The sequel to the Should Be... series, part 60. Follow our main character thought his newest trails as he tries to better understand the consequences of his influences on Equestria; and how it affects the ones he loves.
Eleven years is a long time to call a place you were not born in home. However, for the most part the family you have been lucky enough to start and the life you have lived has brought you peace at mind, for the situation you were thrust into so long ago. But, sometimes yours or anypony's love just isn't enough to make everything perfect, and sometimes even its magic can't make everypony happy. Although being with loved ones is just what somepony might need when live decides to throw a curve ball.
Every day is a maybe and every tomorrow a might be, so enjoy things now.
The later day's bright warming yellow and orange light hangs over the uniquely glowing city as it’s buildings and residents reflect the normal glow into a rainbow of shades and colors. The wind has a slight chill to it but nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year in Equestria's northern reach.
However, right now the free and fresh aroma of the outside world has been blocked out by the smell of disinfectant and the stench of sick ponies that sit somewhere else in the hospital. Behind the one white sheet bed that is nestled up against the calming blue crystal colored walls sits a bright window that illuminates the room with a happy goldish lighting.
A silent sigh comes up from the light purple mare who still sits to the edge of the bed as she continues to run her front hooves over each other. All the while making sure they brush up against the bland green gown that she wears to remind her why she is still here.
The light orange pegasus sitting in one of the waiting chairs next to the closed door brings up a little smile as his voice rings out, "We could have already have come in today if somepony didn't want to push it off to the end of the day."
No laugh comes up from the mare, but she gives a little nod and smile to the lightheart and joking comment.
The lack of response amps the pegasus's efforts as he shifts to make himself a little more comfortable in the chair he's sat in for the last half an hour, "Well at least the smells in here will open our noses."
Knowing that the stallion will not give up until she perks up the light purple mare straightens her posture as she tries to spark up a better looking smile.
However, her stance quickly falls as her eyes shoot straight up to the opening door in front of her.
The low chime of magic starts to ring out into the room as the light yellow and gold crystal colored unicorn stallion comes into the room.
His head is buried to the clipboard that floats in front of him as the stethoscope sways a little to the white lab coat top the stallion wears.
With a quick clear of his throat the clipboard moves from the stallion's gaze as he gives a little smile to the mare sitting on the bed in front of him.
The smile only brings the mare's ears down as his deep voice starts up, "Well Mrs.Wave, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
For a moment his voice stops as the light purple mare just waits for the words, "...There is no sign of the foal, and from what we can tell you have lost."
"B-but are you sure?" The pegasus next to the door now moves a little forward on his seat as he speaks up for the quiet mare.
The doctor turns his attention to the words as he gives a little nod, "I'm sorry." His turn gaze only holds for a moment as he turns back to the mare, "As I understand it this is your second attempt correct?"
No nod comes from the light purple mare as her gaze stays transfixed to the cupped hooves she has in her lap.
To the absent acknowledgement the pegasus speaks back up, "Yes."
The doctor nods his head as he pauses and floats the clipboard a little more next to him, "It is known that a pony with um...Sombrauism will experience a little trouble barring a foal; but that does not mean it is impossible." He holds his eyes to the mare who still hangs her head as he tries to lighten his voice, "Perhaps next year you could try waiting until the peak of your heat. It is a little hard to pinpoint, but it may help."
Again the room stays quiet as the stallion in the chair again speaks up, "Thank you."
The doctor gives a friendly nod as he starts to move from the room.
It only takes a moment for the sound of the door to close as the room again comes back to the heavy silence.
The pegasus in the chair does not attempt to speak up as he just grinds his teeth for a moment in an attempt to find something to say. However when nothing comes to mind he speaks up with a simple comment, "D-do you want to go home Violet?"
The trot back has held a slow and painful silence for the younger couple, as their forced to trot down the lively streets of happy ponies and foals. However, Violet's eyes finally come up from the hard crystal street as she looks over the homey two story crystal house; her aunt and uncle put her in when she finally moved fully into the city with Sparky a few years ago.
As the bright pinkish door comes into hooves's reach her slow trot halts as the stallion next to her moves to unlock the door with the key he has buried in the small bag around him.
With the sound of the rummaging through the bag playing in front of her the mare's light blue eyes turn to one of the bright blue crystal plants of flowers that sit to either side of the door. Despite the cooling whether the plant has started to grow a few new buds of flowers that have still yet to open up for the first time.
"Violet?..."
The voice breaks the mare's stare of the newly formed flowers as she starts her trot into the house without even looking to the stallion at the door.
Sparky just blinks to the mare's hung head and droopy mane as he waits for her to pass into the house. It takes a few seconds but as she does he removes the key from the lock and closes the door, all the while trying to bring up his voice to light the mood, "Well Violet at least you can help Cadence with the celebration she's trying to put together..." His voice stops for a moment as he focuses his attention to hang up the bag on one of the free hooks that sit next to the door, "...You won't have to worry about your magic right?"
As he turns back into the room he realizes his words have just been for the walls. This fact brings another sigh from him as he just closes his eyes for the moment, but he does not stay motionless for long as he starts his trot towards the stairs that lay a few hooves from the front door.
The trot up the stairs is short as he forces his eyes to the half closed door at the end of the hall.
However, the quick pace he held up the stairs is brought to a halt as he passes by the wide open door on his right. The master bedroom lays empty and dark, which only brings the stallion's eyes closed again as he focuses back to the room at the end of the hall.
The trot that he has been dreading for the last month and a half starts up as the usually more timid stallion tries to put on a strong face.
His hoof comes to the door as he holds his eyes to the softer and more child colored carpet of the room, "Violet its alright..." He slowly trails his eyes up towards the occupied smaller foal's bed that sits next to the unused crib the two ponies were given last year before they found out.
There on the bed with her head away from the door lays the light purple mare as her back trembles a little to the silent cry she gives out.
Sparky's legs shake a little as the stallion trots a little closer towards the bed. As he nears it he eases himself into it as he continues to look away from the teared up mare, whose eyes stay pinned to the crib pushed up against the wall in front of the bed.
No sobs ring out from the mare as she continues to just blink through the light tears that have formed in her eyes.
Sparky's left front hoof comes to brush up against her back as he turns his head a little towards her. His voice is low and has its own sadness as he speaks up, "It's alright Violet..."
The mare closes her eyes to the words she's already heard before as she just tries to stop the light shaking to her body.
The hoof on her back continues to move lightly from side to side as the stallion moves a little closer to the mare on the bed, all the while repeating the same sentence, "It's alright Violet..."
As the words continues to ring in the mare's drooping ears a little angry burst of energy comes over her as she quickly moves from the stallion's reach and sparks her hooves up.
Sparky just watches the shaky mare’s hoof motions as she runs through them in anger, but her eyes and hooves turn to water as she again gives into the sadness roaring in her heart.
The change in the mare's expression quickly brings up Sparky’s voice as he rushes his hooves to her as he pulls her into an embrace, all the while denying her previous statement, "There is nothing wrong with you Violet! And it is not your fault!"
His words do little to the shaking mare as he continues to nuzzles her head, "And it doesn't change how I feel about you..." As his words break free from his lips his voice starts to crack as he just tries to maintain himself.
Violet's eyes are tight and shaky, her front hooves stay wrapped around the orange pegasus as they continue to just sit in the darker would be foal's room.
- - - (A little later)
Neither one of the two ponies know how long they have been laying on the bed together, their tails hang off the side of the small foal made bed and for the most part their hind legs are not really being supported. But at the same time neither one of them care as they continue to just enjoy the warm body that wraps against them.
The fur around Violet's eyes is still wet all the way down to the damp spot on the bed that she continues to press her head into. She's not crying anymore and her body has stopped shaking for the most part, but her mind has not let up as she continues to think over the fact she has to wait a whole-nother year to even try again...And even then there is no guarantee.
As the light purple mare continues to stay swamped in her thoughts the stallion nestled up next to her just blinks to the room around him, not wanting to leave the mare's side.
However as another minute starts to turn over the mare next to him starts to stir. Her movements slowly loosens Sparky's hold as he now watches her sit up.
Violet moves a hoof to her face as she tries to rub away her damp fur.
Her actions hold for a moment as the stallion next to her slowly brings a hoof to rub against her back. Just as his hoof brushes against Violet removes her hoof as she looks over the stallion next to her, the stare brings a slight smile to Sparky's face as he speaks up, "You okay?"
The light purple mare gives a little smile as she bends her head to the stallion as she gives him a quick kiss.
Sparky cocks a slight smile to the gesture as he continues to lightly rub against her back.
A faint and silent sigh rolls from the mare as she calmly brings her hooves up with a comment. To the motions Sparky gives a little nod as he speaks up, "Ya we'll tell everypony."
Violet again brings her hooves up as she looks to the stallion.
Sparky blinks to the mare's words as he squints to her, "You want to have everypony here?"
A little nod comes from Violet as Sparky again brings his voice up, "Alright...I can send a letter to your parents and my dad tomorrow if you want."
The words bring a faint smile as she again sparks her hooves up.
A faint chuckle rolls from Sparky as he nods, "Well if we're going to have everypony over one of us should learn how to actually cook something worthwhile."
His words bring a much needed wheezing laugh to the mare as a true to life smile finally breaks across her face.
Sparky continues to think out loud as he turns his eyes a little to the ceiling, "Probably the only ponies who won't be here is my sister, there's no way she could come back to Equestria in short notice...And Aerolight."
The name flicks the mare's ear as she brings her hooves up for a moment, but her comment is quickly cut off as Sparky nods, "I will send him a letter."
As his voice comes to an end the sound of a hoof knocking to the door down stairs rings to the house.
But neither pony moves from their spot on the bed as Sparky brings his head up a little from where it rest not really wanting to leave the still slightly watery eyed mare to go and answer the door.
However as Violet starts to stand from the bed Sparky moves to his hooves as he speaks up, "I'll get it."
Violet halts her trot to the door as the pegasus quickly cuts her path off into the hall, instead the mare turns her attention back to the smaller bed as she sparks her horn up to fix the ruffled blankets and shifted pillows.
Again the hoof to the door rings out as Sparky quickens his pace down the stairs, "Coming!"
It only takes a moment for the light orange pegasus to open the door as the sight of a happily smiling tan coated and light brown maned earth pony smiles to him, "Sparky!"
Sparky brings a half hearted friendly smile to his face as he rings his voice out, "Hi Futty."
The lower sounding voice brings a slight chuckle to the heavy stallion as he speaks up, "Whoa whoa, no need to get excited or anything Sparky, calm down man. It's not like one of your friends from Ponyville is stopping by." The little tease works as Sparky takes a step aside from the doorway as he gives a friendly laugh.
"Sorry Futty, it's not really been the best of day."
The tan stallion holds back a little but he still rings out a laugh as he nods to the darker sky, "I'll say. It's night and you still think it's day." Futty lowers his voice a little as he tries to spark a real smile to his friend's face, "Does being married for a year really drain a pony that bad?"
As his voice comes down the sound of hooves flicks the heavy pony’s ear as he holds a happy smile to the mare coming down the stairs, "Ah, here comes the succubus now. Quick Sparky run out the door i'll hold the Ice Queen off!"
The light smile Violet sparks to her face and the lack of a real response from the stallion next to him brings Futty's voice down as he takes on a more serious face, "Is everything alright?"
Sparky gives a little sigh not wanting to speak up, but he does as he mussels through it, "We went to the doctor today..."
Futty shake his head as he takes a few steps towards the light purple mare for a hug, "Come here."
Without question the light purple mare accepts the friendly gesture as Futty's voice rings up from where he holds his head, "What did they say this time?"
Again Sparky brings his voice up as he shifts a little, "They told us a few things for next year."
With a quick intake of air Futty breaks the hug from his friend as he nods, "Wow..."
"S-so what brings you by?"
Futty takes notice of his friend's voice as he speaks up, "Well I was invited for a cook off challenge against somepony named Chef Ram-Z-..." The stallion playfully stretches his neck as he continues, "But you know, that's no problem."
Sparky and Violet spark up a little smile to the playful confidence as the stallion's voice drops a little, "I had actually stopped by to see if you two could show me around the town a little."
The light orange pegasus gives a friendly smile to the comment as he waves his hoof, "Sorry Futty but I don't think we're up to it tonight."
"I underst-..." Futty's voice is cut off as Violet sparks her hooves up.
However, her comment just brings a laugh to Sparky as he shakes his head, "I'm not going to leave you here Violet?"
Violet just waves her hoof to the comment as she turns her attention to the heavy pony with a few quick motions.
Futty gives a little smile to the mare as he nods his head, "I can get him off of your hooves for a while Violet."
The pegasus just blinks to the mare's sweet smile as he tries to understand why she would want to push him out of the house, he can still tell in her face she's not her normal self but before he can bring his voice up he feels a hoof guiding him out.
"Come Sparky, you saw the mare's flick of the ear and wag of the hoof."
Violet holds her smile as she sparks her horn up to float the small bag from the hook at the door to the stallion's wings.
As Sparky's pushed out of the house he tries to call back, "I'll only be gone for a few minut-..."
As the door closes behind the two stallion's Violet gives a little sigh as she just stands in the empty house. Sparky may make the mare feel better, but she also knows it's not fair for him to feel bad when it's not his fault...The thought brings a sharp pinch of sadness to the mare's heart as she composes herself for the moment, but with a calming breath she turns and trots back up stairs.
The bright lights of the corner bar has attracted a large gathering of happy younger crystal ponies as they celebrate some kind of party on the other side of the room. However, the cheers and yells for more drinks only echo to the two silently sitting stallions sitting at the bright light red crystal bar top.
"Ahhhh..." Futty's intentionally loud exhale flicks the stallion’s ear that sits next to him as he puts the frothed up cup back down to the counter top, "You know Sparky, when you said lets go get a drink I didn't think you would get lemonade."
A slight smile comes to the hunched over pegasus as he shifts his eyes to the chilled blue crystal glass of lemonade in front of him, "I can't drink when working."
"Ha ha working? I don't see any clouds in here?" Futty holds his smile as he brings hoof again around the bubbly yellow drink on the counter.
Sparky nods as he gives a little sigh, "The new WonderBolt stadium won't be up until next month..." He moves his hoof around his own cup as he continues, "...But they still said everypony should maintain a good public image until it's up." He slowly brings the cup to his lips as he rings out his last comment, "...And it wouldn't look go for the head cloud-shaper of the stadium to fly home drunk."
The comment brings a smile to the heavy pony as he nudges his friend, "Wouldn't have that problem if you could handle more than one drink."
A faint chuckle comes up from the light orange pegasus as he swallows down a little bit of his drink.
Futty gives another sigh as he speaks up, "I know i'm supposed to make you feel better and get your mind off of everything but I got to ask, how are you taking it? Because you don't look like you're crying, and I know there's no way you've grown up that much."
Sparky nods to the comment as he just rubs his hoof to the sweaty crystal cup, "I'm upset...But, only because Violet is upset." He quickly turns his head to his friend as he continues, "Don't get me wrong it would be nice to start a family, it's just..." He sighs again as he shrugs, "It's just how do you know you're ready you know?"
Futty starts up in a little laugh as he cocks his head, "You sound like you don't have a choice Sparky? I don't want to think that Violet can jump you like that..." His stare goes a little distant as he starts to think over his own comment.
However his thoughts are cut off as Sparky's voice comes up, "No, it's not like that. See when we first tried I was just worried whether or not I would be a good dad." A one ha laugh rolls from the stallion as he continues, "B-but after today I just keep thinking about what I would do if something happens."
"What do you mean?" Futty squints his eyes to the comment as he brings his drink up to his snout.
Sparky taps his hooves to the cup a little anxious as he speaks up, "You know my dad had to raise me after my mom died, sure I wasn't his first foal but I know it had to have been hard." Sparky's hooves start to move to his own emotion as he sits back a little in his chair stool, "And look at this, it's our second time going to the doctor's and all they can say is maybe next time."
He closes his eyes for a moment as he gives a louder and cooling sigh, "I-I just don't want to have to worry about seeing her sad again...She blames herself and I feel guilty because I'm not sure I'm even ready..."
Futty is silent for a moment as he just drains the last bit of his drink into his mouth, but it only takes a minute for the large pony as he sets back to the counter, "I see why Violet wanted you out of the house now." A faint laugh rolls from the stallion as he waits for a reaction.
But Sparky just shakes his head with a smile as he speaks up, "And why's that?"
"Because man, look at you." Futty gives a little laugh as he pokes his friend, "You're supposed to be happy when you're first married right?"
Sparky just continues to shake his head as he lets the joking comment roll in his mind.
The joking tone comes down a little as the tan stallion leans in a little more, "I know you mentioned her feeling guilty...D-do you know what the problem is?"
The words flick the stallion's ear as he shrugs, "They say it's because of her Sombrauism... But... There's really no way to know."
"Well that's good."
Sparky quickly turns his head with a questioning look as he looks his friend over. The stallion's turned head quickly brings up Futty's voice as he smiles, "It's good to know, otherwise she might have you stick carrots up your flank or something, you know to stimulate your prostate or something like that."
The light orange pegasus just stares to his friend as he lets the strange comment sink in, but he brings his voice up a little lighter as he slowly turns back to his cup, "You know I was going to ask you for some cooking advice for what Violet wants but now I don't know."
Futty rocks in his seat a little as he happily nods his head, "Oh! So it takes a carrot up the flank to finally cheer you up huh? You and Bell should catch up...Well if he can be torn away from Pearl." Futty waves his hoof to the comment as he shakes his head, "But we can talk about him later, what does Violet want?"
"She wants to invite our families up to tell them the news." Sparky's comment brings a slight smile to Futty's face as he nods, "Oh, well if you want I could tell her parents. I mean if there home and not off doing something Celestia wants." He taps his hoof to his mouth as he starts to think out loud, "You should see the weird things Celestia's asked them to get...Any hooves, you want me to tell them?"
Sparky nods to the comment as he speaks up, "Ya thanks."
"Don't sweat it, I'm going back after tomorrow's thing anyways so it's no big deal." Futty turns his attention to the bartender as he wiggles his hoof, "Excuse me sir can I get two more of those blue things?"
The waiter stallion nods as he quickens his trot towards one end of the bar. Futty's eyes turn back to Sparky as he takes a deep breath, "You want another lemonade Sparky?"
The light orange stallion shakes his head as he speaks up, "I'm alright."
"Okay, well I'll drink this and then we'll go." Futty gives a little smile as he continues, "Sound good?"
The drinks come down in front of the tan pony as he slides one in front of his friend.
Sparky looks over the dark blue liquid in front of him as he speaks up, "I said I didn't want a drink."
The slight smile to Futty’s face holds as he pats his friend's back, "I'll drag you home if I need to."
- - - (A little later)
The bright blueish light bounces from the tall Crystal Castle in the distance along with the street light lit roads make the crystal city glow with a warm but nightly appeal, as the two stallion near their destination.
Despite the stallion's slight buzz the light orange pegasus maintains a sober and straight trot as he move his bag to his hoof.
Futty takes a nice deep breath of air as he stretches a little, "I'll say good bye to Violet then I'll head back to where I'm staying."
Sparky nods to the comment as he quietly opens the door, however the bright lights of the house is not want the stallion expected as he trots into the house.
"Oh, hello Sparky."
The well spoken voice quickly turns the stallion's gaze from the living room towards the decent sized table that sits a little in front of the kitchen on his left.
Sparky gives a friendly smile as he looks over the two mare sitting at the table. Two still steam rendering tea cups sit on the table which gives a nice awakening aroma to the area in the room as the stallion trots over to the table, "Hi Starlight."
The light gray crystal mare holds her smile as her eyes shift to the other stallion that now trots in from behind the little half wall that blocked the front door.
But her gaze quickly comes back to Sparky as the mare speaks up, "I'm on break from helping Princess Celestia for the few days..." Her ears flop down a little as he holds her sweet smile, "Violet already told me the news."
Sparky nods to the comment as he speaks up, "Well it's nice to see you."
Starlight gives the same nod as she turns her head to the clock in on the wall, "I would stay a little longer but I had not noticed how late it already was." She stands from the seat as she shifts her gaze between Violet and Sparky, "We can catch up more tomorrow if you two are not busy?"
The light purple mare sparks her hooves up in unison with stallion's voice as they speak up, "That's fine we're free tomorrow, Cadence and Shining are going out of town for a few days and the Wonder Bolt’s stadium is not up yet."
To the words Starlight turns back towards the door, but her sight of it is blocked by the other stallion still standing in front of it, "Oh, hello I do not believe we have met."
Futty holds a slight smile as he nods, "Well we've met before..." He playfully shifts as he continues, "But I can't seem to remember my name, can I have yours or should I just call you Angel."
The flirty comment brings a slightly amused giggle to the mare as she looks over the stallion, "Now I remember...Futty correct?"
The tan stallion bows his head as he gives a little smile, "Why yes it is Angel."
Another little laugh comes up from the the crystal mare as she nods, "Starlight."
Futty casually moves from the doorway he was slightly blocking as he speaks up, "I'd say you look better than just star light."
His choice in words flicks the mare's ear as she stutters a little, "W-well thank you...I-I should get going though." She holds her eyes to the stallion for a moment before she trots out of the door.
The tan stallion's head turns back to the light purple mare at the table as the sound of the door closing rings behind him, "Well Violet I was going to stay a little bit, but I think I'm going to walk a certain somepony home tonight." He gives a little nod to his friends as he continues, "Keep the Ice Queen in check Sparky, I'll see you guys later."
Violet holds a little smirk to the comment as she watches her friend leave the house.
As the door again comes to a close Sparky moves his small bag to the hook next to the door as he speaks up, "If you want to go lay down I can clean up down here."
A sweet smile comes to the mare's face at the comment, but her horn sparks up as she floats the items from the table and neatly into the kitchen of sink.
Sparky watches the magic for a moment as he speaks up, "Futty said he would tell your parents when he got back, any idea how we can reach your brother?"
The comment pauses the mare's trot after the few things she floated away as he thinks it over for the moment.
The early morning sun has creeped up and now shines through the slightly parted window of the unfamiliar bed room. Outside there's the faint chatter of ponies that have already started the day. Sounds of birds chirping from a nest most likely built up in one of the decorative potted plants that adorn the balconies of Canterlot's residential area also chimes to the room.
However, every little sound pounds to the slightly hung over dark cream coated and unbrushed purple and dark blue mane pony's head. As he just tries to quietly slip on the guard armor that he had tossed to the ground last night without disturbing the mare in the bed whom he does not know the name to.
He struggles to get the strap on as he tries to balance on two legs, but he finally gives up as he sparks his light yellow magic up to pull the underbelly straps around himself. The low chime of magic and sigh of finally having the dumb thing on stirs the mare in the bed as she starts to blink to the standing stallion.
Aerolight quickly turns back to the bed mane mare as her timid voice comes up, "Are you leaving?"
The stallion quickly rolls his hoof to the comment as he shoots a flashy smile across his face, "I have to get to work."
The light pink earth pony mare with rose red mane continues to blink to the stallion as she again brings her low voice up, "Um, okay?"
Aerolight moves his hoof to the helmet on the dresser as he quickly puts it on, "Ya I had fun last night Lily."
"I-it's Rose."
"Ya ya Rose." Aerolight wiggles his hoof to the name as he starts to move towards the door, "I knew it was some flower."
The mare starts to sit up a little more in the bed as she watches the stallion's quicker movements, "A-are you going to-..."
"Can't talk gotta go." Aerolight quickly cuts her hoof as he brings a hoof to her door.
"But-..."
"Sorry got to go" Aerolight holds his smile as he moves out into the hallway of the two story house. His trot holds a quicker pace down the short hallway and towards the stairs.
As he starts down the stairs he starts to whisper to himself, "Come Aerolight you got to be quieter." He gives a dramatic chill like shake as he laughs to himself, "I hate it when they wake up."
The young stallion quickly opens the door as he trots out into the morning sun with a laughy smile.
However, the sound of the door closing that now rings through the house just brings a slight bit of confusion to the young mare as she moves from the bed. Her eyes sit to the little note and rose on the dresser where Aerolight's helmet was sitting. Her hoof comes over the note as she brings it to her eyes, I hope you had a wonderful night Jasmine hope to see you again. Sincerely Arrow
The mare just blinks to the wrong hoof printed name as she stands in her room.
- - - (Outside and down the road)
Aerolight takes a deep breath of air as he tries to place himself in the city. He knows from the buildings that he's in the upper part of the city, and judging by how close the castle is he's not to far from his own house.
However, the stallion's thoughts quickly change as he realizes how late in the morning it really is. A groan comes to the stallion as he just rolls his helmet wearing head, "I would be late..." His trot quickly turns down the street on his left as he continues to talk to himself, "Okay what do I say?..." His face scrunches up as he racks his brain for a plan.
Aerolight's concentration is quickly dropped as the sounds of two mare's giggling next to him flicks his ear. The two mare look to be maybe a little older than the young stallion but that doesn't change his pink eyed gaze as he watches their aimless and slow trot down the road next to him.
The young stallion has lived in the city long enough to know when the back streets and side streets get crowded, with the knowledge in mind he starts his trot up a little faster as he sets his eyes too the square a little further down the road.
Aerolight's quicker trot has brought him to the normal street he trots down to the castle. However, despite the fact he's late for his early morning check in with the guards he diverts his trot to the older mare that stands in front of a flower display.
A young couple stands between Aerolight and the bright red rose he has his eyes set on.
As he waits in the two pony line he turns his eyes back to the two mares that he was trotting near, luckily though they have stopped to stare at something in one of the clothing shop windows.
But Aerolight's smirk is brought to an end as the slow and happy voice of the stallion in front of him rings out with an uppity light tone, "Oh, this tulip definitely will bring out your eyes dear...." The unicorn floats over a few bits as the older dull white mare with gray mane hoofs over a bouquet of green and light blue tulips, "Here you two go, have a nice day."
The unicorn mare sparks her horn up as she closes her eyes and floats the bouquet over to her for a sniff, "Ooooh, they are simply divine."
Aerolight rolls his eyes to the two ponies in front of him as they rub noses for a moment before trotting away. As they do the young stallion takes a step forward as he brings his hoof to the hidden pocket in his armor, "Hello Clair."
The older mare squints her eyes to the stallion a she sparks up an old lady smile, "Oh hello there, the usual?"
Aerolight nods as he hooves over the correct amount with a little extra, "Yes ma'am."
As the mare brings her hoof to the rose red flower that has a few heart shaped like streams that poke out from the bottom of the flower, "She must be a lucky mare hmmm? You always give her so many flowers a day."
The dark cream stallion just gives a little nod as he looks to make sure the two mare have not moved past him yet, they have not and that fact brings a smile to his head.
"Here you go deary."
Aerolight shifts his pink eyes back to the older mare as he nods and takes the small bouquet of flowers into his hoof, "Thank you Clair, but they are in no way as beautiful as you."
The older mare gives a little laugh as she tries to wave her hoof to the stallion, "Oh. get out of here you colt."
A smirk comes to the stallion's face as he looks over the older mare's smile. But he moves from her attention as he quickly floats one of the flowers out to slide into the little hole on his helmet that he made.
The earth pony stallion is always cautious to do his magic out in public, but the thrill and ease of it is just too much to avoid.
As the sound of the two mare's chatter gets a little closer he turns around to face them as he slightly cuts their trot off. The bright daily polished silvery armor shines almost as bright as the red rose in his helmet and that he holds out to the two mares as he speaks up, "Two ponies this nice should not be walking around unprotected."
He holds his little smirk as he nods to the flowers, "You two better take these roses for protection."
For a moment neither mare reacts, but the light blue unicorn gives a little smile to the flowers as her horn sparks up in faint blue magic. The well spoken voice of the higher class mare comes out as she floats the flowers to her, "Well thank you, it's nice to see a guard who's not in it for the armor."
Aerolight slightly turns his gaze to the earth pony mare beside the unicorn as he speaks up, "You don't have to worry about that, this armor is rarely on." He gives a little wink to the mare as she blushes and puts her head down a little.
The two mares trot away with a little giggle as Aerolight stands there a moment, but his gaze moves from them as he turns in back to the castle he's moved a little further from.
The trot into the castle's courtyard has come to its end as the young stallion moves under the lowered drawbridge. As he does this a voice comes up to the stallion's ears, "Arrow! Arrow!"
Aerolight slows his trot as the low voiced stallion comes, a light gray coated stallion with dark blonde mane trots over to Aerolight's side as he continues, "You're really late, StoneGem is going to be mad this time you know."
The stallion's overly concerned voice has always slightly annoyed Aerolight but he nods to the comment as he speaks up, "He can't be that mad I mean I'm only-..."
"Aerolight!"
The young stallion's arrogance and confidence is lost as the dark blue unicorn with decorative red and gold armor trots over towards him with a hard face.
"Are you aware that you are two hours late?"
StoneGem's voice and stare brings a nervous laugh to the pegasus next to Aerolight as he speaks up, "Ha ha, I-I should get going..." He quickly moves from his friend's side as StoneGem speaks up again, "Well?"
Aerolight holds his posture as he answers, "I take full responsibility for my actions and I apologize."
The dark blue stallion just squints his eyes as he looks over the younger stallion in front of him, "That's it?"
His words blink the stallion's stance as Aerolight just listens to the stallion, "This is your fourth time being late...Sorry is not going to cut it."
Aerolight's jaw hangs a little as he looks over the older stallion in front of him in anticipation.
But as a sigh rolls out StoneGem's voice changes a little, "If you were anypony else you would be out now...But performance has to say something." StoneGem raises his hoof as he squints his eyes to the stallion, "This is your last chance, and the only reason you are getting this is because of your record. Do it again and I will not have a problem kicking you out of the guard."
The stallion's words nod Aerolight's head as he continues, "Now you and Gust are on train duty today, and do not leave your post."
A cocky smile comes to Aerolight as he shells out a low comment, "What about lunch?"
The fact the young pony even said anything brings a little anger to StoneGem's face as he speaks up, "You better hope that you can eat standing up, got that Aerolight?"
Aerolight nods as he raises his right hoof to his head, "Yes sir."
StoneGem gives a little sigh as he shakes his head to the stallion and he turns away, "Get going."
As the dark blue stallion moves from Aerolight the young pony turns his trot back to the gate of the castle as he trots towards the pegasus waiting for him. "What did he say?"
The pegasus's wide eyes and awaiting ears bring a slightly cocky smile to Aerolight as he shrugs it off, "He can't get rid of me." He proudly brings his head up as he leads the trot out of the castle's grounds.
"Cool, I didn't think that-..." Gust's voice is cut off as a deep and snooty voice comes up from in front of him.
"Oh look it's Little Gust and Limpy Arrow." The armored white stallion unicorn and laughing dull brown pegasus brings a slight bit of annoyance to Aerolight as he stops his trot and cocks an eye to the impending second comment.
The other two guards stop as they look over the ponies in front of them, "What mare's got your tongue Arrow? I know we saw you hitting on that saggy flower mare, looking for a new date or something?"
Before Aerolight can speak up the whiny sounding voice of the laughing pegasus comes up as he nudges his larger friend, "Naw, he's already got a mare." He points his hoof to the light gray pegasus next to Aerolight as he holds his laugh, "Go on Gust give your colt friend a kiss, he might give you his girly rose helmet."
Their laughs bring a smile to the dark cream stallion's face as he cocks his head to the other side.
But his smirk has lowered the two stallion's fun as they squint to him, "What's so funny?"
Aerolight shrugs as he speaks up, "Oh no no, you're right. My tongue is in a mare..." He gives a little smirk as he looks over the stallion, "You worked the night shift last night huh? You should ask your mare if she had company."
The comment quickly lunges the stallion unicorn forward as he tries to hoof the dark cream colored stallion in the snout. However, Aerolight quickly takes advantage of the stallion's three hoof stance as he sparks up his magic to the stallion's back legs.
Within the blink of an eye the stallion has tripped and fallen into the little moat that lays under the lowered drawbridge.
The pegasus that was once laughing is now silent as he just stares to where his friend fell.
Aerolight pokes his head over the side of the bridge as he calls down to the stallion who tries to swim out of the dirty and murky water, "Hey! Big tip Flex don't fight on a drawbridge!"
"OH you're going to regret this Arrow!" The stallion's shaky voice from the cooler water brings a little smile to Aerolight as he calls back again, "What are you talking about? You fell right Flex?" He starts up a smirk as he lowers his voice, "Or was that somepony else taking time out of his shift to go shopping for a dress?"
The stallion blinks to the comment as he pulls himself from the water and to the grassy area in front of the castle's wall, "Y-you didn't see Flair last night?"
Aerolight shakes his head to the comment as he speaks up, "I'm not an ass like you Flex, now clean yourself up."
No comment comes from the dirtied armored stallion as Aerolight turns his head to the on looking pegasus behind him, "You should help him out of the water." As his words come to an end he nods to the widely smiling pony next to him as he speaks up, "Come on Gust we have train duty."
As the two ponies trot away the pegasus moves a little more to the edge of the drawbridge as he takes himself from the ground.
It has been two and a half long hours since the two ponies left the castle grounds to take on the highly undesirable job that is known as train station duty. The point of the post is to make sure no threat to the city is allowed in...This point has never made much sense to the dark cream coated stallion who continues to sit on the empty white wood bench. The idea of a threat literally taking the risk in boarding a train and then just walking into the city is something that seems quite idiotic to the stallion and pointless.
But, staying true to his word the young stallion has not left his post; even if that does mean he's been forced to listen to the slightly annoying pegasus continuing to relive what happen earlier.
"...Oh and his face! He looked speechless!"
Aerolight gives a little sigh to the comment as he nods, "Well he did say something so I don't know if speechless is right."
His words do little to Gust as the sprawled out winged stallion shakes his head, "Still he looked so...You know."
From his seat on the bench Aerolight just gives a simple nods as he rest his head back to the back of the bench, "When is the next train again?"
Gust turns his head to the empty tracks as he speaks up, "Um, it's the north train...I think a few minutes."
A groan comes from Aerolight as he closes his eyes.
"You shouldn't sleep on the job."
The comment brings a slight smirk to Aerolight as he sits up a little more, "Ya because so many ponies are going to report us." His hoof points to the empty train station as he waits for a response.
Gust rubs his hoof to the other as he shrugs, "Well ponies should start coming for the train soon."
Aerolight just gives a little sigh as he puts his head back to the wood benches back, "Ya."
"Oh ya I forgot." The voice again brings Aerolight's head up as he watches the stallion reach into his armor, "Here, this stuff came this morning."
The young stallion looks over the slightly sweat damp letters as he slowly extends his hoof, "Oh...Thanks."
Gust lowers his head a little as he speaks up, "Um, do you think you could get your mail sent to your house from now on? The letters have started to get a little more angry."
Aerolight cocks an eye to the comment as he smirks, "You been going through my mail?"
The words quickly bring a response from the stallion as he shakes his head, "No no, b-but some of the letters don't really stay folded...And it's hard to not read a letter when an angry mare kinda shoves it in your face."
A faint chuckle comes up from Aerolight as he starts to hoof through the letters without reading anything more than the first few letters, Hi I was wondering... Hi it's.... Can we go... Hey do you...
As Aerolight continues to move through the last few mare written letters his eyes lock to the last piece of paper with a light blue glow.
Gust notices the longer stare as he speaks up, "Ya that one looked the most interesting...Who's it from?"
No answer comes up from the earth stallion as he looks over the first few lines, Dear Aerolight, Your sister and I have something to tell everypony, and we...
The young stallion does not read anymore as he just blows to the letter. Within moments a light green glow of his magic comes to the paper as it burst into flames along with the others as they fall to the ground.
Gust looks over the pile of black remnants as he speaks up, "Um you're not supposed to litter..-oh okay."
Before the stallion can even finish the comment Aerolight has stomped his hoof to the pile as it now blows to the wind. As the little burnt scraps float away the gray stallion speaks back up, "So who sent that letter?"
Aerolight rolls his tongue in his mouth for a moment as he just shrugs, "My sister, she probably having twins or something."
Gust blinks to the comment but before he can ask another question the sound of chattering ponies starts to ring to the train station.
"Oh ponies." Gust straightened his posture as he turns back towards the tracks with a little whisper to the still sitting stallion, "You should probably get up." Aerolight groans a little as he comes to his hooves.
- - - (A little later)
The small group of ponies that trotted into the station now numbers close to fifty as the noise to the small cover bounces down to the two silently standing guard pony's ears.
However, the constant noise of either a foal crying or some old pony having a coughing laugh fit is shattered as the new sound of the quickly approaching train's wheels now squall to the station.
Aerolight squints his eyes as he now regrets his last night little outing, but he maintains his posture as he turns his eyes between the few doors of the dark wood and metal train.
The north train has never looked as cheerful as the south train he's seen in Ponyville. However the more rustic look to the train, definitely does help to wash away how childish the job of watching ponies getting on and off a train is.
Within moments the doors come open as a few train conductors step from the cars, following them are more crying foals and older ponies.
Aerolight halves his gaze to the train as he watches a few ponies trotting into the station or to the baggage compartment near the end of the train.
Gust nudges his friend as he speaks up, "I got the left part of the train, you look out for anypony at the front."
The fact as to how serious the pony takes his job brings a slight smile to the stallion's face as he widens his eyes to the train's front stairs.
However...The young stallion's pink eyes catch something in his peripherals as he now turns to a light brilliant yellow coated mare with darker freckles on her nose that run up a little in between her two green eyes. Aerolight starts to slowly turn his head a little more as he watches the two tone blue maned mare trotting towards the baggage compartment.
The mare who has still yet to even turn her head from the side of the train starts to bring a smile to Aerolight's face as he turns to the stallion next to him, "I think I have a suspicious pony."
Gust's eyes widen as his wings flair out, "Oh Celestia where!?"
Aerolight pats his hoof to his friend as he speaks up, "Shh, I got this. Just make sure if StoneGem stops by you tell him I trailed the um...Suspect."
Gust nods as Aerolight starts to slip a little more into the crowd, his eyes still pinned to the mare that now removes one bright white satchel from the baggage compartment. The insignia on the back matches her cutie mark, which is a milk bottle inccidentently.
The dark cream coat stallion squints his eyes to the mare as he waits to see if anypony comes out with her. She looks to be a little older than he is, but at most by only one or two years.
As she starts to trot away from the train Aerolight straightens his posture a little as he moves to the edge of the train station. He post up against the train station's wall as he turns his eyes around the few ponies that trot in front of him, both to see when the mare moves past him and just in the off chance he sees a pony with fangs or something strange.
However, as the mare trots a little in front of him the stallion strikes as he moves next to her, "Excuse me do you need any help with your bag?"
Despite all the other bag wielding ponies that trot past him the young stallion holds to the initial comment knowing he can not change it now.
The mare stops her trot to the words as she blinks a little confused to the pink eyed pony's comment.
"My bag?" The well spoken southern drawl has a uniqueness that is almost unheard in Canterlot as it rings in Aerolight's ear, "Yes ma'am."
To the comment the light brilliant yellow mare cocks a slight smile as she nods, "Why yes you can."
Aerolight holds the smile as his plan works and the mare lets loose of the bag and towards the stallion. But to his surprise the one satchel is a little heavier than he expected, still maintaining his persona as the stallion speaks up, "So um where to?"
The mare sparks her trot up as the smooth southern drawl comes up, "Fantaisie Gras."
The name flicks the stallion's ear as he turns an eye to the earth pony mare, but the question as to why this mare would be staying at one of the most expensive places in the city does not come out. Instead the young stallion is slightly hypnotized as he just stares to the mare's sway of her hips.
- - - (Further into the city)
The trot into the city has been held at a fairly speedy pace despite the constant conversation the young stallion has shelled out to slow her down.
And now as the two story dome white block building comes into view the mare that has continued to trot in front of Aerolight now speaks up without Aerolight leading the first comment, "So tell me Mr.Guard, why was my bag so important?"
A slight laugh rings up from Aerolight as he speaks up, "You looked like you could use some help."
"Hmm...So you are implying that I am weak looking?" The earth pony cocks her head back for a moment as she starts to take control of the conversation.
Aerolight picks up on this as he blinks to the idea of her trying to take the lead especially on the last leg of the trip, but he does not let the words stall him as he speaks up, "Well I don't really know you, so I can't say for sure if you're weak."
A slight laugh comes up from the mare as she nods her head, "Interesting response."
The building's overhang now comes over them as the mare halts her trot, "You seem to have a quick mind."
The mare's stop in her trot confuses the young stallion for a moment as he just looks to her, but before he can ask a question a voice shoots his ears up.
"Aerolight!?"
Aerolight quickly turns his head to the voice as he takes a step back in disbelief to the dark blue stallion that now trots towards him with the same angry stare he already saw earlier.
StoneGem's voice is quickly changed as he turns his attention to the mare beside him with a little bow of the head, "I'm sorry Lady Way did you find your way alright?"
The mare gives a pleasant giggle as she nods her head, "Of course, I know the city fairly well." Her hoof comes up as she gives a little smile to Aerolight, "This stallion was gracious enough to guide me."
StoneGem blinks to the comment as he speaks up, "Lady Way, I do believe the invitation said to stay with the guards on the train."
The mare shakes her head as she smiles, "I understand what the invitation said, but I had no intent to wait for everypony." Her eyes come back to Aerolight as she holds her hoof out, "My bag...Aerolight was it?"
Aerolight gives a little smile as he removes the mare's bag from around himself, "Yes, here you go..." The new proper voice holds the smile to the mare's face as she takes the bag around herself, "Good day."
As the mare trots away StoneGem takes a step forward with a quick whisper, "I told you to stay at the train station and make sure there was no problems."
Aerolight swallows a little as he nods.
But the dark blue stallion just shakes his head as he looks over the stallion, "You are lucky the mare you decide to escort was one of the guest."
Despite the fact the young stallion has no idea what kind of party is going to be held he gives another nod as he speaks up, "Yes sir."
StoneGem sighs as he starts to trot back towards the doors the mare already walked through, "Now get back to your post, Celestia called for every lord and lady of the outer cities for some kind of get together."
Aerolight straightens his posture as he waits for the stallion's gaze to turn from him, as it does the stallion gives a relieved sigh as he starts back down the road he traveled from.
- - - (Later)
The trot back from Fantaisie Gras was definitely not fast as the stallion continues to enjoy the afternoon sun on his back before he is back under the station's cover.
But despite his slow trot the young stallion has returned to the now empty train station as he continues to trot to rejoin the other guard standing near the empty benches.
Gust takes a step forward as he speaks up, "You missed it Arrow!"
"Missed what?" Aerolight halts his trot as he waits for the stallion to continue.
"There must be some kind of royal party going on, there were royal guards and everything. It's a good thing you trailed that one suspicious pony." Gust's smile brings a responses from Aerolight as he flops back to the bench, "...Ya good thing."
The lower day's sun has started to drop below the taller building of the city as the two young stallion continue to their after work watering hole.
The bright rose of Aerolight's silver helmet has started to droop a little but it has lost none of it's luster and the sweet unique smell of it still works off any sweat the pony emulated when not sitting.
Gust however, smells as if he's been running all day; the quick run through a low cloud to help rid himself of the sweat has done little. Luckily though this stallion is more worried about the gold armor he has on rather than chatting with anypony.
A deep breath runs to the light gray pegasus's nostrils as he speaks up, "I like the night time smells, but I am so glad I don't have to work the night shift."
Aerolight just gives a little nod as he continues to hold his eyes to the road in front of him.
"What about you Arrow, you like working the night shifts?"
The comment brings a faint laugh from Aerolight as he shakes his head, "No, I don't like the night shift." He turns his eyes to the stallion for a moment as he continues, "And as of right now tomorrow I have the day off, unless StoneGem changed my schedule."
"Oh no he didn't." The pegasus quickly brings his cheerful voice up as he shakes his head, "I looked for you."
"I bet you did." Aerolight's trot takes on a new speed as he rounds the last street corner before his destination.
However as they move their eyes to the bright but fancy neon light blue sign that reads, Club Luna. He loses his smile a little.
Gust comes up beside him as he looks over the larger line that has formed behind a red velvet rope that stands a few hooves from the side of the dark white stoned building, "Oh man, looks like we're going to wait today."
Aerolight squints his eyes as he taps his right hoof to the ground for a moment, "Hmmm...Actually, no we're not." His faint yellow magic comes up to strengthen his helmet as he cocks a smile to the stallion beside him, "Just follow me."
The dark cream stallion's trot comes up again as he sets his sights past the rope line. A few ponies turn their heads to the two guards that now trot further down the street towards the door.
Aerolight doesn't turn an eye to them as he sets his sight to the buff and tall pink colored earth pony stallion that glares to the approaching two ponies.
It only takes a moment for Aerolight's flashy smile to come up as he nods, "Hello, we had a pony come in and complain about some rowdy ponies inside."
The larger stallion holds his annoyed glare for a moment as he sighs, but a quick smile comes up as he moves to unlock the velvet rope gate, "I think I heared something about that Arrow."
Aerolight holds his smile as he takes a step forward but just as he does a whiny voice comes up from his left, "Hey why does he get to go in?!"
The pink stallion turns his attention to the shrimpy pegasus behind the rope line as he speaks up, "Did you not hear? There's been a complaint about some rowdy ponies inside." His deep voice continues to ring out as Aerolight stops to enjoy the little game he's use to starting. "...And our colts in armor are going to make sure there's no problem, unless you want to stop a fight or throw a few hooves."
"Well?"
The pegasus behind the rope line just blinks to the words as he shakes his head, "N-no."
Aerolight nods his head as he brings a hoof to the door, "Ya'll stay safe now." As the voice comes up the two guard ponies trot inside of the room.
As the two ponies trot into the room the sound of low and smooth jazz fill their ears. Aerolight gives a little chuckle to the area as he looks around to the more contemporary feel of the night club. There are a few bright white and dark red booths scattered neatly around the house and towards the abstract dark rainbow bar area there sits a few small tables with little candles on them.
There's already a few ponies around the room, most of them young like Aerolight meaning they really do not care about the way the room looks as long as their friends are here.
"There he is, hey Arrow."
The voice turns Aerolight's ear as he watches a bright red coated, white and light blue maned unicorn troting over to the end of the stage, "How you doing dude?" His eyes are half shut and he's got a goofy smile on his face...Nothing uncommon to Aerolight as he speaks up, "Hey Lab, what's with the club tonight?"
His words widen the red stallion's eyes as he sits his flank to the end of the stage allowing his back legs to dangle towards the dark dance floor ground, "Oh ya..." He turns his head back to the stallion as he speaks up, "The boss dude is tell us dudes to make this place more fancy dude like for the middle of the week. So boss dude has us like make everything look nice, you know?" His smile comes to Aerolight as he waits for a response.
The dark cream stallion nods to the comment as he looks around the new lay out of the club, "So all this for one day a week?"
Lab wiggles his hoof to the stallion as he speaks up with a loud one ha laugh, "Ya dude. It's kinda a bummer though, I can't do anything with the music and the performing ponies are not really that cool. I mean I like zebras and everything I just don't see how I can drop the bass with jazz you know?"
Aerolight cocks a slight smile to the stallion's words as he nods.
"Oh dude, I forgot to tell you. Two-Barnz is going to be in tomorrow." Lab continues to bob his head a little as he waits for a response.
But Aerolight just gives a little smile as he starts to trot away, "Thanks Lab."
As his trot comes up the quite pegasus quickly follows after him as he speaks up to his friend, "Whose Two-Barnz?"
A little laugh comes from Aerolight as he shakes his head, "I have no idea, Lab has probably been doing moon dust or something."
"Moon dust?! You never said he did moon dust before?" Gust quickly turns his head back to the unicorn still sitting on the end of the stage now just examining his hoof.
Before he can turn his trot Aerolight's voice comes up, "It's fine Gust, it's not like the stuff on the streets." His trot across the club has come to an end as he moves to sit at one of the new bar stools.
Gust joins him as Aerolight's voice comes up to the light tan unicorn stallion with bright yellow highlights throughout his earth sand mane that stands behind the bar counter, "We'll take two Sparkle Lombs, one stirred not shaken and one..." He turns his head to the pegasus beside him for a moment as he continues, "Uh, one regular no swirl."
The stallion who was preoccupied with the glass he was cleaning with the floating white towel now turns his head to the two stallion as he smiles, "Oh sorry we don't serve colt cuddlers in here."
Aerolight cocks a slight smile to the natural mare like lisp in the stallion's voice as he takes the helmet from his head, "You know Taffy if you keep doing that voice it's going to get stuck like that."
A little laugh comes up to the stallion as he quickly floats down two glasses, but as he starts to mix the drinks the pegasus beside Aerolight speaks up, "Wait, when did you stop serving colt cuddlers? You can't refuse a pony in Canterlot?"
The tan stallion rolls his eyes to the comment as he floats over a bubbly yellow drink in front of the pegasus. His smile holds to the fact his little joke actually caught the guard pony off guard, "Oh we've always made an exception for you Gust."
Gust blinks to the comment as Aerolight and the other pony give a little laugh.
The light hearted moment holds for a moment as Aerolight's drink comes to float in front of him, "Alright here you go Arrow."
"Thank you-.." The young stallion's voice is cut off as the unicorn flings the towel around his neck, "No no, don't say thank you yet. Because just as soon as you say thank you, you drink and end up leaving here with some mare." The unicorn's hoof comes up a little as he points over the bar counter, "Remember to pay your tab today before you leave, got it Arrow."
The young stallion rolls his eyes as he dips his hoof into his armor to the hidden pouch inside, "Ya ya, what is it?"
"Twenty bits."
Aerolight gives a little laugh as he rolls his eyes, "Twenty bits for some watered down drinks?"
The stallion gives a little smirk to the comment as he nods, "Try to get something worthwhile then."
Aerolight moves a little bag out from his armor as he starts to fish out the bits from it, "But if I did that I might end up going home with someone as cute as you."
"Very funny Arrow." The unicorn's magic comes over the bits on the table as he speaks up, "You always complain about bits you know that? I bet if you just flash that last name around a little you would probably get stuff for free, heck everypony in Equestria owes your family some kind of gratitude."
The comment sourers the dark cream colored stallion's face as he move the bag quickly back into his bag without a response.
For a moment the unicorn behind the counter waits, but to the stallion's silence and the fact of the other ponies that now start to trot over to the counter he moves away from in front of Aerolight.
To the stallion's trot the young stallion looks down to the bubbly drink as he stares into the rippling liquid.
The night has rolled on with only the hiccups of young ponies enjoying a night they will regret tomorrow morning.
For Aerolight though, the drink he gets every night he comes here does little to affect his judgment or his mind as he continues to just enjoy the young and happy voices around him.
However, the pegasus beside Aerolight has started to break out of his shell both literally and figuratively as he plays a little with the fuzzy bit on his helmet he sat to the bar's counter.
Gust may not be the first choice the dark cream stallion brings a long, but on the off days he is stuck working with him Aerolight finds the stallion's slightly drunken chatter amusing. That and sitting next to this stallion never hurts the pink eyed stallion's look.
But as Gust's voice starts to die down a little Aerolight's ear flicks to another sound. The stallion's voice that rings up over the room's already loud music and chatter quickly turns the young stallion's head as he takes a look at the conversation a little down the bar's length.
"...I said I don't want to go to your house." The bright light brown earth pony mare quickly takes a step back from the drunk light cream colored pegasus stallion in front of her as his voice comes up again, "Come onnnn, I know what my buddies say about you. I bought you like three drinks."
"I said no Zaps!"
Aerolight squints to the mare's voice as he takes his helmet and puts it to his head. His motions bring the pegasus beside him down a little from his fun as he watches his friend trot away, "Where you going?"
The words bring no response from the stallion as he nears the two pony's argument, "...I know you're a herd mare, so what's the big deal-..."
"Is there a problem?"
The new stallion's voice makes the drunken pegasus take a step back as he turns his head to the silver armored earth pony. However he just gives a little chuckle as he rolls his hoof, "No, there is no problem." He sways a little as he flicks his extended hoof to somewhere in the room, "Hows about you go bother somepony else huh?"
Aerolight holds a stern face to the comment as he speaks up, "Hows about we take a hoof outside sir."
"Sir? Ppfff." The stallion's breath rolls past Aerolight's nose as he speaks up again, "Outside."
"O-Oh! You want to go outside huh? All big and bad being a rookie guard or something? Huh is that it?" The comment brings an annoyed flick to Aerolight's ear but he maintains his cool as he just watches the pegasus's wings flaring out as he continues on his rant, "Well b-buddy? I would rather NOT trot all the way outside to kick your flank!"
As his voice comes down the stallion lashes out towards Aerolight, only to meet nothing as the dark cream stallion's coat sparkles a little to the quick teleportation spell he used.
The pegasus quickly brings his head to the earth pony as he blinks blankly to him, "W-how did y-.."
Before his fumbling sentence can stop a hoof to his back sobers him up as the light gray stallion that now stands behind him speaks up, "I think you had better come with me sir, you have just tried to assault a guard."
The pegasus now changes his tone as he's slightly tugged along, "Oh come on, I-I didn't lay a hoof on him. T-there's no reason to make this a big deal..." As he's moved further towards the music from the stage Aerolight's attention turns back to the mare as he sparks his magic up no longer really worried about hiding it. The light yellow glow comes to the drooping rose flower as he moves it to the mare's earth colored mane, "I think you should just head home."
Despite the fact of the flower being put into her mane the mare stays oblivious to it as she just blinks to the stallion, "T-thank you...But did you like lose your horn or something?"
Aerolight just gives a little shake of the head as he speaks up, "No."
The mare gives a little giggle to the comment as she turns her eyes to the flower that pokes a little into her vision, "I would love to hear how you did that one day."
Aerolight cocks a little smile to the mare's words as he nods, "We may have to."
To the comment the mare starts to trot away as she gives a little wave goodbye. As the mare trots away Aerolight turns his head to the few ponies around him. Most of them have not really turned their heads to the little commotion half because the music and their conversations drowned it out and half because they can not think of something to say.
Aerolight moves his trot back to where his half emptied drink is sitting, it only takes a few seconds to move back into his seat as he sighs a little.
"Not bad Arrow." The stallion's voice brings the stallion's head up as he cocks a little smile to the stallion behind the bar as he continues to poke a little fun at him, "Now if only your Captain counted stopping a bar fight as a valid reason to arrest a pony for a night."
The young stallion just shrugs to the comment as he speaks up, "At least that mare is not hurt."
A little laugh comes up from the unicorn as he trots a little closer to where Aerolight sits, "Ya, so tell me Arrow. How is that stallion trying to get lucky any different than what you do, is it better when their the drunk ones?" His laugh comes up again as he wiggles his hoof to his horn, "I guess it would make a pony smile a little wider when you do that flower floating gag."
Aerolight brings up a little chuckle as he looks down to his drink with a faint shake of his head, "At least the ponies I go home with have a nice night because of their choice."
"Ha ha! Ya and then in the morning you run out." The stallion cocks his head as he looks over the stallion, "Oh Celestia please tell me you're not leaving that dumb rose with a letter anymore right?"
Before Aerolight can speak up another chuckle runs from the unicorn as he looks over the helmet on the stallion's head, "Oh wait, you don't have the rose tonight. Looks like you're going home alone huh?"
The young stallion just shakes his head to the comment as he speaks up, "D-do you listen to all of my conversations when I come here?"
His words bring a shrug to the unicorn as he responds, "Not all of them, I tend to turn an ear away when they get a little-..." "Bartender."
The unicorn turns his head as he trots towards the sound of the other ponies voice.
Aerolight cocks a little smile to the stallion as he takes his drink in hoof and turns to look at the main room he sits behind.
However as he looks in the room his eyes catches a certain blue mane pony a little ways towards the stage at a small table.
The young stallion squints to the two shaded blue mane as he starts to whisper to himself, "No way..."
For a few moments the young stallion continues to just stare to the back of the mare's head as he slightly shakes his head not wanting to believe who he is looking at. But the stallion's own curiosity gets the better of him as he moves from his seat, drink in hoof.
The three hoof trot is not the most elegant approach but at least this way he has a better reason to ask what he hopes will not be shot down.
As he nears the mare he comes a little in front of her just to make sure his eye did not betray him, they did not and he quickly speaks up, "Lady Way correct?"
His voice only barely changes the mare's gaze from the performing live music on the stage, "Why yes...It is." As her last words chime out she turns her head to the stallion as she looks him over a little, "I must apologize, I do not have any bags for you to carry right now."
Aerolight cocks a slight smile to the comment as he nods, "May I have a seat?"
The mare nods as she watches the stallion move his drink and helmet to the table as he takes the seat across from her.
Maintaining a certain smooth but loud enough voice to chime over the low jazz behind him he speaks up, "So why would a pony like you be in a place like this?"
The mare cracks a little smile to the comment as she leans forward a little, "I beg your pardon Mr.Guard, but what sort place is this?" Her green eyes sparkle a little from the little candle in between her and the stallion as Aerolight speaks up from the alluring southern drawl, "It's a night club Lady Way."
"Hmm, so because of a title I am not allowed to enjoy the city?" Her comment rings out as she moves a hoof to the dark red wine glass she has in front of her.
Aerolight squints to the mare's choice in words as he just watches her lips come over the glass, but he speaks up with the same confidence as before, "I guess not." He cocks his head as he cracks a wider smile, "You wouldn't be following me would?"
Lady way takes a moment as she slowly moves the wine glass from her now slightly red lips, "Why of course I am following you, I never know when I would need a pony to carry something for me."
The comment brings a little chuckle from the stallion as he nods his head, "So you are following me?"
The mare gives a little smirk to the comment as she speaks up a little faster, "Celestia has called most of the outer city's higher ups into the city..." She rubs the side of her wine glass as she continues, "...I would like to consider myself not part of the normal eminence of Equestria."
Her comment holds for a moment as she shoots her eyes back to the stallion, "Now, would you like to know why you are here?"
Aerolight cocks his head to the comment as he nods, "I'm all ears."
Lady Way gives a little giggle to the comment as she pulls her drink a little closer to her, "You are here because you hope to spirit away a mare whom most likely had just experienced her first heat, and preferably is practically falling down drunk. Am I correct?"
The words do little to the stallion as he just stares to her with an amused smile.
She takes a quick sip of her drink, as she swallows she turns her head back to the stallion, "...Now I do believe it is fair that I tell you something. I most certainly am not a mare who has only recently experienced her first heat, and I am in no way near as drunk as you would need me to be."
Her words again bring a little chuckle from the stallion as he nods to the glass, "If I had come over her just for what you said then why would I sit down knowing you're not drinking anything alcoholic?"
Lady Way moves her hoof back to her as she holds a smile, "But you looked."
Aerolight nods again as he continues, "You were correct about one thing though." He gives the mare a little look over as he readies the appropriate words to his tongue. The mare is not the same age as he thought she was, and in fact she looks to be maybe about five years older, this fact in no way deters the young stallion as he stares to the certain charm her mane and face shine out, "...You are definitely not the youngest mare in here."
The bold words bring a faint giggle to the mare as she widens her eyes a little suprised to it. However before she can speak up Aerolight's voice rings out, "Now, tell me why I came over here."
Her eyes move over the stallion's flashy smile as her voice goes silent in thought.
However, the moment the two ponies had at just staring at the pony across from them is brought to an abrupt end as a mare's voice next to the tables starts up, "Are you Aerolight Sparkle?"
The name flicks Lady Way's ear but Aerolight just stares to the unfamiliar earth pony mare in front of him as he nods, "Yes?"
Her eyes tighten and her hoof quickly comes over the glass in front of him as she tosses it onto his face, "That's for my sister Lily you jerk!"
Aerolight slightly jumps in his chair as the bubbly liquid runs in between his fur and the armor.
The mare's eyes quickly turn to the other mare in the chair as she speaks up, "Trust me, I did you a favor."
Lady Way's smile is wide as she just nods her head, "Thank you."
With that, the earth pony mare trots away from the table with her head up high and with no remorse to her face.
As she leaves the drink covered stallion slowly turns back to the mare in front of him, his face no longer holding the flashy smile and his eyes void of their pink shine.
Lady Way however does not jump from her seat or move an inch as she gives a little giggle, "I believe I will stay with my initial comment."
A faint and slightly embarrassed laugh comes up from Aerolight as he tries to clear the drink from his snout with no success.
"So...Aerolight Sparkle huh?" The mare rubs the side of her cup a little as she waits for a response.
"Ya." His almost emotionless comment brings a slight bit of confusion to the mare as she continues to look over the wet stallion.
No longer really caring the earth pony sparks up his magic as the liquid begins to evaporate from his fur, along with its smell.
The mare across the table holds a watching smile as she looks over the little wisp of exportation from the stallion, "Tell me Mr.Sparkle-..."
"I'm not Mr.Sparkle." The tone is not mad and not annoyed, but it is definitely not the nicest of tones.
"Aerolight, what are your plans for tomorrow?" The mare's words confuse the young stallion for a moment as he just blinks to the mare.
As no response chimes up the mare cocks her head, "Busy are you?"
The young stallion is slow to recoup from the little scene he was just thrusted into, however this lack in confidence is just what the mare wants as she patiently waits for his voice.
"A-are you asking me out?" Aerolight cocks a smile to the comment as he waits for an answer.
Lady Way brings her hoof around the drink as she thinks over the words, "Oh heavens no." She tips the cup a little to him as she smiles, "I am simply giving my self an option in case tomorrow's social gathering Princess Celestia called for runs short for me."
Despite the idea of this date not happening Aerolight sparks up a flashy grin as he nods, "You sure you want to be seen with a lowly guard pony?"
The mare holds her gaze as she responds, "I am not one of your prizes Mr.Guard Pony, I expect you to be waiting at my hotel if I decide to adjourn from the gathering early..." She leans forward a little as she wobbles her head with the power she knows she has over him, "You are simply nothing more than a back up plan."
Her low well spoken southern drawl makes the young stallion's ears stand on end as he nods, "Yes ma'am."
"Good, then I expect you to be waiting for me... And please leave your armor at home, there is no need to act flashy." As her words come to end she takes the last sip of her drink as she sets the glass back to the table, "Now if you would, leave and get yourself cleaned up."
Lady Way holds her eyes to the stallion as Aerolight floats his helmet up to his head, making sure her gaze gets the full blow of his magic. The older mare is not impressed but she holds her amused smile all the same as she watches him trot away from the table with a little whisper to herself, "Good bye Mr.Sparkle." Her eyes flash a light and brighter green as she turns them back to the empty drink in front of her.
The city of Canterlot has come alive again as the later morning's sun warms the stone streets and lights the bright world up. However, the fresh new day has been completely shut out by the young dark cream stallion as he continues to lightly drool from his wide open and still asleep mouth.
The bed's sheets and blankets rolled from the stallion's body actually pretty early last night. But the fact he had nothing to eat but a light snack when he got home, followed by an intensely hot bath drained his energy to much to care.
As the stallion's faint snore runs up from the bed the sun's rays that lightly pour in through the closed shades finally start to rumble the pony's closed eyelids.
Luckily though he rolls over onto his side still holding the sleep he is in.
Knock knock knock
Aerolight's eyes slowly part to the sound of a hoof to the door, but the fact that today is supposed to be his day off makes the stallion just lay in the bed hoping not to have to get up.
His plan falls flat again though as the sound of the hoof to the door brings the young stallion up with a groan.
Aerolight lowers his head as he lazily trots out of his room and down the hall. The house is definitely not the largest on the street, but one bed one bath with a kitchen/living room is all the bachelor pony needs. Especially for one who tries to almost always wake up in a new bed every other morning.
The young stallion's speed has quickly brought him to the door as he tries to flatten the stiffed up mane to his head. As he does this his low magic comes to the door as it opens, however his slightly friendly smile is lost as he looks over the pony in the door.
At the threshold of the door stands a unique cream colored stallion with darkious off color blue mane that is lightly peppered with early gray hair that even pokes up a little in the small goatee that pops from the earth stallion's chin.
Aerolight blinks to the stallion as he speaks up, "What do you want dad?"
Your smile fades from your face as you shell out a little chuckle, "That's it? What do you want dad? That's all I get?" You holds your smile as you just hope to be able to hold the young stallion at the door long enough to say what you came here for.
The years have flown past with almost a blink of an eye, for the most part you have no problem with how things have turned out so far. Sure graying early was a little annoying but nothing you could not handle...However the way Aerolight stated to look at you when he started to get a little older has always been something that has tore at your heart.
You still do not understand why the young stallion has pushed you and Twilight away...And you most likely never will know seeing as how bringing the topic up always ends any conversation you try to hold. Which only makes you feel worse and never solves anything.
The stallion gives a little sigh as he just trot’s back into the house with the door ajar. You slowly move in behind him as you close the door behind you.
As you come inside you look over the neatly kept house as you try to speak up again, "I see you still are keeping your house cl-..."
"Why are you here?"
The stallion's quick voice chases the smile from your face as you watch the young stallion not even turn an eye to you as he trots towards the fridge in the kitchen.
Knowing that you do not have much time you speak up, "Your sister wants to know why you didn't respond to her letter."
Aerolight does not change his gaze from inside the icebox as he speaks up, "Ya I was going to send a congratulatory letter sometime today."
His words flick your ear as you squint to him, "What did you say?"
The young stallion floats out an apple from the fridge as he turns to you, "I said I would send a letter later, I just got the thing yesterday. What do you expect?!"
The surprise slight spike in his voice halts any quick response as you nod, "Aerolight did you read the letter?"
"Ya." He gives a little smile to the comment as he waves his hoof, "Why wouldn't I?"
"Violet lost the foal."
Your words falter the smile as the young stallion's magical hold to the apple lightens.
To his absent voice you start up again, "She's invited us up for tomorrow, you should come and see your-..."
"Tomorrow?" Aerolight's voice cuts you off as he shakes his head and takes a bite of his apple, "I can't go tomorrow, I have work."
You squint to the words as you shake your head, "I'm sure StoneGem or whoever will let you go if you just tell him-..."
"Tell him what? That my sister lost her foal? That stuff happens all the time." The cut off of your sentence annoys you a little but you let it pass for the moment as you just focus to his words.
"Aerolight you need to come and see your sister, she's upset and wants everypony-..."
"Why? Is everypony being their going to-..."
"Aerolight!" Your raised voice breaks the young stallion's tone as he just stares to you, "You have to see your family every once in a while and this is one of those times that you need to-..."
"Ha! Are you kidding? When was the last time-..." His voice is cut off as you speak up again, "Stop, you need to do this-..."
"No." His laughy and casual tone snaps your ability as you raise your voice to boom a little to the room, "Damn it, when are you going to grow up and realize you're not the most important pony all the time?"
Aerolight's eyes tighten as his magical hold on the apple starts to falter a little more, "Why do you care huh?"
You shake your head to the comment as you look around the room, "Because Aerolight you're five years old and you're acting like you're-..."
"What, your age?" Aerolight's magic sparks up with a green glow to the apple as he continues, "And why do you keep talking about age like it's something strange to you huh? I'm five, I am not a foal or something."
You tremble a little to the words as your mind continues to reject the idea of five being grown up for a pony, "You can't act like how you do, I don't want you making a mistake you will regret."
"Mistake?" The stallion gives a little laugh as he nods his head, "You mean like having a foal or something right? Because it would be so wrong too have a foal not married right? The same thing you and mom did right?"
You shake your head to the comment as you talk over him, "Not jus-.."
"And you know what dad maybe that's not something I care about huh? D-do I really even have to have a foal or anything like that??" The apple next to the young stallion continues to jiggle in the air beside him as his voice raises, "I don't want to be you, I don't to be Violet! I don't want to be held to some standard that you and mom created okay?! I WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE, I do not want everypony thinking I have to do something amazing just because of my name."
"A-and you know what else dad? I'm sorry i'm not some special pony like you and Violet, i'm sorry I have not lived up to some expectation you and mom thought I would, I'm sorry i'm such a disappointment...B-but i'm living my life not yours!" As his voice comes down the apple beside him burst into flames as its remnants fall to the ground beside the young stallion.
He pays no mind to the ash that hit his coat as he points his hoof to the door, "Get out."
You do not move an inch as you just stare to the young stallion in front of you, "A-aerolight we are proud-..."
"Dad...leave." The young stallion's stare holds to you as you swallow hard and nod your head.
As your head drops to the floor you turn your trot not even wanting to bring it up as you trot towards the closed door.
You open the door as you take a shaky breath and look back, however the stallion in the house does not shift his gaze as you just nod and speak up, "H-have a good day son."
Aerolight is motionless as the sound of the door closing rings to his ears. However as the sound dies down he sniffles a little as he turns his attention to the crushed apple bits on the ground.
A sigh comes up to the stallion as he floats over a towel to clean it up.
The day has rolled on for the young stallion after your visit. At first Aerolight tried just to head back to bed, however this proved frivolous as he was unable to fall back into a worthwhile sleep.
But that was hours ago, and right now the young stallion has pushed thoughts about you and everypony else out. Instead he focuses on just continuing the almost mindlessly pace around the bright white stone floored area of Fantaisie Gras.
The young stallion's plan on showing up a little later in the night has actually started to bring questions into his mind. Firstly whether or not the mare he is waiting for would even show up, secondly how long is he willing to wait.
Aerolight slowly starts to move from his thoughts as he starts to turn his sight to one of the waiting benches that sit in the hotel's lobby.
As he sits to one of the gold trimmed white stoned benches he moves his hoof to the bright rose flower he had held in his mane, the flower's petals has gone a little lopsided but its luster has not changed a bit. The young stallion twirls it in his hoof for the moment as he looks over the short steam he broke down to better fit in his mane.
Sure he got a few looks for having it, but pony's who he will never see again carries no weight to him.
The sound of one of the two front doors on his left opening turns his head as he looks over the pony that now trots in. A faint smile and a new spark to his eyes fire up as he looks the earth mare trotting. The mare's yellow coat is for the most part hidden under a lavious light white and blue trimmed cloak and her mane has now been curled in a very majestic way to draw attention to her eyes.
"Hello madam shall I-..."
The stallion's voice from the reception desk brings a little response from the mare as she shakes her head, "I do not require anything at this time." As her words come down Aerolight stands up.
His flashy smile holds over his snout as he keeps the rose in his hoof close to him for just the right moment.
Lady Way now slows her trot as she squints a little to the absent armor wielding dark cream stallion, "I see you took my suggestion to not wear your armor. Tell me, did that mean you could wear nothing at all?"
Her words have no affect on the young stallion who has nothing but a small bag on around him. Instead he just holds his smile as he waits for the mare to pause a little in front of him, as she does he sparks up his magic to slowly float the flower to her mane as his voice comes up, "Well I didn't expect to see the mare from last night dressed like a lady."
The thornless rose comes to sit just above the mare's right ear as she shifts her eyes to it for a moment, but as her voice comes up she turns back to the stallion with a little smirk, "A red rose hm?" She trots past him slowly just to make sure her tail brushes up against the stallion's chest, "...I prefer Lupine."
Aerolight cocks a smile to her bold tail motion that anypony in the room could have seen, but before he can speak up the mare has already spoken, "Now shall we? I am famished."
The young stallion follows after her as the mare leads the trot into the side hall in front of the staircase. Aerolight may have lived in the city for a while and he is a guard for it, but he has never been inside all of the buildings and as a result Fantaisie Gras's halls are foreign to him.
However the trot is quick as the two ponies near the restaurant section of the hotel with the sign out in front that reads, La bonne.
As the sound of the two ponies near the little podium set out in the hallway the unicorn dressed in a waiters top shifts his head up as he looks over the fancy dressed mare, "Two?"
"Yes, thanks."
The stallion nods as he floats up two menus, "Follow me."
Aerolight and Lady Way follow after the stallion as they pass into the romantically lit room that has the sweet sound of a piano lightly playing somewhere in it. A few ponies sit around the area in booths and tables but for the most part their conversations are low and inaudible.
"Here you go." The stallion floats over the two menus as he moves to let the two ponies that followed him sit down. As they do his voice comes back up, "My I interest you in any of our wine?"
Lady Way speaks up as she nods, "Yes, do you have any Vanhoover Merlot?"
The stallion nods as he trots away, "Yes we do."
As the stallion moves from the table Lady Way turns her attention back to the stallion in front of her as she smiles. The wine she just ordered is definitely not close to cheap however the young stallion does not flinch an inch as he just moves the bag he had on to drape across the seat's back.
"So do tell me Aerolight, how long where you waiting?" The mare's fancy southern tone cocks Aerolight's head as he speaks up, "I take it your party wasn't to great."
"Why would you guess that?" The mare holds her smile as she waits for an answer.
Aerolight turns his eyes around the room for a moment as he answers her, "Because I've only been here ten minutes." His lie comes up with a smile as the mare widens her smile a little.
But before Lady Way can speak up the stallion has come back with a dark bottle of red liquid that he has floating beside him as he sets two glasses to the table.
It only takes a moment for the wine to uncork as he begins to pour a little into each glass. As both come filled a little he takes his leave as he sets the bottle to the edge of the table.
Lady Way moves her hoof to the glass as she pulls it a little closer to her. But Aerolight has no intention of her leading the early diner conversations as he tries to push the night along the way he wants, "So Lady Way, do you have an easy name I can say?"
The mare nods as she answers, "Why yes, I do."
Her end in sentence without a name brings Aerolight's voice up as again he nods, "Okay." Lady Way brings her glass to her lips as she takes a little sip of her drink, as she moves it from her snout she smiles, "But I will not let you have it until you realize who you sit with. I am in no way another prize for you."
Aerolight cocks his head to one side as he shrugs and takes his own drink a little closer to him, "Alright...Then what was Celestia's party for?"
The mare thinks over the comment for a moment as she sets her drink to the table, "It was a social gathering to try and enumerate the changelings she believes have taken over the outer cites."
Her words squint the stallion's eyes but he lets it pass as he continues to try and work the mare in front of him, "You didn't get caught did you?"
A little giggle comes up from the mare as she runs her hoof to the glass's side, "I did not intend to." She holds her light smile as she shifts her head to one side, "But I simply had to get out of their, everypony is just so...Unembellished, despite the royalty they all claim to be."
She continues to caress the glass in front of her as she looks to the stallion, "I would much rather spend my time with a pony whose name is worth its weight...Don't you agree Mr.Sparkle?" Her green eyes flicker a little brighter but Aerolight's eyes have already turned from her gaze at the name's mention as he looks into the room a little annoyed.
Lady Way's smile fades a little as Aerolight's voice comes up, no longer with the charm it had before but with true emotion, "If you're looking to meet some stallion from the stories you've got the wrong pony."
Aerolight turns his eyes back to the mare as he waits for a response.
However Lady Way just squints to his stare for a moment as she nods, "Milky."
The word takes the stallion off guard as he just blinks to her. Lady Way takes her hoof from the glass as she turns her gaze to the table for her next comment, "My name is Milky Way, I am the daughter of Vanhoover's Lord and Lady and I preside over Trottingham."
Aerolight slowly starts to bring back a smile as he looks over the mare's lightly freckled nose, "Milky Way?" He gets a little more comfortable as he settles into the chair, "I had expected a better sounding name."
The mare gives a little laugh to the bold comment as she brings her eyes up to the stallion, "Oh you are an exciting pony aren't you?" She holds her lighthearted tone as she nods, "You should know flattery like that will only get you closer to my bed."
A laugh quickly escapes the young stallion as he shifts his eyes to the table almost in disbelief to how straightforward this mare can actually be.
"Excuse me, but have you decided on a dish?" The stallion's voice next to the table turns Milky and Aerolight's heads as the mare shakes hers, "I'm sorry, but we have not even looked at the menu yet."
The waiter just nods as he moves from the side of the table.
Aerolight has recuperated his persona as he now looks over the mare, "So tell me Milky Way, what's it like Trottingham?"
His words bring a little smile to the mare's face as she gives a wide little smile, "I must confess, the answer to this question will in no way benefit you on your little quest into my room." She leans forward a little as she squints to the stallion, "Could it be that you have given up?"
The words bring the flashy smile back to Aerolight's face as he shakes his head, "Not even slightly."
Milky holds her eyes to the stallion as she gives a little nod, "Very well..."
Aerolight's flashy smile is quickly melted from his face as he feels a hoof slightly rub against his own, under the table.
The mare across from him holds her composure as she starts to speak up, "...Do make sure you listen Aerolight."
The diner has held a low but enticing tone to the two ponies, despite the fact that their conversations have dwelled heavily on past events and cites to which neither of the two ponies have ever seen. However, the words that have been scattered by the lovely bitter wine the two ponies drink are only half of the conversation as each other continues to mess with the pony across from them under the table.
The mostly empty bottle that sits to the dying candle on their right along with the cleaned off plates that sit on the other side stand testament to the lengthy dinner date the mare called for.
But just as the mare's story comes to it's end she speaks up with the words she has been awaiting since she saw the young stallion flinch at his own name, "...So tell Aerolight, you know everything about me and my family. But yet I know next to nothing about yours." Her eyes lower as they glow with a faint magic to them, "Why don't you tell me a little."
Aerolight's young mind and the continued little enticings he has felt brush against his lower body have kept his eyes from noticing the mare's glow as he finally speaks up, "Me?"
Despite the mare's spell she tries to impose on the stallion he is slow to continues as she holds a smile, "Oh yes...I would love to hear your thoughts, and the emotion you showed earlier was...." Her smile lowers her head a little as she continues, "Most intriguing."
The southern drawl brings out Aerolight's voice as he speaks up, "Well I would think everypony knows about my mom and dad... And I wouldn't be surprised if everypony knew my sister."
His tone and continued stare that dropped to the table slowly starts to fade the mare's smile as she cocks her head a little.
Aerolight shrugs a little as he continues, "...I grew up in Ponyville so nothing really happened unless it revolves some how around my family." A faint laugh comes up as he continues, "At first it's kinda cool to have everypony know you in town...But it gets a little different when you get older."
He pokes his tongue to his teeth a little in his mouth as he looks up; the change in his head breaks the glow to the mare's eyes as she now just listens to his voice, "Obviously it's different to be an earth pony with magic, and that's the problem." Aerolight shakes his head a little as he squints to her, "Ya everypony wants to know me or talk to me, but it wasn't because of me it was because of what I could do or..."
The young stallion sighs as he shakes his head again as his gaze drops back to the table, "...Or what they expected me to do." He squints to the cloth of the table as he continues, "My magic was not strong enough to follow what my sister did in the unicorn school and i'm not smart like my mom...And my dad..."
Aerolight's voice changes a little as he sits up a little more in his chair, eyes focused on the mare in front of him who has stopped her under table game, "I don't want to do what eveypony expects me to do. I want to do what I think is right, w-why should I have to be held in some light because of other ponies you know?"
There is a moment of silence at the table as Aerolight just waves his hoof, "...Sorry I got a little off topic. But my dad stopped by today-." His words flicks the mare's ear but she continues to listen as she just squints to the pony in front of her, "-.and told me my sister lost the foal she's been trying to have for the last couple of years."
Aerolight stops his voice as he blinks to the hoof he has resting on the table, "...She wants everypony up tomorrow, but I can't go...Not after what I said today."
Milky is quite as Aerolight's voice comes down, however she nods her head as her low voice comes back, "I understand how you feel."
The words flick the stallion's ear as he looks up to the mare.
"My Mother disagreed with how I wanted to rule-...Torttingham." She gives a little smile to the name as she continues, "It feels horrible when you can not live up to an expectation. However..."
Milky leans forwards a little as she looks over the stallion across from her, "...I did learn something from it. I learned that whether she thought I was right or wrong did not matter, what mattered was that I did what I thought was right." Her voice stops as the light smile on her face disappears and she leans back to her seat.
Aerolight's ears stay on edge to the comment as he waits for the words he felt that would come after...But the mare does not bring her voice up as she looks almost as if she is trying to hold off some hard thought.
However, the moment of silence to the table and the slightly emotional journey the two ponies just ended are pushed aside; as Milky tries to change the conversation back to the reason why she wanted to see this stallion. A faint giggle comes up as she tightens her posture, "I must say Aerolight, this was much better than Celestia's party..."
Her eyes spark up again as she continues, "Would you care to walk me back to my room?"
Aerolight's pink eyes widen a little as a faint green coat of color comes over them for a moment. The full front gaze the stallion was locked in now has been taken hold off as the mare looks over the almost zombified expression as he nods.
Milky moves from the table as the stallion follows after her, even forgetting to grab his bag from the table.
The two ponies trot is not hindered by anypony as they slink out from the dining hall. The mare is not worried about anypony stopping her seeing as how she picked this restaurant knowing if they left the dinner would just be added to her stay.
Aerolight's trot behind the mare is held at a normal pace despite his far off gaze as she leads him into the lobby of the hotel and then quickly up the stairs.
Milky's speed has made quick work of the hallway as she moves to her room's door, with a quick turn of the handle she steps inside with the stallion quickly after her.
Under the safety of the bed room's walls she sparks up her own magic as her eyes glow bright and the door to the room comes shut.
A little laugh comes up from the mare as she begins to look over the stallion that stands straight postured and eyes wide open in the middle of the room.
"Oh Aerolight, you truly got lucky didn't you?" The southern tone shifts a little as she cocks her head to the stallion awaiting a response that she knows will not come up.
Still she continues to look over the stallion as she takes a step closer, "Your family has thwarted so many plans of ours...But all that won't matter after you help make me the most powerful mare in Equestria will it?"
As her words come to an end her coat takes on a changeling green glow that starts to now shine in Aerolight's coat.
However, just as her magic starts to come over the stallion her smile starts to drop as she stares to the soft pink eyes that look right back to her.
The light lapse in judgment is all that is needed as her magic chimes to the room and the stallion in front of her is freed from his daze.
Milky stands in shock to his now blinking eyes as she just awaits a bolt of retaliation from the stallion she is sure has heard her little plan.
But the young stallion just blinks to the new room around him as he tries to remember how he got here. However, his quick survey of the room comes to an end as he turns back to the stunned mare's expression.
Aerolight looks to her for a moment before he slowly brings himself forward for a kiss.
Milky's eyes go even wider to the press of the stallion's lips as she feels a little tingle of magic rumble in between them. Aerolight pays no attention to it though seeing as how it is the same feeling he always gets when he kisses a pony... But despite that fact, this kiss is different. This kiss the stallion pushed forward is not to seal the deal on the prize he believes he has won. Instead this kiss to the stallion is summed up in a few words as he takes his magic sparked lips away from the mare, "I have been wanting to do that all night...."
The mare just blinks to the statement, in awe as to why he has not asked or even wondered how he got into the room.
However, she can not help but take the extra hoof, craving that tingle of magic she felt.
Aerolight obliges as he quickly meets her half way. Like before the rumble of his magic against her lips sends a little chill down her back as she begins to almost melt from the embrace. Mainly just to the fact that this little surge of magic at any moment could break the changeling's spell, revealing her true self and most likely spelling her doom.
But the stallion's unique taste is too much to resist and she no longer feels herself in control of her own actions as her new found desire forces her to take a step backwards towards the bed in the room. All the while pulling the stallion along with her.
The stallion notices the little pull towards the bed as he breaks the kiss and hesitates. His heart now pumps hard as he actually starts to fight with himself not to do this, not because of some inner voice telling him what she is but instead because of his own building emotions.
To the stallion's paused trot the lightly freckled nose mare brings her newly regained southern voice up, "I do believe you have won Aerolight."
The sweet voice drives the stallion crazy as his doubts are quickly chased away and he finds himself trotting forward with a response, "You're no prize...." He quickly presses a heated kiss to her as she moves her flank to the bed and a hoof to his chest. His head comes back from the mare as he finishes his statement, "...You're the trophy."
A true to life giggle comes from the mare as she feels the stallion moving closer to the bed again with another kiss.
The two ponies hold the embrace as Aerolight's magic flares up from the sparks on his lips to turn off the lights, leaving nothing but the two windows to shine the room with the bright full moon outside.
The bed's covers lay scattered around the room and the bed as they just barely cling to the two still slightly sweaty ponies in the bed. However, despite the cooler weather outside neither pony is cold thanks to the close proximity of the two pony's bodies that lay up against each other.
Aerolight's eyes are closed as the stallion continues to enjoy the content sleep he fell into from the early night's activities...But for the brilliant yellow mare that is locked in the stallion's front hoove's hold no rest has come to her.
Instead her heart beats hard and her eyes stay open to the room that has now started to grow darker from the lowering moon outside. The heavy heart doesn't beat from any cooling down, but instead because of the warm hold she has been locked in for the last few hours.
The warm and tightly wrapped embrace was not brought on because of some afterglow gesture, but instead occurred much later in the stallion's sleep. However the thing that has the mare terrified is how she feels from it...Safe.
Her eyes have continued to flicker between this fake life she lives and her true self as the tears that have formed are held back by all of her might.
However, as she inevitably blinks once more a salty stream of water runs from her eyes and into the fur under them. As it does the yellow coat is melted away to reveal the sleek black fur/skin that sits just under her spell she has been forced to hold all night.
The mare trembles a little as she slams her eyes shut, desperately trying to settle the magic that burns deep inside her.
A faint sound shoots her eyes open as the stallion up against her sighs a little, the fear of facing him runs up her spine as she quickly darts her eyes around the dark room. Not really knowing what she is looking for.
However, just as sudden as the sound occurred it ends as the stallion's right front hoof starts to tighten around the mare's heavy beating chest.
The tighter and loving hold trembles the mare's shut jaw as she feels another tear start to melt through her spell.
Knowing she can not handle this for much longer she starts to shift from the bed very slowly.
Aerolight's sleep is paused for a moment as his breathing pauses to the motion of the bed next to him but it quickly returns as Milky removes herself from the bed.
The mare stares to the stallion's peaceful sleep for a moment as her magic quietly wraps around her four hooves.
Within the blink of an eye the bottoms of her hooves have turned into a sleek black as she now trots silently towards her one bag that sits on the nearby dresser.
Her ears stay pinned to the sounds behind her as she continues to near her things, but as she does her magic starts up for as the bag quickly floats around her neck.
With the bag now firmly around her she turns her eyes to the cloak she had on when she came back to the room. It now sits near the end of the bed wear Aerolight's tail drops down.
Not wanting to risk going so close to the sleeping stallion she instead turns her head to the second thought that popped in her mind. Her eyes quickly locate the piece of paper and pen that is used for sending letters, her hoof comes up to the Fantaisie Gras stamped paper as she hoof writes a few things.
The tears in her eyes continue to form but none fall as she quickly and quietly sets the pen down. Her eyes now turn to the door as she starts to trot towards it, however the short few hoofs to it pause her as she looks back to the stallion in the bed.
But the stare only last a moment as she opens the door to the brighter hallway's lights.
The sound of the door closing has no effect on the stallion as he continues to enjoy his sleep, thinking that the mare absent in the bed is doing the same.
The absent moon over Canterlot means that a new day is about to break for the world of Equestria. However, the day has already begun to start as Aerolight's right hoof shifts a little to the absent space in front of where he lays.
For a moment his sleep craving mind does nothing, but as his hoof again brushes over the cool spot beside him his eyes begin to open.
The young pony stares now into the open space as his mind starts to bring back images of the mare he went to bed with.
His mind now brings him up a little as he turns his eyes towards the bathroom. As his eyes look over the open door of the dark room his faint smile is dropped as he widens his eyes just wanting to know where the mare has gone.
Aerolight now fully sits up in the bed as he scans the room for a moment in confusion. His back hooves start to move from the bed as he squints to the dark emptiness around him, "Milky?"
As his hooves come to the ground the sound of something being crushed under his hooves.
The stallion quickly turns his head to the ground as he moves his right hoof from the now wilted and crushed red rose.
Aerolight's eyes widen as he quickly comes to stand now a little frantic, "Mil..."
His voice is halted as he looks over the bag less dresser, as he looks it over he takes a step forward as he just blinks to the little piece of paper on it.
The low chime of his magic comes to the room as the piece of paper comes up to his eyes, the words on the paper look a little shaky but he reads them with no problem, Aerolight, I had to go and I'm sorry I could not wait to say good bye. I am sure a pony like you will understand, and I hope you did not actually think there could be something between us. A guard and somepony of my stature could never really be anything.
Aerolight's breath gets a little heavy as he looks over the letter, but his eyes squint to the shaky looking words as he reads the last few on the bottom.
The young stallion's light yellow hold drops as he refuses to believe the letter, not out of rage but out of sadness. His eyes quickly come to the door as he starts his still sleepy legs up in a quick movement.
- - - (A little later)
The dark world has almost no power over the brightly street lamp lit streets of Canterlot the light yellow mare trots down towards the brighter lights of the empty train station.
Her pace has been slow through the city but as she nears her destination she picks it up a little more as she now moves to the little bulletin board next to the station's opening.
The sign on the board reads, Train Times, but the mare's eyes hold to the numbers on the side as she looks them over, early morning train: 4:35.
Her gaze shifts to the ticking clock being lit by the nearby candle lamp as she looks it over, 4:30.
Milky blinks to the numbers as she brings her trot up again, this time to carry her into the covered train station. The pace quickly changes as her eyes shift to the bench as she moves to take a seat and wait.
The cooler wind now comes to the mare's coat as she continues to wait, around the train station there are no other ponies.
With nothing to distract her mind the yellow mare begins to twiddle her front hooves on the bag that rest in her lap. It's at this point the cold and latex like feel of her hooves takes her attention as she turns her eyes to the sleek black hooves she has been walking on.
For a brief moment her own hooves are foreign to her, but that fact is quick to change as her magic sparks up a little and begins to cover her four hooves. Within the blink of an eye her hooves have taken on the normal color as her coat, to the matching hooves she brings her front right hoof to the fur under her eyes as she wipes to the patches of dark fur that poke out.
Like her hooves the normal color of her brilliant yellow comes up and locks to the changelings magic.
As the spell subsides a little chill runs from the mare as she moves her right hoof from her face to stare at it.
However, her stare is quickly averted as a bright light on her left begins to shine on her fur and into the train station.
Milky slowly lowers her hoof as she shifts her head to watch the train's approach, unlike in the day there was no whistle and from the bright lit windows of the cars there doesn't even seem to be anypony riding the train.
The train coast into the station with a loudish squall of the breaks as the front most door of it comes opens to a tired gazing older chocolate colored stallion.
As the train lets off a little steam the train conductor runs through his normal routine as he nods to the only pony in the station, "Early departure huh?"
Milky stands as she moves her hoof to her bag, the southern drawl comes up as she trots forward, "Why yes it is."
The stallion turns his eyes to the ticket the mare brings out as he gives a friendly little comment, "A young pony like you shouldn't be waiting outside like this."
His words bring a faint smile to Milky as she nods, "Of course."
"Lets see here..." The stallion looks over the ticket in the dark world's lights as he squints his older eyes to it, "Alright everything seems to be in order, we will be departing in a little bit so come aboard if you-..."
"Milky."
The panting voice turns the train conductor's head as he squint to the young dark cream colored stallion that stands in the station.
Aerolight's mane is wild and flared up from his gallop and his mouth is open wide as he forces his breathing to try and calm well enough to speak up.
Milky however has not turned around and instead has dropped her eyes to the ground as the sound of the stallion's breathing rings up from behind her.
The older pony at the threshold of the train takes a step back into the train as he holds a watchful eye from behind the glass window, but at the same time giving the allusion of the two ponies being alone.
"...Y-you're just leaving?" Aerolight shakes his head as he looks over the mare that has yet to face him, "I-...*pant* I know I'm just a guard a-and I know we've just meet...." The young stallion's voice rings up with building emotion and fatigue as he tries to push through his true words, "B-but I think I lov-..."
"No..." A faint whimper comes out from the mare as her legs tremble a little to her turn, "Please..." Her slightly watery eyes come back to the stallion as she shakes her head, "Please, d-don't say it."
Aerolight bites his tongue as he stares to the watery eyes that glisten in the world's dark lighting as she continues to speak up, "...You have no idea how wrong what we did was."
The words flick the stallion's ear as he takes a step closer not wanting to believe everything he felt from her could be thrown away just because of his title as a guard, "Milky I-..."
Aerolight's hoof forward quickly brings the mare's voice up as she just stares to him, "It's not that..."
The mare's lip quivers as she blinks her eyes hard, no longer caring for the secret she hides. A tear runs from her left eye as it melts through the changeling magic on her cheek, revealing a sleek black color that can be seen to anypony in front of her.
Aerolight's mouth closes as he looks over the shaky mare in front of him. But, another hoof from the stallion comes forward as it's sound claks a little to the silent station.
Milky's eyes slowly open to the sound as she looks over the stallion unaltered gaze. It is not that the young stallion's mind is ignoring what he can see, but instead his mind has just pushed it too far back to care at the moment.
The mare takes a step back as she quickly brushes a hoof to the wet part of her coat to cover her true color. As she does this she brings up one last comment, "D-don't come any closer Aerolight."
Her tone stops the stallion as he just stares to the mare in front of him.
Milky cracks a slight smile as she tries to talk through her still visible emotion, "I-I didn't mean for this to happen...But you're a hero, and I have to leave."
Aerolight quickly shakes his head as he chimes out a response, "We're all a little different."
The words comment holds the smile as Milky nods, "...Go see your sister Aerolight. And live your life by doing what you think is right."
As the words come to an end the mare quickly turns to the train's staircase as she trots up them and past the older stallion at the window who just stands not really knowing what to do.
Aerolight's heart sinks as he watches the mare disappear somewhere in the train's windows. His heart screams in his chest to get on the train, but the back of his mind holds his legs still as he just stares into the windows.
It feels like a lifetime before the young stallion finds himself turning back around as he starts up a slow trot back into the still sleeping city.
The bright day's sun bounces from the crystally streets and as a results you squint your eyes a little as you continue to hold the trot down the city you have come all too familiar with.
Truthfully, the Crystal Empire has never given you as bad of an experience as Canterlot...But at the sametime you do not understand why your kids decided to pick the two cities you hate the most to live in.
You drift from your thoughts as the mare's voice beside you starts to whittle away at your mind.
"...So what do you want to tell Violet?"
You shift your gaze too the light blue scarf wearing lavender mare as you nod your head a little, "I wasn't planning on saying anything unless she asked."
Twilight gives a little sigh as she drops her head a little, which causes her mane that she had styled like her mothers to part a little around her horn, "A-and you're sure he wasn't coming?"
For a moment you pause as you try to maintain your laid back expression. You did not actually end up telling Twilight what Aerolight said yesterday, instead you went with his first comment and like him you use it here as you shrug, "He has to work."
The word rolls Twilight's eyes as she shakes her head, "I just don't understand why StoneGem wouldn't let him go. Sure he says he can be a little hard headed at times, but everything else he says about Aerolight is good... I just don't understand why he wouldn't let him take the day off?"
Your faked persona starts to fade a little as you give a half smile and nod your head.
Twilight's head shoots up a little as her posture comes up a little, "I think I will have to send StoneGem a letter when we get back."
Your ear flicks to the comment as you speak up, "Maybe we should just let Aerolight do his own thing..." You give a little sigh as you shrug again, "He is a big colt, he can make his own decisions."
The lavender mare's eyes widen a little as she turns to you with a questioning look.
Her stare catches your eye as you squint to her, "What?"
The stare holds for another minute as she cocks her head a little, "I'm starting to think that gray mane is starting to affect your judgement. Maybe I should ask Rarity if she can make some dye in your color when she and Spike get back."
Wanting to forget your thoughts about your distant son you nod your head as you take hold of the light comment with your own quick remark, "If you keep telling Rarity to make mane dye we'll end up blonde or something."
A faint one ha laugh comes up from the mare as she turns her head back from you with a know it all tone, "I'll have you know that my mane doesn't have a gray strand in it, thank you very much."
You lean a little closer to her as you just stare to the mare's mane, all the while making sure the mare sees your lean out of the corner of her eyes.
She does, and finally gives into her questioning as she takes a hoof away from you on the street you both trot down, "There's nothing in their so you might as well not look."
A faint chuckle comes up from you as you take a deep breath, "I'm surprised you would even suggest changing my mane..." You cock a little smile to her as you speak up, "Weren't you the one that said I looked sexy with it like this?"
The mare quickly shakes her head as a faint blush comes to her, "Sexy? I-I don't even think I use that word." Her composure comes back to her fast as she speaks up, "I said you looked very distinguished."
You nod to the comment as you turn your eyes to the two story house that now comes within a few hooves.
Twilight's voice changes a little as she looks to the door you both quickly approach, "I hope Futty told us the right time to show up..."
Her hoof comes to the door as you both stall outside for the moment.
However, the door quickly comes open as you both blink a little surprised to the duller dark blue unicorn stallion at the door.
"Dad?" Twilight gives a little smile to the older stallion as Night Light steps aside, "I was wondering when you two would show up." The mane that no longer comes to a point in front of his eyes like it use to holds his smile as he watches you and Twilight come inside, "...I was surprised we we're able to make it here before you two. Aren't you supposed to be the younger couple?"
His eyes come to you as you pass by him, "Or maybe not."
You give a little smile to the grayless maned stallion as you nod to him, "Hello Night Light." The stallion returns the little nod as you now shift your eyes to the four other ponies sitting in the little living room.
However, your eyes lock to the light purple mare that now stands from her seat on the couch as she trots over towards you and Twilight.
"How you doing sweetie?" Twilight steals the first hug as you instead turn your head back to the three stallion in the room as you nod to them.
Sparky now stands from his own seat as he trots past the older darker coated pegasus with dark blue mane and a duller red stripe that zigg and zaggs through the mane. It is a little weird to see Sparky's dad Volt here, but you quickly pass the thought off as you realize it really would not be fair for the stallion to be trapped in a room of Sparkles.
You quickly turn your eyes to where the white stallion sits in a chair off to the side. But before you can speak up to either of the three ponies in the room your eyes come to the light purple mare that has now moved to you.
Without question you bring a hoof around her as you bring her in for little hug, you whisper into her ear as you hold the embrace for a moment, "Hey Violet..."
Like most things in your life that have brought that warm fuzzy feeling of being a dad, it comes to an end as the other stallion comes up towards you with a little smile and voice, "Hi Mr.Sparkle."
You open your half shut eyes as you release the mare from your hold. It's always kind of struck you as odd how the younger pegasus has continued to call you by your last name...But probably telling him that you would break his wings if he ever did anything to your little girl probably had a lasting effect...Especially seeing as how it was their wedding day.
Either way, you give a friendly nod to him as Violet starts to move from your side.
Night Light quickly moves to reclaim his seat at the comfortable couch before you or Twilight can even move. Shining's now ringing out voice actually aids him in his little quest, "What kept you two huh? I know Princess Celestia couldn't have had you doing anything today, she was way to busy with yesterday's little get together."
Twilight's voice comes up to the comment as she starts to trot a little more into the room, "What was that for anyways?"
Shining just waves his hoof to the comment as he speaks up, "Honestly I have no idea. But it was in no way a Grand Galloping Galla."
Not really knowing what he's talking about you turn your attention back to the two young ponies as your eyes catch Violet's hooves.
The slight smile to your face fades as you look over her smile, "Aerolight?..." You blink for a moment trying to come up with something to say as you just shrug a little, "He had to work-..." Your words quickly falter the mare's smile a little and as a result you change your words as you continue, "But he should be able to stop by later."
Violet nods her head but before she can speak her hooves up another mare's voice comes up as the white mare finally pokes her head from around the half wall that blocks the kitchen, "I knew my mind wasn't playing tricks on me."
Your eyes turn a little towards the sauce and food stained apron the mare has on as she beckons Violet and Twilight, "Violet now that your mother is here I think it's time for one of you to learn how to cook something."
The words flick the lavender mare's ear for a moment but she stays silent as she just trots into the already cramped kitchen that the alicorn mare stands in. Violet follows after the words as Sparky now nods to you.
"Velvet won't let anypony in the kitchen."
The stallion's comment brings a little smile to your face as you start to follow after him into the living room the stallions in the house now have control over.
- - - (A little later)
The conversations in the close to tightly packed room have held a warming feel that can and will melt away any bad feelings that anypony has.
Truthfully, a slam packed room of ponies would not be your first idea of a nice get together and the harder wood chair you have sat on definitely adds to that thought. However, you can't help but smile to the conversations that continue to run around the room, sure everypony sitting around you is a stallion instead of your normal group of friends but that actually has a nice appeal to it that you don't normally get in Ponyville.
As the slight laughs of the room begin to die down your ear flicks to the sound of a mare sighing behind you.
You turn your gaze to Twilight as her horn glows bright to float one of the same hard wood dining chairs next to you.
However you bring a little smile to your face as you look over the mare whose coat has a little bit of flour powder in it.
A faint chuckle comes up to you as you like everypony else look over Twilight, "Did you get kicked out of the kitchen?"
"Yes she did."
The quick response of the white mare standing behind your chair makes you jump a little but you turn to her as her voice continues to ring out, "Now everything is ready but the mash potatoes got cold." Her hoof comes up to you as she nods her head to the kitchen, "Care to help dear? Violet is keeping the ice cream cold."
A faint laugh comes up to you as you think to yourself, what kind of diner starts off with ice cream and potatoes? You hold your little smile as you start up from your seat and towards the kitchen, as you trot into the room Velvet's voice comes up, "Alright all you stallions, find a way for us all to sit down and eat."
You stop in the kitchen as your confidence drops a little to the mass amount of bowls and plates that await a feast fit for a king...A smile quickly runs to your face as you move next to the Queen of the city, "Where are the-..."
"Potatoes, here you go." Cadence doesn't turn her head from the bowl in front of her as she wiggles her hoof to the table behind her, "Use the table to set it down on."
You turn your head to the table the slightly bored light purple mare sits at, her horn holds a faint light blue glow to it as a large glass container continues to frost over and over again.
Her eyes shift to you as you set your own bowl of food down, "Feeling better?"
Violet gives a little smile as she nods, however her smile is brought to a halt as Sparky's hooves come over the table.
The stallion who floats a little from the ground gives a little smile as he speaks up, "Sorry Violet we need to move the table."
Violet and your magic quickly pull the food from it as the table slides a little more towards the family room.
You hold your amused smile to the organized chaos of the ponies and flashes of magic in front of your ears bring in the sound of Twilight trying to take command of everypony in the room. You look over the scene as your magic wraps over the bowl next to you with a brighter green glow, note to self, always bring a clipboard for Twilight.
Your thoughts quickly turn back to the bowl of food as you watch a faint bubble of heat pop to the mashed potatoes. A faint wheezing laugh comes up from the chair the light purple mare sits at as she holds the cold container in her lap for the moment.
You cock a little smirk to it as you trot a little aimless from her, just wanting to try and walk off the fact you most likely just ruined your one job.
As you take a little step from the kitchen however your ears pick up a faint sound to your right.
Knock knock knock...
You freeze a little to the sound as you turn your head to the door, but you only stare blankly to it for a moment as you quickly open it.
The sudden and quick opening of the door takes the dark cream stallion by surprise as you and him both lock eyes for a moment. Beside you the mash potatoes still float but that doesn't take the stallion's eyes as he speaks up with a low voice, "A-am I late?"
You shake your head as he nods.
"Dad...I'm sorry." The words crack a sad and proud smile to your face as you quickly jet your hooves forward in a big hug to the stallion.
Aerolight doesn't fight the embrace as he closes his eyes for the moment just to enjoy it... However you break the hug as you try to hold some kind of light hearted and understanding feel, "Here." You float the slightly hot bowl to the stallion as he quickly brings his hoof up to it to stop it from falling.
You cock a little smile to the stallion as a faint tear in your eye pops up, but you hold your voice as you speak up, "You get to set the mash potatoes out."
Aerolight nods as he trots in with a smile to all the ponies in the house.
Violet is the first to notice the stallion's trot as her magic to the frozen block of ice cream drops a little, she quickly takes hold of it as she stands from her seat and trots to the stallion for a hug.
The young stallion takes hold of the embrace as he speaks up, "Hey sis...You doing alright?"
However, the light hearted moment that you got the chance to see is brought to an end as Velvet trots over to float the two items from the poines, "Oh hiAerolightTakeyourseat."
The rushed voice brings a little chuckle to the stallion as he and Violet turn their attention to the sight you now shift to.
Your smile drops as you look over the way Twilight had them set the table.
The couch and two comfortable chairs have been pushed up to the dinner table and a few end tables that the ponies must have gotten from upstairs or something.
Most of the chairs don't match and half are not even from the room, but you ignore that fact as you come towards the makeshift table that starts to be set by all the unicorn's magics that spark to the room.
You find your seat next to Twilight towards the middle as you sit back to the uncomfortable chair you left.
However as you listen to all the conversations around you a smile starts to creep over you. Sure most of the comments are just complaints about why you all are not in the castle but as you look around the table you realize something...
You came to this world leaving..your family, and friends and later even your memory. A faint chuckle comes up to you as the chatter around the room pounds a little to your ears. However you just push the noise aside as you move a hoof to rest on the lavender mare beside you.
The know it all voice comes down from it's commanding as she gives you a little smile to the hoof squeeze you give her left hoof. However the fact she has no idea why you're smiling only widens your content grin as you take a relaxing breath that fills your nostrils with all of the food that starts to float around the table.
The day has rolled on and now starts to set as Violet and Sparky continue to stack the few plates they insisted on cleaning up. Seeing as how neither pony really could cook, it only made sense it was fair to send everypony on their way before they got to cleaning up.
Velvet, Night Light and Volt were the first to leave, followed by Cadence and Shining. Truthfully you did not want to leave too early, but at least leaving early allowed you the opportunity to ride back with Aerolight and Twilight seeing as how the south train was leaving soon.
However, your reasons for leaving a little early mattered none to the light purple mare that continues to float the last few plates to the stack she started on the table. The only thing that mattered for the mare was seeing everypony, and that wish fulfilled has brought her spirits up...Even if that does mean she and Sparky have dishes to do.
Again Violet's magic starts to chime to the room as she looks over the pile in front of her, however her ear flicks to the sound of a knock at the door as she turns her head up for a moment.
Sparky stops his pull of the table back into place as he speaks up, "I'll get it."
Violet holds her eyes to the stallion's trot for a moment before she turns her attention back to the plate she now floats into the sink. But she doesn't spark her magic up again as a voice comes to the house, "Oh, hi Cadence?"
The name brings Violet from the table as she trots to the mare that now stands in the doorway.
Cadence turns her eyes to the approaching light purple mare as the pink alicorn gives a little smile as her horn sparks up with a faint pink glow, "It's nice to see you two again."
The tone in the mare's voice is a little more excited then it should be for somepony who only left about a half hour ago. But before Violet or Sparky can question it the point of the mare's magic comes up as a small bottle floats up from the saddle back neither pony saw against the mare's folded wing.
Cadence's voice comes up as she floats the small vile of pink liquid towards Sparky, the stallion quickly takes it to hoof as he blinks to it, "I know you have been having trouble with the foal, and I wanted to give you two this..." For a moment the pink mare pauses as she almost tries to collect her words, "...Me and Shinning had tried this potion before but it didn't work for us. But, it might work for you two."
Sparky nods a little to the comment as he looks over the small bottle, "Um, t-thank you."
Cadence sparks up a happy smile as she pokes her head in a little, "Oh and just so you know, the potion is designed as a sort of...Surprise gift." Her tone holds a light happy chime as she continues, "The users tend to forget the pony that gave them the potion."
Again Sparky nods as he speaks up again, "Well thank you Cadence."
"Oh and one last thing...The potion is supposed to work even when not in heat, so feel free to use it whenever." The comment flicks Violet's ear as she squints to the small vial in Sparky's hoof.
Cadence turns a little from the door as she smiles, "Just make sure both of you drink some." Sparky once more speaks up as he now gives a little laugh, "Thank you Cadence."
The mare nods as she trots a little from the door. However her trot stops as she looks back to the closed door as her eye's color start to peal away into a bright green shade, "Yes...Thank you Cadence." The magic to her eyes starts to come over her coat a bit more as she trots a little further from the door.
To the closed door Violet's horn sparks up as she floats the bottle over to her as she just squints to it.
The stallion looks over her locked gaze to it as he squints a little, "Y-you didn't want to try that...Today right?"
His words flick the mare's ear as she floats it a little from her with a slow shake of the head. Sparky blinks a little to the mare's expression as he gives a little laugh to the situation, "We've tried the last two times Violet...Maybe all we need to do is relax?"
The light purple mare blinks to the statement as she floats the little vile back to her for a moment. However she gets a little smile as she slowly floats it a little closer to her, to the slow moving bottle Sparky's wings accidentally start to flair out a little.
Violet gets a giggly little smile to the sight of it as she uncaps the little bottle for a quick sip of it. As she mussels the slightly thick liquid down She gives a slightly disgusted face, Sparky trots forward as he looks over her expression, "Taste bad?"
The light purple mare just sticks her tongue out for the moment as she holds a faint giggly smile. Sparky follows her lead as he takes the rest of the strong tasting drink back.
"Ugh...That does taste nasty..." He looks over the drink in his hoof for a moment as he shifts his eyes back to the mare beside him, "How's the aftertaste-...Violet?"
The mare's eyes have quickly dropped and a new found smile comes to her as she rushes the stallion for a kiss. Sparky's eyes widen a little to the mare's action, Violet may be a tomboyish mare and usually takes control of everything...But this, this is something she never really commands.
As the kiss ends Violet's magic comes up hard and fast to the stallion's mane as she almost pulls him towards the stairs.
Sparky doesn't fight the slightly hurting pull though as he follows after the mare.
- - - (A little down the road)
"...Well Violet seemed better." Twilight's voice nods your head as you continue to push through the slightly crowding streets of the city.
The dark cream stallion that trot’s beside you as he continues to look around the city he rarely has visited.
However, his stare and your trot are brought to a halt as Twilight's voice comes up, "Oh, I forgot my scarf."
Your ear flicks to the comment as you turn your head a little back to the mare, "And that's why you shouldn't dress like Rarity."
Twilight just waves her hoof to the comment as she speaks up, "I'll just pop back to Violet's house for a minute."
You halt your trot as you shake your head, "What? That's like half way across town?"
Twilight wiggles her hoof to the comment as she gives a little giggle, "It's fine."
"I can get it?" Aerolight gives a little smile as he shrugs, "I can just run over their."
You shrug to the comment as you speak up, "You don't know where it is..." You give a little groan to the comment as you roll your eyes, "I can get it."
Twilight gives a little giggle as she cocks her head, "oh and you teleporting across the city is fine?"
You cock a little smile to the comment as you speak up, "I have ran across cities with no problem."
A faint laugh comes up from the dark cream colored stallion as he cocks a smile, "back in the day?"
You raise an eyebrow to the comment but you just hold a faint smile to it as you start to trot past them, "I'll meet you two at the train." You don't wait for a response as you start to make your way through the lesser crowd that trots down this way of the street.
Twilight rolls her eyes to your quickening trot as she shakes her head, "You could have found the scarf."
Aerolight shrugs to the comment as he starts to turn his head back to the mare beside him, "Well I-..." His voice is brought to a halt as he quickly snaps back to a yellow mare that weaves a little to the crowd behind them.
The stallion's quick change in voice brings Twilight's up as she turns her head back towards Aerolight, "Something wrong?'
Aerolight holds his eyes to the massing of colored ponies as he shakes his head, "N-no..." He turns back to Twilight as he speaks up, "Lets get to the train."
- - - (A little later)
Your quick gallop has quickly brought you into a pant as you stop outside of the door to catch your breath. You blink a little as you try to adjust your slightly watery eyes as you think to yourself, pie and ice cream...Not good for running... As you continue to pant a little you move your hoof to the door, half heartedly expecting it to be locked.
To your surprise it's not and you decided to just trot in.
You continue to catch your breath as you look around the room that has still yet to be cleaned up, you're ready to call out that you just walked in but before you do your ear flicks to a little commotion up stairs.
However, as the sound comes to your ears they flop down as you lower your head and try to spark some kind of ninja like stealth as you try to quickly grab the scarf from the chair and move towards the door . But, the fact that the majority of sounds coming from up stairs is that of a stallion's you know that there is no way you will ever be able to actually push this out of your mind...No matter how hard you try.
You quickly come to the door as you lock it behind you and slip out.
A cold shiver runs down your spine as you float the scarf a little next to you. As the meaningless cloth comes to float beside you, a thought runs through your head. I'm going to get a letter in a few weeks aren't I?...
The world outside is sleepy, quiet and only faintly lit by the glow of the crystal castle in the distance. However, the lights in the hallway in the crystal house are bright as the light orange pegasus stands against the wall in a groggy but held up stance as he respectfully knocks his hoof to the bathroom door that has been shut for the last ten minutes since the mare jumped from the bed, "Violet...Are you okay?"
For a moment the only sound in the house is that of the stallion's hoof echoing back from down stairs.
However, that quickly changes as the door to the bathroom flies open and the light purple mare jumps to the stallion with a wide smile and a big hug.
Sparky stumbles a little trying to regain his balance as he pats the mare on the back, "F-feel better?"
Violet takes herself back from the stallion as she nods her head.
"Good..." Sparky gives a tired yawn as he speaks up, "...Then somepony should brush her teeth before coming back to bed."
Before Sparky turns away Violet brings her hooves up with a quick comment.
Sparky on the other hoof doesn't stop his turned trot as he just nods, "We'll send a letter to everypony after I get a good night sleep without being woke up by your morning sickness."
Violet just cocks a smile to the comment as she watches the stallion slightly dragging his hooves back to the bedroom.
