A series of short stories following different ponies or groups of ponies to help celebrate Mothers Day. (Callout to your mothers and tell them you love them!)
A series of short stories following different ponies or groups of ponies to help celebrate Mothers Day. (Callout to your mothers and tell them you love them!)
Ponyville, friendliest place in Equestria. It is home to many ponies including the Elements of Harmony, and Princess twilight Sparkle.
It was home to Sweet Apple Acres, home town to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and was even a cultural hotspot for visitors.
One thing it wasn’t was home of Twilight Sparkle’s parents. Thus like an annual migration Twilight and her number one assistant, and closest friend, Spike make a distant travel by train to Canterlot to celebrate Mother’s Day in Canterlot. This time was going to be different. This year she would be spending the entire day not with her whole family but just her mother and herself.
It was going to truly be a mother daughter bonding experience.
Twilight sat alone on the train heading for Canterlot ready to tackle the day. For she had the one sure way, in her mind, to make this the best day possible. A check list!
Yes indeed Twilight loved her check lists to the point of absurdity. She scanned over the list making sure everything was in order and planned out to the very seconds she’d be spending with her mother. Her eyes ran over each line and word like lightning as she mumbled to herself chewing on the end of a pen.
“Nine we go the the… then at ten we… mmhmm… Later we’ll have lunch and then…. Mmhmm…”
Yes, Twilight had it all planned out, but fate would have something else in mind for her this day.
As the train pulled up to the station at Canterlot Twilight noticed her mother was there waiting for her. The older mare had a wide grin plastered on her face, positively beaming with joy as the train passed her. Twilight gasped seeing her mother on the train dock and scanned over her delicately planned schedule and groaned loudly.
“Ugh… why does mom always do this?” The poor mare complained. “Every year she does the samething and I always forget!”
Rolling up her scroll Twilight exited the train cart to find her mother near the opposite end of the car waiting for her. Velvet waved to her daughter and ran over embracing her daughter in a bear hug.
“OH, my little Twilight how have you been?”
Twilight sighed hugging her mother back, feeling embarrassed by the attention she was getting from ponies watching them.
“Mom, come on not in public.” She whispered.
Velvet laughed heartily at her daughter's expense. “Now is that anyway to talk to you loving mother?”
Twilight sighed hugging her mother back and rubbing her back tenderly. “Oh, mom.”
The two mares separated after holding a moment longer. Once apart the two mares left the station to head into town. Twilight stood by her mother's side as they walked onward.
Twilight turned her head to face her mother. “So, mom how’s life been?”
Velvet giggled at her daughter. “Oh, you know the usual. Teaching students at Canterlot University. Getting love letters from a few young bucks, the usual.”
Twilight gave her mother a sly grin, “Geez mom, laying it on thick with the students? You cheating on dad?”
“Oh, good heavens no. Twilight you are so bad.” Velvet laughed nudging her daughter.
Twilight pulled out her scroll and opened it thus earning a loud groan from her mother, which went unnoticed as they approached Velvet’s home.
The two entered and twilight wiped her hooves while her mother went to the kitchen but Twilight cut her off.
“No, mom. This is your special day and I won’t have you doing anything except sitting and letting me pamper you today.” Twilight said in a mock scolding manner.
Velvet waved her hooves in defeat and sat back down on her couch while Twilight retreated to the kitchen. A few minutes later the smell of something burning and the smoke alarm going off, followed by the scared shrieking of Twilight, made Velvet roll her eyes and get up from her comfy spot on the couch.
The mare went into the kitchen and saw nothing but chaos ensue. The stove was on fire, pancakes with tiny wings were flying around, the hay bacon was trying to eat the pancakes while Twilight was frantically trying to put the fire out with the extinguisher wearing a frilly pink apron. The poor young mare sprayed the stove which only seemed to somehow make the flames bigger.
Twilight screamed as the hay bacon suddenly turned on her and started munching on her entire body. Velvet giggled watching her daughter roll on the floor trying to get the devilish bacon strips off of her.
Velvet couldn’t contain her laughter anymore. She gripped her side and laughed loudly as twilight tugged at one particualr bacon stripe eatting her mane. Velvet walked over to her disgruntled daughter and used her magic to pull the live hay bacon strip off and ate it.
She then glanced down at Twilight who was panting heavily with the rest of the hay bacon gnawing at her. “Guess you still haven’t read those cook books I sent you?”
Twilight whimpered. “Cooking, is the devil's art, mother.”
Velvet sighed shaking her head. “That’s why I always worry about you Twilight. Cooking was never your forte.”
Twilight whimpered again. “Sorry mom.”
“It's fine dear,” Velvet said lifting Twilight up and brushing the demon bacon off her. “Now, how about you let me help you this time?”
“But it’s your special day mom! You shouldn’t have to-”
Velvet held a hoof up to her daughter’s lips silencing her. She gave a warm smile and pulled Twilight into a hug rubbing her violet mane. “Twilight, you know I love spending time with you. That, is the greatest gift I could ask for.”
At that moment Twilight felt a surge of happiness run through her as she nuzzled her mother. “Thanks mom. I’m sorry about the kitchen.”
“Don’t worry sweetie,” Velvet said shaking her daughter gently. “You just made my day better with the laughter I needed after a long stressful week.”
Velvet chuckled patting her daughters mane. The older mare looked around at the chaos that was once her clean and orderly kitchen seeing the pancakes flying around with their little bird wings. She caught one with her magic and it gently settled down on her shoulder. It reminded her of the tiny finches perched on a branch in the park she use to see walking home.
She then rubbed the pancake and looked down at twilight reassuringly, “Twilight, how about we clean up and we make breakfast together? Won’t that be fun?”
But Twilight didn't like the sound of that. She wanted to make her mother not have to work at all today. It was Mother's Day after all.
“Are you sure mom? You don’t have too.”
Velvet narrowed her eyes at Twilight, making the poor disgruntled mare feel small.
“Now Twilight, what did I just say?” Velvet asked. “As long as we spend the day together it doesn’t matter.”
Twilight looked down at the hay bacon that had come back to try and devour her again. This time nipping at her mother’s ankles. She sighed stomping the bacon strips.
“Let’s get this mess cleaned up then, mom.”
Velvet perked up at her daughter's enthusiasm. “Now that’s what I like to hear!”
Thus the two mares set out to prepare a traditional breakfast, one where they didn’t have to fear being eaten by the very food they desired. Twilight learned that cooking with magic isn’t always a good idea and even learned how to make toast. Velvet kept the one pancake bird as a pet and fed it chocolate chips.
And so it was the Sparkle’s had a hearty breakfast and after vanquishing the hay bacon army set forth to spend the rest of their day together.
Trixie
On a lonely road outside of civilization a lone mare of azure blue walked alone on the dirt road. She was small and dirty. Her snow white mane covered in dirt and grime
Spitfire sat in her comfy chair in her luxury apartment. She was watching the sunset over a long beachfront location just on the edge of Manehattan, sipping a hard martini. She was wearing a small red scarf around her neck and her favorite aviator sunglasses she had since she joined the Wonderbolts.
She sighed contently as a light breeze passed over, ruffling her yellow fur. She took a tiny sip from her drink and set it to the side. She then leaned back in her chair stretching her wings and legs out, when suddenly she heard a knocking sound at her apartment door.
Getting up Spitfire grumbled walking to her door. She looked through the peephole to see a familiar pony from the Academy there. She sighed unlocking the door and slowly slid it open as the figure of Lightning Dust came to view.
The turquoise mare turned to face Spitfire, who was staring with a neutral expression behind her glasses.
“Uh, hi mom.” Lighting said, as she rubbed her neck nervously.
Spitfire sighed stepping to the side and allowing Lightning to enter her home. Lighting bowed politely to her mother. Like a cat Lighting kept low like she was going to sneak into the apartment to avoid getting in trouble. Spitfire eyes the mare all the way in and closed the door behind her. Lighting set a pair of saddle bags down on a chair before placing herself on the porch where her mother’s chair was. Spitfire sat down on the chair and simply stared at her daughter with folded hooves under her chin.
Lighting was sweating at her mother’s intense stare. Though it was hard to tell with her aviators covering her eyes, Lightning could sense the tension and anger behind the glasses, and she knew why too.
Nervously she fluttered her turquoise wings and said shakily, “So, um how have, you been mom?”
Spitfire shook her head silently sipping her drink again. Lighting waited patiently for her mom to finish feeling her anxiety rising until Spitfire spoke breaking the silence.
“I’ve been doing well,” Spitfire replied to Lightning, putting her drink down. “What I want to know is, how have you been doing? You never write anymore, you never call, you dropped off the face of the Earth. I was beginning to worry you died you know.” Spitfire said with a hint of anger in her voice.
Lightning cringed at her mother's harsh tone. Back in the Academy she could handle being yelled at by her mother, it was Spitfire’s job to weed out the weak anyways. Here in her mother’s home it was different. This time it was personal and Lightning felt very small under her mother’s harsh gruff voice.
“I’m sorry mom. I really am.”
Lighting lowered her posture and covered her head with a one wing. She let the other drape to the side of her.
“I was just so ashamed after you kicked me out… I just couldn’t bring myself to face you.” Lighting admitted.
Spitfire sighed taking one arm and leaned on it, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair. “Do you know how long I spent looking for you after that young lady?”
Lightning didn’t look up at her mother. This made Spitfire’s temper rise. “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Spitfire snapped, yelling at Lightning Dust.
The younger mare shot up and pressed her nose against her mother’s. “You don’t have to yell at me! I’m right here!”
“Don’t you raise your voice to me young lady!” Spitfire yelled, pushing Lighting back.
Lighting Dust didn’t relent. Instead she pressed back making her mother lean further back into her soft comfy chair, she used her wings to hover above her mother. A big mistake.
“I’m not a filly you can push around you-”
“You, what?” Spitfire asked in a dangerous tone. Lightning felt a cold chill run down her spine as she felt her wing cramp. Lighting flopped to the ground whining like a filly with a sailor's mouth. Spitfire sighed shaking her head and downed her drink in one gulp. She then walked around the chair and looked down at her daughter.
She shook her head in a disappointed manner. She Lifted Lightning up gently and flew over to the couch and laid the poor mare down on it. She laid Lightning on her belly so she could inspect the mares wings. They were fine well kept, unlike her fur with was a bit greasy and sweaty, but needed a good preening.
Where did I go wrong in raising such a slob?” Spitfire sighed and began to slowly preen her daughters wings. “You were never really good at preening yourself. You were such a lazy pony.” Spitfire said with a chuckle. ‘You use to always ask your father to do this for you.” She complained feeling a sense of nostalgia.
Lighting scoffed. “I only asked dad cause you would never do it for me.”
Spitfire barked out a laugh. “You asked him cause you were too lazy to do it yourself and you know it!”
Lighting laughed along with her mother. “Yeah, well if you just did it for me I might have-”
“Don’t make up stories to cover your rear, missy.” Spitfire warned tugging on a few feathers. “Ugh, when was the last time you preened anyways?” She asked gesturing at the feathers.
Lighting tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Well, it was a while ago. Back before I joined the Coast Guard.”
Spitfire cocked a brow pulling out an old feather from her daughter's wing. She placed the feather on the floor and began kneading the wing with her hooves. “You joined the Coast Guard?”
“Yeah, ever since you kicked me out of the Wonderbolts I had to do something.” Lightning repled with a bit of spite in her voice, which didn’t go unnoticed by Spitfire.
“Hey don’t get snippy with me. You know I had no choice after that stunt you pulled.”
“But why was I the only one punished?!” Lighting leapt from the couch and glared at her mother. “Why did I get singled out?! Why didn’t you give me a chance!?!”
Spitfire could hold it in anymore. Her anger had gotten past the boiling point and she slapped Lightning across the face making her fall to the ground. Lighting held her face with her hoof looking up at her angered mother, who was now looming over her.
Lighting cowered under the mare, looking away in shame. Spitfire gave herself a few moments to calm and collect herself before reaching out to Lighting with a hoof. The turquoise mare took hold of the hoof and felt herself being lifted and pulled into a hug before she even knew what was going on.
“Lightning?”
“Ye-yes mom?”
Spitfire clenched her eyes shut nuzzling her daughter’s golden mane. Lighting was speechless at the how of affection. She took a moment to nuzzle her mother's fiery mane back listening to her every word.
“Lightning. When you disappeared I thought I lost you forever. I was harsh on you in the Academy because I held you to a higher standard.” Spitfire pulled away looking Lighting in the eyes. She took off her shades and put them on the floor beside her.
Lighting gasped to see Spitfire, her mother crying. It was unusual for her mother to cry about anything so this was serious.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Lighting asked hearing Spitfire sob slightly. “Uh, if this is about not writing I’ll write more often. I promise I won’t just disappear again, I just needed time to adjust, ya know?”
“I know Lightning.” Spitfire assured her. “I just wanted to know you were alright.”
“I am mom. Really.” Lighting said kissing her mother's forehead.
Spitfire wiped her eyes and pulled out her wing and wrapped it around Lighting Dust. In response Lighting wrapped her wing around her mother. The two ponies were never good at showing affection out in public, always afraid of being judged as weak or soft, but here in the comfort of home they felt a need to express their love for one another. Mother and daughter, different in so many ways yet deep down there were similarities, and they both knew it.
Spitfire and Lightning observed the sunset not letting each other go from the warm embrace. Spitfire felt her daughter nuzzle her neck reminding her she still had to lecture Lighting. Replacing her shades lighting saw Spitfire go from her loving mother to instructor mode. Feeling a long lecture coming up Lightning mentally prepared for it and steeled her nerves.
“So, Lightning when did you join the Coast Guard?” She asked.
“It was about three months ago.”
Spitfire scrunched up her nose. That was roughly around the time she kicked Lighting out of the Wonderbolts. “So, you went almost immediately in after you were out?”
“Yeah, I was still angry and joined them almost to spite you, but deep down I just didn’t want to feel like a failure.” Lighting said lowering her head.
Spitfire nudged the mare with her elbow. “Hey, sit up straight and speak up!”
Lightning reacted instinctively, sitting up right and rigid. “Yes ma’am!”
“...”
“...”
Spitfire’s nose scrunched up again and she began to laugh while Lightning blushed. “Mom!”
“Oh, sorry. It’s just you know how much I hate it when you sulk.”
“I wasn’t sulking.” Lighting said under her breath.
“Yes you were.” Spitfire replied, Lightning rolled her eyes.
“Whatever.”
“Hey now don’t get smart you still need to tell me why you joined the Coast guard.” Spitfire elbowed her daughter in the side.
“I actually joined because of a… someone I met while flying over Baltimare.” Lighting said looking out at the ocean. “I was still mad at you for kicking me out and I was really being stupid flying recklessly over the city, a Coast Guard Patrol Officer stopped me and gave me a good scolding.” Lighting sighed looking up at the sky. “He was really something though.”
Spitfire gave a sly smirk to her daughter. “Oh, hohoho, so my little filly has caught the eye of somepony, huh? So, when can I meet him to scare him off?”
“MOM!”
Spitfire barked out another laugh. “What? It’s my duty to do that since your father isn’t here to do it for me!”
“Mom, no.” Lightning warned her. “He’s a nice guy and I won’t have you scaring him off. Besides he’s kind and gentle not to mention a great flyer!”
Spitfire looked at Lighting who was now rubbing her stomach. She let out a groan and lifted Lighting up to the couch setting her down.
“Lightning Dust, is there something you wanna tell me?” Spitfire asked in her authoritative motherly tone.
Lighting Dust cringed slightly feeling a slight sickening feeling in her gut. She did have something to saw but was afraid her mother wouldn’t like the answer.
“Well, you see mom, the guy I’m seeing isn’t a pony.”Lighting trailed off leaving the sentence unfinished, much to her mother’s annoyance.
That being the case Spitfire tried to piece the words together based on what she knew about her daughter.
“Are you gay?”
“What no! Why would you think that!?” Lighting exclaimed waving her arms.
“What? Well don’t leave me with half finished sentences tell me what’s up, hon.” Spitfire nudged her. “Who is this mysterious stallion?”
“HE, isn’t a stallion mom. No I’m not gay. His name is Buck Beak and he’s,” Lighting paused to take a breath. “Buckbeak is a griffin mom.”
The silence that followed was the most intense silence Lighting had ever experienced in her life. Spitfire’s aviators slid off the ridge of her nose and she mindlessly pushed them back on staring slack jawed at Lighting.
Finally after a good minute she finally found her voice. “You’re dating a griffin?” She asked stiffly.
“Yeah?”
Spitfire took off her shades and gave Lightning a blank stare. “Do you love him?”
“Uh, yeah?”
“And does he love you?” Spitfire asked.
“Mom, he does love me and we’re going to stay together.” Lighting said getting annoyed.
“I just want to make sure you don’t do something stupid Lightning. You are my world and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Spitfire said kissing Lighting on the cheek. “You’re my little Dusty and I want to know you’re safe and making smart choices.”
More silence followed and Lighting fidgeted under her mother’s wing. “What’s wrong now, Dusty?”
“Mom, I came here to tell you something I’ve been putting off for a while. Promise you won’t get mad?” Spitfire nodded as Lighting pulled out a few dark pictures that looked like black graphs.
“What are these?” Spitfire asked flipping the pictures over and over again.
Lighting inhaled deeply readying herself for the oncoming storm surely to follow when she answered. “They;re my sonogram photos mom. I’m pregnant.”
Spitfire stared at the photos not sure of how to feel. Overwhelmed was a good choice at the time. She was happy because she knew Lighting was going to settle down now. She was sad cause now she was going to be a grandma, it made her feel old. She was also angry at her daughter for not telling her sooner not to mention she was dating a griffin, but Spitfire could look past that.
She looked back between the photos and Lighting unsure of what to say, which made Lighting feel concerned.
“Mom? You okay? You’re being awfully quiet.”
The next thing she knew was being pushed to the ground as her mother wrapped both wings around her and began squashing her under her arms in a bear hug.
“Oh, my little Dusty is gonna finally get a family!” She then slapped Lighting across the face with her wing. “And how dare you get pregnant without consulting me first!”
“Mom!”
“What? I never had this conversation with you before?”
“MOM!” Lighting yelled hitting Spitfire on the chest. “Stop being so mean I’m serious!”
“Lighting I am being serious.” Spitfire said in a calm voice. She pulled Lightning's head into her chest petting her mane. “I know I was harsh on you growing up. I know your father wasn’t always there, but I want you to know I’m here now. If you need anything, Buckbeak too, don’t feel like you can’t ask me for help.”
“Oh, mom.” Lighting felt her eyes tear up and rubbed her face into the soft fur. “Happy Mother’s Day by the way.”
“And you too future mother.” Spitfire said happily nuzzling her daughter’s mane. "And I want to meet this Buckbeak soon."
"Mom, I mean it be nice to him. He's a nice guy." Lighting growled at her mom.
"I know. I just think you might have been to fast in your relationship with him, lighting." Spitfire said. "I just worry about you."
"I know. I love you mom."
"Love you too, Dusty."
“Oh, mom.” Lighting felt her eyes tear up and rubbed her face into the soft fur. “Happy Mother’s Day by the way.”
“And you too future mother.” Spitfire said happily nuzzling her daughter’s mane. "So when do I get to harass-I mean meet Buckbeak?"