> A Constant Test
>  by Rose Quill
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Which one do you want?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.  "Which one do you want?" I asked my wife.

Rainbow sighed as she juggled her work bag. "I'll take Windvane," she said. "I connect with her easier."

I nodded. We knew which parent each took after. "Ah'll drag Bushel down to the west field," I sighed. "Maybe some hard work'll make him simmer down some."

Rainbow snickered. "Fat chance," she said as she snatched up her keys. "Windy!" she shouted up the stairs. "Last one to the car buys the ice cream!"

"Dashie," I started, but Windvane was already pounding her way to the stairs, hopping the bannister the second she had enough clearance. She was always testing her limits, like her mother that had born her. Where Dash had been a soccer pro, Windvane had gone the gymnastics route, and on her off time, she practiced something called par-core, or something like that. The fifteen-year-old blonde broke her fall by rolling upon landing and skidded around the corner as she nabbed her jacket from the tree in the living room but froze as she caught sight of both of us with annoyed expressions.

"No fair!" I head Bushel shout as he clomped down the stairs. He was built rather like his uncle had been at his age. The younger of our twins rounded the newel post of the stairs and frowned when he saw both of us standing there, my arms starting to cross.

"West end," I said as I fixed my eyes on him. "Now."

Rainbow lofted the keys to Windvane. "Wait for me in the car," she said, the same tone she used on her students. 

The twins looked at each other and dropped their heads as they headed for the spots we had designated for them.

I leaned in and kissed my wife, then straightened up and plucked my hat from the tree. "Don't be too long," I whispered. "And Ah want butter pecan."

The shorter woman flipped me a salute and a wink before we headed out.

I walked out to the western orchard, sorting things out in my head. Bushel was leaning against a tree, a stack of empty apple boxes on a wagon next to him, a glower on his face.

"How many?" he asked sullenly. 

"Two," I said. "And Ah'm not helping this time."

He frowned. "You know that Ah don't mind being out here, right?" His yellow and red hair was shaggy and in sore need for a trim, and he kept flicking it out of his face. "This isn't much of a punishment."

"Weren't meant to be," I replied, sitting on the wagon and crossing my legs. "But you seem a mite more willin' t'talk when you're working. What brought that ruckus about this morning?"

He glared at the tree as he picked some of the golden delicious apples. "Ah don't know," he said. "Windy and Ah were just talking about the race we had the other day and she exploded."

"Mmm-hmm," I hummed, reminding me of the hundreds of nuances my sister-in-law could eke out of that sound. "Who won that race, if Ah didn't already know."

"She did," Bushel sullenly. "But she didn't race fair, Ma! She kept taking to the lower tree branches when Ah had to duck around them! Fair race means running the same track."

Memories of the races Dash and I had run as teenagers and since flickered through my mind as I leaned forward. "Did ya say that?" 

"What?"

"When you took Windvane up on the race," I said softly. "Did you tell her to keep it on the ground?"

He took a blank look as he tried to remember. "Maybe? Ah don't remember."

"When Ah raced your Mom," I said, tilting my hat back. "Ah knew that she was faster in the turns, but I had just as much speed in the straightaway. If Ah didn't state the rules outright, I deserved to lose if she cut corners or tapped into her magic." I chuckled. "Can't believe it took me two races before telling her 'no wings'."

"Ah shouldn't have to tell her, though," he said, setting his second box on the wagon. "Ah ask for a foot race an she starts hopping through trees."

I smile and stand up, putting my hand on his shoulder before he can climb back up the ladder, tossing my head towards the house. As we walked there, I ruffled his messy mop with my hand. "You need a haircut, kiddo," I said. "But lookie here. Ya cain't just get upset with your sister just cause the two of you had different ways of running. She just thinks like her Mom, always pushing boundaries, and she sees the world different from you. It's probably the wings."

As we entered the house, I heard gravel hiss as the car pulled up. Bushel sighed. "Ah got to apologize, don't Ah?"

I smiled and gave him a loose hug. "Ah can't tell you to do it," I told him. "It don't mean anything if forced."

"Ah know," he said. "It's just..."

"Ya hate losing," Rainbow said as she came in with Windvane and set a canvas shopping bag on the kitchen table. "I know the feeling, squirt. But you can't rig the game." That last was directed at Windvane. She pulled out a pair of small cartons and handing them to the kids. "Now get outta here."

They walked into the living room, giving each other apologetic glances.

"Kids," Dash said, digging another spoon from the drawer. 

"Ya know you love 'em," I said as I put my hat back on the coat tree. "You get anything outta Windy?"

"The usual," she said, digging in the bag. "He challenged, forgot to set rules, and she just free ran. Kid's a little devious sometimes, it's a little scary."

"Ah know," I sighed. "They're getting to where our word don't hold as much weight anymore. We're getting to the hard part, Rainbow." I felt a tear well up in the corner of my eye. "Seems like yesterday Ah was holding 'em both in my arms."

A carton was held under my nose. 

"I wondered why you asked for butter pecan," Dash said as she held out the spoon.

"Hush, you," I said, taking a spoonful of the ice cream. "Let me have my little empty nest moment."

She held up her hands and tilted her head, eyes sliding closed. "Fair enough," she said. Then she smiled. "Though you should know Windy's got a crush."

I whirled on my wife.

"What?"
> Sigh
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I tried. I really tried. But goddess the girl was fast. 

I really try to race my kids straight. It's for fun, after all, and ever since retiring from professional soccer and teaching gym back at CHS, I couldn't really complain. Life was good.

Still, though, Windy could book it when she wanted to. I was tempted to tap into my magic either for wings or for the extra speed from the connection I had with my element necklace. She was staying on pace with me but I could tell she was slowly pulling ahead.

If AJ hears about this, she'll never let me live it down, I thought as I smiled at my daughter. She looked an awful lot like her ma if you didn't pay attention. The long straight blonde hair was tied back with a similar tie that evoked memories of my days when the only way I knew to spend time with AJ was to race her. I was never great at expressing my emotions back then.

"You're starting to fall behind, Mom," Windy called without losing her pace.

"Ha! You wish, squirt," I shouted, giving a little burst of speed. "You want to make this a real challenge?"

"What ya got in mind?" she called back, a trace of her other parent's accent showing through.

"You win, you get one free ride anywhere no questions asked," I said, hopping a tree root. "I win, your ma and I meet the crush."

She stumbled, her face turning red from more than just the exertion. "It's not a crush," she sputtered as she tried to regain her stride, falling behind a little bit.

"I can read you like a book, Windy," I said as I gently tapped a little bit of my magic, just enough to keep a mild lead on her but not enough to make it obvious. "Plus, if you didn't have a crush, you wouldn't have lost your stride there."

She growled and leaned into her run, almost catching up.

I'm only half convinced she didn't get my speed boost magic sometimes. If only she was this interested in running for the school! Then again, the Gymnastics team hasn't had this many golds since we were students there, with Lyra, Tree Hugger, and Trixie keeping us high in the ranks.

At the same time, I loved being pushed to the limit by my own kids. Bushel may not be as fast as me or his sister, but his strength was in endurance and power, like his uncle Mac. He was a pretty good candidate for the wrestling team if he ever got some ambition for leaving the orchards in his free time.

I spared my daughter a grin and ponied up. "Wings only, first back to the house." 

She grinned wolfishly, peach wings blossoming into being. "You're on, Mom," she said as she banked hard and turned back towards the house.
> My kids, what a test.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bushel picked up the next apple, giving it a polish on his shirt before starting to peel it. "How many do we need, again?" he asked.

I pulled the second apple crisp out of the oven, setting it on the cooling rack. "Ah would think six good-sized granny smiths should do it, Bush," I said as I glanced at Rarity who was decorating a set of small cakes with her daughter Melody. "How many items do you think the show will take, Rares?"

She placed another candy gem on the pastry next to her. "I think another three or four pies should do, darling, especially with Twilight doing some batches at her place," she said as she sorted through the box of sugar decorations. "We should be well stocked after this last round of baking."

I nodded, picking up the first of the last couple of pies and setting it in the oven and closing it. Wiping my brow for a moment, I glanced out the window. "Ah wonder where those two have got to," I said.

Melody glanced up. "Who?

"Dash and Windvane," I said. "Dash said she was going to go out and get me something. Ah just worry 'cause the two of them get into trouble if they get to racin'."

"Ah wouldn't worry, Ma," Bushel said as he dumped a cup of cinnamon and sugar over the sliced apples inside the bottom crust of the final pie. "You know Mom can beat Windy if she cuts loose."

"That's what Ah'm worried about," I said.

"Whatever do you mean?" Melody asked.

I was about to respond when I hear a cry from outside and a crash. I facepalmed before speaking. "That."

We went outside and found Windvane disengaging herself from a tree. "Not bad, squirt," Dash said as she helped our daughter down. "You kept up till you turned to gloat. Rule number one of flying, always keep an eye on where you're going."

"Right, right," Windvane said, picking leaves from her hair. "Ah'll keep that in mind."

"Also?" my wife asked, hooking an arm around our oldest child's neck. "I won. Now you gotta introduce us to this crush of yours."

I grinned as Windy turned red. "Do Ah hafta?" she whispered.

"You raced on it, kiddo," Dash said. "You going to go back on your word?"

She shook her head and sighed.

I narrowed my eyes at my wife. "Rainbow," I started. "You didn't happen to rig this race, did you?"

Rainbow shrugged. "Not at all," she said, her trademark grin flashing into being. "I just knew she'd try to showboat a bit and she's not practiced enough to keep her attention on the surroundings like I am."

"Dash," I said. "You know we were likely to meet him eventually, right?"

"Absolutely," Rarity said. "After all, we've been making refreshments for the Fall Formal all day today."

I nodded as Dash's eyes lit up.

"Crisps?" she asked, causing Windvane to perk up as well.

"Cooling," I replied. "Made two cause Ah know how you are about them."

The teenage girl and my wife traded glances.

"Race you?" Windy asked.

"Nah," Dash said as I crossed my arms. "Ma would kill us."

"Darn tootin'," I said. "No racin' in mah house."





"Vinyl still drops some cool beats," Sunset said as we sat down later that night, watching the kids dance. "Even better than when we were that age."

"Right," I said, trying to keep an eye out for Windvane. The matte yellow dress that Rarity had made for her was easy to track in the crowd, but sometimes a crowd would pass by and obscure my view.

"Calm down, AJ," Sunset said. "Rory may be a senior this year, but you know she's one of Windy's best friends. If you don't find out tonight, Twi and I could always ask."

"That sounds like spying, though," I said. "I would rather her come out and tell us."

"I know. Which is why I think you should stay calm," the author said as she raked her red and gold hair back. "You may get your wish."

"What do you..."

"Um, Mom?" my daughter's voice piped up from behind me.

I turned, and next to Windvane was a boy about her height with a nervous look on his face, running his hand through his shaggy brown hair.

"This is Sonic," Windy said. "He's the one that asked me to the dance."

"Wait," I said. "Aren't you..."

"The DJ's son?" he asked, his voice a little lyrical. "Yeah. My folks wanted to tell you, but I thought we should tell you ourselves. I don't know why she waited so long, we've been dating for almost three weeks."

"Have you now?" I asked, smiling internally as I saw Windy start to fidget in place.

He nodded, and I let the smile outside. 

"Well, don't let me keep ya," I said, gesturing back to the dance floor. "Ah'm here to keep the snacks up, not follow you like a tick on a hound's back. Y'all have fun." 

"Thanks, Ma," Windvane said.

"You're still due home by eleven, though," I amended.

She rolled her eyes but waved a thumbs up at me as Vinyl dropped a fast-paced trance song and she pulled Sonic back out to the floor.

I sat back and saw Vinyl tilt her head at me as she lifted her glasses up. I gave her a thumbs up and was given one in return.

I could trust the kids. I always knew that. I just wish sometimes that they didn't test my patience. 

"What is Dash doing?" Sunset asked.

"Testing me," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose as we watched my wife try to dance to the music.