a burn mark!”

The unicorn looked at Sparkler evenly. “Sparkler, would you please stand up?”

Carefully, Sparkler got out of her seat and looked at both teachers with worry. She tried to shift her hindleg, but it was suddenly caught in an aura of mint green. The filly bit off a scream as her leg was gently lifted so both teachers could inspect it.

“Well, it does look like a burn mark. Sparkler, how did this happen?” Sparkle Bliss asked.

“I…uh….” Her mind frantically tried to recall the answer that her father made her memorize in case anypony ever asked. It wasn’t even remotely the truth, but he made it clear that she would be in deep trouble if she so much as hinted otherwise. “I was playing in the fireworks shed and…I accidentally had a magic flare.”

Sparkle Bliss nodded her head tersely. “I see. Well, don’t let it happen again.”

Cottonball looked aghast. “Miss Bliss! How on Earth can she—”

“Miss Cottonball, are you a unicorn?” the principal asked. “Because as an earth pony, I certainly don’t expect you to be knowledgeable on unicorn biological issues. Magic flares are embarrassing for foals and bringing them up in public doesn’t make the situation any better. I would ask that in the future, you be more considerate of your students’ needs.”

“But I—” she began, but was silenced via a stern stare from her employer. “Yes, Miss Bliss,” she finally said, her head downcast.

Sparkle Bliss looked at Sparkler. “You may go home now, Sparkler. Please do be careful in the future.”

“Y-y-yes, ma’am,” the filly said as she gingerly got off her chair and made her way out of the classroom.

As the young unicorn stepped out of the building, Sparkle Bliss wheeled on the teacher. “If you so much as do that again, you can look for a new teaching position, Miss Cottonball,” the unicorn snarled. “I will not have you making wild accusations about members of our community again!” Sparkle looked around the door and the windows to make sure that nopony else was around before saying, “I know you meant well…trust me, you’re not ready for that kind of Tartarus, the kind that Sparkler’s parents will bring.”

“You lied!” Cottonball accused in turn. “I might be just an earth pony, but my father’s a unicorn and I know what magic flares do – he insisted on explaining it to me in case I ever had unicorn foals of my own!”

“Trust me,” Sparkle Bliss sighed, her tone deflating, “I did you a favor. Look…Bottlerocket is bad news, and while I don’t know about his wife, I’m guessing she’s not much better.”

That was a sudden change in tone. “You…willingly lied? What about protecting that foal?”

“Not much good protecting her if you’re dead.” Sparkle Bliss insisted, lighting up her horn. Magic encircled her, and when it disappeared, a huge scar was revealed on Sparkle Bliss’ right flank, right where her cutie mark had once been. “I…I dated Bottlerocket years ago,” she admitted. “He was…well, I tried reporting it, but somehow he covered his tracks well, almost as if he intended to hurt me just to see if he could cover it up.”

“Sparkler’s father did that to you?”

Bliss nodded. “When I told the sheriff, after an investigation, it was found that I was nothing more than, and I quote, ‘a histrionic mare who would go to extreme lengths to injure herself just to make sure I forced him to take my hoof in marriage,’ unquote. Somehow, he had three or four different alibis, all of which were iron-clad. I know where he was that day – he was….” Bliss gasped in pain, then fell to the floor in shambles. “He was…. A-and nopony would believe me!”

“But Sparkler! She’s just a filly! He’s doing the same thing to her – his own daughter! – that he did to you! Doesn’t that matter?” Cottonball cried.

“I hope – I pray to Holy Celestia or Blessed Cadance every night – that Bottlerocket’s wife has been a calming influence on him, that she’s able to still the monster within him,” Bliss replied, “or else that foal is truly in danger, and there will be nopony to save her.”

“Well, you might be a coward about it,” Cottonball snarled, “but I’m going to save my student! And if you have any of the sense that Celestia gifted you with while you were still in your mother’s womb, then you’ll resign your job immediately and be on the next train out of town – go to Ponyville, for all I care; I’ve heard they put up with cowards there!”

---

“Daddy!” The smiles on Flutterwonder and Orange Box’s faces almost brought Autumn to tears. It had been a long time since he’d seen either of his daughters smile like that. As he reached down to scoop up both of them in a big hug, Fluttsy cheered. “Our new school is great! My teacher, Miss Brilliant Blue is really smart, and there’s two other fillies there, Flying Flash and Cricket Chirp, who want to be friends! And there’s nopony mean or nasty!”

“Oh, really?” Autumn asked, a wide smile on his face.

“Yeah!” Fluttsy insisted. “Plus, Orange made friends in her class, too!”

“Want to tell me about it, Orange?”

“Uh-huh!” the gray filly chirped. “My teacher, Miss Pastel Palette, is really nice – when she found out I want to get a baking cutie mark, she introduced me to another filly in my class, Parfait, who wants to get one, too!”

“That’s good to hear, sweetie – for both of you,” he said, holding them close to him. It was like a dream come true: a new school where the foals could thrive, a new home where they could live in peace, and no sign of Ditzy – he’d left a note at the old house effectively letting her have it if she just left them alone. He’d left no forwarding address, and he bet that she didn’t want one, anyway; it would just cramp her style.

Besides, it’ll give me the chance to win back Derpy’s heart, he convinced himself.

“Well, I have a surprise for you two: we’re going to have dinner tonight at your Aunt Derpy’s!” he said, with a grin.

“Really?” both fillies said at once. When Autumn nodded, they looked at each other and smiled happily, a simple motion that brought another smile to his face.

“Yeah – she’s been looking forward to seeing you both, and how you’re doing at your new school,” Autumn promised. “Besides, you know your aunt; she’s always looking out for you two – she loves you both.”

“Yay! We get to see Aunt Derpy!” Orange crooned, happy as a lark.

“Okay, you two go get ready and we’ll leave in a few minutes, okay?” As both nodded and went to their rooms to get ready for the trip, Autumn let the smile fall from his face and hoped that Derpy wouldn’t have a problem with them coming to visit. After all, she was in the third quarter now, and was pretty much grounded. That meant there weren’t many places she could go, and with her always having had a small circle of friends, it would give Autumn that much more time to earn her heart back.

I can’t give up, he thought to himself as he looked in the mirror and adjusted his mane slightly. Not when I have the chance of getting her back – this time I’ll be married to the right sister!

---

The house was empty…except for that note.

That damnable, damnable note.

As Ditzy reread it for the fifteenth time, she felt the numbness creeping into her body. She was free: she could do anything she wanted – anypony she wanted. And now that she had that freedom, she wanted the shackles more than ever.

She wanted her family back.

Autumn…I know I’m not the perfect wife, she mused, looking at the house that they once shared with their three daughters. But…but…. The paper in her hooves became wet as tears fell from her eyes. She’d planned everything to be so right…and now, everything had become so very wrong. After spending a much needed week of self-searching at Will to Power’s place, she vowed that she’d be a new mare and that she would devote everything to her family. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but she had to do it.

She’d been pretty good about it during the month, heading back and forth between Will’s place and her work; admittedly, she’d stumbled in her goals, but…well, it was Big Thunder’s birthday and she forgot to get him a present, and as for the other, she did make a promise to Pagentry that once her divorce was finalized they’d celebrate. And then there was that new mare, Dawn’s Rays, who started working at the weather facility, a cute young thing that didn’t know how to please her stallion – she was more than happy to give an up-close-and-equinal demonstration. And she had to go apologize to Gibril for leaving his home without explaining, and one thing led to another, and…. But other than those instances, she’d kept to her vow and…well, if it hadn’t been for those hiccups, she would have been perfect, right?

Not good enough, was the unspoken text in the letter. Not good enough to be a wife or a mother. Go away, Ditzy Doo, you’re not wanted. You’re a shame and a fraud, unworthy of the name Ditziduella.

She opened her mouth to cry. The screaming wouldn’t stop. Jags of red, orange white and tan flew as she let her rage, pain and instincts fly – and with those, the groceries she’d bought so she could make an “I’m Home for Good” dinner for her husband and three foals. A husband and three foals that had made very clear that they didn’t want her around anymore.

When the tantrum had expended through her body, the marks of her anger had been left everywhere: tomato corpses clung to the ceiling, the cracked carcasses of eggs adhered to the far wall of the home. Spills of milk, various juices and the like were everywhere, and the variety of vegetables, bread and ice cream that had once been intended for ponies’ bellies now served as impromptu home décor, loosed and spurned on by one very grief-enraged pony.

And in the center of it all was a destroyed pegasus, wanting her family back, not knowing the first place of where to look for them, but knowing two things: one, that she needed to get rid of the stress and there was only one good way she could think of to do so; and two, that’s how she ended up with this situation in the first place.

Looking at the food-encrusted caverns that had been a dwelling filled with life and verve not too long ago, she had to do something. She went to the bedroom, turned on the bath and took care of cleaning herself and…her other issue – though it wasn’t as fun when there was only one! – then splayed herself out for an uncomfortable nap on the wooden flooring. Once she naturally dried off, she knew she had only one recourse and chance to find her family, as much as she hated it.

Derpy would know where they were. And as much as she hated her older sister, Derpy was always right.

---

“Incredible things are happening in the world,” rang out a voice from the Stereolab unit. “Magical things are happening in this world.” Before the wording could continue, the connection to that reality faded out in a buzz of static. Heading back to her control module, she adjusted some of the gain and the feed before beautiful music began to emanate from the Stereolab, chamber music that sounded as though it were no different than what was played by the Royal Canterlot Symphonic Orchestra.

She had to wonder what the musicians of the reality she was tapping into right now looked like and what their instruments were…or if this was even music, to be honest. To her, it sounded like violins, cello, flutes – the familiar strains of the famous “Symphony of Pastoral Revelry”, composed by Allegra Strings six hundred years ago. But to the beings on the other side of the paries quartum, it could be the violent screams of some poor creature being tortured by another. She didn’t know, and there was no way to know – and to ponder the idea itself would be madness.

Fortunately for her, she hadn’t made it that far in the thought process when there was a knock on the door. Letting the “music” (or what had to be that) continue, she waddled over to the door and opened to see a familiar face standing there, dressed in his duty uniform, a wide smile on his face and a mouth burdened with carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Sitting down to transfer the bouquet from mouth to hooves, Silversteel looked at his fillyfriend and smiled. “Heya, hon. You’re looking as beautiful as always,” he told her.

She took the flowers and set them aside before kissing him. “Heya, yourself,” she said with a big smile – that disappeared immediately as she suddenly saw him wince. “Are you okay?” she asked him, her eyes filled with concern.

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “Still get twinges of pain from the back injury; docs say that it should be gone within a few more weeks, but waiting for it to go away is just murder,” he told her. “Of course, Diamondplate thinks it’s distinguished and Goldie thinks that it’ll make me look like a war hero, but I just want it to go away.”

“Well, don’t just stand there at the door!” she said as she moved aside. “Come in and have a seat. I’ve got dinner cooking and it should be ready soon.” She fluttered her wings instinctively in order to get out of the way, but only managed to get a foot or two in the air before gravity took over and brought her back to ground gently. “Ugh….” she muttered. “Flying makes me queasy now.”

“Guessing that’s one of the changes in your body because of the pregnancy?” he asked.

She nodded. “I guess I’ll have to get used to it now, if I’m ever going to have foals of my own.” Or foals that I can acknowledge are mine, she groaned inwardly. She still had no idea what she was going to do with the foal growing within her and time was growing short. Could she withstand telling another layer of lies, saying the parents died and she decided to keep the foal? Or could she give the foal to Autumn for him and Ditzy to raise – even she would notice that, Derpy realized. Or give the foal up for adoption – a very unwanted outcome – or any of a billion other things? Either way, the result was only a few months down the road – and it was going to come, whether she liked it or not.

She was brought out of her reverie by a welcoming kiss from Silversteel. “You kinda spaced out on me, babe,” he told her.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, blushing. “Well, have a seat and let me get back into the kitchen before the bisque burns.”

As she went into the kitchen, he decided to sit down on the couch at first, but the Stereolab caught his attention suddenly – while he knew it existed, last time he was over, she had it covered with a tarp, so he hadn’t seen what it was like. “This the thing you’re working on?” he asked.

“Yeah!” she called back. “Still working on the developmental software, but I’ve got most of the kinks worked out and the hazardous frequencies locked out of the system.”

“Hazardous frequencies?” he asked. That did not sound good.

“Um…yeah. For example, two weeks ago I tapped into one where somepony was speaking in Old High Pre-Equestriani. Didn’t know what it meant, so I had to travel down to the library down in Ponyville to find a copy of it. Well, it translated as ‘Save Yourselves’, and after that I thought it would be best to lock out the channel. Good thing, too – had an odd dream that night of white and metal and what looked like a magic sphere inside a big metal loop and space and….” He could hear her sigh. “There’s about seventy frequencies that I’ve locked out so far, and while I’m probably being a little too cautious, I have to remind myself that I’m not alone in my scientific pursuits right now.”

Silver was about to ask “You’re not?” at first, but he then realized what he meant. Yeah, make yourself look dumb in front of your girl, Silver, he chided himself. She’s already too good for you as is; want to ruin things even further by proving it? Fortunately for him, a sudden knock at the door forestalled any attempt to come up with something that didn’t sound as stupid.

“Could you get that?” she called out from the kitchen.

“Sure thing, hon!” he called out, leaping from the couch.

Heading over to the door, the moment he opened it he was treated to the unique sonic attack of two boisterous fillies singing at the same time, “HIYA AUNT DERPY~!” The sensation lasted for a few more seconds before the older one suddenly said, “Hey! You’re not Aunt Derpy!”

“Uh, no, no I’m not,” he said, shaking his head in order to get the ringing out of his ears. “I’m…Silversteel. I’m Derpy’s coltfriend.”

“Is that so?” That voice did not belong to either of the fillies, but instead belonged to an olive-hued pegasus stallion with an oddly-colored dawn-pink mane, tail and eyes. “Funny – she’s never mentioned you before.”

“And you are?” Silver didn’t know who the stallion was, but his sudden possessiveness irritated the earth pony to no end. His older sister Golden Sun tended to be possessive around him when it came to other mares, especially after his breakup with Exotic Beauty some time ago. He didn’t like it when she did it to him, and seeing Derpy receiving the same treatment from somepony else just yanked his yoke.

As Autumn got a better view of the stallion in Derpy’s home, he realized two things: one, said stallion was easily annoyed, for some reason. And two, said stallion was a lot bigger in size than most regular earth pony stallions he’d seen before.

He’s easily a size and a half of a normal stallion! Autumn thought to himself. Either way, better to introduce himself, if only to instill manners in his girls. “I’m Autumn Mist, Derpy’s brother-in-law. And these are my daughters, Flutterwonder and Orange Box.”

“HI~!” the two fillies sang out with gusto.

“Hello, girls. Well, Derpy’s making dinner, and—”

“Fluttsy! Orange!” Derpy’s lilting tones came out, just as she’d waddled over to embrace her beloved nieces. “And Autumn! Fancy seeing you here? What gives?”

“Uh…we agreed to have dinner at your place tonight?” he said, hoping that she’d somehow “forgotten” his outright lie and would buy it. But if what this stallion – Silversomething-or-other – was saying, then her mind was focused on that and definitely not on something else that would have caused her to “forget” something like this.

And if that’s not enough, she’s got a mind like a steel trap, he told himself. Yeah, I’m doomed.

Sure enough, there was the slightest flicker of something in her eyes before she said, “Oh! I thought that was tomorrow.” Turning to Silversteel, she said, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry, but I hope you don’t mind….”

“Oh, no, not at all!” Silver said, trying not to sound too disappointed about whatever plans he had for that evening.

“Thanks – you make me the luckiest mare in the world,” she said, kissing him. “Can you do me a favor and check on the soup? Gotta talk to Autumn for a second.”

“Aunt Derpy, can I help?” Orange asked. At that, Derpy grinned; Orange’s desires for baking were well known and she’d probably earn her cutie mark in something related to that one day.

“Actually, that’d be perfect. You should know what else we might need to make sure there’s enough for everypony, okay?” the older pegasus said, nuzzling her niece. Happy as a lark, Orange zipped on over to the kitchen, followed shortly by Fluttsy and Silver, leaving Derpy and Autumn just looking at one another.

Autumn nervously scratched the back of his head. “I, uh, guess I picked a bad time?”

“Oh, no, not at all – I absolutely enjoy lying to my coltfriend and nieces just to cover for you,” Derpy cooed, her tones honeyed with sarcasm. “And I already know why you’re here, and the answer is still no. I love you Autumn, I always will. But it has to be this way.”

“Then what about the foal? He or she’s going to be born in a few months from now, right? What, I just get ignored as the father and you take all the responsibility? Or don’t I even get a vote in that?”

“Can we talk about that later? We’ll come up with something. But,” she sighed, “for now, let’s just keep lying to everypony – you seem to have learned how to be as good at it as I am.”

---

“Mommy?” Sparkler looked at her mother as she lay on the bed in their dingy home. Her parents’ bedroom smelled…what it smelled like, Sparkler wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, it had to be tied to the medicines her mother took. “Mommy?” Gingerly, Sparkler crept up and tapped her mother on the nearest leg.

Oriental Blossom, of course, didn’t respond. She was high as a kite, set adrift on chemical bliss. From the Golden Rock saltlick she scored from Baltimare to the…interesting…effects caused by that one mushroom that grew on the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, she was currently out on a magical journey; the kind that didn’t involve magic, per se.

The elder female unicorn had told her daughter once that mothers needed to sleep more because she was carrying her new little brother or sister in her belly. But while that might have been true for most ponies, Sparkler had been around Miss Derpy enough that she knew that expectant mares didn’t always act the same – and while Miss Derpy could be, on occasion, as tired as Mommy, Sparkler wondered if it had more to do with her mother’s medicines than anything else.

Either way, she was hungry, and little ponies needed to eat to grow strong and healthy one day. “Mommy? I’m hungry. When can we have dinner?”

Blossom muttered something like “ffffddssnnnnapppnnnttryyyy….” before the sounds were drowned out by drool.

“Celestidamn nag’s buckin’ high again, I’ll bet,” she heard from the other end of the house as the door opened and slammed. Sparkler stiffened. That meant Daddy was home, and he wasn’t happy. And when he wasn’t happy, sometimes he’d hurt her by accident. He never meant to, and he always apologized after, but the pain….

Still, it was her only chance to eat. So she walked towards the kitchen, hearing increasing rattling and breakage as her father threw stuff left and right while trying to find something. He also said a lot of words he told Sparkler she was never allowed to say – why grown-ups could say it but not little fillies she never understood why.

Bottlerocket smelled the drugs from the moment he came into the house. Shoulda buckin’ known. Harridelle was doing the stuff before Sparkler was born, she’s doin’ it now, she’ll buckin’ do it again if, Celestia forbid, we ever have another foal. If he was smart, he’d just ditch everything and make a new life for himself outside of Equestria. Maybe head to Saddle Arabia or Ezo, one of those far-plot countries where he’d be just another muzzle in the herd.

Oh, who the Tartarus am I kidding? I can’t learn a new buckin’ language to save my life. Education was never one of his strong points. Hell, if it wasn’t for his special talent, he’d probably never be able to figure out the mathematics necessary for decent ballistics in fireworks. And unfortunately, that ungrateful, tail-lifting, salt-licker of a wife of his got too cocky – her skill was in ground effects, not aerials, and as a result of that stupidity, they were now deeply in debt, pretty much on the outs with the pyrotechnic community and he was now having to sell his services to…less than sterling sources.

Like today: a few months ago, he and Blossom had told that weird but hot neighbor of theirs – Celestia on Her Throne, did that pegasus have one hell of a body! – that they’d had some business to attend to in Draconia. Well, that was certainly true enough, but only from a certain point of view: he’d actually agreed to create some explosives for a mercenary group that was based in Draconia. The pay was good and he asked no questions – the grim-looking dragon that gave him the requirements didn’t look like he was very much forthcoming in answers anyway.

This was the life he led now: criminal. If I was just buckin’ smart, I’d just bail now, leave Blossom and her salt-lickin’ ways behind. She can take care of the two brats; I never wanted to be a father anyway. Maybe I can hook up with whatserflank…Derpy?...and we can just blow this joint. Bet she’s all kinds of fun in the sack.

Wandering into the kitchen, he wasn’t too surprised to see the vegetables, all uncleaned, unsliced and most certainly uncooked, sitting in a big iron stewpot just to the side of the stove. Nor did it shock him to find the still-glowing canister where Blossom kept the high-grade hallucinogenic salts she ingested; the small, green and red mushrooms looked as though their stems had eyes on them…well, that was some creepy shit and probably her fault as well. Clearly, if he wanted dinner tonight, it was going to be in the fridge, find the leftover petunia loaf from last week and make a sandwich.

“Daddy?”

Bottlerocket froze. Great, just the source of my problems. “What,” he said, harsher-sounding than he’d intended.

She looked at him and said, “Mommy didn’t make dinner tonight. Are you going to make dinner?”

“Do I look like a buckin’ chef to you?” he snarled, not surprised that Sparkler wasn’t smart enough to know the difference between what mares and stallions did. Yeah, just because mares tended to outnumber stallions and tended to be placed in charge more didn’t mean that the job of a stallion was to just sit around the house and lift his hoof whenever his mare called for him. I’ll bet that even Celestia herself has a stallion she has to answer to – you just don’t hear about it because she’s the buckin’ princess!

“But Daddy, I’m hungry!” Sparkler whined…and then suddenly realized, as his eyes narrowed, that was the wrong thing to do.

“Learn how to fix it yourself!” His horn flared a pyrotechnic blue, and a blast of energy exploded right next to the pot. The pot immediately followed the Third Law of Physical Thaumodynamics and reacted, careening towards the little filly, who had no time to react as the vat of metal slammed right into her head. Her brief scream was muffled as she became buried in both a stream of vegetables and a stewpot half her size.

Bottlerocket just watched dully as his daughter lay unconscious, bleeding from a cut on the side of her face. She pushed me! he insisted to himself, stepping over her to get into the fridge. He’d make himself a sandwich, then make her one, get the mess cleaned up, then put her to bed – like it or not, he was still her father. And as soon as Blossom woke up from whatever drug-infested planet she’d been hopped up on, she was going to owe him some answers. He was the stallion of the house, and he wasn’t going to put up with any shit from any mare. Ever.

And there was a knock on the door.

Cottonball mentally went over what she discussed. I don’t care what Sparkle Bliss says, that foal needs help, and if any of it is true, it’s my job to do so! As the door opened, Cottonball immediately launched into her prepared speech: “Good evening! I apologize for the disturbance, but I…my name….”

Her words died on the vine the moment she set her eyes on Bottlerocket. His own eyes were narrowed slits of hate, pinpricks of barely concealed rage. “What. Do. You. Want,” he spoke; a statement, not a question. Furthermore, it was clear that whatever she wanted, he wasn’t going to be forthcoming with any answers regardless.

“I-i-I’m Miss…Cott-t-tonball. Fr-ff-from the s-s-sss-school,” she stammered, trying to get control of herself. Was this what Sparkle Bliss had warned her about? Regardless, this was for Sparkler’s sake, Cotton reminded herself. Somepony had to step in. “A-a-re you her father?”

“Get out.” His answer was succinct and to the point. It also carried an undercurrent of contempt that hit straight at Cottonball’s pride; if anything, this forced her to act.

“Sir, if you’re hurting your daughter – I’ll be forced to act,” she said, feeling the strength in her spine come as she did what she had to: protect her student. “I don’t care who you are, your daughter is a precious little filly an—”

Cottonball never knew what hit her next. The last thing she recalled was his eyes widening in rage and his mouth opening in anger…and then nothing else.

Author's Note:

Just as I promised; we're getting into the thick of things now.

Comments

[Flynt Coal]

Things are indeed happening now. Boy is that already awkward dinner at Derpy's going to get even more awkward when Ditzy shows up. And then there's poor Sparkler and her teacher... As always, I love the way you call forward to events later on in the timeline.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like Derpy tuned in to the Event Horizon with her device. And I know I've seen red and green mushrooms with eyes before...

[yrfoxtaur]

uhhh.

Momma always told me not to swear, and I'm a good boy I am.

fk.

this is really bad. I get the impression bottlerocket is about to do something he'll come to regret.

... he's also kinda pathetic, in a terrifyingly ... sociopathic(?) way. Really, a foal pushed your buttons hard enough that you couldn't help but knock her out cold? what trash.

[ididntthinkidlikethis]

Oh my god, update soon! Please! This is one of the best Derpy fanfics on this site!

[warpd]

Happy ponies everywhere.

[NecroLeprechaun]

I hate spoilers. So much. I will usually be able to guess things on my own, but gosh, I hate spoilers. And you know what I'm going to do right now? I'm going to start reading the sequel even though this fic isn't complete yet. I hate spoilers so much and yet I am spoiling this story in one of the worst ways possible. I'm skipping to the next installment. That, sir, is how good of a writer you are. Kudos to you; and you had better enjoy those delicious granola bars, because you have most certainly earned them.

[Majk]

Oh man, the choices.... wait for updates in this one, or start reading the next story in the continuity....
You eeeevil, evil human.

[Papa Dragon]

I know you're referencing things, and I know what you are referencing. But I cant remember what they are!

How many more chapters do you plan to add to this? And will an update be forthcoming soon?
This story is just amazing and so well written.
I want more!

Though im tempted to look at more of the writings related to this verse, I will try and hold out till this is finished. I do have plenty of other verse's stories to read as well.
But this one, damn!

[ferret]

4393998

I was joking about the uncomfortable facts Cloud Kicker was trying to ignore. She says "I don’t want you to lose it like I did," but Cloud Kicker lost it because her husband got incinerated, not because she was being slutty. That's why she feels dead inside. If anything, all the sex actually helped Cloud not feel dead inside, even if it doesn't help as much as a loving devoted relationship would.

It just sort of upset me with how Ditzy was angry with herself for being herself, and trying to be someone she's not, and Cloud used the emotional lever of dumping her to make her feel more bad about being herself. Ditzy is even less able to be true to herself now because her best friend just said that kind of pony is bad and should be physically brutalized.

[NachoTheBrony]

Okay…

[BlueBastard]

4334496

AFAIK the next update to the AAG-verse will be the final chapter of AAG to tie it off as the first book in the series, and after that I do believe Shin intends to update Polarity again.

[Sinestere]

I wish Derpy could find happy world's to listen to. I am afraid for Sparkler. I can only hope she is rescued soon, as well as her teacher. I like the story but it's becoming an angry read.

[Zekromic]

I really want to see Bottlerocket's name with a deceaced at his side

[Shadow_Wolf]

I've had this story on my read list for a bit and I'm finally catching up on it...wow ... this is absolutely amazing!

[Shinzakura]

7660911
Exactly. In both ways. Due to the magic of handwavium.