> Just Like Mommy
>  by Pteri
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter One - Somewhat Normal Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot was a beautiful city. Ponies trotted around the different shops, going about their regular routine of shopping for the finest snacks and dresses. Everypony had their noses high in the air, presenting themselves as the truest and most formal ponies around. However, every once in a great while, everypony will drop their noses, stop in their tracks, and stare at whatever would break their system that makes their fancy and beautiful town what it is.

Little Sparkler hopped about the streets of the town, laughing loudly with her adorable high-pitched screeches. Other ponies her age simply turned their heads in shock, then turned away, trying to ignore the outlier. The young filly didn't notice the way others stared at her with disapproval. She was always to busy with her own games, after all. The red scaly tail streamed behind her, the colorful and shimmery patch of fur at the tip waved continuously. Suddenly, she stopped, looking around the crowd of ponies. Her long orange tongue lolled out as she panted, still smiling.

Sweat dripped from the informal filly's black mane, and her racing heart threatened to leap from her chest. Her two eyes searched the hooves of the crowd, and then, she spotted her target once again. A long, yet tiny tail leading up to a little ball of fur sat under a table, unnoticed by the other ponies. Sparkler wriggled her shoulder blades, shifting her hind legs slightly. Her tail flicked slightly like a cat's, along with her ear.

Suddenly, the filly blasted off, not paying attention to the ponies she knocked over as she made her way towards the mouse. Her hooves quickly scooped it up, acting quickly as the loud squeaking mouse tried to leap from her hooves. Sparkler was unaware of the screams of mares and curses of stallions coming from the ponies who were sitting at the table. One mare fell backwards, scrambling back desperately as if the revolting rodent could kill her in the most brutal way possible.

Still unaware of what was happening around her, Sparkler scooped of the squeaky mouse and ran home. Her mother would be lowering the sun soon, and she was well aware it was dinner time. Her blue wings flapped helplessly, giving her little flight but helping her pick up speed as she mostly ran with her hind hooves. She wasn't far from her home, and she squeaked with excitement as the mouse squeaked in terror. The front castle doors came into view, and one of the guards opened the door as the young filly ran through giggling.

She ran up the first flight of stairs, sliding down the long hallways and making sharp turns. After living here for so long, Little Sparkler had learned every corner. Finally, the dinner table came into view, and she giggled again as she realized both her parents were seated, staring at their daughter. She climbed up two-steps that were built to assist the young filly in chair climbing. Sparkler plopped the mouse on her plate, splattering peas across the table and brown sauce across her face, only adding to the millions of things to giggle at.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look what I caught!" She laughed out loud again, blocking every turn the mouse tried to move to attempt escape. Celestia gasped, dropping a fork quietly on the table. Discord, however, simply laughed with his daughter.

"S-Sparkler!" Celestia gasped, picking up the mouse with her magic, pulling it away from the filly. "You have no idea where its been, and you know very well not to leave the castle without permission." Her voice sounded as if she was addressing her subjects, but with a much softer tone.

"Oh, come on Tia, let her keep it." Her daddy argued.

"Yeah! Yeah! Pleeease mommy! I will never ever ever in forever leave the castle without permission in trillibillimillions of years if you let me keep him!" Sparkler begged desperately. She knew at first sight that the mouse would be her best friend. She shall name him Comet.

Celestia gave a stern look at Discord, still holding the mouse in her yellow aura of magic. They shared a moment of staring. Sparkler saw her daddy shrug, and then her mommy gave out a long sigh. She then used her magic to pass the mouse back to her daughter. "Fine. However, you must get one of the guards to help you bathe it while I have a word with daddy, okay? For now..."

Celestia was interrupted by a snap coming from Discord's eagle claw. A barred cage appeared in front of the filly. Her mommy sighed again. "You may put it in here until after dinner. Then, go wash it." She said flatly. Obviously mommy wasn't too happy about Comet, but Sparkler was ecstatic, and she smiled, showing off her fang to her father as a thank you. Then, mommy gave daddy a stern look, and he looked back to his filly.

"Uhh... Sparkler. For now, please keep him off the table."

Sparkler nodded, picking up the handle with her mouth and happily skipped him over to the corner of the room. Finally, she climbed back up, staring down at her meal. Mommy must've been looking too, because she just let out a frustrated sigh. "Discord will you..."

"But of course, Tia."

Sparkler watched in amazement as her daddy snapped once again, and her plate was changed with a brand new one. Candy replaced her meal, and she wagged her long serpent tail in excitement. "Yaay! Thank you so so much Daddy!" She cheered. Celestia looked at Discord sternly, then stepped off of her chair. "Discord, turn her plate back, please. Then, meet me in the main hallway."

Discord sighed, snapping again, returning Sparkler's plate back to normal. She let out a loud "Aaaw pony feathers!", making sure mommy could hear. Soon, they were gone, and Sparkler stared down at the meal. She ate a pea, then considered that was enough hard work. She carried the plate over to Comet, dumping it in the pen. Suddenly, she remembered what mommy had told her. Comet needed a bath. He was kinda stinky, after all. And if daddy listened to mommy, she would too.

Sparkler took the handle of the cage in her mouth, and she carried it down to where she could find a guard to help her. While on her way, she saw Auntie Luna walking by, who then stopped Sparkler in her tracks. "Feeding your friend your dinner, I see." She said, looking down at the mouse. "We are surprised our sister let a creature such as that into our castle. No matter. What do you plan to do with it?" Auntie Luna asked.

Sparkler smiled, dropping the cage to speak. "Mommy says that Comet needs a bath, and I should find a guard to help bathe him!" She cheered excitedly. Her tail swished back and fourth. Luna looked down at the creature and smiled. "We shall help, if thou want." Sparkler grinned again, picking up the cage again before nodding, following Luna to one of the many bathrooms. Auntie Luna spoke a lot differently then most ponies, but Sparkler didn't mind. She thought it was fun!

As they walked down the flight of stairs, Sparkler lifted her gray ear slightly towards the doors to the main hallway. She stopped walking, letting Luna gain some distance. Mommy was speaking, probably to daddy.

"Discord, I need some support. I feel like you two are always going up against me, and I can't go with what I think is right."

"Oh, come on Tia, its just a mouse. You were given a phoenix at her age."

"Well, what about all the candy? Even if she does have the same stomach as you, we should feed her regularly until we know for sure."

Auntie Luna stopped and turned, coming towards Little Sparkler. She trotted up slowly, then leaned closer to the door. She sighed and shook her head. "Discord...."

Sparkler didn't think auntie Luna liked daddy, but it didn't matter because she'd never tell him. Daddy was perfect in everyway. It was auntie Luna's fault she didn't like him. Luna then looked up, using her large wings to push Sparkler forward, away from the door. This wasn't the first time Mommy and Daddy fought, but that was okay. They always made up in the end. Knowing this, Sparkler lead the way towards the bathroom.


***


Sparkler wriggled on her pink silk pajamas. She loved them. Mommy had had them made for her, and now she wore them every night. She hopped around her room when done, being chased by both her parents. She hopped over toys, ran outside on her balcony, and climbed her bed just to jump off again. It wasn't long before she had ran out of breath, and daddy had caught her, snuggling her in his big warm paw. He then tickled her slightly with his eagle claw, and Sparkler cuddled closer to him. Mommy laughed, kissing first daddy and then her.

Celestia then took her filly from Discord's arms using her magic, cuddling her against her chest. Sparkler wrapped her arms around her, holding her in a hug before being set in bed. While mommy fluffed her pillow, daddy pulled the covers over her. She loved being tucked in, so they made sure she was every night. Sparkler looked over at her mouse, who was now in a cage on the side of her bed. He was licking himself clean, which was quite a shame considering her and auntie Luna had washed him up. "Goodnight, Comet!" She said.

At that, Sparkler attempted to crawl out of bed, but failed as daddy held her down. He touched her hind toes, which she had got from him, and tickled slightly. That's where she was the most ticklish. She laughed, waving her long red serpent tail wildly. He then pushed in back into the covers. "Get back in there, you!"

Mommy laughed along with Sparkler as she crawled under the covers. Her parents watched as the moving lump under the blanket moved towards the foot of the bed. Her high pitched childish laugh was contagious. Mommy pressed her hoof against the covers, tickling her daughter as she tried to escape the bed.

Finally, Sparkler gave up, crawling back up to her pillow. Her black fuzzy mane was now a mess, and she was panting, but somehow managing to sneak a giggle between every few breaths. "Sweetie, we have something to tell you," Mommy said.

"After talking with daddy, we have decided its best for you to start school tomorrow. We know you've been homeschooled for two years, but... It's good to try something new."

Sparkler was instantly excited. School! School would be great! She could meet new friends, play games, and learn all sorts of stuff! 

"Yay!" 

Discord looked a bit concerned, but he smiled anyway and kissed his daughter goodnight for the final time, and stepped out into the hallway. Soon followed was Celestia. For a few moments they walked together silently down the hallway to their own bedroom.

"Are you okay, Discord?" Celestia asked.

He looked at her, sighing before replying, shaking his head slightly.

"Only a bit concerned... I know its a bit hard to be... Different. I just worry a bit, is all." He said, opening the door for Celestia as she nodded in agreement. They walked into their bedroom, and Tia turned to look at him.

"I can understand... However, I have faith our daughter can make friends if she tries... I mean, you earned yourself a family who loves you, so perhaps it won't be hard to find friends for her."

Discord gave a out a chuckle. "Celestia. It took me thousands of years to even get you to like me."

She kissed him on the cheek while using her magic to tie her mane back in a ponytail.

"Well, that was my fault. I was clearly missing out." She said, walking towards her dresser.

When she wasn't looking, Discord wiped the wetness off of his cheek. He was touched by her words, but the worry for his daughter still lingered in his mind. Celestia slipped on a blue silk nightgown before turning to face him again.

"Well, your fault or not, it was hard for me. I'm just... worried it'll be hard for her too. I mean, she has a lizard foot and one of her eyes look like mine..."

Celestia interrupted him. "So that leaves her with three hooves and one of my eyes." She sighed, crawling into her bed. "Discord, I can understand why you worry, but you have to remember she's my daughter, as well. She was born royalty, which will certainly help her get some friends. I think she's beautiful, sweet, and her laugh is the best song in the world. I believe she can go through it. We can't keep her stuck in the castle forever."

Discord sighed, snapping to form a cotton candy cloud in which he climbed on to. "I suppose." The cloud then flipped upside down, still holding the Draconequus. He curled up, flying the cloud next to Celestia's bed. He preferred to sleep this way, after all. He closed his eyes, thinking of Sparkler's adorable laughter as he drifted to sleep.
> Chapter Two - Day To Remember
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparkler yawned, stretching her mouth wide. Her fang then touched her bottom lip, and she turned to look at the clock, surprised to see it was six o' clock... She rarely woke up this early. She wasn't told what time school started, but she was excited, no doubt. She looked over to see Comet, her pet mouse, looking at her. Ever since the bath, he has been a lot less scared of the young filly. Quickly, she pulled off her pajamas over her head, giggling as she imagined the friends she'd make. She dug through her dresser and pulled out two tiny blue bows with yellow polka-dots. Daddy had gave them to her on her last birthday, and she only wore them for special occasions.

She tied each bow around each ear before running towards the bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror, giggling excitedly. She held the toothbrush in her hoof, squeezing toothpaste on it with her mouth. Accidentally, she bit two hard, squeezing a large pile onto her toothbrush and floor. This was so funny Sparkler had dropped the toothbrush and tube all together, adding a bit more to the mess. She then dashed out, still laughing her well known high pitched laugh, too excited to clean her teeth.

At last, she saw her parents' doors. She burst through the door, making both mommy and daddy sit straight up. Her jaw stretched very wide and she yelled:

"I'M GOING TO SCHOOOOL!!"

Celestia's wide eyes went back to normal, and she rubbed them while chuckling. "Not for another two hours, sweet heart."

Sparkler looked up at mommy with excited eyes before attempting to climb the bed. She made it about half way before falling backwards. Luckily, before hitting her back on the carpeted floor, daddy had caught her with his tail and pulled her onto his cotton candy cloud, where he them pressed his lips against her belly and blew out hard.

"Pffffft!!"

Sparkler laughed loudly. She was always so ticklish.

"No, daddy! Nooooo!" She called out, laughing loudly as she tried to push his face away. Once he ran out of breath, he sat up. Sparkler's mane was now even messier, and she wriggled her tail before pouncing on him. She bit his feathery wing pretty hard, but he flicked her off easily.

"Now, now, Sparkler, no biting." He said as he lowered her down to mommy's bed.

Celestia laughed, pulling her child close using her wing. She nuzzled her filly behind the ear before flipping herself onto her back. She then raised Sparkler above her. As the young filly looked down, she let her hooves and lizard foot dangle. It felt like she was flying! Both blue wings lifted up and flapped. She haven't flown yet, but this activity with mommy was definitely one of her favorites!

Mommy then flopped to one side, planting her filly beside her. Discord's cloud disappeared as he slithered down to join the two on the large bed. Sparkler then hopped on her daddy's back, nibbling his long, gray ear that resembled her own. Celestia gave a final yawn before sitting up. "I'm pretty hungry." She said, wiping her eyes. 

Discord smiled. "Want me to make something?"

Sparkler turned her head to her daddy, and her eyes widened with happiness as she prepared to ask for one of her favorite meals. "Pancakes!! Daddy, daddy! I want pancakes!!" Her wings flew spread out, making her look unusually large. She ruffled them before hopping of the bed, biting Discord's tail and attempting to haul her daddy off the bed.

She was too weak to even pull him in the slightest, so Discord just stood up off of the bed just before turning to lift his daughter away from his tail. "Again with the biting?" He held his filly upside down by her tail as she laughed. He pulled her up close to his face before turning to Celestia.

"I don't know, Tia. Perhaps she needs her fang taken out." He smirked as his daughter protectively covered her mouth.

"No way, daddy! I can't loose my fang! I want to eat pancakes!"

Celestia then used her magic to hold her filly upright and pull her away from Discord's paw. "Discord, why don't you make the pancakes without magic this time?"

He looked slightly disappointed, and wanted to ask why. Usually, he'd just snap up meals with his magic, and they were quite good.

"Well... Fine."

"That way," Celestia said while nuzzling her filly.
"Sparkler can go down and help once I help her fix up her mane."

Both of their eyes brightened at the thought of that. Discord pulled out a chef hat out of no where and placed it upon his head, and repeated the action with an apron. "I'll see you in a little bit, little chef." He said before heading out the door.

"Mommy! Can you do my mane all pretty?! I want to be beautiful just like you!" She cheered happily. Celestia laughed, taking out both bows with her magic. A brush levitated out of the drawer and towards the filly.

"Oh, Sweetie, you're already beautiful."

Sparkler turned her head slightly to get a look at her mother. "Really, mommy? You mean it?"

Celestia pulled the brush away, and planted a kiss on Sparkler's cheek. "I mean it." She said before returning to brushing.

Knowing this, Sparkler sat comfortably on the bed as her black mane was brushed delicately. It only needed a few strokes before it was silky smooth. Though it held the color of her father's mane, it contained the texture of her mother's, but lacked the magic flow that always amazed the little filly. The bows were then retied, and the two hugged tightly before following the smell of pancakes.

Sparkler ran ahead of her mother, speeding through the hall ways. Celestia gasped, but replaced her surprised expression with a content smile. She was fast for a filly her age.

"Daddy! DADDY!" She yelled while sliding into the kitchen. Discord turned towards her, smiling his wide, goofy grin. "Hello, there! I just finished making these pancakes... Would you like to add some syrup?"

Sparkler only laughed in reply and grasped a syrup bottle that appeared in front of her in her mouth. Discord turned towards the door way, smiling nervously as Celestia walked in. Her eyes contained a suspicious look as she looked at the pancakes that were all perfectly done and currently being drenched in syrup.

"That's funny... I didn't know pancakes cooked that fast without magic."

He just shrugged before leaning against the counter.

"I'm just that goo...."

He was interrupted by Celestia, who quickly ran towards her filly.

"Sparkler, no!" She called before running over. Her filly was laughing uncontrollably as she turned towards he scared mother. Not only the pancakes now floating in a sticky mess, but she herself was drenched in the sticky sweetness.

"Uggh..." Celestia picked up her filly with her magic, staring at her mane. What was just brushed was now sticking out in all directions. How she managed to do this is mere seconds was a mystery. Discord then snatched his filly with his lion paw and eagle claw from the magic aura. He snuggled her to his chest, ignoring the syrup that was now on him. He began to laugh with her.

"You are just like I would've been."

Sparkler stopped laughing and looked up at her father. His words confused her, but that didn't matter. She'd go to school, and then she could understand everything in the world, like why the sky was blue or what makes chocolate so good. The mysterious world would soon become clear.

"Sparkler, you really need to clean up!" Celestia said sternly, pulling her filly back to her side using magic. "I'll start the tub for you, and then you can scrub yourself up... Maybe I should help. This syrup is going to take hours to clea...."

A snap caused Celestia's year to flinch slightly, and in less then a second her daughter was clean.

"Yay!" Sparkler cheered. She then attempted to reach her syrup-drenched pancake after being lowered to the ground.

"Thank you, Discord." Celestia said, letting out a relieved sigh. She sat down at the table, which was soon joined by Discord and Sparkler. Together they ate the most important meal of the day.


***


The time had finally arrived. Sparkler was finally going to school! The gold chariot in which she rode in was amazing! She has always loved taking trips into the sky. Celestia sat beside her, smiling forward as her filly looked carefully over the edge. Daddy didn't come along, despite the begging Sparkler had done. She even brought out the puppy eyes, which was almost impossible to resist, but he insisted on staying home. At least mommy rode along with her.

Her bows were tightened on her ears, and a small red saddlebag sat on her back.

Celestia pulled her filly away from the edge with her hooves and embraced her in a long hug.

"Remember, sweetie. Don't be afraid to make some friends. But not during class. Be sure to listen to your teacher." Sparkler nodded, smiling a reply. Celestia felt a pinch of concern as she looked at the fang of her daughter, along with the eyes that didn't match. She quickly shook the feeling. She'd be fine.

"Y-You have your lunch?" Celestia asked as the chariot lowered toward the ground.

Sparkler ignored her mother as the large building came into view. It was a blue brick building with a bell on top, and was quite huge. However, it was no where near the castle size Sparkler was used to, but it was the most exciting building in existence.

"School!" She cheered excitedly, wagging her tail. It was really happening! Sparkler had always wanted to go to school, but it seemed daddy always felt nervous about the idea. It didn't matter though, because she was there now!

The chariot which was carried by two strong stallion Pegasus ponies was set carefully on the ground. Sparkler nuzzled her mommy's nose before hoping out. Celestia watched as her filly suddenly slowed down to examine the building. An aching pain in Celestia's heart made her want to run out and hug her filly more then ever, but all she did was wave. The princess had royal duties to attend to, so there was no time to linger by. With a final wave, the chariot rose upward.

Sparkler, who was normally quite fast, walked slower then other ponies toward the school. All the excitement seemed to have fall to her hooves (and lizard foot) and was soon replaced by a swarm of butterflies in her tummy. Other ponies stood around her, silencing themselves as she walked by. Before, this wasn't really a problem with Sparkler. She had run through streets countless times before... But seeing tons and tons and millions and millions of ponies her age staring at her with either a look of confusion, shock, or hatred made her knees quiver.

However, if there is anything her dad had taught her, its to laugh in any situation and always smile. She wanted to be just like Daddy. Despite the strange looks, Sparkler showed off her toothy smile. She even occasionally waved to several ponies. The stairs came into view, and the polished marble reminded her of her bathroom floor. At least that was comforting. In fact, it was just enough to squeeze a giggle out herself.

Sparkler hopped up quickly, laughing obnoxiously loud while doing so. However, there were other ponies at the top she hadn't noticed. Quickly, Sparkler stopped herself before running into them. They let out a gasp at the top of the stairs as Sparkler came close to running into them.

"Woooah!" She screamed before tumbling backward. Though she couldn't fly yet, Sparkler was able to lighten her fall using her bright blue feathered wings. Sparkler actually giggled out loud at her clumsiness. "Whoopsies!" Sparkler said. A pony from the top of the stairs trotted down. Her long purple mane was curled slightly, and her blue eyes stood out against the pink fur.

"Are you okay?" She asked, holding out a hoof.

Sparkler looked up, slightly surprised, but then smiled and reached her hoof out to accept the help. But as she reached up, the pony swapped her hoof away, causing Sparkler to fall again. The mare then turned her head towards a crowd at the top of the stairs, and then all of them laughed in unison.

Sparkler's eyebrows raised in shock. What?

Suddenly, a dark pink pony with blonde mane galloped quickly down the stairs, actually helping the confused filly up. "Leave her alone, Precious Tiara!" The pony yelled.

The pink pony laughed before rolling her eyes.

"Its not my fault this pony is messed up!" She said, turning and whipping her tail at the same time. The act made startled Sparkler, and she leaped back. Precious Tiara then hopped up the stairs to meet with her crowd, who then trotted into the school whispering about the odd duo.

"Who was she?" Sparkler asked, straightening her bow.

"Ah. Some richy snobby pony who's full of herself. You're new here, aren't you?"

Sparkler nodded, smiling her wide goofy grin.

The pony held in laughter. Sparkler could see it in her green eyes.

"Well, my name is Applalee." She said, smiling.

"I've been coming here for a while. My mom says education is really important, so I was sent to Canterlot's best school. And you must be Princess Sparkler!"

Sparkler shrugged. She didn't really see herself as a princess, but if other ponies saw her that way, she certainly wasn't complaining.

"Well, we should be getting to class! This school has lots of teachers! Who do you have?" Applalee cheered loudly.

"My mommy said I'd have to go to one of my foal sitters! Twilight!!" She cheered. The name was very similar to her own. It made her giggle slightly.

"Oooh!! Me too! Some say she's the best teacher here because she's a princess, just like you!" Sparkler smiled wildly. A princess teacher? That was funny!

"Can you show me where she is?" Sparkler asked.

Applalee smiled, wagging her blonde tail. "Yeah! Lets go Sparkler!" She said, trotting up the stairs. Sparkler followed.

As they passed through the hallways, an old pony with the same coat as Applalee waved. The filly stopped running, hugged her, then continued. "Who's that?!" Sparkler asked.

"Oh! She's my granny Cheerilee! She works here at the school!" Applalee smiled.

"Cool!" Sparkler commented. They slid into a room which was decorated with large books and educational posters. Her mommy was even on one!

The pony who stood behind the desk was purple, who had one horn and two wings, just like mommy! Sparkler was staring at the teacher, smiling widely. Applalee was nervously looking at the whispering students, including Precious Tiara and her gang.

"Oh my... You two are late." She said, giving a small wave to Sparkler. "But I suppose since we have a new student..."

Applalee quickly wrapped a hoof around Sparkler's shoulder. "I.. I was just telling her a bit about the school, Ms. Sparkle!"

Twilight squinted suspiciously at Applalee, but shrugged. "You may take your seat, Applalee. Sparkler, would you come to the front of the class?"

Sparkler laughed and ran up to Twilight, embracing her in a hug. She loved when Twilight sat for her. Though Cadence was fun, Twilight watched her much more often. Twilight hugged her back, then turned to the class.

Sparkler started digging in her saddlebag as Twilight started talking about Sparkler. The filly already knew about herself, so she didn't feel the need to listen. Sparkler finally found under her books and pencils a shiny red apple. After gripping it by the stem, she set it on the corner of Twilight's desk, interrupting her speech about Sparkler.

The act caused several ponies to whisper things like "That's so old" and "They only do that on cartoons".

Sparkler ignored them, and smiled up at Twily.

Twilight thanked her, then let her sit in an empty desk in front of Precious Tiara. Before running to her seat, Twilight pulled Sparkler to the side. "Listen, Sweetie. Today we're talking about the history of Equestria... I... I just wanted to say your daddy is good now, and that's what's most important... Okay?"

Sparkler didn't quite understand, but she smiled and nodded before dashing up to her seat.

"Alright everypony!" Twilight called as she levitated a book in front of her face.

"Today we will continue our lesson on the history of Equestria!! Please turn to page 112!" She said in a cheery tone. Sparkle quickly turned to the page, smiling as she saw her daddy in the pages! He made history, just like mommy did!

"And don't worry, everypony! I have a fun diagram to fill out as we go along! Isn't that exciting?!" Twilight cheered happily as she passed out papers to the students. The class, not including Sparkler, all groaned together. Some colt in the back yelled above the groans: "Ms. Sparkle is the worst!"

Sparkler shot back a surprised look. Twilight just rolled her eyes, but kept a smile on her face. Sparkler liked that. This was going to be great! Its time to find out how great her daddy was in the past. Maybe he was a super hero.. Or perhaps a mystery solver or even something better! Mommy and Daddy never really talked about Daddy's past, probably because they knew she'd learn it in school. How exciting!

Sparkler hugged the picture with her daddy in it, then lifted her ears to Twilight to hear her Daddy's story.
> Chapter Three - Lesson Learned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia trotted back into her castle slowly, removing her crown off of her head. The princess was known for being the fairest in Equestria, and she worked hard to reach the expectations of the citizens of her land. Though... Sometimes that was hard. Honesty, on occasion, was hard to reach, and was much expected from a princess. The mare sighed, trotting over to a window that overlooked Canterlot. Though, it wasn't the view she was thinking of. It was the worried Draconequus that stood by it, staring out the window while resting his head on a tight fist created by his furry paw. Celestia approached him, and lay a hoof on his shoulder.

The act surprised him, and he jumped with alert. Once he realized who it was, he went right back to staring out the window.

"I'm worried for her, Celestia." He sighed out. Normally Discord's voice had a touch of humor, and on occasion, a fine slice of sarcasm. However, right now it was sanded down to pure worry and concern for his beloved daughter. Celestia nodded and sat beside him. What she was going to say wasn't going to be easy.

"I... I know how harsh others at school can be to somepony that looks... different." He sighed, looking down at the bustling city below. Ponies value friendship and love? He turned his head away from the crowd when recalling all those years ago when he himself had attended school. For a long time, the Draconequus felt as if the fear he felt when going to school couldn't be beat... But he was wrong. He worried about the streaming tears coming from his daughter's eyes... No pain could pass that. 

Celestia looked at him. She could tell what he was thinking. For several moments, she wondered if it was a good time to tell him... However, the princess knew deep down that it was better to tell him now then be surprised with a crying filly questioning his goodness.

"Discord... I... I have to tell you something." She placed her hoof on his paw on the window sill. For several moments, they stared at each other. Discord's eyes were ringed with worry and stress, and Celestia tried to keep her gaze unreadable. She breathed in, then slowly let it out.

"Sparkler.... Sparkler is learning the History of Equestria today in school."

Discord's eyes became wider, which seemed impossible at first. Celestia braced herself for his voice to raise. She waited for him to burst into flames, to perhaps destroy a few things in the room in his attempts to leave and retrieve his daughter, and then she would be there to try and calm him down. She waited for him to yell at her.

But none of Celestia's expectations came.

She felt surprised, wrong, and helpless. Discord's wide, worrying eyes were now hidden in his arm. He was sobbing quietly. Celestia wondered if she should say something to comfort him, or to leave him some time alone. Unsure of which to do, the princess simply stay frozen, staring at him sobbing alone on the window sill.

It seemed like several eternities before he looked up at her. His normally strong, deep voice was now somewhat high-pitched and sad.

"We... We agreed to tell her when she was older...." He sighed out quietly.

Celestia bowed her head in an apology. A promise broken with time was the only excuse she could think of.

"I know... And I'm sorry... I really, really am... But... I knew we had to get Sparkler out to meet friends. And I knew that if anypony saw her in school who knew your history, she'd be confused and scared and lost. This is exactly the reason why I didn't have her start school in Autumn with the others.... I planned this date so Twilight could...."

Discord looked up at her. His pupils were wide, and a rim of tears followed the bottom lines of his eyes. Celestia flinched slightly. It was a rare sight to see him cry... She couldn't remember the last time she saw him like this beside the time when.....

The princess's thoughts wrecked, and she found herself unable to speak. Her bottom chin quivered slightly as she swallowed back a fire in her throat. The remembrance of Discord's tears from a recent past flooded into her mind, and the princess felt a sudden pain of sorrow.

"Discord... I'm.."

Celestia searched for the right words to say. Nothing seemed right. There was no use talking anyway. Words will not dry his tears.

The two sat beside each other, not a word said as the Draconequus finally lifted his head. He took a deep, trembling breath before standing up once again and turning towards the hallway. Celestia wasn't sure to follow him, or to let him be alone. Unsure, Celestia carefully got up to follow him. Almost as if scripted, a guard came running through to the princess. Discord stopped walking and looked back.

"Princess! You're presence is needed in the Canterlot Summer Tea Party!" He yelped, pointing at a clock that hung on the wall.

Celestia rolled her eyes. She didn't even like tea. The princess tried to walk past the guard and towards Discord, who was now heading up the stairs.

"Can't it wait just a few minutes?" Celestia asked, shoving him slightly.

"Princess, you promised you'd attend! This event is what keeps most tea shops open here in Canterlot!" He yelled frantically. Before the princess could reply, Discord turned one last time before heading up the stairs.

"Yeah, Tia. It's not very princess-like to break promises."


***


Sparkler sat, her tail wagging as Ms. Sparkle, her teacher, drew a picture of her mommy, auntie Luna, and daddy on the board. She smiled wildly, not caring that her fang stuck out like a sore thumb. It seemed Twilight kept glancing back at her, and she sold a fake smile to the class, which was pitiful compared to Sparkler's heart-filled smile.

"Now... Who can tell me who or what this is.." Twilight said, pointing a purple hoof at daddy. Sparkler's hoof went straight up, and she waved it wildly. Twilight giggled. She knew Sparkler would be this enthusiastic in class. However, it would only be fair to choose a filly or colt that was sitting much quieter in their seats.

"Wind Rider?"

A blue pony smirked and gave a side glance to Precious Tiara, who nodded approval. Sparkler just continued to smile and turned to look back at the colt who was going to talk about her daddy.

"Well, he's a monstrous creature that made ponies suffer for thousands of years!" He shouted out, waving his hooves dramatically. The whole class erupted in laughter. Sparkler just stared at him, confused. To get back the attention of her students, Twilight banged a stick on her desk very hard.

"Keep in mind now that he has changed, and that the only thing that determines whether or not you're a monster is by your behavior. Just ask the princess."

Sparkler grinned slightly at Twilight's words, but felt knocked down when her pupils gave disapproving glances and whispers.

She listened to every word that came to Twilight's mouth, flinching every now and then when her mommy or daddy was mentioned. Surely mommy didn't really send Auntie Luna to the moon, and daddy...daddy would never do the things Twilight was describing. Mommy was always there by his side to help him. He would never hurt anypony.

As time went on, Sparkler could feel a fire burning in her throat. She swallowed it back and wiped the tears the threatened to peep from her eyes.  Why was Twilight saying her daddy made ponies miserable with his powers? He only used his powers to make ponies happy. Then finally, Sparkler felt a tear roll down her cheek when she flipped the page as instructed... It was another picture of her daddy... But... he looked different. His normally soft, warm fur looked hard and cold. Sparkler looked up at Twilight, eyes wide and jaw open as silent tears rolled down her face.

Twilight's eyes met hers, and they locked stares for several moments. The alicorn felt as if she wanted to comfort the filly she had watched grow up more then anything else in the world, but she knew she had to stay focused. It... It was just another lesson. Sparkler stared back down the picture... He looked cold, alone, but somehow masking his feelings away behind a stone smile. The filly hugged the book in attempt to hug her daddy, and she sat there hugging and sobbing into the pages. She was once again unaware of the stares, and even the continuing lesson.

Twilight struggled to carry on. The princess had been teaching for many years now, but had never encountered a situation such as this. For the longest period of time, Twilight had always say Celestia as the most perfect, flawless pony. However, Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that the ancient alicorn had made a mistake sending her to school. Twilight had offered to homeschool the filly, but the sun princess refused her offer.

"Twilight... I find it will be hard for my daughter to make friendship with ponies if she doesn't go..."

The words rang in Twilight's ears over and over, almost covering the sounds of her sobbing in the room. Finally, she snapped, along with the piece of chalk she was using on the board. The princess turned, smiling at her students.

"I... How about we have recess early today, hm?" Twilight gasped out. She never, ever, EVER in a million years thought she would suggest such a thing. She believed having recess was already too large of a gap without learning, and she could teach so much more in 45 minutes, but in this case, Twilight knew Sparkler would need a break.

The class cheered together as all fillies and colts ran out the door, trampling over one another to get through. All except one.

Sparkler slowly walked towards the door, the book still held tightly in her hoof. By the time she reached the front of the room, the rest of the children had made it outside. Twilight stopped her with her wing, then drew her in closer to hold the filly tightly in a hug. Sparkler dropped the book on the floor, letting her tears fly loosely from her eyes. She was such a sensitive little filly.

"Shh... Shhhhh... It's okay..." Twilight stroked her black mane as she sobbed into her chest fur.

"M-My daddy.... hurt ponies... he's bad..." Sparkler cried.

Twilight scooped up Sparkler to hold her at eye-level.

"Oh, no no no, honey! He's changed, he really has!"

Sparkler nodded silently, tears still streaming from her face.

"I know..."

Twilight smiled, then backed away to reach for something with her hoof under her desk. She pulled out a purple journal which contained six gemstones, each being a different color. Sparkler wiped her tears away, then reached for it as it was handed to her.

"I understand it will be for hard for you to make friends at first. Hay, I didn't even have friends at all when I was a filly... But I believe this journal can help you with any problems you might have at first... My best friends and I wrote this."

Sparkler stared down at the book, then flipped it to the first page. She stared down, just glancing at what was written down on the old pages. She loved getting gifts, especially from Twilight... Even though they were mostly books.

"Thank you..." She sighed out, hugging Twilight once more. The alicorn smiled, then lifted the filly into the air which managed to squeak a giggle out of her.

"Now, go out there and make some friends." Twilight said, giving her a gentle shove. Sparkler smiled and nodded, then turned to head out the door. As soon as she left Twilight's sight, the filly let her smile fall once more, mostly from nervousness. The filly tried her best to smile though, and managed to force one on her face by the time she stepped outside.

Fillies and colts were climbing on jungle gyms, swinging on swings, playing cards on picnic tables, and some just stood and chatted. Sparkler looked around, not really sure who to go to. Applalee couldn't be seen, and thankfully, Precious Tiara and her gang were missing as well. Figuring it was too hard to decide, Sparkler trotted to a willow in the corner of the playground. She settled under its hanging branches, wrapping her long, red tail around herself before opening the book to a random page. She began to read.

A shadow cast over the sunlight that allowed her to read the pages. Sparkler looked up to see the source of darkness, and used a hoof as a visor as she looked up. It was Precious Tiara, along with several other fillies and colts.

"Well, at least you're good for something." The pink filly snorted. "Who knew a cry baby could actually do something useful, like get us early recess."

Sparkler looked back down at her pages nervously, blushing terribly and swallowing back the urge to cry.

"Whatcha got there, Sparkler?" A colt asked, shoving through the crowd to get a better look. Sparkler was always told it was a terrible, terrible thing to ignore somepony who directly addresses her.

"Umm.... A book Twilight gave to me..." She said, pulling it closer to her chest.

"Oh?" Precious Tiara came closer, ripping it from the filly's grip.

"Hey!"

"What is this? Advice on friendship?" She chuckled, looking over and over at the page she was reading. "I didn't need any books to make my friends."

Sparkler looked away, wanting these fillies and colts to leave her alone.

"I..I already have a friend..." Sparkler sighed out, then smiled slightly.


"You may want to rethink that."

Sparkler looked up, gasping as she saw Applalee move through the crowd to confront the cowering filly in the grass. She tossed something in her hoof up and down over and over again. It took a moment for her to realize what it was. It was the gemstone her daddy had given her... Or, so she was told. She honestly couldn't remember when he gave it to her, but mommy told her it was the day she was born. She was wrapped in silk, which was then pinned together by a gem that matched the one on mommy's necklace. Ever since, Sparkler has carried it with it. Her mommy must've clipped it on her backpack.

"Hey! Give that back!" Sparkler stood up. She tried her best to sound strong, but her voice instead came out as a scared squeak. "Why'd you take that from me, Applalee?!" She shouted as she reached to grab for it, but the traitor simply pulled it away.

"Why, I wouldn't really get along with a monster."

Sparkler felt her cheeks grow warm. A fire began to burn in her throat as she forced back the tears that threatened to come any minute.

"I'm... I'm not a monster...." She gasped out, swallowing as much air as she could.

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Precious Tiara's smile fell as she thought for a few minutes. However, her grin returned shortly after.

"But your daddy is."

Sparkler breathed through her nose, ignoring the growing urge to cry. "My daddy is NOT a monster!!" She shouted.

"Oh really?" Another colt spoke up and came to face the filly of the princess.

"I heard he sent three fillies away for asking him how his day was!"

Sparkler looked at the colt, anger starting to cover her sadness. "He would NEVER DO THAT!"

Applalee then took the colt's place and spoke. "Perhaps you don't know you're daddy as well as you think... From the looks of it, it seems you didn't even know about his past."

Sparkler opened her mouth to say something, but instead let it hang open. How could they say such things? Finally, something came to mind. She never, ever would've used this as an excuse before... But she just had to defend her daddy.

"My mommy is Princess Celestia, and she chose to marry him... That is proof he is good." Sparkler replied somewhat calmly.

"Oh yeah?" Precious Tiara walked closer to Sparkler and stopped just centimeters away.

"My mommy says its about time Celestia was pushed off the throne. She went crazy when she chose to marry Discord."

As the fillies and colts nodded in agreement, Sparkler's eyes grew. Were ponies really thinking that about her mommy? She had ruled Equestria for thousands of years. Why are they thinking she should be removed from the throne? When the ponies saw Sparkler wasn't going to reply, they continued.

"Your daddy never told you about his past... And yet you think he loves you? You think he understands you? My mommy says he's  just a monster in hiding, waiting for the chance to strike!"

The fillies and colts cheered as Precious Tiara bopped Sparkler in the face. It wasn't hard, though there was certainly some force.

Sparkler rubbed her nose, then just sat there, wondering what to say. Did she really know her daddy? Sparkler shook the thought away. Of course she did. Of course her daddy loved her.

"You can keep denying it if it makes you happy, but you should really think about it. When has your daddy ever done anything but make you laugh? Has he ever done anything else to actually show he cares?"

Sparkler finally let the tears fly loosely from her eyes. She hated these fillies and colts. She hated everypony.

A purple flash fell, slamming the ground and causing several ponies to fall over, including Sparkler. It was Twilight, or as many of the other fillies and colts knew her, Ms. Sparkle. Her violet eyes were ringed with anger. "You ponies leave her alone!! She has feelings, just like all of you. If I see you hurting her in any way again, I WILL take it to the princesses!" The fillies and colts all ran and scattered, and Twilight turned to help Sparkler up. She still held the book tightly to her chest.

"I'm sorry, Sparkler. Don't listen them." Twilight tried her best to comfort the filly, including the gesture of wrapping her purple wing around the little filly. However, Sparkler was quick to push the wing off and she turned away.

"I wanna go home."

Twilight sat in silence. If she sent Sparkler home early, Celestia would not be pleased, and Twilight will feel as if she had failed teaching her daughter. Though, after thinking about it, Twilight knew it would be for the best. She lowered her head and nodded. "I'll send a scroll to the princess to come pick you up."

Sparkler didn't respond, all she did was hug her book tightly. Twilight trotted inside, gesturing for Sparkler to follow her. The filly got up slowly, then did as the princess wanted. She lead her to another room where a large purple dragon sat. It was terrifying, and when it lifted its head, Sparkler squeaked and jumped back.

"Hi Spike!" Twilight smiled.

He got up, then cracked his knuckles. He was about the size of Discord now. "Hya Twilight. Just getting a nap before the kids come back in. They really wore me out today."

Sparkler stared up at the dragon, who bent down to look at her. "Oh yeah! Celestia and Discord's daughter came to school today! What's your name again?"

Twilight answered for her. "Sparkler. She... Isn't feeling well and wishes to go home."

Spike chuckled, then used his claws to straighten his spikes. "I see." He winked at Sparkler, remembering the time he pretended to be sick to be excused from Twilight's chores. Sparkler however, just tilted her head.

"Wait a second... Spike! You sent your class out, too?"

Spike shrugged and chuckled. "Well, I saw a bunch of fillies and colts heading out, so I just thought..."

Twilight shook her head and smiled, then used her magic to pull a quill and paper from his desk. She started to write down what exactly happened out in the school yard. Sparkler waited, still clinging to the journal. It seemed to take forever, so Sparkler decided to open the book. This time, she opened in the very back and began to read. What she read surprised her, and her eyes opened wide. However, before she could read further on, Twilight trotted over carrying the filly's backpack and clicking it to her.

"Your mom will be here soon to pick you up, okay?"

Sparkler nodded, then continued to read the last page. Twilight didn't notice, for she was too busy talking to Spike about what had actually happened.

It wasn't long before Sparkler was hugged by Twilight and then sent inside. However, Sparkler did a lot of thinking. She trotted out to meet her mother, who was sitting on the same golden chariot they had rode this morning. The filly crawled on to it, but didn't say anything when she sat down. Celestia didn't either, and looked onward. Her eyes were unreadable.

Once the two Pegasus stallions in the front took off, Celestia spoke up, but not exactly to her daughter.

"Take the longer route, please."

Sparkler groaned, knowing that her mother planned on trying to talk to her. It took several minutes before the two even made eye contact.

"Sweetie... Do you wish to talk about it?"

Celestia sat beside her daughter, who gently shrugged off the wing that was wrapped around her. Celestia felt her heart slightly crack. Never before has her daughter ignored her or push her away. The princess returned her wing to her side, then looked onward. They sat in silence the rest of the ride home.

At last they arrived home, and Sparkler hopped out. She didn't wait for her mother and walked at a normal pace back into the palace. Her normally smiling face as straight as she opened the doors. There couldn't be worse timing. Her daddy walked in from the kitchen at the same time Sparkler walked through the front door. She did not want to talk to daddy right now.

He seemed surprised to see his daughter home so early, but was relieved to see she wasn't crying. She was always so sensitive, and if she wasn't crying, nothing too bad could've happened... Or, so he thought.

"Hello, Sparkler. Did you enjoy school?" He asked with a smile. Sparkler walked by him without a word. His smile quickly fell. His little princess never ignored him. He didn't know what to say or do, other then to just stand there... His mind began racing with memories of what had happened to him when he was her age. He felt worry, fear, and sadness kick into his body. He didn't want to loose his daughter.

Sparkler trotted up the stairs, but sighed as she passed auntie Luna in the hallway. "Why, hello Sparkler."
The filly once again ignored her. She kept her eyes just as unreadable and if not more then her mother's.

Finally, Sparkler reached her room. It's where she could be comfortable. It's where she wanted to be. The filly slammed her door shut, then hopped on her bed. She snuggled her face into her pillow and began to sob. She let loose all of the tears she had been holding the entire day. The fillies and colts' comments ringed in her ears over and over and over. She couldn't make them leave. Sparker's cries got louder.

The door creaked open, and she knew it was her mommy, daddy, and maybe auntie Luna. But she didn't bother looking up. Her face was buried too deep in the wet pillow to do so.

Luna stared at the crying filly, unsure of what to do. "Should I bring to her some warm milk and cookies?" Luna whispered. Celestia nodded, and then whispered thank-you to her sister for thinking of something they could do. Discord, however, stood there, feeling something in side of him break with each sob his daughter let out. He was the first to walk in, and he took a seat on the floor beside his crying filly. Celestia watched nervously.

He took a deep breath of air before speaking. "I-I'm sorry... For whatever happened..." He gently reached to her with his paw, but she quickly pushed it away and turned her streaming eyes to face his.

"Get away from me..." She cried. "you're nothing but a monster.."

Discord's eyes widened, and he backed away slowly. Tears began to form once again, but none really fell. "I-If that's the way you feel..." He backed out, joining the princess outside the room. He faced the opposite direction, and held a paw to his mouth to keep from crying out. Celestia turned to place a hoof on his shoulder, which only made him shiver and then cough out a quiet sob. Celestia felt anger rise. How dare Sparkler call him a monster when all he ever did was care for her for her entire life. Was it just because some fillies at school told her that?

Celestia stepped in, and she rose her voice for the first time to her crying filly. "How dare you call your father that! All he ever did was love you and care for you and this is how you repay him?!"

Sparkler stood up on her bed and she turned to face her mother. "I WAS PICKED ON FOR BEING ME, TOO! WHY AM I PUNISHED FOR HOW YOU TWO MADE ME?! WHY AM I PUNISHED FOR THE FACT THAT YOU CHOSE TO MARRY A MONSTER!"

Discord's sobs became slightly louder, but he continued to try to muffle them with his paw. Celestia could not believe what she was hearing. Was this really her little Sparkler?

"HE IS NOT A MONSTER! I CHOSE HIM BECAUSE I LOVE HIM! HE IS GOOD NOW, AND MANY PONIES CAN SEE IT!" Celestia screamed at the top of her lungs. It seemed everyone was acting out of character, or perhaps hurting more and more each second.

Sparkler's eyes continued to stream tears, and she rose her voice, which caused her to squeak several times on different words. "IF HE'S SO GOOD, WHERE ARE HIS FRIENDS? I'M GOING TO BE ALONE ALL MY LIFE, JUST LIKE HIM!" Sparkler panted heavily, still crying.

Discord finally turned. He wore a fragile smile that was forcefully being held up. "I'm not alone... I have you." He looked at Sparkler. Though she was hurting him more then he could've ever imagined, he still loved her.

"You... You never had me." She cried. Discord did not turn this time, and he hid his face behind his claw and paw and began to sob. Celestia came towards her daughter, and bent down low so she was face to face with her daughter.

"I can't believe I'm hearing all of this from you... I never would've expected you'd fall so easily to believe your father is horrible. Do you not even remember this morning?"

Sparkler faced her mother, not turning away. "I shouldn't be punished for you making the stupid mistake of choosing him..."

Celestia's eyes opened wide. She was stunned. She stepped back, then sat down and rose a hoof to her head. Luna walked and dropped the cookies and milk at the tone of Sparkler's voice, and she let the glass shatter on the floor. Surely this wasn't really Sparkler. Everypony in the room was now dripping with tears.

"I... I can't believe daddy's really good..." Sparkler cried. "Not when he has only had one true friend in his long life.." Sparkler squeaked, then opened up the journal Twilight had given her. Discord looked up, and he felt his heart fall into his stomach when he saw the book.

"And the only friend he ever had..." Sparkler took a break from talking and began to cry some more. All the fillies at school were right. Every bit of it. She felt her heart break from the fact that her once beloved parents had lied to her all her life.

"Is dead."

Sparkler couldn't even believe her own ears. She had read in the journal the entry by some pony with the name of Fluttershy... She mad mentioned it is time for her to join another pony named Rarity, and that she was grateful the excitement her friends had given her in her lifetime... She had mentioned daddy.

This wasn't the first Sparkler had gotten into a fight with her parents, but none were as serious or tear bringing before. Her daddy was now crying harder and had turned away again. Celestia had stopped yelling and trotted over to be beside Discord, and she began whispering things into his ear Sparkler could not hear. Luna came over to the crying filly and began stroking her mane. The filly buried her face into her pillow once more, crying even more tears then before.
> Chapter Four - The Conference
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Celestia sighed, slipping on her jacket as she looked out the window. The glass was dappled by beads of rain. On days like this, the princess would've preferred to stay inside, sipping a cup of coffee or tea as she waited for Discord to wake up. She'd get ahead of some paperwork so she could get off early to play with her beloved daughter and husband...but today was different.

Her normally joyful daughter sat alone in her room. She did not beg to play out in the rain despite knowing what the answer was. She didn't beg her parents to play with them despite their work. All Sparkler did was sit in her room. Not a single word peeped from her little mouth.

This bothered the princess greatly. She never realized how easily one can be emotionally torn down. Especially not her beloved Sparkler. With a sigh, Celestia stepped out into the cold rain, shivering slightly as she felt the cool air hit her fur, despite the jacket. The first thing she did was look up. Nothing but gray clouds hung in the sky, to her disappointment. For she was hoping to see her beloved draconequus... He would sometimes sneak his daughter out in the rain, and together they'd laugh and play in the clouds.

Celestia shook her head, beaming her two violet eyes forward as she took a step. Today did not consist of happiness, but sorrow. She needed to fix it. It's true she once wielded the Elements of Harmony, so its possible she could still have some positive effect on some ponies... Right?

Her head was full of doubt. A princess should not be feeling so insecure... But then again, she was just a pony like any other. Why did she set such high expectations for herself? She would never always be happy...

She continued her trot across the empty yet wet paths, making her way through Canterlot. Many ponies were inside, enjoying their Saturday off. It has been a week since Sparkler started school, and yet, she only made it two out of five days.

Sparkler understandably blew a fuse on her first day, and she's been weeping ever since. On Friday, Sparkler went back to school. She didn't tell anypony, and walked there by herself. Celestia assumed she was still in her room, ignoring her mother's attempts to contact her. Well, until she got home of course.

She came home covered in scratches, her eyes dull as she stared in to nothing, with ripped spotted ribbon dangling from her ears. Discord was the first to see her. He hadn't left the windowsill since Monday. His eyes widened as he saw his precious daughter. Her hooves blocked him from laying a claw on her. Hurt, but still wanting to help, he called for Celestia.

Celestia, of course, had came in to the room as fast as she could, quickly trying to figure out who would do such a thing to such a beautiful little filly. Sparkler ignored all questions asked, until finally she screamed to get her parents to shut up and leave her alone.

Her confession of jumping into the thorns herself rang in Celestia's ears, and she had to stop before the door of her destination to quickly wipe a tear. It was fortunate she hadn't put on makeup since the past week, but also a bit of a scare to the ponies who saw her. Bags hung low under her eyes, her eyelashes clumped together, and her fur had went to sparkling snow and faded into a sick, pale color.

With a deep breath, Celestia knocked on the door of the house. It was no castle, but certainly not a small shack either. It was without a doubt one of the nicest mansions in Canterlot, and was quite well known by one particular occupant. It was that mare which just so happened to be who Celestia was looking for.

The door opened, and it wasn't surprising to see a butler standing on the floor. He immediately recognized the princess despite her horrid looks, and called for his employer. He stepped to the side as the pony called back, and quickly (yet still formally) trotted down the stairs.

Before her stood a pink mare, her mane glittering with a bright purple and white color. Her blue eyes were clear, and a tiara sat on her head to go with the dress she was wearing.

"Diamond Tiara..." Celestia bowed her head.

"Princess.." She said, not sounding at all pleased. In fact, for a moment Celestia thought she saw the mare wrinkle her nose in disgust at the sight of the alicorn, but she quickly shook away the assumption. The two stood there awkwardly as Celestia waited to be welcomed in, silently begging with her eyes for the mare to greet her instead of leaving her stand in the rain.

"Can I... Help you?" Asked the mare inside. This time it was certainly clear. She was not happy about the visitor, and chances of getting out of the pouring rain vanished.

"Why, yes. I came to speak to you about your daughter..." Celestia stared back at the mare, who seemed to be making judgments over ever little flaw found.

When the pony just continued to stare, Celestia began to feel a bit of rage light in within her. She was not used to being treated this way... It didn't matter how famous of a model this mare was, this was no way to treat a princess... Or anypony for that matter!

"Well, is there a problem?" Diamond finally replied, impatiently holding the door open.

"Yes... There is. You are aware of my daughter, Sparkler, yes?"

"You still call that thing your daughter?"

Celestia was taken aback by the pony's cruel words. "Excuse me?"

"I'm still surprised that you married Discord, of all creatures. You would've been better off with a cockatrice. Calling Sparkler your daughter is just a gross icing on an already awful cake."

The alicorn stared back at the pink mare, shaking her head slightly in confusion. "Perhaps you forgot you are speaking with a princess..."

Celestia hated to pull the princess card, but in desperation to help her own filly, she found it to be the best choice.

"Oh, I know very well of your royalty. It's just that you lost quite a bit of many ponies' respect after marrying a used-to-be villain creature. It only got worse after your so called daughter was born."

Celestia felt her eyes twitch slightly. The lack of sleep plus this pony's down right bitterness was driving her over the edge. With a deep breath, the princess blocked out her rage and focused on the reason she had come.

"I don't care what other ponies think of me. You and your daughter have no right to speak to anypony in such cruel ways. I don't give a flying feather about your rather popular career. I can easily take it away from you."

The alicorn felt proud for what she said, and couldn't help but let a small smirk cross her face.

"...And you think it would go unnoticed? Do you have any idea who I am? I'm on the cover of every magazine, I get a thousand letters a day from companies wanting me to advertise with them. I get a million letters from my fans from every corner of Equestria. If you so much as take away one of my many fashion stores, ponies are going to think that monster you call husband is doing it."

Celestia opened her mouth to reply, but Diamond Tiara continued her little rant.

"You say you don't care about what other ponies think of you (which might I add is completely obvious), but what about your little daughter?"

The alicorn began to raise her voice in attempts to drown out any chance of interruption.

"My daughter hurt herself because of your daughter's wrong doings! No pony should ever speak in such a cruel way to any creature!"

Diamond rolled her eyes before looking sternly at the princess as if she were nothing.

"If your daughter gets upset just because of my daughter expressing her opinion, that's Sparkler's problem. Freedom of speech is a privilege we citizens of Equestria have. And I should also warn you I have quite a few lawyers that had got me out in several pickles, and I can easily call them up to kick you off your throne."

"I'm not breaking any law!" Celestia protested as she stamped her hoof.

"Technically, neither am I." 

With that, Diamond Tiara slammed the door on the princess's face. It was bright red from anger. Her throat was strained from screaming, and her head felt as if somepony had bucked her as hard as they could right at her horn. Celestia felt her purple eyes burning from the attempts to hold back tears. How could anypony be this cruel? Was it really so hard to discipline your daughter?

Forgetting all intentions of staying dry, the alicorn ripped the jacket from her body, throwing it carelessly on the ground. She ran as fast she could to the edge of Canterlot, where the city dangled off of the edge of the mountain. The princess let out a scream of frustration, anger, and sadness. It took almost all the energy she had left, and the princess collapsed on the edge, sobbing quietly.

"Tia..."

Celestia ignored the familiar voice.

"Celestia..."

A paw was set gently on her shoulder, and the rain stopped penetrating her fur. She looked up to see a floating umbrella with wings above her. With a sigh, she turned to Discord sadly.

"I don't know what to do..." Celestia admitted, wiping another stray tear. "Even if we continue to home school, Sparkler will still struggle to find friends, and that can really rip a pony apart..."

Discord pulled her tightly in a hug, though it didn't last as long as Celestia would've liked. He was surprisingly warm, but yet, it wasn't surprising to see him so warm in such cold rain. That was just how he did things.

"I have an idea that could be put into consideration..." Discord said, snapping up a glass of water to satisfy Celestia's dry throat.

"What might that be...?" Celestia asked curiously, desperate for any idea that may help her beloved daughter.

"Well... Ponies in Ponyville are known for being fun and kind... Perhaps we could send her to school there?" Discord suggested, remembering what he was told about Twilight being sent there to make some friends. He waited patiently for a reply from his dear Celestia, but felt a small bit of happiness return when she looked back up, her beautiful violet eyes ringed with hope.

"That could work... But how would we...?"

"We'd send her stay with somepony we trust.. Somepony we know well... Then we could let her stay there for a bit and visit her as often as we can..."

"Y-You're sending me away..?"

Both Discord and Celestia immediately turned at the familiar, high-pitched yet adorable voice. Sparkler stood behind them, crawling out from a bush. She had followed her mother out, curious as to what she was doing. She heard everything. Right down to the bitter insults shot at her by Precious Tiara's mother.

"Sweetie..." Celestia stepped close to her filly. Discord watched, unsure of what to say. The sudden appearance of his daughter startled him.

"No! Don't call me sweetie!" Sparkler cried out. "You think I'm a monster, too! You made me like this by marrying that beast! Why am I blamed for your mistake!?" Tears streamed down her eyes as she pointed at her father, who did nothing but stare back sadly. Sparkler began to recall all of the horrible things her classmates had said about her father.

"Sparkler..." Celestia tried once again to reach to her daughter verbally, but was interrupted once again.

"No! No! No! You think I'm a disgrace!" She spat out, crying louder with each word. It wasn't necessarily 

"I just want to be loved! I just want a loving family! I just want to be perfect, just like mommy so that I can actually be loved!" Sparkler sobbed.

"Nopony is..."

Discord rested his paw on Celestia's shoulder, silencing her. The draconequus hid the hurt he felt for the sake of his family. Sparkler was young, and therefore couldn't possibly mean all of what she was saying. Celestia looked back at him, and nodded her head slowly and understandably. It's better just to let this tantrum go through until she tires herself out, rather than trying to talk over her loud screams.

Bolts of lightning flashed in the sky, which was then followed by the low rumbling of thunder as Sparkler continued to scream.

"How long have ponies looked at me like this!? What did I do wrong!? It's daddy's fault!" She sobbed louder and bolted towards her monster of a dad.

Discord knelt down and opened his arms, willingly accepting her series of weak punches in to his chest as she sobbed.

"I hate you, daddy! I hate you!" She cried louder, but her punches became even weaker and slower. Discord slowly wrapped his arms around his filly, as if right now, she was the most important thing in all of Equestria. Sparkler's throat was now too sore to protest anymore, and pretty soon, her punches were nearly but a small tap. 

Sparkler had tired herself out, and suddenly realized how cold it was as a gust of wind brushed through her fur. The filly immediately cuddled in to her father's chest fur, and wrapped her small arms around him in a hug. Her anger and "hatred" melted away as she realized how tightly her daddy was holding her with tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry, daddy... I'm sorry..." She whimpered.

"Shhh... No, no my little darling... You don't need to apologize..." Discord said softly.

Celestia felt the smallest bit of relief at the sight of them finally making up, and trotted towards them. She used her large wings to wrap around them as she joined in on their hug.

Sparkler was now fairly warm as she cuddled against her daddy's warm chest, and the sound of his beating heart slowly began to soothe her, despite a few rasping breaths.

"A-Are you really going to send me away...?"

Discord and Celestia looked at each other, unsure of what to say. It was Celestia who decided to speak up.

"We're not sending you away, sweetie... You're just going on something that's a bit like vacation..."

Sparkler's eyes continued to water, and her voice was barely audible as she cuddled even closer to Discord.

"Will you visit..?

Discord gave a faint smile, and nuzzled his beloved little daughter. 

"All the time..."

Sparkler let out a sigh and wrapped herself in her two wings, and though she still had many more questions, she was too tired to continue asking.

"I love you both..." She said with a yawn.

Discord and Celestia both smiled at their foal with teary eyes, and watched her drift off in to sleep despite the rain.

Celestia kissed her husband on the cheek, for she too was growing quite tired. After the events that took place, it was probably the best time to finally get some rest.

"Let's go home."
> Chapter Five - Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparkler slid her tail through the handle of the suitcase, lifting it carefully off of the ground. It wasn't holding much, in fact, it only consisted of a few scarves, her collection of bows, and her teddy. Being the daughter of the Princess of Equestria meant that she could practically have anything she wanted for a small cost, but in truth, the filly really wasn't interested. Of course all young foals love receiving toys and gadgets,  but Sparkler was more interested in things she could find rather than what could be given to her. With Ponyville being a land of neat items and creatures she hasn't seen before in Canterlot, Sparkler steadily became more excited.

"Mommy!? Daddy!? I'm reaaaddy!" The filly called out, hopping down the large stairs. Nervousness clawed her on the inside of her belly, but she was determined to push that aside and try to enjoy the new experience. The thought of going to a school without Precious Tiara around sounded more than wonderful, but at the same time, she wouldn't be able to see her parents everyday. 

Celestia trotted in to the room to meet her daughter at the bottom of the steps and put on a smile. The thought of her dear child being separated from her made her heart ache, but deep down she knew she was making the right choice. She wasn't going to let her emotions ruin Sparkler's excitement, so the alicorn did her best to push back the pain she was feeling.

"Did you pack everything?" Celestia asked as Sparkler hopped joyfully off of the last step.

"Yeah!" Sparkler gave a small look of concern. "Where's daddy?"

Celestia coughed and drew her gaze away from her daughter's. "He's busy... He won't be able to say goodbye..."

Sparkler's heart dropped, and her eyes quickly began to water. After years of living in royalty, the filly had developed a strong understanding to when her parents are busy. Despite that, it didn't make the news any less bearable. What if he was mad at her for punching him too hard two days ago?

"But..."

"Oh come on, you didn't think I'd actually do that you, did you?"

Sparkler couldn't help but laugh as she saw her daddy emerge from thin air, and her tears were quickly wiped away with his paw and claw.

"You're a poo-head!" Sparkle giggled before leaping in to her father's arms. This earned a chuckle from him as well, and he ruffled her dark mane. He did that a lot, and frankly, Sparkler didn't understand why.

Celestia trotted closer to get by her husband's side. 

"Yes, he is. But he's my poo-head."

With that, Celestia used her telekinetic magic to pull his beard towards her face. Before he could react, she kissed him with a loud smack, making Sparkler gave out a groan.

"Gross!"

Celestia released his beard, and he started giggling giddily like a little school filly once the kiss broke. Celestia winked at her daughter, acknowledging her comment.

"Don't worry Sparkler, when you're older, you'll fall in love with how giddy some stallions can get after a simple kiss."

Discord rolled his eyes while smirking, his eyes not leaving Celestia.

"Like how giddy you get when we...?"

Celestia quickly whacked Discord with her wing to cut him off, and Sparkler watched with a confused look on her face. When they what?

Mommy and Daddy had a tendency to get caught up with each other, and in most cases, Sparkler would give even more sickening groans. However, at the current moment, they were delaying the departure, and the filly was more than okay with that. She loved Mommy and Daddy very much, and they loved each other, too. She dreadfully realized that eventually she'd start to miss their icky kissing and cuddling.

Celestia bent her neck to nuzzle the filly being held in Discord's arms. She'd have a talk with what's okay and what's not okay to talk about when a filly's in the room later. As much as she hated to face it, she knew it was about time they headed out. Somepony was awaiting their arrival in Ponyville.

"Are you ready to go?"

Discord looked down at his daughter, trying hard to not let his smile falter as she nodded her head. He leaned down to place her back on the ground, but she cuddled closer to his chest, refusing to let him let go of her. This small act made his heart long to hold his daughter in his arms forever. However, he knew that soon it would be time to put her down.

Celestia realized this too, and looked sadly at Discord. After years of being together, she could easily tell a true, genuine smile from one that was just masking his true feelings.

"The carriage is outside... Are you two ready?"

Sparkler and Discord both nodded, and in attempt to ease the tension, Discord used his paw to tickle his daughter as they both followed Celestia towards the chariot.

The family walked in to the chariot together and sat very close together.

"S-So..." Sparkler tried her best to catch her breath once Discord's paw was removed from her ticklish belly.

"You two will come when ever I cast that spell?"

Celestia nodded with a smile. "Without a doubt."

"That's just for emergencies, like if you have a nightmare and you need daddy to come and tuck you in." Discord said, nuzzling his daughter. "We'll be visiting more often than that."

Sparkler actually felt herself smile a true smile. There was quite a bit of comfort in knowing that her parents were always going to be there for her, no matter what.


***


The chariot ride was short, which made sense considering Ponyville wasn't exactly a far trip, but at least it was longer than it would've took if they were to simply teleport there. Sparkler felt excitement building up again, and she giggled as she hopped down on to the dirt path. Discord and Celestia followed her out, and watched her as she began trotting around in the grass.

Sparkler began to spin around in circles, but didn't quite know why. Giggles were bubbling out from her mouth, and her tail wagged wildly from side to side. Her parents watched her with amusement.

"She seems as happy as she was in the beginning of the story." Discord commented with a chuckle.

"Story? What story?" Celestia looked at her husband with an odd look. He was always talking such nonsense. He ignored her question and continued to watch his daughter enjoy herself.

The young filly began to feel dizzy, and her hooves began to move in a less swift motion. The world spun around her, and she was sure that she would fall in a matter of seconds. Suddenly, something pink completely blocked her view, and Sparkle tumbled to her side. Still giggling, Sparkler looked up.

A pink mare quickly booped her nose against hers, and she began talking in a high-pitched voice.

"Hiya, Sparkler! I don't think you know me, well, you do know me because I'm pretty sure you read our friendship journal but a the same time you DO NOT know me because we never met, which is hard to believe because I kept planning to visit, but stuff just kept happening and happening and happening and then eventually I forgot! Well, I didn't forget about you, I just forgot to visit!"

The mare began giggling, which caused Sparkler to giggle with her. Her voice was funny, and she talked so fast Sparkler didn't understand a single word that flew from her mouth. Slowly the dizziness began to fade, and the world became clear. The mare before her had blue eyes, and a super messy pink mane held in a sloppy looking bun with a few strands of gray showing. Wrinkles formed mostly around her mouth, while the rest of her face seemed to be clear.

"Hello, Pinkie!" Celestia and Discord both said at once. The pink pony ran quickly to the couple and hugged them.

"You two have such an adorable baby!"

Sparkler scrunched up her muzzle. She was not a baby.

"Why thank you! And how's yours doing?"  Celestia asked, happy to be catching up with her old friend.

Pinkie giggled before responding. "Oh, he's not a baby anymore, that's for sure! Him and Cheese just went out for a party emergency! Hopefully they'll be back later tonight to meet Sparkler!"

"Tell Cheese I said hi!" Discord laughed. It was so nice to see Pinkie was still as bubbly as ever, despite her age.

Sparkler liked Pinkie, and was happy that she was the pony she was going to be staying with. The filly watched her parents talk with her, and suddenly began to feel sadness sink in. She was going to miss them so much.

Almost as if she could sense Sparkler's mood, Pinkie turned to look at her while carrying her suitcase.

"I'll let you three say goodbye... I'll wait at the fountain straight ahead. See it, Sparkler?"

The filly nodded, and looked at the large fountain in the center of several buildings.

Pinkie gave the largest smile Sparkler has ever seen before she bounced off towards the direction of the town.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!"

Sparkler, Discord, and Celestia all watched Pinkie bounce away. They stayed silent for several moments, hoping to stay away from goodbye for as long as possible. Once Pinkie reached the fountain, Sparkler turned around to face her parents. She wasn't sure what to say, and it seemed they didn't either. They just stood and stared.

Discord knelt down and opened his arms, allowing Sparkler to run towards him and hug him tightly. Celestia did the same, wrapping one arm around her husband and left the other free to stroke her daughter's mane. They were still lost for words. For they were as close as a family could be, and though they'd be visiting often, things just wouldn't be the same until she returned.

"I love you, mommy..." Sparkler said, her eyes threatening to release tears. She kissed Celestia's nose before turning to Discord's face.

"I love you, daddy..." The filly felt a single tear break free as she saw her daddy sobbing much more than she was. She kissed his cheek, and he wiped away his own tears to show her a trembling smile.

"You be good for Pinkie Pie, okay? But not too good, of course."

Sparkler nodded and cuddled closer to him. "I will, I promise..." She whimpered quietly.

Discord felt himself slowly breaking, and so he had to let go before he allowed his daughter to see him cry even more than he already was. Sparkler stepped a few steps back to take a look at her parents, and was surprised to see them even more upset than she was. Her daddy was still wearing a frail smile, his eyes occasionally dripping tears from his watering eyes. Celestia sat beside him, but could hardly even look at Sparkler. Her parents seemed to need more comfort than she did.

"I'll be extra good, and I'll tell you about every single day every time I see you two. You won't miss a single day of my life, and I'll miss you two soooooo much..."

Celestia nodded, finally making eye contact with her daughter.

"We'll miss you, two..."

"Take care of daddy, mommy... Make sure he eats his veggies...".

Celestia couldn't help but give a weak laugh despite her tears.

"I will."

Discord finally turned away, no longer able to handle seeing his daughter. He couldn't breakdown in front of her, it would only make things harder. He turned towards the carriage, and took a seat. Celestia nuzzled her daughter one last time and pulled away.

"Your father isn't very good with goodbyes, sweetie... But we both love you very, very much."

Sparkler nodded her head with a slight smile. She was sad to be leaving them, but there was a small comfort in knowing how much she meant to them.

"Bye, mommy..."

"Goodbye, dear..."

With that, Sparkler turned around and trotted towards the fountain where Pinkie was waiting for her. Celestia watched until both of them were out of sight, trying to calm her breathing before entering the carriage with Discord. He had a lot more trouble emotionally and she knew that he'd need all the comfort she was able to give him. Eventually, she turned towards the carriage and opened the door.

Discord had curled himself up, and was blocking his face with his wing. He was trying to sob quietly, but in such a small carriage, she could easily hear each trembling breath. The stallion who was pulling the carriage turned and looked through the small window, basically asking permission to start flying back to Canterlot. Celestia shook her head and held up a hoof, implying to let Discord calm down before flying back. It was a short trip, after all. Once the stallion nodded his head in understanding, Celestia closed the carriage door and cuddled closely to Discord.

He still tried to hide his face from her, but she slowly pulled his wing away with the work of her magic. His eyes were closed tightly, but tears were continuously dripping from his cheeks.

Celestia kissed his muzzle, and wrapped her large white wings around him.

"Discord, listen..."

He tried to control his breathing, wanting to stop crying like a baby (especially in front of Celestia). He managed to make his sobbing a more quiet, but he returned his wing back to the position where he could cover his face.

"I know things weren't always exactly... Easy..." She was extremely careful as she chose her words, and she felt more tears threatening to drip as she went on.

"You don't say..?" Discord managed to say between his gasping breaths.

"The point is, we aren't loosing her... She's just... Well... Let's say it's like a summer camp, or something..." Celestia suddenly began to loose her once organized thoughts, unsure of how to tackle the subject.

"What if she gets bullied here too, Celestia? What then? Are we going to send her off to Cloudsdale? Appaloosa? Just keep pushing her further and further away from us?"

Celestia was unsure of how to reply, and took a moment to think through.

"I trust that she won't... Ponyville is a much more friendly area than Canterlot..."

Discord didn't reply, but still attempted to calm himself.

"I just.... I just can't help but worry...." Discord whimpered quietly, almost completely inaudible.

Celestia took a deep breath, and cuddled even closer to him. She allowed her tears to fall on to his soft neck as she closed her eyes, wanting to block out the entire world. She tried to leave out a certain subject that they've been avoiding for years, but right now, she was absolutely sure that both of their minds were thinking of the same events.

"Discord, things are a lot, lot different now..."

The draconequus interrupted her.

"How different..? Ponies are as cruel as ever." He said doubtfully, feeling a knot form from deep within his stomach. His throat felt like it had a lump in it, and it was almost too painful to swallow.

"... I mean... Us... We're different..."

Discord listened to his wife's attempts to comfort him. Her words were shaky, and he realized that he should be trying to comfort her as well.

He moved his wing away from his face, and leaned in close to hers. His eagle talon was quick to hold up her chin, and he kissed her before she could let another word escape her lips.

He stroked her cheek gently with his paw, wiping the tears from her face. Their lips were pressed together for what seemed like and eternity, and neither of them wanted to pull away. When they finally did, Discord pulled her head close to his chest.

Celestia let out a quiet sigh, her eyes closed as she listened to his heartbeat. It was calming, and it always seemed to help her when she was down.

"I love you, Discord..."

"I love you too, Celestia..."

The princess took a deep breath, knowing that though the next few words could bring hurt, but also had a chance of soothing what was on the draconequus's mind.

"I promise we will not lose another foal..."