The World Is Her Oyster

Chapters

Birthday
First Day of School
House Guests
Foal's Night In
Parent's Night Out
Career Day
Baby Booming
Growing Pains And Stolen Dreams
Midnight Mission Part 1
Midnight Mission Part 3
Midnight Mission Part 4
Midnight Mission Part 5
The End of The Beginning
Epilogue Part 1 - Eleven Years From Now
Epilogue Part 2 - One Hundred And One Years From Now
Nightmare Night
Midnight Mission Part 2

Birthday

Today was a big day for a little dragon, Pearl the daughter of Spike and Macintosh Apple is turning five years old. As tradition in her family all dragons received feasts instead of regular parties to avoid incidents. Her parents were in the kitchen of their home putting the finishing touches on the cake while her Aunt Twilight welcomed the guests. Her Aunt Trixie was currently watching over her and her cousin Skyla.

Skyla is the four year old princess of the Crystal Empire who also happens to be the first natural born alicorn in around four-thousand years. She looks like a much smaller version of her mother in nearly every way. She doesn't yet have the best social skills and prefers to play by herself most of the time. She loved all of her family dearly however and would never miss the opportunity to hang out with her cousin.

Pearl was coloring in an activity book, while Skyla was brushing the mane of one of her dolls. The pair were silently doing their own activities when Pearl was assaulted by a neon pink blur. Pearl opened her eyes to find herself on her back being pinned by a happy and seemingly insane filly with spiral eyes.

"Hey Screwball." Pearl chuckled, she was already accustomed to the filly's antics.

Screwball is the child of Discord and Fluttershy, and is only a year younger than Pearl. Nearly everypony was surprised when Discord popped the question to Fluttershy and more so when the pair informed them that they discovered Fluttershy was several weeks along shortly after Pearl was born. Even Screwball's parents were surprised to see she was an earth pony but seemed to possess many of Discord's powers. Skyla and Screwball's birthdays were only twelve days apart with Skyla being the older of the two.

"Happy Birthday Pearl! Mommy helped me make you a jello for your birthday! It's got gems in it~" The filly said excitedly as she lifted herself off of her cousin. She lifted her beanie from her head and pulled the aforementioned dessert from it in total disregard for the laws of physics.

The delicious blob was a deep red that jiggled as the hyperactive filly held it in her hooves. She stood on her hind legs like it was natural, something Skyla was a little weirded out by but decided to ignore.

"Ooo cherry flavor, my favorite." Pearl said excitedly.

"I'll take that to the kitchen for you Screwball." Trixie said as she grasped it in her magic. She trotted off leaving the girls to themselves for the moment.

The girls played amongst themselves and waved to their extended family as they passed them by. Screwball pulled a game of Candy Land from her hat that they could all play together. Screwball had to promise not to use magic to win but otherwise everything went fine. Skyla stayed mostly silent however, Screwball's bottomless energy reserves and complete disregard for personal space got to her sometimes.

After two rounds of the game being won by Screwball and Pearl respectively their parents arrived to take them to the table. Pearl got to sit at the head of the table as it was her special day. She was overjoyed to see her whole family in one place, due to most of her family being very important ponies it was a rare occurrence.

It was quite the crowd too, it was fortunate the house was dragon sized. Her Grandma Celestia and Great Aunt Luna were seated between Spike and Macintosh and Trixie and Twilight. Twilight had asked Trixie to marry her three years ago after the couple had already lived together for two. They were currently thinking about foals of their own.

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack had still yet to find special someponies and were seated together with the all four of the former CMC. The group had received their marks years ago but still were very close friends. Discord, Fluttershy, and Screwball occupied the other side of the immense table along with Shining Armor, Cadence, and Skyla.

After making certain everything was on the table and that everyone had something to drink Spike tapped his glass with his spoon to gain everyone's attention. The smalltalk ceased as everyone looked to the adolescent dragon.

"Thank you all for being here for Pearl's fifth birthday dinner. As usual we're going to eat first and then we'll give Pearl her presents after dessert and the birthday song. So let's eat, drink, and be merry." Spike said to all present, signaling them to dig in.

Everypony attending brought a dish to add to the menu, ensuring that there would be enough food for the group. The less experienced cooks (Twilight and Rainbow Dash) were allowed to buy their contributions and the royals were allowed to have their chefs make their contributions since they had less free time.

Despite having such a massive quantity of food it disappeared rather quickly. Mostly due to Spike, Discord, Screwball, and Pinkie Pie's incredible appetites. Everyone still managed to stuff themselves well but had left room for the dessert course that was yet to come. After a few moments the empty dishes and pans had been swapped for sweets of all shapes and sizes.

Pinkie Pie brought cupcakes, some normal and some gem flavored for the birthday girl and her father. Screwball's jello was also there next to some apple pies donated by Applejack and Apple Bloom. Rarity had brought a large tray of chocolate cookies and Luna a heavenly smelling bread pudding she had actually taken the time to make herself.

The centerpiece of the dessert show was of course the birthday cake. It stood twice as tall as Pearl and was comprised of three tiers. Each tier was a different kind of chocolate, white chocolate on top, milk chocolate in the middle, and dark chocolate on the bottom. The whole thing was iced beautifully in a pure snow white. Along the midsection of each tier ran a network of green vines with pink roses blooming from them. It had taken some time to make but Spike and Macintosh wanted everything to be perfect.

The group began singing as Spike lit the candle. It was too delicate a task to use his breath on so he balled his claws into a fist around his thumb and pulled it back out quickly producing a small noise that sounded like an actual lighter accompanied by a few sparks. He repeated this several times until his thumb was alight with a small green fire. It was just something he discovered he could do while he was unable to use his breath while Pearl had been in his flame chamber. He lit the large wax candle shaped like a number five and blew the flame on his thumb out.

As the song drew to a close Spike lifted his little girl to the top of the cake.

"Now make a wish an' blow out the candle." Macintosh said to her as he held a camera up to his face.

Pearl happily complied and thought for a moment before extinguishing the candle with one good breath. Macintosh clicked the button on the camera at just the right time, capturing the moment. Spike placed Pearl back into her seat before returning to his own. Pearl got the first slice of course, followed by Celestia who had been making a tremendous effort not to drool in public.

After everyone had their desserts Spike cleared the table once more to make room for Pearl to open her presents. Originally Spike and Macintosh had planned to give her one gift a year but decided that in addition to her parent's gift two other names would be drawn from a hat to be allowed to get her something. Those names would be taken out of the hat the next year so everyone would eventually have a turn. Pearl was grateful, she was always envious of others getting more presents than her, even if it was for her own good.

"Okay everypony this first gift is from Rarity who was one of this years surprise gift givers." Spike said loud enough for the group to hear as he placed a thin rectangular box in front of his daughter.

Despite the box being beautifully wrapped Pearl tore right through the wrapping paper and ribbon to get to her prize. She lifted the box's lid and held up a pink hoodie that was just her size. She squeed in delight, for some reason Pearl had always preferred clothes to going nude unlike most creatures in Equestria. However her wings, spines, and general build had always made it somewhat of a hassle to find anything for her.

"It's made from a new material my good friend Coco invented, it won't rip or tear unless you use special scissors and is entirely fireproof. I bought a fair amount of it so I can make you more clothes if you decide you like it." Rarity explained to the overjoyed hatchling.

Pearl struggled to get it on for a few moments before succeeding. It was an almost perfect fit and even had holes her wings could go through easily enough. She moved around in it and flapped her wings experimentally. She looked absolutely adorable. Macintosh snapped another photograph, this was definitely one for the album.

"It's great! I want one for every day of the week!" Pearl exclaimed happily as she tried cutting it with a claw. Just as her Aunt had claimed it didn't harm the garment whatsoever.

"Just hoodies?" Rarity asked somewhat disappointed.

"Yup this is great, and it's my favorite color too!" She replied. She was so happy her wings were flapping a bit.

"You mean you want them all to be pink? I have several other colors to choose from." Rarity asked hoping for something that gave her just a bit of creative license.

"Pink is my favorite, so I think just pink will be okay. Thank you Aunty Rarity!" Pearl answered completely oblivious to the slight pout the mare wore. Applejack patted her on the back to try and cheer her up.

Macintosh cleared away the debris that was once the hoodie's container in preparation for the next present. Twilight lifted a small round metal container from beside her and placed it in front of Pearl much to everypony's confusion. Everypony looked to Twilight for an explanation.

"Twi, this looks nothing like what you described to us in the letter. Should I be worried?" Spike asked.

"All she needs to do is open it by twisting the top off of the canister. I couldn't find any wrapping paper so I put it in there." Twilight replied. Spike looked at her suspiciously but decided to trust his adoptive sister and best friend's word.

Pearl took that as her cue and twisted the top of the cylinder and looked inside. Nopony else could see whatever it was and Pearl herself seemed uncertain. She turned it upside down and tapped it on it's bottom like a ketchup bottle. To everypony's surprise a cylinder of something brown with red stripes slowly fell out of the container and made a distinct splat on the table. Pearl poked it experimentally and it wiggled in response.

"Twilight you said you were giving her a cat! How is this a cat?!" Spike whispered as loud as he could to his sister.

"I said it was like a cat. Just give it a minute." Twilight said as if this were perfectly normal.

Sure enough the mass of... something began quivering and soon took the shape of a cat with a soft pop. It was a deep brown color with red stripes. It was definitely a cat, but unlike any cat anyone had ever seen before. It was plump to the point of being almost a blob and it's legs were little more than nubs.

"Twilight, what the hay did you do to that cat?" Spike asked now very worried.

"It's not a cat, I made it in my lab. I was trying to create an organism that could survive in deep space to collect information on other worlds no matter what the environment. Or I was, until Trixie dropped a peanut butter sandwich into the mix while I was in the bathroom." Twilight responded with some underlying annoyance.

"It was nuttella." Trixie corrected.

"Well either way it didn't belong in my experiment." Twilight replied.

"So why does it look like a cat? What do cats have to do with space?" Luna asked in confusion, after all that was sort of her department.

"Nothing, but I wanted it to look friendly instead of just being a blob and cats have great mobility. Or they would if they weren't made of sandwich spread. It may not be able to perform the tasks I wanted, but it should make a wonderful pet. It only needs solar radiation and heat to survive, and it can handle just about anything on earth without being destroyed." Twilight explained.

Pearl looked the somewhat blob-like creature over and petted it cautiously. It responded like a cat normally would with a soft purr. Pearl picked the little scientific abomination up and hugged it lovingly.

"I like him! He's like a peach, sorta squishy with fuzz all over. Plus he smells sorta like chocolate!" The birthday girl exclaimed happily.

Spike and Macintosh looked at each other uncertainly before turning back to Twilight.

"It's perfectly safe right?" Macintosh asked.

"Yes, I reprogrammed it to behave exactly like a cat instead of a living probe. It's supposed to act calm and loving and never harm any living thing. Plus it doesn't produce any waste so you don't need to clean up after it!" Twilight said proudly. It may not have turned out exactly how she wanted it but creating life was still a pretty big accomplishment.

"You should call him Cob, cat-blob." Screwball told Pearl with her hooves, one representing "cat" and the other "blob" she then proceeded to mash them together. Most likely to try and prove her point or because she thought it'd be fun.

Pearl held the bizarre feline imitation out in front of herself at eye level. She looked into it's pure white eyes, they reminded her of her own unique eyes somehow.

"Do you like that name? Cob?" She asked.

"Mow" Was her reply. It could have meant anything but the five year old interpreted it as yes and resumed hugging it. Cob swelled a bit at the top end while his rear end deflated somewhat. When Pearl loosened her grip his proportions returned to normal with a sound like someone rubbing the surface of a balloon.

"Well, we did want to get her a pet. Ah suppose it's alright so long as it ain't got any claws or nothin." Macintosh relented as he watched his daughter snuggle the amorphous cat-like creature that purred softly.

"Twilight, I commend you on your scientific achievement but please don't try to play Faust again. The last thing we need is a bunch of immortal blobs running around Equestria." Celestia pleaded.

"Trust me, I won't." Twilight swore with her hoof to her heart.

"Well I think it's adorable, even if it was made in a lab it's still a loveable little critter." Fluttershy added as she looked at the strange creature.

Pearl set Cob on the floor beside her so she could watch it walk. It's little stubby legs didn't move very fast but it was pretty cute to watch. It made it's way across the room, stopping directly beneath the nearest window. Normally cats are excellent jumpers, Cob however is not actually a cat. Instead of performing a daring feat of feline agility and power it started walking against the wall for the next minute. Eventually it stopped and stretched itself onto it's back legs with it's front on the wall. It began inching it's way up the wall like a slug or a caterpillar until it stopped in the windowsill.

"He's so talented!" Pearl said happily as she watched Cob settle in for a nap in the fading late afternoon sunlight.

"Yeah, talented is totally the right word." Rainbow said sarcastically. Pearl being only five years old luckily didn't yet have a grasp on the concept of sarcasm.

"Ah dunno, little feller's kinda cute... just so long as I don't have t' touch it or nothin." Applejack said trying to be optimistic.

Several ponies nodded their agreement and let the sleeping "cat" lie. Spike pulled the last present out from under the table beside him and gave it to Pearl. It was a fairly large box wrapped in white paper and teal ribbons, clearly decorated with her in mind.

"This one's from us sweetie." Spike told her as she began tearing through the paper.

Pearl lifted the lid off of the box to reveal a pink messenger bag the perfect size for her. It was obviously well made, and on the front of it was her name in fancy silver lettering. She lifted the top flap to find it only had one large pocket at the top and a netted pocket with elastic over the top, presumably for folders and such.

"It's fer school an' anythin else really. It's a bottomless bag, ya put whatever ya need to carry in the big pocket an' it never gets full or heavy. We had it made just fer you. Ah'm sure yer gonna get plenty a' use out of it what with school startin in a week." Macintosh explained.

"Also there's already something in the bag that we wanna give you." Spike added.

Pearl unzipped the bag and looked in finding nothing but darkness. She reached in to try and feel the bottom but found nothing. Before she could ask about whatever was supposed to be in the bag her claw brushed up against something that hadn't seemed to be there before. She pulled the mysterious object out and found it to be a large drawstring pouch filled nearly to bursting.

She opened the pouch to find a large assortment of the treasured jewels she had been named after. She had never seen authentic pearls before, they were somewhat hard to find in Equestria. Pearl had always wondered about them, but never imagined they would be so pretty. She took one in her claws and held it, marveling at it's near perfect smoothness and beautiful shine.

"There are lots of Pearls in the world, but we don't need any besides you. These are to do whatever you want with eat them, save them, whatever you like. All you need to know is that we love our Pearl more than anything, happy birthday." Spike said softly, but loudly enough for the others to hear.

"I love you Daddy, and you too Pa." Pearl said happily as she placed the pearls back into the bag

Pearl jumped onto Macintosh's back and hugged him tight from there. Spike hugged the both of them, as Pearl wasn't big enough to put her arms around both of them even if Spike shrank himself as far as he could. Everypony in the room aww'd at the scene, even Rainbow Dash who wasn't one for mushy stuff. The trio silently enjoyed the closeness for a couple minutes before returning their attention to the others.

After the presents were opened the adults and children broke off again. Celestia and Luna said their goodbyes early as they still had business to attend to but promised to visit soon. The adults talked about their lives while Pearl showed off her gifts to her cousins. Skyla marveled at the bottomless bag, but Screwball didn't think it was much of a big deal considering she does the same sort of thing with her beanie all the time. Next Pearl brought Cob down from the window, flying back down to the girls with him in her arms.

"You guys wanna pet him? He's all fuzzy and warm." She demonstrated by petting him softly producing another round of purrs.

Screwball eagerly petted the artificial cat still in Pearl's arms. She even rubbed right behind it's ears and got it to where it was purring very loudly. Screwball was very good at caring for animals thanks to her mother's influence. Pearl tried to hand it to Skyla but the filly backed up a step.

"What's wrong Skyla? Cob won't hurt you, Aunty Twilight made him. She wouldn't make something that'd hurt somebody." Pearl reasoned.

Skyla thought about it for a moment. Aunty Twilight is super nice and super smart, if she made Cob then I guess it's alright.

"Okay, I'll pet him." Skyla stretched her hoof out and petted Cob who resumed purring before turning in Pearl's arms so that his belly was facing upward.

Skyla rubbed his belly causing his happy noises to increase in volume. In addition his tiny legs wiggled as he enjoyed the attention. Skyla giggled as she watched the little stubs move, surprising Screwball greatly. Skyla was always so quiet, even quieter than her mother.

A few more hours passed and Cob fell asleep on the sofa, leaving the girls to entertain themselves with something else. That something was the large television in the living room where Spike put in a movie for them to watch. Screwball made popcorn for them somehow and they sat there contently talking about the movie until they fell asleep.

Macintosh, Spike, Discord, and Shining Armor came to retrieve their young ones as soon as soon as they heard the talk from the other room stop. Each took their own child, with Spike putting Pearl on Macintosh's back gently. Shining levitated Skyla onto his back and said his goodbyes. He and Cadence used their combined magic to teleport home soon after.

"So, I believe I heard mention of school just before you gave your daughter the sappiest gift ever?" Discord said quietly as he carried his daughter back to Fluttershy who was waiting by the door.

"Yeah, it's next week starting Monday. You thinking about putting Screwball in this year? You don't have to until age five, but I'm sure they'd be thrilled to go together." Spike whispered back.

"Eeyup." Macintosh added softly.

"I think it's a splendid idea, I'll have Fluttershy contact the school. Cheerilee is still mad that I turned her house into cheese to make Screwball laugh." Discord told them as he handed Screwball to her mother.

The parents went their separate ways and Macintosh and Spike put Pearl in her bed for the night. After the door was shut they entered their own room across the hall for the night. They slipped into bed and turned off the lights, they needed their rest to keep up with their precious Pearl.

Author's Note

Next chapter will be more focused on Pearl, this is just sort of an intro chapter. Skyla will probably be back eventually and Screwball is obviously going to be a recurring character.

Next Chapter: School

First Day of School

Meadowlark was an old grey earth pony mare with a mane that had turned white many years ago. Meadowlark had recently come out of retirement by her granddaughter Cheerilee who had been promoted to the school board. Today was to be her first day back on the job as kindergarten teacher.

Ponyville's school was now just as advanced as any of the schools in larger cities were thanks to a generous donation from the royal family about five years ago. Now there were many separate classrooms for different grades and even a few science labs and a gymnasium.

Meadowlark always liked to be acquainted with her student's parents, as such she was standing in front of the building awaiting them. She had already managed to cross quite a few names off of her list from the early birds she had met so far. The children who had already arrived were playing in the gym.

She was caught completely off guard when a large terrifying shadow fell upon her. She looked up to see the most imposing creature on earth, a might purple dragon was descending several yards from herself. Her mind was screaming at her to flee but her tired old bones just wouldn't move.

The great beast landed facing her, it was looking directly into her soul. By some miracle it looked behind itself, ignoring her for the time being. With one of it's menacing clawed hands it took something from it's back slowly and placed it on the ground. It was a stallion, a great big, red earth pony with a little dragon sitting on his own back. Once the stallion was safely on the ground the dragon returned it's attention to her.

"Good morning ma'am. Would you happen to be Mrs.Meadowlark the kindergarten teacher?" The monster asked her with surprising politeness.

"Y-yes, c-can I help you with something?" Meadowlark asked, trying to return the kindness without wetting herself.

"Great! I'm Spike, this is my husband Macintosh, and our daughter Pearl. She's going to be in your class this year and we thought it'd be a good idea to meet you beforehand." Spike told the considerably confused mare with his usual smile.

"What? Y-you're a dragon... enrolling your daughter in a pony school? Is that legal?" The elderly teacher asked as she struggled to grasp the concept.

"Yes? She should be on the list, Cheerilee assured me that all my paperwork was in order." Spike replied. He looked to Mac nervously who shared his concern.

The aged mare looked through her list Cheerilee had given her for a moment before finding the name written on it, just as the strangely friendly dragon had claimed.

Name: Priscilla Falstaff Equestria (Prefers Pearl)

Age: 5

Race: Dragon

Emergency Contacts:

Sullivan Amadeus Equestria (Prefers Spike)

Macintosh Apple

Celestia Parthena Equestria

Luna Vertiline Equestria

Twilight Sparkle

Trixie Lulamoon Sparkle

Note: Pearl is a wonderfully kind little girl but gets bored easily. Be aware she can fly and breathe fire. She is technically a princess but doesn't like special treatment. Her father may be somewhat intimidating but is a perfect gentlecolt.

Meadowlark let the information and names on the list Cheerilee had given her soak in for a few seconds. Everything clicked reasonably fast after she was presented with all the facts.

"Oh dear, your highness! I'm so sorry, I wasn't aware this small town was your home. I'm from Hoofshire originally, I remember reading about you in the paper a few years ago. I thought you were going to gobble me up before I saw the princesses names on the contact list." The mare said wearing a forced smile. She was hoping he was the forgiving type.

Spike looked himself over and face-clawed at his own stupidity. He grasped the dial on his chest and shrunk himself down to about the same size as Macintosh. Pearl giggled a bit, she had always thought it was funny to see her Daddy shrink so much.

" Just call me Spike. I'm really sorry about coming here like I did, I forgot you were new in town. I should have landed further back and walked up after making myself somewhat less threatening." Spike told her as he internally berated himself.

"Oh no, I shouldn't have just assumed you were going to eat me, I seem to have gotten paranoid in my old age. I'd be happy to show the three of you around if you'd like." She offered. In her mind she was thanking Faust almighty that she hadn't angered some random dragon.

"Well Mac and I are already familiar with the building, they gave us a tour when they were finished. We gave the town the money to modernize the school shortly after Pearl was born since she'd be attending eventually." Spike explained. To prove himself he pointed out the sign at the front of the building. There was indeed a placard bearing his and Macintosh's names.

"Oh I see, thank you for that. Children are our future, nothing is as important as they are." The mare said with a firm nod. Anyone so concerned with his child's well being was a good egg in her book.

"Ah agree Ms. Meadowlark, ah think Pearl'll be in good hooves with ya." Macintosh added.

"I'd love to see what they've done with the place over the past few years, but duty calls. A hydra has been seen causing trouble in the marshlands north of Canterlot and my mother requested that I teach it some manners." Spike informed her.

For the first time she noticed the chain around his back that secured what appeared to be a hammer several times larger than any weapon she had ever seen. She decided then it was best not to do anything to upset this family. Ever.

A sphere of light appeared several feet from the group glowing brightly. It soon dissipated into a flock of bubbles that floated away leaving Discord, Fluttershy, and Screwball behind. For the first time ever Meadowlark was wishing that she had simply gone senile and today was some kind of dream.

Fluttershy stepped forward with Screwball and joined Spike and Macintosh. Screwball and Pearl were already chatting away before Meadowlark had any idea what was going on.

"Hello, I'm here to drop my daughter off for kindergarten class." Fluttershy told the mare as she pointed to the odd filly.

"Uh yes, right. Name?" The old mare asked after remembering what she was supposed to be doing.

"Screwball." Fluttershy replied.

Meadowlark scanned her list once more until finding the correct name.

Name: Screwball

Age: 4

Race: Pony/Draconequus Hybrid

Emergency Contacts:

Fluttershy

Discord

Note: Possesses reality warping abilities but is generally good natured if somewhat hyperactive. Try not to anger her father.

"Yes, I assume you're Fluttershy then? Who is the strange fellow behind you?" she asked.

"That's my husband Discord, he's Screwball's father. I made him promise to be on his best behavior so he's keeping to himself because he doesn't want to sleep on the sofa tonight." Fluttershy explained.

"Ah good mare, keeping the menfolk in line. It's about time for class so I'm afraid it's time for parents to say goodbye so we can meet up with the other children playing in the gymnasium." The grey mare replied.

Spike and Macintosh both kissed Pearl on the crest of her forehead much to her annoyance and promised to be back to pick her up at three. Fluttershy and Discord did the same with Screwball, though Fluttershy's overprotective nature tried to thwart their departure. Discord snapped his fingers, making them disappear in a flash before his wife made too big of a scene.

Meadowlark showed the girls inside and instructed them to follow behind her. They soon arrived in the gym where groups of ponies of varying ages sat or played with others in their grade. About twenty other foals were waiting for Mrs.Meadowlark under the supervision of an earth pony mare wearing a ball cap and whistle, presumably the gym teacher. Meadowlark rounded them up and follow her as well until they reached the classroom.

There were eleven tables in the room, each only big enough to seat two. The room itself was white with many colorful posters on the walls. At the front of the room was a large whiteboard with markers in the tray just below. The carpeting had foam rubber underneath it to prevent the foals from getting hurt when they fell. Several supply cupboards and bookshelves lined the walls as well.

Meadowlark motioned for them to pick seats. Screwball and Pearl sat towards the back at one table while the other seats filled in. Once their teacher was satisfied that they had found themselves places she stood at the white board.

"Good morning children, my name is Mrs.Meadowlark and I'll be your teacher for the whole year. Since today is the first day of school we're going to get to know one another until recess. Where you're sitting will be your permanent seat unless I ask you to move. It will also tell what order we do things in. When it is your turn, go up to the board and tell us your name and a little about yourselves." She explained.

She motioned for the first child to come up to the front, an orange pegasus colt with a black curly mane and tail. He complied and took his place up front and nervously looked at his classmates.

"My name is Dribble, and I like to play basketball." The colt told everypony as his eyes shifted around the room.

"And what do your parents do Dribble?" Mrs.Meadowlark asked.

"Dad is a referee and my mom is a dentist." He replied somewhat more calmly.

"Very good, you may sit down now." The teacher told him with a warm smile.

The majority of the first hour was spent this way until only three were left. Pearl, Screwball, and a colt neither of them knew just yet that was walking toward the front of the room now. He was a unicorn and he was pink, something unusual for colts. His mane and tail were a mixture of red and white stripes.

"My name is Cinnamint, and I like to make candy with my mom. She runs the sweet shop in Ponyville while my other mom plays music in a fancy restaurant in Canterlot." Cinnamint finished and headed back to his seat, clearly relieved the focus was off of him.

Screwball didn't even hesitate to float on up to the white board like it was nothing. She had apparently inherited her father's knack for showboating. She did a mid-air flip and landed on her hind legs, she then removed her beanie from her head and confetti, glitter, and streamers flew out blanketing the audience that was her class.

"Hello everypony! My name is Screwball and I like to have fun with magic! My mommy takes care of animals and my daddy is a really tall thing that I can't say right. He used to rule the world, but mommy made him a good guy." Screwball told the awestruck foals. Pearl merely tried to remove the glitter from herself while the others clapped.

"Yes well, very... impressive, Screwball. But please save the magic for after school please, the janitor is going to have a fit when he sees this." Mrs.Meadowlark said as she tried to get confetti out of her mane.

Screwball merely rolled her insane eyes and stomped her hoof on the floor three times, if you blinked you would have missed it. Everything was as it had been just a moment before. Screwball puffed her cheeks out in an attempt to keep her potty mouth in check, just like her mother had taught her. She silently floated back to her seat with her front hooves crossed in annoyance.

Pearl double checked her hoodie for debris and walked up to the front of the room, her fathers had told her that she was not to fly or breathe fire inside unless given special permission from the teacher.

"My name is Pearl and I like lots of stuff. My Pa kicks trees to get apples and does stuff with them. My Daddy beats up bad guys and monsters with a really big hammer." Pearl explained nonchalantly. She was honestly bored out of her skull, normally there were tons of options for entertainment at home. Here it was talking and sitting all day.

To her surprise a colt raised his hoof as soon as she finished. Pearl had no idea what that meant and looked to Mrs.Meadowlark for an explanation.

"I believe he has a question for you dear, if you want you can answer it." She told the confused dragoness.

"Uh, okay?" She said looking back to the colt.

"Are both your parents dragons? Don't dragons eat meat?" The colt asked somewhat afraid.

"My Pa is a pony, but Daddy is a dragon. We don't eat meat though, Daddy says we're veterinarians." Pearl explained.

"I think you mean vegetarians, Pearl." Mrs.Meadowlark corrected.

"Yeah, that." Pearl said with a single nod.

After nopony else seemed to have any questions she walked back to her seat. She looked around to see the other foals whispering about her and Screwball. She pulled her hood over her head and rested her chin on the table, she didn't like them talking about her. Her hearing was good enough that she didn't miss a word. They were comparing her to the monsters in bedtime stories and fairy tales.

Mrs.Meadowlark didn't seem to notice as she was currently busy looking at her watch as if she was waiting for something. After several seconds she looked up just as a loud ringing filled everyone's ears. Pearl's head shot up in alarm as she clutched her sensitive ears.

"That's the bell for recess everyone. Half an hour on the playground, please file out in an orderly fashion." Mrs.Meadowlark said loudly as to gain everyone's attention.

Despite her polite request the foals excitedly ran out the door leaving her by herself with Pearl who was lagging behind due to her sudden headache. The kindly teacher placed her on her back and made her way to the playground to keep an eye on the students. Once outside Pearl gave the old mare a nod of thanks before lifting off, grateful to be able to give her wings a stretch at the least. After a moment of doing loops and rolls she located Screwball who was playing tether-ball.

"Hey Screws." Pearl greeted as she landed beside the manic pony.

"What took ya so long?" Screwball asked as she bopped the corded ball.

"The bell was too loud, it hurt my ears. Teacher said she'd see about making quieter." Pearl explained as she ducked the ball before it could smack her in the face.

The pair attempted to join in with the other children's games but were turned away. Despite Screwball's initially warm reception they had begun to fear her unusual magical talents just as much as they did Pearl for being a dragon. The pair took to sulking underneath the jungle gym, drowning their sorrows in chocolate milk, courtesy of a cotton candy cloud Screwball summoned up.

The pair was broken from their funk when Cinnamint, the colt from earlier walked up to them.

"H-hello, I was wondering if we could play together?" He asked nervously.

The girls looked at each other and shrugged their indifference, one friend was certainly better than none. The colt took a seat next to Pearl much to her surprise. Despite the other students whispering about both of them, the bulk had been about her.

"So... why do you wanna hang out with us?" Pearl asked.

"I... I think you guys are cool. You're a dragon, and she's an earth pony better at magic than I am. I'm a unicorn and I still can't do any magic." The colt admitted bashfully.

"Yeah, but I'm special. My Daddy is a big snake-pony-deer-dragon-thingy, he can do whatever he wants so long as Mommy doesn't find out." Screwball explained as best as she could.

"Does your Dad really beat up monsters?" Cinnamint asked as he looked from Screwball to Pearl.

"Uh huh, he's beating up a mean hydra today. Two weeks ago he threw a manticore out of Fillydelphia." Pearl said proudly.

"No way!" The colt replied in awe and disbelief.

Pearl opened the flap on her bag she had received for her birthday and unzipped it. She reached into the bag and thought of the item she wanted. After a moment she withdrew her hand, revealing a black claw just as big as her own fingers in her grasp.

"Whoa! Is that a manticore claw?!" Cinnamint exclaimed as his eyes widened.

"Yup, Daddy brings me stuff from work. I've got cockatrice scales, cragadile teeth, and all kinds of stuff."

...

"Just don't tell my Dad I took them out of the house." Pearl added with a whisper as she scanned the skies for her father.

"I promise, but you shouldn't show those to anypony else. You could get in big trouble, those could hurt somepony." Cinnamint advised.

"Oh yeah, I forget ponies get hurt easy sometimes." Pearl remembered as she stowed her contraband collectable away.

The trio played go-fish in their makeshift lair of playground equipment until the bell rang summoning them back to the classroom, they were separated until lunch. They sat together once again, Screwball noticed that Cinnamint always preferred to sit next to Pearl but decided to keep it to herself.

After lunch the children were given practice books to take home so that their parents could help them learn to read if they could not already do so. Afterwards they went over how to properly write and sound out letters. All things Pearl already knew how to do, as dragons matured faster intellectually than other species. She was drumming her claws on the table in boredom while the rest of the class was trying to add one plus one. Yet another area she had a leg up in, being able to count on her fingers gave her a somewhat unfair advantage.

Eventually the bell rang out, signifying the end of the schoolday. Pearl had never been so happy to have a headache before in her life. The students all filed out to the front of the building where they would meet their parents. Spike (at his least threatening size) and Macintosh stood with Discord and Fluttershy. Screwball and Pearl both joined their parents happily. Discord and company waved goodbye before vanishing.

"Hey sweetie! How was your first day of school?" Spike asked as he and Macintosh pulled her into a hug.

"It was dumb, but I made a friend." Pearl replied happily.

"Really, that's great. Who?" Spike asked as he set his daughter down.

"His name is Cinnamint, that's him over there!" Pearl pointed excitedly.

Cinnamint was watching the other children walking off with their families, worry evident on his face. It seemed whomever he was waiting for was not present. Spike looked to Macintosh who nodded in agreement to Spike's wordless question. The stallion trotted up to the colt slowly.

"Scuse me, Cinnamint? Ah'm Pearl's Pa. Ah couldn't help but notice yer folks aren't here t' get ya." Macintosh said calmly, he didn't want the colt to think he was untrustworthy. Pearl walked up to the colt as well, easing his nerves.

"My parents were going to Canterlot for business after they brought me here. They said they'd be back in time." The colt replied as his eyes began to tear up.

Spike overheard the conversation and stepped in to help. He too approached slowly as he figured the colt would be wary of him, most ponies were instinctively scared of predatory creatures.

"Hi there, I'm Pearl's Dad. I was flying over the tracks earlier and the train seemed to be stopped. I think your parents must be stuck there until they can get the train running again. Is there some relative nearby we can get for you?" Spike asked clearly and calmly.

Cinnamint shook his head no, but had calmed down after hearing his parents were at least safe. Mac an Spike shared another silent conversation before coming to a decision.

"Ah don't suppose ya'd like to come t' our house till yer folks can come an' get ya?" Macintosh asked.

Cinnamint looked Mac and Spike over cautiously. He had been taught not to talk to strangers, but if they had wanted to the massive stallion and dragon could have hurt him already with ease. Pearl was still looking at him, easing his nerves.

"Pearl will be with us right?" He asked uncertainly.

"Of course, She lives there too ya know? But we should leave a note with your teacher before we do anything." Spike replied.

"I heard everything, I'll give your address to the boy's parents." Ms. Meadowlark said waving them off with a hoof.

And with that, the four of them headed off to Sweet Apple Acres. Hopefully Pearl's new friend wouldn't have to wait long for his parents.

Author's Note

Points to whoever can guess who Cinnamint's parent's are.

Meadowlark is a character I came up with on the fly. Or at least her name was. I had her character as a teacher laid out fairly well. She's basically a gray, less senile, Granny Smith.

I'm making Pearl's mental maturity somewhat like Spike as he is presently in the series, but downgraded a little to seem more like a five year old.

House Guests

Cinnamint was usually a timid colt, somewhat of a fraidy-cat, as other foals were keen on reminding him. Nopony who knew the boy on a personal level would ever guess he would willingly go to the home of not one, but two dragons. The very idea was somewhat laughable.

Once Cinnamint had calmed down he recalled hearing about Pearl's father in the news from time to time. They never mentioned the defender of Equestria lived in the same backwater town he did though. Or that he was actually a pretty nice guy, Cinnamint had always pictured him as some sort of cold, unfeeling, bruiser. Much to his surprise Equestria's prince was friendlier than most ponies he knew. He decided it would probably be alright to ask some questions.

"Is it true that you were hatched by Princess Twilight when she was a kid? Does that make her your mom?" Cinnamint asked as he held onto the harness on Spike's back. They were just walking, but safety was still important.

"Twi hatched me, but she was too young to care for me. Princess Celestia is the one who raised me until I left with Twi for Ponyville, the rest is history." Spike replied as he continued down the dusty paths leading to his home.

"Oh, that makes sense. My moms won't even let me have a pet yet." Cinnamint said somewhat embarrassed.

"I have a pet, his name is Cob. Aunty Twilight made him out of science." Pearl said proudly. She was currently perched on Macintosh's yoke as he walked alongside Spike.

"Well you'll get a chance to introduce them, we're home." Spike said as he came to a stop.

Sure enough the group was outside the enormous home surrounded by apple trees. Cinnamint had pictured some sort of cave, or underground cavern, but the giant home was still quite impressive. It was easily more than three times the size of his own two-bedroom home.

Upon being shown in Cinnamint was surprised to see it very much like his own home, but scaled up. He suddenly felt very stupid for thinking things were going to be so different because Pearl and Spike weren't ponies. His mother would have told him that she had raised him better than to make such assumptions.

Spike hung his harness on a hook near the door and grabbed the dial on his chest, turning it back up to his actual size. He preferred being himself while in his own home. He stretched himself for a moment, as if he had just woken up or gotten out of a confined space. Cinnamint's eyes were as wide as dinner plates after seeing Spike grow nearly three times his former size. He quickly turned to Pearl in excitement.

"Can you do that too? Get all big and stuff?" He said, practically hopping in anticipation.

"Nope, Daddy's shrinky thing is the only one. Aunty Twilight said she'll make me one when I grow up." Pearl explained as she mimicked turning an imaginary dial.

"You kids go play, we're gonna get started on dinner. It's the First Monday of the month, and that means?" Spike asked his daughter with a playful grin. Pearl thought on that for a moment before a twinkle came to her eye and a smile lit up her face.

"It's Lasagna night!" She said doing a celebratory jump. Her tail swept back and forth of it's own accord.

"That's right, with rubies and garnets. Of course we'll be making some fit for ponies too Cinnamint." Spike added.

"Isn't it kind of early for dinner?" Cinnamint asked looking to the wall-clock. It read four past four PM.

"We make everythin from scratch here on the farm." Macintosh explained.

"Oh, our Lasagna is usually frozen cuz my moms are usually really busy." the colt replied.

"Well, I hope you'll enjoy fresh. It's Pearl's favorite." Spike informed the colt. Pearl nodded happily in confirmation.

After setting up the television in the living room for the children Spike and Macintosh headed off to the kitchen to prepare the lasagna. Cinnamint waited as Pearl brought out her toys and something the young colt assumed was a cat.

"What is that?" He asked as the fuzzy creation wiggled it's way out of Pearl's arms.

Cob landed on the floor with a soft thud, seemingly unfazed by the drop, likely because he had no bones. It waddled up to Cinnamint and looked up at him for a moment, seemingly appraising the newcomer for whatever reason. With surprising speed Cob began climbing the boy, coming to rest atop his head. Cinnamint was too frightened to move until Cob came to a stop.

"What's it doing?" Cinnamint asked nervously as he was unable to see Cob.

"I dunno, he likes climbing stuff. That's Cob, I told you about him on the way here. He just sorta does whatever he wants when he isn't being snuggly." Pearl explained as she rummaged through her bag, pulling out assorted objects.

After she was finished Cinnamint looked over the objects, they were obviously the various souvenirs Pearl had spoken of. There were fangs, scales, claws, and even what appeared to be spikes similar to the ones going down Pearl's back, albeit much larger. She small chest from out behind the sofa and placed them in the container. Cinnamint removed Cob from his head and placed him on the sofa as he watched Pearl.

"These are all the stuff Daddy got me from his fights. He won't let me go with him to watch, so I asked him to bring me something every time. I didn't get anything today cuz he's already fought a hydra." Pearl explained as she carried the chest over to a tall stack of shelves. She placed it on the bottom shelf behind a large stack of photo albums.

" I'd be too scared to do that. Why would you wanna be near monsters that wanna hurt ponies?" Cinnamint asked.

"Cuz I wanna be just like Daddy when I grow up. Daddy is tough! He fights the bad guys so nobody gets hurt. He says Equestria is his hoard, Ponyville and our family especially." Pearl explained, though she didn't sound very sure herself.

"What's a hoard?" Cinnamint asked, he couldn't recall hearing that word before.

"I dunno, Pa told me about it once. It's what dragons care about most, like treasure and stuff. He says Daddy and me are special though, we don't need treasure cuz we got family." The young dragoness elaborated.

"I think I'd rather have family than treasure. Treasure would be cool, but I'd miss my moms." Cinnamint reasoned.

"I could eat it I guess?" Pearl added with a shrug. She may have been smart for her age, but concepts like hoarding were still foreign to her. She knew she loved her family though, that's what was important.

As the pair played with Pearl's toys they got to know each other better. Pearl enjoyed hearing about Cinnamint's passion for making candy, while Cinnamint likewise enjoyed hearing about Pearl's amazing family. Other than Screwball and Skyla, it seemed she didn't have any friends her age. Something Cinnamint could relate to, he had never shared any interests with the foals in his neighborhood and was often picked on.

Pearl even shared his interest in things like comic books instead of sports, she even had all sorts of rare comic books her father had given her that he had collected as a child. Cinnamint lost terribly at Pearl's Haystation video games, however he couldn't use his magic yet so he had to try and use his hooves to play. Pearl was bright enough to realize her advantage and recommended they switch to something they would be equals at.

After three rounds of rock-paper-scissors Pearl realized she knew very little about normal pony games. Until today Screwball had been the only pony she played with on a regular basis. Normal was definitely not her strong-suit.

"Okay, so what do you normally do for fun?" Pearl asked, somewhat annoyed at herself.

Cinnamint thought about it for a minute, as it wasn't an easy question. His life was mostly routine. Other than making candy with his mother he didn't do much else that could be done with multiple ponies, or dragons.

"I usually make candy, but my mom always helps. Other than that I usually listen to my other mom play music or color." Cinnamint admitted.

"We can do that! I've got lots of coloring books!" Pearl said excitedly.

She ran out of the room, switching to all fours for speed. She returned several moments later with a stack of activity books and the largest box of crayons available to ponykind in her arms.

"I've got one for Daring Do, Harry Trotter, Pony Rangers, and one with cute animals and stuff." Pearl said as she laid out the options.

"Could I get Pony Rangers?" Cinnamint asked. Pearl only nodded and passed the book to him. She took the Daring Do book for herself and began coloring in a picture of Ahuizotl.

The pair chatted contently until Macintosh came to tell them to wash up for dinner. Cinnamint, being a well mannered colt let Pearl go first. After both children had washed their hands/hooves Pearl showed Cinnamint to the dining room. Spike's specially made chair was empty at the head of the table. Macintosh sat at the other end awaiting his husband as he tossed a large bowl of salad for the meal. Pearl took her seat on an unoccupied side, Cinnamint taking the spot opposite her.

Spike emerged from the kitchen soon after holding two rather enormous pans of lasagna. His tail gripped a basket of garlic bread to accompany it. He placed them on an ornate cloth to prevent the table from being harmed by the heat. He then took a knife to one of the pans and cut it into even slices. He passed a good sized piece to Cinnamint on a plate before giving Macintosh his own slice.

Cinnamint took a bite's worth of the homemade meal onto his fork and blew on it before trying it. As soon as the lasagna hit his tongue he was sent into an almost euphoric state. It was the best tasting thing he had ever eaten. It was as if he had died and gone to heaven, gotten sent back to Earth because it wasn't his time, and given a meal cooked by Faust herself as an apology.

"This is amazing!" Cinnamint said through a mouthful of lasagna.

"Thank you, glad you like it." Spike said modestly. He and Big Mac had both been cooking from a young age, they had gotten pretty good at it.

Cinnamint watched with great interest as Spike drew a claw through the other pan of lasagna, cutting it just as he had with the other pan. Cinnamint was about to question why he would do that while there was a perfectly good knife he had used just a moment ago, but got his answer beforehand. He saw glittering gems in the lasagna, cut cleanly. Cinnamint was somewhat worried that Pearl's father could cut gems with his fingers but had no reason to distrust the kindly giant. He had claimed he was adding them to one of the pans.

Spike passed Pearl a slice which she started in on eagerly, the heat obviously not bothering her whatsoever. He took a slice equaling about half the pan onto his own plate. Cinnamint assumed that he needed more food because of his size. As they all began eating conversation picked up.

"So, Cinnamint. You said you had two mothers? Are they from Ponyville originally? I might know them." Spike asked before he took another bite of his lasagna.

Cinnamint finished his current mouthful before trying to reply, now remembering his manners. However as he opened his mouth to speak a loud banging was heard from the living room. Macintosh excused himself to go and answer the door. It would probably be better if Cinnamint's mothers didn't get scared to death by Spike.

A couple minutes later Macintosh returned with two mares. One was mint green unicorn with a similarly colored mane with white stripes in it, her cutie mark depicted a lyre. The other was a cream colored earth pony with a curly mane consisting of dark blue and pink, her mark was three pieces of candy. They both looked rather tired and hungry, understandable as they had been stuck between Ponyville and Canterlot all day on a train.

Spike looked them over for a moment as they came in. He recognized the earth pony as the owner of the local candy store though he didn't know her personally. The unicorn was somewhat more familiar, though he hadn't talked to her in quite some time. He knew she had lived in Ponyville for awhile but hadn't had a chance to speak to her.

"Well, it's a small world after all. How have you been Lyra?" Spike asked as he used his tail to pull chairs out for his new guests.

"Spike? You actually remember me? I haven't talked to you since I went to school with Twilight." Lyra said happily as she took a seat for herself. She sat unlike any pony else in all of Equestria, upright with her front legs at her side just like Spike and Pearl.

"Of course I do, you started sitting like that when you saw me do it. Even though Twilight tried to tell you you shouldn't because it would hurt your back since you weren't a biped." Spike reminisced.

"Ha, can't believe how big you've gotten. You didn't even come up to my neck back then." The mare said as her wife took the chair beside her.

"Yeah well time flies, I've even got my own husband and little girl now. I see you've got a fine family of your own now too." Spike said as he looked from Macintosh and Pearl to Lyra's family.

"Right, you already know Cinnamint, this is my lovely wife Bon Bon." Lyra said planting a kiss on the mare's cheek. Bon Bon looked Spike over before speaking.

"Thank you for taking care of Cinnamint while we were unable to. I've seen you in my store from time to time, but I don't recall you being so... big?" Bon Bon said nervously.

Spike smiled and turned the dial on the M.A.C. down and began shrinking again. Lyra, Bon Bon, and Cinnamint watched intently at the seemingly impossible feat. Pearl merely continued eating, she saw this all the time and there was lasagna to be had.

"Neat right? Twilight whipped it up for me so I can live with ponies even while I keep growing." Spike explained.

"I get one too, but I'm not big enough." Pearl pouted. She wanted to use magic like that too. Lyra and Bon Bon smiled knowingly at the young dragon. Regardless of species, a five year old is still a five year old.

"That is our lovely daughter Pearl who needs to wipe the tomato sauce from her face. We have company sweetie." Spike said as both an introduction and a reminder to his daughter.

Pearl grabbed her napkin and wiped the majority of the sauce from herself. Scales were much easier to clean than fur.

"Hello, I'm Pearl. I'm friends with Cinnamint. Would you like some dinner? It's lasagna night!" Pearl said pointing to the dish of still hot cuisine.

Bon Bon was about to decline politely, but her and Lyra's stomachs answered for her.

"Yes, thank you. That would be lovely." The candy mare said in an even tone. She was truly grateful to them for taking care of Cinnamint, but didn't want to impose further if necessary. Though it did smell heavenly.

After plates were fetched from the cupboard and filled with the regular lasagna the mares joined in on the meal. Conversation started back up with their guests as they ate. Lyra told them about her job as the in-house musician for one of Celestia's favorite restaurants. Bon Bon and Macintosh even discussed her interest in buying some zap apples for candy making purposes.

The kids finished eating before the adults and went back to play while they talked over a few drinks. Nothing too strong, just some cider or wine. It was still the work week after all.

"So about Cinnamint, if you don't mind me asking, did you guys use a donor? Cinnamint looks a lot like the two of you. A family member maybe?" Spike asked.

"Actually, we went to this little clinic in Fillydelphia called R63. They have professionally licensed mages that turn mares into stallions and vice versa. The spell lasts twenty-four hours and has no adverse effects. After you fill out the paperwork you go into a room, get switched, and leave. Whatever you wanna do is up to you but it costs an awful lot. Plus they keep your cutie-mark photo on file in case you try and commit a crime or something. Lyra went into the room a mare and came out a stallion. Eleven months later I gave birth to Cinnamint." Bon Bon explained.

"Huh, you know, Twilight and Trixie have been thinking about foals. Maybe I should tell her about that." Spike said to Macintosh who nodded in agreement.

"If you don't mind, could you tell us about Pearl? We're kind of curious as to how she came about too." Lyra added.

"Well, it's a little hard to explain. But the long story short is that Pearl's biological parents were living in the Everfree in a cave when they had a falling out. Dragon divorce is most often lethal to one or both of the couple. In this case both, though when I found them the female was still alive, but only just. She entrusted me with Pearl's egg and the knowledge of how to care for her and about our people using magic. Almost five months after our little girl was born, and we've never regretted the decision to raise her." Spike explained as he ran through a whole spectrum of emotions. There were many feelings held within the story, most he didn't like to think about but Peal was more than worth it.

"Wow, that's way more exciting than me becoming a dude for a day." Lyra replied somewhat enviously. Bon Bon face-hooved at her wife's comment. Lyra had never been good at reading situations. However she was surprised to find Spike chuckling at her comment.

"You guys should hang out with us and the other couples sometime. Us, Twilight and Trixie, and Fluttershy and Discord. Shining Armor and Cadence join us occasionally too." Spike offered.

"What? We aren't important ponies like all of you. We wouldn't fit in with you guys." Bon Bon said waving the notion off with a hoof.

"Ah ain't nothin special neither, an despite what ponies think about our family an' friends they're all just normal ponies at heart. Cept' maybe Discord, he's alright though." Macintosh assured them.

Lyra gave Bon Bon a pouty look that melted the mare's heart. The earth pony sighed as she relented to the powerful puppy-dog eyes.

"Alright, we'll give it a shot. When's the next time you had planned on getting together?" Bon Bon asked, still skeptical about it.

"This Saturday. We do it twice a month." Macintosh replied with a smile.

"We'll need to find a sitter." Bon Bon said quickly. It was somewhat obvious she was looking for an excuse.

"Apple Bloom sits for Pearl and Screwball whenever we step out. I'm sure she wouldn't mind watching such a well behaved colt like Cinnamint. Besides the girls really like him according to Pearl." Spike informed them.

Bon Bon brightened at the news that Cinnamint was getting along with children his own age. The main reason she rejected the offer to go out with the others was that Cinnamint required a lot of attention. At least that's what she constantly told herself.

Maybe I'm hovering too much? Is that why he hasn't made many friends yet? Bon Bon thought to herself. It certainly seemed that way, as soon as she wasn't around he had managed to make two friends in one day. It was hard to argue with facts that stared her right in the face.

"You know what? I think it's a great idea. Cinnamint isn't going to get better at socializing until I give him room to grow." Bon Bon said with a tone of finality before downing her glass of wine.

"That's the spirit! Cinnamint told us you two run yourselves ragged, it sounded like you could use a break." Spike said before finishing off his own, much larger drink.

After several drinks the mares began the trek back into Ponyville in the night. Lyra wobbled a bit, she wasn't as hardy as her earth pony wife and had always been poor at holding her liquor. Cinnamint lay sleeping across Bon Bon's back. It was over an hour past bedtime.

"Ya know, our son did alright. Pearl's a pretty little thing isn't she?" Lyra asked as she looked to Cinnamint on her wife's back.

"Lyra, they're five years old. It's a bit early to be planning the wedding." Bon Bon chuckled.

"You just wait and see Bonny, I can feel it in my gut." Lyra said before stopping suddenly.

...

"Wait, no. That's not romance." Lyra said just before becoming reacquainted with her lasagna.

Bon Bon just sighed and shook her head at her drunken unicorn's antics. Although she had to admit, Pearl did seem fond of Cinnamint and he was awful fond of her. It wouldn't be such a bad thing, but hopefully not so soon. She still wanted her baby boy to be a baby boy for awhile.

Author's Note

This chapter is sort of a setup for the next one. The parents go out on the town while the kids are left alone with Apple Bloom. I picked Lyra and Bon Bon because I like them as a couple and since virtually nothing is known about them I can write them however I want.

Lots of people guessed that Cinnamint's parents were Sweetie Belle and Peppermint Twist. That would make sense, but I don't think I could stand writing Twist's lisp. Writing for Mac is already kind of annoying, but he's the silent type so it isn't a big deal.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope I can continue to write things that my readers will enjoy.

Foal's Night In

After a barely tolerable week at school Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball had made it to Saturday. The trio had attempted to interact with the other children but had met with no success, the foals accepted that they weren't like the others and didn't care about what the others thought. Still, when they weren't grouped together class was less than ideal for the energetic children.

After a long day of spending time with their respective parents it finally came time for the trio to reunite when the adults were getting together to leave. Discord, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Trixie were currently in the kitchen with Pearl's fathers while the girls played with Legos. Pearl was attempting to build a house, while Screwball was currently forcing animated Lego-Ponies to do battle with their little plastic weaponry.

"Dance my pretties, dance!" Screwball cackled maniacally at a reasonably low volume.

"Doesn't your mom get upset when you do that?" Pearl said without looking up from her own project.

"Duh, that's why I don't do it loud enough for her to hear." Screwball replied as she rolled her ever spiraling eyes.

Pearl was about to respond when three loud knocks were heard from the door. Just as Pearl was about to shout for one of her parents to answer it Macintosh turned the corner and trotted on over. When he opened the dragon-sized door it revealed Cinnamint, alongside his parents. Lyra, and Bon Bon.

"Hey Mac, we're here on time right?" Lyra greeted happily.

"Eeyup. Everypony else is in the kitchen with Spike. We're just waiting on the sitter. We had to call in a replacement since mah little sister had plans." Mac replied as he showed the group in.

"Oh my. Is the sitter qualified? Is it somepony I'd know?" Bon Bon asked, worry evident in her voice.

"Actually, she's my Aunt. She's great with kids." Spike said as he and the other adults emerged from the kitchen.

As if on cue a shimmering blue mist filtered in through the cracks between the door and it's frame. It all coalesced into the shape of an unusually tall, dark blue pony mare. Her identity was obvious to any citizen of Equestria, Luna the princess of the night.

Luna's eyes glowed an unnatural white before returning to a beautiful blue-green. Her starry mane began flowing in a breeze that no one else could feel. She looked herself over briefly, making sure she had reformed properly before turning to the assembled ponies and dragons.

"Greetings everypony! I have arrived!" Luna bellowed only somewhat louder than a normal voice.

"Yes Luna, we gathered. Nopony else we know can turn into stardust." Discord said somewhat apprehensively.

"Discord be nice. Just because I don't like you making an entrance wherever we go doesn't mean you can take it out on Luna." Fluttershy told her husband somewhat sternly.

"Is it so much to ask for some random fireworks or blue raspberry flavored smoke and disco balls?" The draconequus sulked.

Those that knew the reformed master of chaos well merely rolled their eyes, but the newcomers didn't know what to think. Though Lyra secretly hoped they'd get to see something like that if they stuck around long enough. Fluttershy, ever the kindest mare on the face of the earth decided it wouldn't do any harm to let her husband have just a little fun.

"You can have one entrance a week, but no government functions." Fluttershy said before planting a kiss on his cheek. Discord responded by hugging her tightly, producing a noise much like a squeaky pet toy would make.

Lyra watched the scene with great interest, while Bon Bon was having a hard time taking everything in. Luna broke her from her trance by coming to introduce herself to the new mares.

"Greetings ladies, I will be watching over the foals tonight. Your son is in the best of care. I once defended the old capital from an undead horde alone for a fortnight with nothing but my wits, a sword, and no more than a day's rations." Luna said proudly as she introduced herself.

Bon Bon wasn't thrilled with Luna's checkered past, but knew she hadn't done anything to make Equestria distrustful of her since her return over a decade ago. Plus she was one of the most powerful ponies to ever live and could most definitely handle three toddlers, regardless of their species.

"I'd say an alicorn princess is qualified to watch the kids, wouldn't you Bonnie?" Lyra said turning to her wife.

"Just so long as there's no violence or anything like that. And maybe not talk about undead hordes, Cinnamint gets nightmare's easily." Bon Bon said nervously.

"I understand, and I can personally guarantee the safety of your child's dreams as well." Luna said with a smile.

Bon Bon blushed a bit at her oversight. She internally face-hooved for lecturing the timeless guardian of dreams about nightmares. Lyra rolled her eyes and the pair thanked Luna for her time. They joined the rest of the adults and bid the children farewell before the more powerful magic users of the group teleported them off to their destination. The children waved them off before the flash of light overtook them, leaving only a few shimmering sparkles in the air.

Luna turned to the children who were already chatting amongst themselves mere seconds after waving goodbye to their parents. She decided it best to leave them to their own devices while she set the table in preparation for dinner. Spike had been kind enough to prepare everything, it was all currently keeping warm in the oven.

After several failed attempts at maneuvering the miniature bricks with his hooves Cinnamint gave up in joining Pearl's efforts to build a house. Instead he watched as Screwball's plastic pony mob began an assault on a castle she constructed seconds earlier with her seemingly boundless magical abilities. Cinnamint cast a glance upward at his seemingly useless horn, silently envying his friend's effortless power.

"So... you use magic a lot huh Screwball?" Cinnamint interjected somewhat awkwardly.

Screwball and Pearl looked at him like he had just asked if she was fond of breathing. Cinnamint felt pretty uncomfortable at this, but managed to keep his cool. Despite this Screwball picked up on it and decided to go along with the obvious question to help his confidence.

"Uh... Yeah? I mean I don't think I've ever gone very long without it. Daddy says chaos magic just comes naturally to us, but Mommy likes us to do things without it sometimes." Screwball said as she struggled to explain it.

Cinnamint seemed to deflate a bit at that, Pearl figured it was because he couldn't use his own magic as of yet. She wanted to help, but she didn't know much about magic other than what she had heard adults talk about.

"I bet my Aunties could teach you pony magic. They're really good at it." Pearl said after a few moments of thought.

"Really? Aren't your Aunt's all really important? Wouldn't they be too busy?" Cinnamint asked in disbelief.

"Aunty Trixie isn't very busy when she isn't on her trips. She could probably do it. Aunty Twilight taught her lots of stuff." Pearl said waving his worries away with a motion of her clawed hand.

Unbeknownst to the three toddlers Luna had trotted back into the room, standing a mere two and a half feet away. She thought it rude to interrupt their discussion so said nothing until Pearl left her an opening to join in.

"Indeed, Trixie has improved much in recent years. I might even say she's the most capable non-alicorn mage in Equestria." Luna said from behind the children.

The toddlers all took evasive action due to the shock of Luna's sudden presence. Pearl and Cinnamint dove behind the sofa while Screwball retreated into the safety of her beanie. Luna sighed at the scene unfolding in front of her, she was almost used to this after she had gotten over her volume control issues. Her new problem was that she was silent enough to unintentionally sneak up on anypony if she wasn't in their line of sight.

"Aunty Lulu, you almost made me jump out of my scales!" Pearl complained loudly as she and Cinnamint emerged from behind the couch. Screwball pulled her self from her hat a moment later.

"My apologies children, I was merely coming to tell you that dinner was ready." Luna said guiltily.

The trio apparently forgave her as they ran toward the kitchen to fill their bellies. Luna giggled and trotted after them, if she didn't hurry there wouldn't be any left for her. She arrived a moment later to find each of them sitting patiently while staring at the delicious looking meal before them.

Luna took her own seat and levitated a large knife through a yellow-orange dish, presumably a casserole. She cut it into many equal squares. She next levitated a piece of the steaming casserole onto each of their plates. The group all took a whiff of the delightful aroma and sighed appreciatively. Luna donned a mock serious expression before addressing the children.

"Tonight children we are having four-cheese vegetable casserole with garlic bread, courtesy of master chef Spike. As for beverages, I took the liberty of making some black cherry kool-aid, my personal favorite." Luna said with her best impersonation of a fancy waiter.

As she spoke she poured each of the children a glass of the dark red liquid and gave everyone a piece of the garlic bread. As soon as she was sure everyone had everything they needed she started in on her own meal.

Cinnamint started in on his meal, finding it just as good as the lasagna he had had the last time he was here. As he ate he thought about Pearl's extremely interesting family. He had never thought he'd get to meet royalty, or at least not the princess that controlled the moon. He tried not to stare at the princess of the night, but she caught his eye more than once.

"So Cinnamint, you're in the same class as Pearl and Screwball?" Luna asked.

"Well, yeah... but I'm not as cool as them. I can't fly, breath fire, or even do magic." Cinnamint said in a downtrodden tone.

Luna looked at the little colt sympathetically. She could never get over seeing distressed children, she had always been fond of them despite not having her own.

"You shouldn't focus on what you cannot do, instead focus on what you can do. What is it that you like doing, or are good at?" Luna asked calmly.

"Well, my moms say I'm really good at making candy and it's really fun." Cinnamint answered bashfully.

"See? That is indeed something to be proud of. Anypony can go to the store and buy some candy, but how many can make it themselves? I'm thirty-five hundred and twenty-seven years old and I can't even boil water without destroying the castle kitchen." Luna said with a smile.

"Really?" Cinnamint asked in disbelief.

"It's true! Daddy's the only one that can cook. He said Grandma blew up the oven trying to make him a birthday cake when he was little." Pearl said through a mouthful of casserole.

"Yes well, fortunately for her being the living incarnation of the sun makes her fireproof." Luna chuckled.

After the ice had been broken the dinner conversation continued throughout the meal. Cinnamint usually didn't warm up to adults very quickly, but Luna was very nice and made him feel better about himself. Pearl and Screwball were relieved to see their friend take to her so quickly, Cinnamint could sometimes be a downer.

After several games Pearl looked around after noticing something was amiss. She flipped up the sofa cushions and looked underneath the couch itself, seemingly in vain. After witnessing her best friend's frantic search Screwball decided to ask what was wrong.

"Pearl? What are you doing?" Screwball asked as she took to the air to find whatever was amiss.

"Cob! I just remembered that I haven't seen him since yesterday!" Pearl said in a panic.

"The sandwich-spread thing?" Luna asked as she looked underneath her hooves, making certain she hadn't stepped on it.

The group spent the next few minutes looking for the artificial pet with no luck. Screwball even emptied all the kitchen cabinets with her magic, though put them back when she found nothing. Cinnamint searched until he was completely out of ideas. In his frustration he purposely fell backward onto the lush carpeting of the living room. To his surprise he saw Cob sitting atop the light hanging from the ceiling.

"Hey Pearl! Cob's up there!" Cinnamint said excitedly as he pointed upward with his hoof.

Pearl soared up as fast as it was safe to indoors and hovered in the air long enough to grab her strange pet. She hugged it affectionately as she descended back to the floor. Cob wriggled his way out of her arms and jumped to the sofa, his face as blank and emotionless as ever.

Cinnamint got up from his spot on the carpet, but before he could register what was happening he found himself in Pearl's surprisingly tight embrace. His brain stopped working momentarily, leaving him unable to come up with a response.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou! I was so worried about him!" Pearl cried out happily before dropping Cinnamint back to the floor.

"Uh... N-no problem." Cinnamint said with a face a much deeper pink than before.

Luna and Screwball both took notice of it, Luna with a smile, Screwball making a face of disgust. Luna took a seat on the sofa next to Cob. She looked down at the little creature and reached over to pet it. She withdrew her hoof when Cob turned it's attention to her, it's normally lifeless eyes suddenly glowing magenta. Before the princess of the night could react it sprang upward from it's seat, lunging for her head.

The children who hadn't been witness to the event all turned when they heard the unexpected cries of anguish from their temporary guardian.

"OH FAUST, IT'S IN MY HAIR! GET IT OUT, GET IT OUT!" Luna bellowed in the royal Canterlot voice, causing all three of the kids to jump. Her distress had broken through the lessons her speech therapist had worked so hard to instill in her.

"Cob! Get out of there, bad space cat!" Pearl shouted at the little abomination visible only in silhouette through Luna's ethereal mane.

"That's it! Cob was supposed to explore space! That's what Aunty Twilight told us, he thinks Luna's mane is space!" Screwball said as Luna ran in circles around the living room.

"Aunty Lulu, calm down and make your hair look normal!" Pearl shouted.

Luna complied as best she could. She trotted in place frantically as her mane became the same type of shining stardust she had been upon her arrival. when it reformed her mane looked a light powder blue and didn't flow like it normally did. Her tail soon followed suit. Cob fell to the floor with a soft thud and looked the panicked alicorn over. Satisfied his mission was complete his eyes returned to their normal blank white.

"I am going to have a word with Twilight about this, but I do not blame the little one." Luna said just as soon as she calmed herself.

Luna cast a wary glance at Cob, but didn't retaliate against the adorable abomination as it would likely frighten the children.

"Thank you Aunty Lulu. I'm really sorry about that. Cob's usually really lazy." Pearl apologized somewhat guiltily, though it wasn't her fault.

"It's quite alright my dear, though that was certainly unexpected. I think all that running around has made some room for desert, what say you little ones?" Luna asked the toddlers with a smile as she tied her new mane into a ponytail with her magic.

"Yes!" The trio said excitedly, their tails swinging to and fro in anticipation.

As Luna led them to the kitchen Cinnamint was still somewhat struggling with his life's sudden change of pace. A week ago his life was pretty good, if sometimes boring. Now he was hanging out at a dragon princess's house with her, a magic earth pony, and the ruler of the night was watching over them and a cat-blob.

This is great! I wonder if the grown-ups are having this much fun? Cinnamint thought to himself as he trotted behind the others with a smile on his face.

Author's Note

So, probably gonna go back and edit some more later. Things have been pretty crazy in my life lately. Not bad or anything, just not leaving me a lot of time for writing or anything. At first I was on break because I was pretty depressed, but when I actually felt like writing again a bunch of stuff happened.

Parent's Night Out

As Luna settled in with the children back in Ponyville a stallion in Canterlot was wiping down a table. A mundane task he performed himself only when he was short staffed. After he finished he turned back to the cart beside him to return the centerpiece and salt and pepper shakers to their rightful place. However when he returned his attention to the table it had somehow vanished, leaving a small metal podium that came up to the base of his neck. Atop the new fixture was a lone red button.

Anyone who knows anything could tell you that when you find a mysterious big red button just sitting there that you have to push it. It's just a universal law, to not press such an inviting button would destroy the entirety of reality. The stallion looked to both sides and behind himself, making sure no one was around to stop him. Finding no one he lifted his leg and pressed the button with his hoof, producing a satisfying click.

All of the sudden the podium descended into the floor with a mechanical whir, which he watched intently. As soon as the button vanished from sight the building began to tremble, causing the stallion to panic. His panic was replaced with confusion as a portion of the ceiling opened up revealing total blackness. From the blackness what appeared to be a massive pinata dropped down on a rope. It was in the shape of an unrealistic looking llama of various bright colors.

Just as the gigantic party favor stopped it's descent, the stallion let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He half expected it to explode or something. He stared at the anomaly with a look of confusion without blinking. He remembered to blink just as soon as a dull thwack noise could be heard from inside the colorful paper mache llama made him flinch.

After several more thwacks the side of the llama burst open, producing a tidal wave of candy that poured from the wound. In the torrent of sweets was a dragon, a tall chimera holding a baseball bat, an alicorn princess, and several other ponies. After the flood ceased the group picked themselves up from the candy coated floor as they glared at the chimera.

The stallion luckily recognized the group and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of them. He adjusted his curly mane and straightened his bow tie and approached the group.

"Hello everypony. Discord, I'd appreciate it if you phoned ahead before doing something like that. I thought I was going to have a heart attack." The stallion said putting a hoof to his chest.

"Sorry, I just got the okay for an entrance and I couldn't help myself, you know?" Discord replied sheepishly before snapping his eagle talon's fingers causing all the candy and the wounded pinata to disappear.

"Well, no harm done I suppose. For those of you that haven't been here before I'm Fuzzy Navel, bartender and owner here at The Blue Moon. This is the most exclusive hangout for the most important ponies in the land." The stallion, apparently named Fuzzy said with a flourish as he slowly waved a hoof through the air, directing Bon Bon and Lyra's attention to their new surroundings.

It resembled an incredibly fancy restaurant, having marble pillars close to all the walls and several amazing works of art hanging here and there. However, it felt more welcoming as it had several large comfortable sofas with tables where several ponies could be seen sitting together while watching a hoofball game on an enormous screen on a nearby wall. Lyra was almost positive that at least two of them were Wonderbolts. They were either too focused on the game to notice, or were ignoring Discord's antics all together.

Before anypony could say anything else Fuzzy teleported away, though he only moved a couple yards. He was now standing behind a bar lined with stools that covered nearly the entire back wall of the spacious room they now occupied. Behind him was the largest assortment of bottles anypony had ever seen, they were all different colors, shapes, and sizes.

"Since you two are first time visitors your first drinks are on the house. Just follow the rest of your group and a server will be with you shortly. We have a five star kitchen that can make anything you can think up as well. If you have any problems feel free to tell me, and enjoy your stay." Fuzzy said as he began wiping down the counter in front of him with his magic.

With that the mares followed the regulars and found there was a special roped off section of the place specially made to accommodate royalty. There was a a wrap around sofa that could seat even Spike's full bulk and the rest of their group. It was a bit higher up than most too, likely intentionally as an equally large table sat in front of it.

Once everyone was comfortable Trixie rang a bell that sat on the table to summon a server. After taking their orders the server departed, leaving them to themselves. Lyra was the first to speak up.

"If you guys were trying to impress us you've succeeded, I feel like royalty already! This place is great! Restaurant, bar, and super comfy seats. All that's missing is a movie theater." The unicorn joked.

To her surprise Twilight who was seated at the end of the couch beside Trixie popped the armrest up and pushed a button. After only a few seconds the wall in front of them opened up to reveal a full sized theater screen, the same size as the screen in Ponyville's own cinaplex.

"Bonny, I think we died. This is heaven." Lyra exclaimed happily as she looked to her wife.

"I'll admit, it is rather impressive. I can't imagine what a membership to this place costs. Are you really alright with bringing us here?" Bon Bon asked somewhat guiltily.

"Well, Twilight and me get free access along with our spouses since we're royalty and you're our guests. Plus we get a discount on meals and drinks because Mom fronted Fuzzy the money to open the place." Spike said with a smile, hoping to alleviate the mare's concerns.

"Yes, Celestia gave Fuzzy the money on the condition that he named it what she wanted. Luna's always been big on alcohol apparently, and Fuzzy's the best bartender in the world. It was a surprise for Luna when she got back about five years afterward from what I understand." Fluttershy added.

"You're right Fluttershy. You should have seen the look on her face when she tried one of Fuzzy's cocktails." A warm voice rung out from behind them.

All members of the rather large group turned to see the solar mare herself, Spike's adopted mother Celestia. She carried a drink in her aura and was wearing a relaxed smile. Bon Bon nearly fainted, but Lyra caught her before she slid off the sofa. Though Lyra was surprised to see the demigoddess wasn't wearing any of her usual golden regalia. Celestia took a seat next to Spike and Macintosh.

"Hello everypony, so good to see you. I thought you might be coming here when Luna told me she was going to babysit." Celestia said before taking a sip of her drink.

"Good to see ya too Celestia. Ah know yer a busy mare an' all, but seems like we see less an' less a' ya." Mac replied with a smile.

"Yes well, there's been changeling sightings in several border cities near the Badlands. I've been trying to ease the nobles minds, but tonight I'm easing my own with a little help from this banana daiquiri and good company." Celestia said with a small smile.

Bon Bon was currently going through some internal struggle. The mare she had come to know as an ageless goddess of life and prosperity for her entire life was basically a normal pony. She felt stupid for not realizing this sooner, but it was still difficult for her to accept. It was like she was eight again, and her cranky grandmother had just told her the tooth fairy wasn't real.

Fortunately the white alicorn herself broke her from her miniature crisis when she took notice of the two newest faces.

"Oh, how rude of me, I didn't see you two there. I'm almost certain you know who I am, but unfortunately I can't say the same about the two of you." Celestia said apologetically.

"I'm Lyra, and this is my lovely wife Bon Bon. A pleasure to meet you Princess." Lyra said casually. Though she silently hoped Bon Bon would reboot soon.

"Oh yes, your Pearl's little friend's parents. Spike wrote to me about her first day of school. It's a shame more foals can't be like your boy. That's why I home-schooled Spike, I was so worried somepony would hurt his feelings." Celestia said somewhat sadly.

"Thank you very much for the compliment your majesty, we're so happy Cinnamint has made some friends." Bon Bon said proudly. It wasn't everyday the timeless ruler of your country complimented your parenting skills after all.

A few moments later Fuzzy himself came by with their food and drinks, mostly to personally thank Celestia for her generous donation for the thousandth time. Lyra and Bon Bon were amazed by the quality of the food, and their drinks were just as good as they had been told. After quickly finishing her own meal Lyra took notice of Spike and Discord's meals.

Spike had what appeared to be a bowl made out of some kind of coarse black mineral that contained what could only be described as molten lava. Discord's meal didn't seem as dangerous but was equally strange. He was eating a rather large ice cream sundae with all the normal toppings one would expect, plus what appeared to be a full range of pizza toppings.

"So, Spike. I couldn't help but notice your dinner looks like a volcano." Lyra said as politely as she could.

Spike looked at his meal for a second and chuckled before meeting Lyra's gaze again.

"Heh, yeah believe it or not this is actually health food for dragons. It's got all sorts of metals, minerals, and stuff like that that dragons need to grow properly." Spike joked before tilting back the large rocky bowl and drinking the molten contents.

Lyra and Bon Bon simultaneously looked Spike's massive form over, and then looked at each other. It was sort of hard to believe that Spike could get much bigger. Macintosh saw them stare and decided to clarify.

"Ah know it's hard t' believe, but this lovable lug is only twenty three. He's due fer another growth spurt right before forty comes around an' another at sixty an' so on. That's why Twilight rigged him up that thing on his chest." Macintosh said pointing to the M.A.C. on his husband's chest.

"Wait, so you're going to continue to grow even into your sixties?" Bon Bon said in disbelief.

"Dragons are a bit different than ponies, ponies get stronger and bigger as they mature up until a certain point. Most species of dragon however just keep going, getting bigger and stronger as they age up until something kills them. Only a couple of species can actually die of old age and even then they live several thousand years." Spike said sadly. He wouldn't meet anypony's eyes the whole time he spoke, he just stared down into the molten contents of his bowl.

"Back in the day you said you didn't know anything about dragons other than what you could learn from yourself. Where'd all this knowledge come from?" Lyra asked.

"Pearl's biological mother used magic to fill my head with everything she knew about dragons. Culture, magic, and most importantly how to raise one. Though we sort of took our own route with caring for Pearl, but it was still really helpful. I plan on writing it all down soon. Hopefully get it published so maybe ponies and dragons can understand each other better." Spike replied, more like his normal self.

"That very noble of you Spike, it sounds like a wonderful idea." Celestia said lovingly.

After the plates had been cleared away the group settled in to watch a movie. Amazingly enough they were able to pick from several titles that weren't yet available to the public. Everypony had a say in what they picked, but there was of course some debate.

"How about Attack of the Were-Dog?" Lyra recommended.

"Ugh, please no. I would be able to look at my Diamond Dog friends without flinching and it would make work much harder." Trixie pleaded.

"Where do you work? Weren't you a stage magician?" Bon Bon asked.

"Trixie is Equestria's species relations expert. Her travels introduced her to many different intelligent races, and she was able to learn their languages and enough about their cultures to be an irreplaceable asset to the country." Celestia replied before finishing her third daiquiri.

"It was Spike's idea. At first it was just with the Diamond Dogs, but eventually I started making trips to the griffon territories and Zebrica and strengthened our relations with them. I don't like being away from Twilight for very long, but it's necessary at times." Trixie said with a shrug.

Lyra took a moment to look at the others in the group and think about their occupations. Macintosh runs the most successful orchard in history, Spike beats up monsters and saves lives, Celestia rules the country with her sister, Fluttershy is a well known veterinarian and animal whisperer, Discord is the semi-retired god of chaos, Trixie is essentially an ambassador, and Twilight is probably the most magical pony ever. All these things led to to one obvious conclusion. Her job sucks.

"You guys have the coolest jobs ever! All I do is play music while posh ponies eat overpriced food." Lyra said in a tone just dripping with envy.

"I thought you seemed familiar, you play at my favorite restaurant. You're quite good in my opinion, plus I think you're the only unicorn I've ever seen play an instrument with their hooves." Celestia mused.

"Well thank you, I like being unique so I taught myself. Bonny is always saying I should have been an earth pony with how little magic I use." Lyra said with a small blush.

"I could make you into an earth pony if you like. I offered to turn my dear Flutters into an alicorn but she declined. I can't blame her though. She is already perfect after all." Discord said before placing a kiss on Fluttershy's cheek.

The canary yellow mare blushed deeply and shifted her wings nervously. Though she had improved her social skills public displays of affection were still a tad embarassing.

Lyra thought about the offer for a moment while she looked up at her horn. However Bon Bon chose to remind her of an important fact to influence her decision.

"Lyra, your parents spent a fortune to send you to the school for gifted unicorns when you were a kid. They're already pretty peeved you don't use magic very often. If you suddenly chose to become an earth pony they'd disown you." She told her wife seriously.

"Good point, besides if I were an earth pony my music wouldn't be quite as unique." Lyra relented. Discord smiled at that and didn't say anything more about it. He seemed to appreciate the mare's love of being unique, something very under appreciated.

After getting back on track and some more debate the group ended up watching a movie about a witch that tried to put the princess of a faraway land into an eternal sleep. It was pretty good, but Spike thought ending where the hero fights the witch who had transformed herself into a hydra was unrealistic because "Hydras aren't that fast."

Once the movie was over Celestia excused herself as she had to be up bright and early for obvious reasons. The group had a few more drinks and resumed talking, mostly about their children. Spike however noticed Twilight wasn't drinking anything other than water and Trixie was being unusually clingy.

"You two have been kinda quiet over there, anything on your minds? Twi? Trixie?" Spike said in the knowing way, but also trying to feign ignorance.

As all eyes shifted to the pair their own eyes darted back and forth nervously until the collective stare became too much. They looked at one another and nodded in silent agreement.

"We went to that R63 place you told us about Yesterday. Trixie came home as a stallion and with some extra magic, we're one hundred percent certain we're going to have a baby!" Twilight said absolutely brimming with happiness.

Several minutes of congratulatory hoof-shakes and cheers were had. Everyone was happy for the two, and offered to lend a hoof or claw if they ever needed it. After the excitement died down the group huddled back together and let Twilight and Trixie lead the spell to take them all home, as Discord had had quite a few drinks. Though he still supplied the large amount of raw magic energy needed to take them home.

In a flash they were all back in the living room of Spike and Macintosh's home. The lights were off, but a small electric night-light remained for the toddlers, making them visible. Pearl was asleep on the couch with Screwball, while Cinnamint was slumbering on the other sofa across the room.

Luna was sitting on the same sofa on the opposite end, and for some reason Cob was under an overturned laundry basket that had several large books atop it.

Fluttershy thanked Luna and the others for a lovely evening before taking Screwball gently as not to wake her. Discord held the door for her, Twilight and Trixie as they left for their own homes.

Lyra carefully picked up Cinnamint and placed him on Bon Bon's back as she was currently steadier. They stuck around for a few minutes to speak with Luna, Spike, and Macintosh .

"Did Cinnamint give you any trouble?" Bon Bon asked the princess of the night.

"No, they were all perfect little angels. Though Pearl's pet tried to take up residence in my mane, but other than that things went fine. Your son is a very well behaved young stallion. It would be my pleasure to sit for you again if you need me too." Luna said with a bright smile.

It warmed Lyra and Bon Bon's hearts greatly to have been complimented on their son by both of the royal sisters in one night.

"Thank you, I'm sure Cinnamint would like that. Spike tells us you're wonderful with kids, have you ever considered a foal of your own?" Lyra asked.

Luna's expression fell a bit at that. Lyra instantly knew she had hit a sore spot with that question. Spike and Macintosh both flinched as they heard the question leave Lyra's lips, making her feel even more certain she had done something she shouldn't have. Luna took a breath and released it, sighing sadly, but managing to keep her calm.

"My sister and I aren't like most ponies. We cannot bare foals of our own, and adopting a pony would likely end in heartbreak as we are very long lived. My sister was blessed enough to find my dear nephew's egg and I am somewhat ashamed to admit I'm jealous of her for it. But I'm confident that if I wait long enough I will find a way to have children of my own." Luna explained. Even in the dim light it was easy enough to see a single tear run down her cheek.

"I'm really sorry Luna, I didn't know." Lyra apologized.

"It's quite alright, I'm only thirty five hundred, give or take. Plenty of life left in me." Luna joked as she wiped another tear from her eye.

"That's the spirit Luna, don't fret about it. When the time comes you'll make a great mom." Spike said placing a claw on his aunt's shoulder.

After a few more minutes of chatting with Spike and Macintosh Luna excused herself. She wanted to get a bit of dreamwalking in before she needed to sleep at sunrise. Lyra and Bon Bon were mostly quiet, until she left the awkwardness was nearly powerful enough to see.

"So I kinda just ruined her night huh?" Lyra asked guiltily.

"She'll be alright, it's just kind of a touchy subject. Don't worry about it, though. She's not one to hold a grudge. Plus she'll still definitely expect to sit for the kids next time we all head out together." Spike replied, dismissing Lyra's worry.

"Are you sure we fit in? I froze up when your mother showed up." Bon Bon asked.

"Ya'll are good ponies, that's all that matters. Sides, Discord even liked ya and he doesn't normally like anypony right away. Yer both welcome to join us whenever ya feel like, an Cinnamint can play with Pearl whenever he wants, so long as it's alright with you." Mac responded with an warm smile.

After thanking Spike and Macintosh for the evening once again the mares walked down the dirt path back into Ponyville for the second time that week, feeling more certain they had all made good friends. Cinnamint snored lightly as they continued onward, his slumber kept safe by his new favorite babysitter.

Author's Note

Okay, so some sad bits here and there, I know. However most of it was foreshadowing, and will be revisited later on in the story and made happier. I was thinking of moving the story along a bit by almost a year with the next chapter so Twilight could give birth without you readers having to wait around forever, but I haven't decided.

The bit with Luna at the end hurt to write. Luna is my favorite princess by far and deserves more screentime! Anyway, there were a few random bits of info in there I'm gonna use later that seemed like normal conversation but weren't so expect some surprises down the line.

Also, I have some names for Trixie and Twilight's baby in mind. But, I'd like to hear your opinions before I make a decision. If you have a recommendation just comment with the name and the gender.

Career Day

About a month after Twilight and Trixie announced the news of Twilight's pregnancy Pearl came home with a form for Career Day at the school. Naturally both Spike and Macintosh agreed to come and talk about their jobs while Screwball's parents promised the same at their chaotic filly's insistence. Cinnamint however wasn't quite as lucky. His parents would be the only ones not attending.

Lyra had already agreed to take the lunch shift that day at work, and Bon Bon was forced to make a delivery to Horseshoe Bay that day and wouldn't make it back until well after dark. Cinnamint was disappointed, but was understanding. He had been in a remarkably good mood since Trixie had started helping him with his magic after school some days. He was already showing signs of great progress.

That morning Mrs.Meadowlark's whole class met outside on the lawn of the schoolhouse accompanied by their parents. They were each to introduce their parents and let them go from there. Cinnamint listened halfheartedly to the other parent's speeches, though the girls had to pay full attention as their parents were there watching them.

After a colt named Chocolate Bubblegum's mother explained her painfully dull job as an insurance salespony it was finally Screwball's turn to introduce her parents. Just as soon as the unbelievably dull speech ended Chocolate Bubblegum and his mother swapped places with Screwball and Fluttershy in a flash of light, courtesy of the impatient filly.

"Hey everybody! This is my mommy! Her name is Fluttershy and she can talk to animals and always knows what they need." The chaotic filly beamed proudly.

Fluttershy stood before the group and sung a little wordless tune for a moment. Several small birds, bunnies, squirrels, and even a jackelope all gathered around the mare, leaving the audience in awe. She stopped as soon as her little friends had all arrived.

"Just like Screwball said, my name is Fluttershy. My job, and my special talent is communicating with and caring for animals of all shapes and sizes. I've taken care of most of Ponyville's pets since I became the town vet several years ago, but I also take care of larger critters at home. Even bears, manticores, and cockatrices, though they can be just a bit grumpy at times. Does anypony have any questions?" The kindly mare explained as the little animals all played around her hooves.

A little filly raised her hoof. Fluttershy nodded to her, telling her to go ahead.

"U-um... I really like animals, but some of the bigger ones scare me. Can I become an animal doctor without having to see dangerous ones?" The filly asked nervously.

"Oh yes, if you become a vet you probably won't see anything much larger than a dog or cat. But if you ever want to work with larger animals you can get special training for it." Fluttershy replied happily. She was thrilled to find a young filly interested in her line of work.

After fielding a couple more questions Fluttershy took her leave of the front of the crowd. Discord was currently in the metaphorical spotlight, waiting for his wife to take her seat. As soon as she was seated and he saw the audience look worried at his unusual appearance he decided it was time to begin.

"Good morning everypony! My name is Discord, Screwball's proud Pa. While I'm currently unemployed I was once the god of chaos. I ruled the world for awhile, but now I'm a stay at home dad. I occasionally use my powers for things other than being ruggedly handsome and funny though." Discord said as he crafted balloon versions of Celestia and Luna, having pulled the fully inflated balloons from his ear.

Without warning the completed balloon sculptures popped, leaving a Discord balloon sculpture in it's place. Several of the parents looked very worried at what the supposedly reformed draconequus might be implying.

"I'm very good at magic, just like my little girl there. So when something bad happens that involves magic I know about it, sort of like how ponies put alarms in their houses to keep themselves safe. If it's nothing important I fix it with a snap of my fingers, but if it's something really bad I tell the princesses and other important ponies and we stop it." Discord continued.

As he spoke the balloon draconequus shivered, producing an irritating squeaky noise. With a snap of the real Discord's talons a monster that looked like a large angry faced bubble appeared, heading for the inflatable replica. However the replica snapped it's own talons, causing the apparition to pop. In it's place a volley of multicolored streamers fell to the ground.

With another snap the streamers and balloons all vanished, letting Discord continue.

"And lastly, if something happened to the princesses it would fall on me to move the sun and moon around at the right time. Personally I think the current schedule is a bit dull, but I suppose it works." Discord said with a shrug as the real sun and moon shifted from day to night very quickly before settling.

The parents and foals alike all looked up in awe at Discord's power, making the draconequus feel rather good about himself. After taking a few bows he took his seat next to Fluttershy and Screwball once more. Fluttershy pulled her husband's head down and whispered to him.

"That was very conservative of you sweetie, but I think the last bit might get you in trouble." She said somewhat worried.

"I cleared it with Celestia and Luna beforehand, all I had to do was tell them it was for Pearl and Screwball's school chums." Discord said dismissing her fears.

Fluttershy smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek, eliciting a noticeable blush on the old god's face.

After a couple more children's parents went through their presentations it was finally Pearl's turn. She quickly ran up to the front, expecting her fathers to run up with her. To her dismay her fathers arrived at normal speed, leaving her up front by herself until they arrived. Once they were there she began introducing them.

"These are my parents! The pony is my Pa, his name is Macintosh Apple. The dragon is my Daddy, his name is really long so everypony calls him Spike. Pa is gonna go first." She said at an impressive volume for such a little girl.

Pearl and Spike moved off to the side, giving Macintosh the floor. Mac looked around, somewhat nervous. Crowds of unfamiliar ponies had never been his forte. Fortunately he saw both Spike and Pearl giving him a thumbs up and smiling, helping to ease his nerves. Mac gave them a smile and nod and returned his attention to the group in front of him.

"As ya'll already know ah'm Pearl's pa Macintosh, though most ponies that know me call me Big Mac. Me an mah sisters run Sweet Apple Acres, which is just outside Ponyville. It's the biggest orchard in the country, an' the only place in the whole world that grows zap apples." Mac explained.

To give them an idea of what he was talking about he reached into the pocket of his saddle bag and pulled out one of the mysterious rainbow fruits to show everypony. The foals and a couple parents ooed and awed at it, they were rarely seen whole by anypony other than the Apple family because most were turned into jam.

"Mah family has been runnin the orchard ever since Celestia gave us the land around two-hundred years ago. Ever since we've been growing apples with hard work and love alone, an' now we sell apples to everywhere in Equestria!" Mac said practically radiating pride over his bloodline's accomplishments.

After he had finished he waited a moment for questions. A young colt raised his hoof, Macintosh pointed to him giving him permission to speak.

"Why are you the only place that grows rainbow apples? Couldn't somepony plant seeds and grow them on their farm?" He asked.

"Zap apples only grow very close t' the Everfree forest where they come from originally. Our farm's the only one that's close enough for em'. Other farms have tried, but nopony else has managed it even with magic." Macintosh answered.

Several of the other foals whispered to each other in surprise at this. A couple seconds later another foal, this time a filly raised her hoof. Macintosh pointed to her as well.

"Isn't the forest dangerous? I heard all sorts of monsters live there. Mommy won't let me go anywhere near the forest." The filly said seriously. The filly's mother nodded and smiled, proud of her daughter's obedience.

"Normally yes, but Apples are strong folk. Ah've kicked timberwolves into wood chips more times than ah can remember. Sides, Pearl's Daddy's scarier than any a' them." Mac replied with a smile and a sideways glance to his husband.

After a round of clapping Macintosh took his spot back among the group and gave the zap apple to Pearl's teacher who smiled in thanks. Spike, at his condensed size that matched Macintosh's took center stage in front of the foals and parents. He wasn't familiar with very many of the group so he was a little worried what they might think of him.

"Hello everypony, as Pearl said my name is Spike. I'm Equestria's official Knight and Protector, which means if a monster is trying to hurt ponies I go stop it. Sometimes I can just scare them off, but sometimes I have to rough them up a little. I don't approve of violence when you can go about things peacefully, but lots of creatures don't talk or won't listen." Spike said evenly, trying not to make himself sound like a savage.

Even though he wasn't finished yet three foals (two colts one filly) raised their hands as he paused for a breath. He didn't seem to mind much though, he allowed the filly to go first.

"Is it true you're a prince? Don't you have to have magic to be royalty?" The little filly questioned. Spike took notice that she was an earth pony.

"Yes, I am a prince since Princess Celestia is my mom. But you don't actually need magic to be royalty, most were born royalty or adopted because they made Equestria a better place to live." Spike explained.

The filly seemed satisfied with that, or happy about it actually. Spike could see gears turning in her head, trying to come up with something to make the world a better place to get her princess-hood. He chuckled a bit but decided not to deter her, it was good to have a dream. He pointed to the next foal, the first of the colts.

"Do you have super powers like the power ponies? Is that how you beat up monsters?" He asked as he imitated punching motions.

"Not exactly, but I do have all the powers dragons normally do. I can fly, breathe fire, I have armored scales, and I'm pretty strong." Spike said sheepishly. He wasn't one to brag anymore, or at least until he was drunk.

"Daddy! Don't forget about the magic thing!" Pearl shouted from the side. She imitated the turning motion necessary for the M.A.C. as she did so.

"I don't think this is the place for that Pearl, don't wanna scare anypony now do we?" Spike replied back much more softly.

"You can do magic too?" The colt who had yet to ask his question asked aloud.

Spike sighed in defeat, the notion had already been planted in the troupe of toddlers heads. He backed up several feet as to leave a reasonable amount of distance between him and the group. He turned the dial slowly, and as he did so grew at a steady pace. In less than a minute he was his full size again, just over three times the size of his husband Macintosh. The foals were surprisingly unafraid of him, though the parents held them tight.

"This is how big I normally am, it's usually annoying and hard to maneuver with. Sometimes it helps with the bigger monsters though. Anyway, my career as a knight is something I'm proud to do for the ponies of Equestria, and if you'd like to protect and serve in the future there a plenty of options. You could become a police pony, a soldier, a royal guard, or maybe even a Wonderbolt." Spike finished. After quickly turning the dial back down he returned to his normal size and took his place at the back of the group. He was pleased to find that all the children clapped for him with great enthusiasm.

A mare took her place up front, obviously insecure about having to follow Spike's presentation. Pearl took her seat next to Cinnamint and Screwball once more. Screwball was falling asleep at the new mare's description of working at a recycling plant while Cinnamint was practicing his magic by unwrapping and re-wrapping a piece of candy.

"Hey, your magic looks like it's a lot better than before." Pearl said in a whisper.

"Thanks, your aunt has been helping a lot. I can't do any spells but I can lift stuff pretty well." He replied gratefully.

Cinnamint looked from her to the piece of candy he held in his aura. He smiled at her and passed her the sweet treat as thanks for recommending Trixie as his teacher.

Pearl accepted it gladly, she loved the candies Cinnamint's mom made. She unwrapped it with her claws and held it in her palm to examine it. It looked like a peppermint on the edges, but the center was a rosy pink with little flecks of red visible. Pearl popped it in her mouth, unsure of what to make of it.

To her surprise it was cool and refreshing, but at the same time gave you a warm feeling. She was really enjoying it, so much so she forgot about the boring mare at the head of the group entirely.

"Cinnamint these are really good! Did your mom just make these? I haven't seen them in her store before." Pearl whispered to the colt who was already practicing on another one of the candies he pulled from his bag.

"Uh, well actually I made them myself. My moms watched me do it, but I got to do it by myself last night. They said I could since they couldn't come in to talk on Career Day." Cinnamint replied, his face now more red than it's usual pink.

Hmm... If Cinnamint's moms couldn't come then maybe he could talk to everypony? He's already really good at making candies. She thought to herself.

"Cinnamint come with me!" Pearl whisper-yelled at her friend.

"What?" The colt exclaimed as Pearl grabbed him and his backpack full of candies.

She dragged him over to the cushion Mrs.Meadowlark was resting her old bones on to the side of the children and parents. Spike and Macintosh watched the scene with great interest. Pearl dropped Cinnamint and the bag and whispered something to Mrs.Meadowlark that the confused colt couldn't hear. Mrs.Meadowlark looked the colt over and nodded to Pearl.

"Cinnamint, if you'd like you can go up in front of the group and talk about candy making since your parents couldn't make it. You could even pass out those candies you have if you'd like." Mrs.Meadowlark explained.

"Yeah! You totally should Cinnamint, your candy is awesome and everypony will love it!" Pearl said as her wings flapped excitedly.

"D-do you really think I should?" Cinnamint asked as he was very unsure of himself.

"You totally should, your candy is just as good as your mom's so you should be able to talk about it." Pearl reassured the nervous colt.

"O-okay, I'll do it." Cinnamint said as confidently as he could manage.

As soon as the mare had finished her rant about ironing out the wrinkles before attempting to recycle newspapers, Cinnamint took his spot at the front. He nervously glanced around at the ponies he wasn't familiar with, but steeled himself by focusing on his friends and their parents. He knew they were all good ponies, or dragons, or whatever, and it helped him get his courage together.

"My name is Cinnamint, and my parents couldn't come today. But I know what I wanna do when I grow up, I wanna make candy. My mom taught me how, and I can even make it by myself already. I made some last night, if Pearl wouldn't mind passing it around?" Cinnamint announced as loud as he was comfortable doing.

Pearl gave him a thumbs up and grabbed his backpack before taking to the air. She made several passes over the group, dropping one of Cinnamint's cinnamon mints in front of everyone in the audience.

Each member of the audience popped their own piece of candy into their mouths and tasted Cinnamint's masterfully crafted sweets. A chorus of appreciative mmms could be heard not long after. The young confectioner was overjoyed that so many ponies liked his creations.

"That's why I wanna be like my mom Bon Bon! She likes to put smiles on ponies faces, and I wanna be somepony that makes ponies happy too. Everypony likes her treats, but these are all I know how to make by myself right now. Hopefully one day I can make all kinds of treats of all different flavors." Cinnamint said as he explained his goals.

He was surprised when everypony cheered for him, even the mean children from class. He was so happy he couldn't think straight. He hadn't expected everyone to like his first batch of sweets so much, that's why he hadn't asked his mother to sell them in the store. He was broken from his trance of pride by Screwball.

"Cinnamint! Something's wrong with your butt!" She yelled in concern.

Cinnamint looked back in panic to find his rump was lit with white light. It shimmered for a moment before fading, in place of the light was a picture reminiscent of the candies everyone was currently enjoying. The only difference was that the center of the candy was shaped like a heart instead of a circle. Cinnamint had just become the first in his class to earn their cutie mark.

The adults and several of the children including Pearl and Screwball cheered. Many of the other fillies and colts were jealous and pouted instead, but nothing could ruin Cinnamint's moment in the sun. The colt was running in circles and doing the occasional jump. After a few moments of getting the excitement out of his system Mrs.Meadowlark spoke up.

"Well, congratulations Cinnamint. Not everypony figures out their special talent so soon. Now then, I'd like to thank all the parents for taking the time to come and inspire the younger generation, giving them ideas for their own bright futures. We're calling today a half day, so parents please take your children and have a good afternoon everyone." The aged mare told everypony before heading back into the school building.

"Cinnamint, we talked to your parents last night. We'll take care of you till they get home. How about we all go for ice cream to celebrate your cutie mark?" Spike asked the still energetic colt.

"Okay! I can't wait to show them my cutie mark! And I wouldn't have it if Pearl didn't think I could do it!" Cinnamint said before hugging the unsuspecting young dragoness.

"Uh, thanks but I didn't do very much." Pearl said unsure of how to deal with the sudden affection.

Spike decided to separate the two after seeing Pearl's cheeks turn red. He wasn't fond of the idea of his daughter discovering boys anytime soon. He knew first hand that dragons matured faster than ponies, but she could stay a little girl a bit longer if he had his say.

After the group had left to get some ice cream and all the other parents had left with their own children nopony was around to notice a second Mrs.Meadowlark head into the school building.

Author's Note

Okay, so not my best chapter in my opinion, but probably not the worst. I've just been having trouble finding time to write so I had to do this one a little bit at a time and I can't be inspired all the time.

Anyway the bit at the very end was a bit obvious, but won't be touched on again for a few chapters.

Cinnamint needed a confidence boost so I made him earn his mark before anybody else, and now he also feels very grateful to Pearl who might be feeling something for him. I realize they're very young but nothing is set in stone yet, still plenty more story to go.

Twilight still has ten months of pregnancy to go, but I'm going to cover that span of time in two or three more chapters. I'm pretty sure I've figured out what baby name to use too.

Baby Booming

Hospitals are a place most people try to avoid if at all possible. No matter what species you are, nearly every individual dislikes the idea of going to the hospital. The only reasons that a person will let themselves enter a hospital are normally: Emergency, ongoing treatments of chronic problems, surgery, visiting a loved one, working there, and of course the birth of children.

The waiting room of Ponyville General Hospital was packed with ponies, dragons, and a draconequus for that very reason. Today was the day Twilight Sparkle's child decided it should be born. Naturally, all of her loved ones had gathered to be there for the princess.

Twilight's parents and Trixie were in the delivery room with her, but the rest of the group was outside, waiting patiently. The other five members of the elements of harmony, Spike, Macintosh, Pearl, Screwball, Discord, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Skyla were all there. Everyone was unusually silent, and all of them were on the edge of their seats as they eyed the delivery room doors.

Nopony took much notice when Lyra, Bon Bon, and Cinnamint arrived. Spike motioned for them to take a seat by himself and Macintosh, as he had been expecting them. He had hastily scrawled letters to everypony on his way out the door, sending them as magical ash that would seek their intended recipients.

While the adults stayed as still as statues the children quietly talked amongst themselves. Even though the situation was exciting neither Pearl nor Screwball would allow Cinnamint and Skyla to go unacquainted. The two had never gotten a chance to meet before now, even during the holidays as Cinnamint's family went to Vanhoover for Hearth's Warming.

Cinnamint took a seat next to Pearl who was talking to Skyla. Cinnamint knew it was impolite to stare, but he had never seen an alicorn smaller than himself before. He had met both of the royal sisters and Twilight before, but they all towered over him significantly. It was a strange thing to see the little filly with both wings and a horn.

Pearl got right to the introductions as soon as Cinnamint was seated, not wanting to waste time. Cinnamint took off his saddlebags and deposited them beside himself. Pearl directed his attention to Skyla once more.

"Cinnamint, this is my cousin Skyla. Skyla, this is Cinnamint." Pearl told the two of them.

"Uh, hi?" Skyla said awkwardly.

Skyla was still somewhat timid and didn't deal with new people well. She could barely handle Screwball's loud and visually striking feats of magic even though they had known each other since birth. She steeled her nerves however, if Pearl thought he was okay Cinnamint was probably trustworthy.

Cinnamint noticed she was kind of panicky and decided now would be a good time to show off his latest creation. He used his magic to open his saddlebags and pulled out a good sized plastic bag of what appeared to be individually wrapped gemstones. Pearl's attention was firmly glued to Cinnamint upon seeing the bag of dragon treats.

"Check this out. I made candy gems! The rubies are cherry, sapphires are blue raspberry, emeralds are sour apple, garnets are strawberry, amethysts are grape, and the diamonds are pina-colada." Cinnamint beamed with pride.

He passed the bag to each of the girls, offering them whichever they pleased. Pearl who was first took an emerald, Screwball took an amethyst, and Skyla took a garnet. Screwball and Pearl opened theirs with lightning speed, barely noticeable to the eyes of a pony. Screwball popped hers into her mouth without hesitation, thoroughly enjoying the hard candy.

Pearl however examined the sugary crystal with great interest. She held it up to the light and looked through it. It was actually an almost perfect likeness of a real gem. It was so similar to the real thing she held it in her claw and bit it in half like she would an ordinary jewel. The taste was totally different from an actual gem, but it was just as flavorful. She instantly made note to ask about more in the immediate future.

"This is really good Cinnamint. It's just as good as the real thing." Pearl praised through a mouthful of the dense sugary gem.

Cinnamint was about to reply, but a loud bang rang out from the delivery room. Everyone in the room jumped up from their seats, looking to the door with worry. Everything was utterly silent for what felt like an eternity, but the door slowly opened a few minutes later.

Trixie came out looking rather frazzled, and her mane seemed to be smoking lightly. She held an infant swaddled up in one of her fore-hooves, and to everypony's surprise Velvet, Twilight's mother came through a second later with another baby in her own fore-leg.

Both the infants were held so that everyone could see them. The twins were perfectly identical, both a pale mulberry color. Their manes were understandably messy, though they seemed to be mostly deep violet with white and pink streaks running through them. Horns were visible through their messy hair, as expected of the children of two of the most powerful mages in the world.

"Introducing Princess Dawn Glimmer." Trixie said proudly.

"And Prince Dusk Shine." Velvet finished, proud tears in the corners of her eyes.

Everyone awed at the newborns, almost forgetting the mystery explosion heard moments ago. However the smoking mane on Trixie's head reminded them soon after. Spike was the first one to speak up, worried his sister's magic had gotten out of control from the stress of childbirth.

"We all heard a pretty loud bang from the delivery room. Is Twilight okay?" He asked warily.

Trixie smiled and nodded that her wife was indeed fine, easing everyone's nerves a bit.

"Twilight is resting, it was these little angels that made the bang. Apparently they have a rare condition found only in twin unicorns. Their magics have totally opposite signatures and if they mix randomly, boom. It's normally not that serious, but these aren't your average foals." Trixie explained.

Both Trixie and Velvet unwrapped Dawn and Dusk to reveal the foals' backs. Both had tiny wings on their backs, making them alicorns. Luna barely managed to catch Celestia as she fell to the floor unconscious. The princess of the night handled it better, but was still absolutely giddy. Two more natural-born alicorns in addition to more foals to spoil, meaning today was a good day to be Luna.

"We knew we were getting twins, we just decided to keep it a surprise. We didn't know they were going to be alicorns or their genders though. They kept moving around every time Twilight had a sonogram." Trixie informed the assembled party of friends and family.

Everyone eventually got a turn to go and see the twins, and occasionally either Dusk or Dawn's horns would spark. Luckily they were far enough apart that it didn't create the violent reaction Trixie had described. Both the newborn foals awoke within a half hour of their meeting with their large extended family.

Both the twins had eyes a shade of purple just in-between that of both their mother's own. Dawn seemed to examine everything her little eyes could take in closely, while nearly everything seemed to frighten Dusk to the point of crying. The two already seemed very different from one another despite the striking resemblance they bore to each other.

Velvet's arm began to tire after awhile and Cadence offered to take from her. As soon as she had Dusk she looked back in front of her to see the children who had yet to meet the twins. Skyla was at the front of the group, apparently elected to be the representative of the group to ask permission to see the newborns.

Cadence gave the group a knowing nod and held Dusk so that they could see him. Despite Dusk's reaction to most he didn't appear to be afraid of the toddlers that were closer to him in size. Feeling more confident they took another step forward, getting a closer look at Dusk. Pearl looked upon him with wonder, having never seen a baby up close before.

Dusk stared at her with great interest, turning his head to the side a little in confusion. Pearl giggled as he put his little hoof on her nose, just in front of the small horn atop it. Dusk cooed at the sound of her laughter, causing her to smile even wider.

"Looks like someone is going to be good friends with their little cousin." A deep familiar voice said above the kids.

They all looked up to see Spike looking down at them. Dusk was frightened of the hulking figure, but Spike couldn't blame the boy. He had neglected to shrink himself in his haste, and hadn't thought to do so until now. Dawn hadn't feared him, and it had done wonders for his self-esteem to think a newborn foal wouldn't be scared of him.

Spike shrunk himself, a sad expression on his face. Despite knowing he belonged with the ponies he called family his heart ached when he saw ponies fear him. Trixie saw him and walked closer to the others, only after making certain Dawn wasn't having a magical flare-up.

"Spike, why don't you try and hold Dusk? He might make a fuss, but I think he'll warm up to you." Trixie told him.

Cadence passed Dusk over to Spike, who was being more careful than he had been since he had carried Pearl's egg within himself. Dusk weighed what felt like nothing to him, making it somewhat difficult. Dusk was indeed crying, but when he found himself held against Spike's breast he slowly came to a stop. Spike's warmth made the tired little foal fall asleep within a few minutes.

Spike was more than happy at that. His nephew may not be quite ready to deal with him just yet, but holding him in his arms alleviated a lot of the guilt he felt from scaring him. He couldn't help but feel silly for taking Dusk's reaction so seriously, he wasn't even a day old after all.

Pearl was glad that her father was smiling again, and everyone else silently watched with warm smiles as well. After a few minutes Trixie and Spike went to return the babies to Twilight's side after their grandfather Night Light told them she had woken up. Spike and Night returned a few minutes later, saying that the twins needed to eat so they were giving them privacy.

Pearl didn't understand that, and asked her peers about it but none of them had a clue either. Skyla seemed to know, but from her uncomfortable wing shuffling Pearl assumed she didn't want to say. She assumed it was a pony thing that wasn't polite to ask about. Her fathers told her that pretty often when she asked questions, something that annoyed her to no end. However, another question was nagging at the back of her mind.

"Hey Pa? If foals don't hatch from eggs where do they come from?" She asked looking to her father who suddenly seemed redder than normal.

As an uncomfortable silence crept over the group nopony was paying attention to the goings on elsewhere in the hospital. A rather tall unicorn mare in a nurse's hat was using her magic to push a stallion covered in poorly wrapped bandages and band-aids through the hospital exit. As they were leaving the stallion spoke after making sure they were out of earshot.

"Why don't we take the foals? They're gonna grow up powerful and we could raise them to love us and each other. We'd probably never go hungry again my queen." The stallion asked warily, as if fearing the nurse's response.

The mare glared at the stallion for a moment, but her expression softened soon. She sighed and rolled her eyes, keeping her gaze off of the stallion until she formulated a proper response. Once she had one she clicked her tongue and looked back to the stallion.

"How do you think I'd feel if someone stole one of your brothers and sisters from me?" She asked as they kept on down the road away from the hospital.

"Sad." The stallion replied guiltily, seemingly having figured out the answer himself.

"Correct. Now how would you feel if you lost the opportunity to know one of your brothers or sisters without ever meeting them?" The mare continued.

"Sad." The stallion replied immediately, hanging his head as he did so.

"Yes, that is why we never replace foals or take foals. Any mother that loved her children would never do that to another parent. I love all my children, even if they annoy me at times." The nurse said sweetly.

"We love you too... Mommy." The stallion replied happily as he looked back at the nurse.

For a time both of them were silent, enjoying the scenery as they got closer to Ponyville proper. However, the words overheard as they were leaving the hospital were bouncing around in the stallion's head. He needed to know the answer.

"So where do foals come from if it's not eggs?" The stallion asked. The nurse groaned aloud and massaged her temple with her hoof in an attempt to fend off the oncoming headache.

"I'll tell you when you're older." She replied, going with the default parental answer used around the world.

"I'm twenty-six." He replied.

"Then I'll tell you when you're more mature." She replied, obviously getting annoyed.

"Well when will that be?" He asked innocently.

"Just shut up Steve. Seriously. I had to fake my way through giving an elderly stallion a prostate exam while we were at the hospital. I am not in the mood." She practically growled in response. Needless to say the remainder of their journey was largely silent.

Author's Note

I dunno. The baby names were difficult to decide. I wanted them to be twins from the beggining, but couldn't come up with a good boy name. So I ended up going with Twilight's R63 name and made a similar name for the girl. I'll probably go back through and recheck for errors later, as it's really late but I'll let you guys have it now since I won't be at my computer till really late tomorrow.

The bit at the end was for laughs and to set the tone for future events. The next few chapters will be skipping ahead in time by increments that I have yet to determine fully. I need to do a little more planning with the next few chapters before I'll be satisfied I can make the ending perfect. That said, it may not come till October. I got lucky and found a chunk of free time to write the bulk of this chapter. I already had some rough draft for this one written out so I finished it.

If it isn't obvious the nurse is Chrysalis, and the stallion is one of the bajillion identical drones. I named him Steve because like all the good insect related names have been used in other fics. Plus me and my best friend were watching this movie the other day and two guys were arguing over codenames, and they both wanted to be Steve for some reason. The crazy one said: "You'll never be Steve!" really loudly and the sane one let him win so he would shut up so they wouldn't get caught or something. The movie wasn't that great, but that line stuck with us. And I had a dream where changelings were trying to come up with names for assumed pony personas they had made. Instead of using a typical name that sound believable they argue over who got to be Steve.

So, yada, yada. All hail Steve, the most annoying changeling.

Growing Pains And Stolen Dreams

Seven years is a rather long time. Even so, it passes by much quicker than you'd ever think possible. The town of Ponyville is no exception to the rule. Seven years after the birth of the twin alicorns the once humble town found itself growing at a surprising rate.

The Sparkle branch of the royal family built a new, larger home just outside town, and the tourists soon followed. As soon as some noble in Canterlot got the idea that Ponyville would be a wonderful place to get away from the bustle of the big city the rest of the nobles weren't far behind. Now many rich ponies lived in a new section of town called the Paradise Estates. The Sparkle home was at the center of it all, and it was an unspoken rule amongst the nobles and rich entrepreneurs that no home could be bigger than the local royalty's. This at least guaranteed that the city wouldn't become too huge, as well as helping keep the rustic aesthetic of the old Ponyville.

If someone were to look out the window of one of the cafes, bookstores, or restaurants in the new downtown of Ponyville they'd see three preteens walking down the sidewalk toward the gated community of Paradise Estates. One thin pink unicorn colt, a rather insane looking pink earth pony filly in a beanie, and a lanky white dragoness in a pink hoodie.

Upon reaching the check-in station at the front of the gate the dragoness reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic card. The stallion in the check-in booth took the card and swiped it through a scanner. Once the light on the scanner showed green the gate slowly creaked open. The guard passed the card back to the dragoness and saluted as the group left.

"So why do we have to watch the twins again?" The filly asked the dragoness as they headed toward the biggest home in sub-community.

Pearl groaned and massaged her temples with her pointer claws. She was already getting tired of the question, and it was to be a long day. She calmed herself and turned back to the swirly-eyed filly while keeping her pace.

"Auntie Twilight and Auntie Trixie are going to speak at some big thing about magic in Canterlot today. I've told you that literally four times in the last hour already Screws." Pearl replied, failing to hide her annoyance.

"Well I'm sorry, but today is Saturday and I should be sleeping right now. School starts in two weeks Pearl. TWO. WEEKS. We should be getting all the laziness we can in before we're forced to go to Lamesville five days a week." Screwball whined.

"Wouldn't trying to be lazy defeat the purpose of laziness since your making an effort to be lazy?" Cinnamint asked aloud.

"Lazy is still lazy even if you have to try really hard to do nothing." Screwball replied, beginning a back and forth between the pink ponies about the definitions of laziness.

Pearl sighed at pointlessly heated discussion between her best friends. Cinnamint had become more talkative in the last seven years, but him and Screwball usually ended up arguing about things. They were polar opposites as Screwball was practically chaos itself and Cinnamint was more reserved than a lot of ponies and was often too polite for his own good. Even while arguing he kept a fairly level tone and expression, further annoying Screwball.

Pearl would never call Cinnamint boring, he was the least expressive of her friends, but that wasn't always bad. She could always rely on him, and he was always supportive and actually listened intently. Many members of her extended family thought he was a lot like her father when he was a whelp, even her Pa thoughts so.

Screwball was a truly free spirit, and couldn't be chained down very long by anything, even actual chains. They offset each other perfectly, as long as Pearl stayed in the middle to keep things from getting out of hand. Lately however Pearl had lost the patience to mediate them, making arguments happen even more than normal.

After another twenty minutes or so of unnecessarily loud walking the group made it to Sparkle Manor. A luxurious, but not overly showy home more than large enough for the family of four living there. Pearl let herself and the others in, knowing full well they were expected. Cinnamint especially was impressed as always with the house. His family lived in a quaint home up above his mother's candy shop. He wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but the difference was pretty noticeable.

The moment the trio arrived they were automatically bombarded by two mulberry blurs. Pearl was able to hear them coming and braced herself for impact, but her sudden movement distracted Cinnamint causing him to be off guard. Screwball floated out of the way just in time while Cinnamint was toppled to the floor and Pearl caught her attacker.

"Good morning Dusk. Good morning Dawn." Pearl giggled as she placed Dusk back onto the ground.

Screwball helped Cinnamint right himself, as Dawn took to flying around the foyer once again. The seven year old alicorn foals had really surprised everyone, earning their cutie marks simultaneously at the age of six. Dusk's mark was a setting sun with a full moon above it, while Dawn's mark was a brilliant sun with a fading, translucent moon below it. The pair had caused quite a stir nationwide when they combined their magics to move the sun and moon in a circle, momentarily prying them from Celestia and Luna's control.

They received praise and scoldings for it, but Luna and Celestia seemed just as giddy about it as the foals themselves. When the children turn ten they had both been promised to be tutored in magic by the royal sisters. Dusk would learn from Luna, while Dawn would learn from Celestia. Twilight and Trixie were extraordinarily proud of their children, and had agreed to it with little debate.

Dawn and Dusk were to be the official back-ups for Celestia and Luna, should an emergency arise. It was decided that even still, the children would be given the choice of whether or not to be involved in day-to-day politics. For now they lived relatively normal lives, going to school in Ponyville like anypony else.

Much like their predecessors the twins were as different as day and night, barring their excitability. Dusk liked to be indoors, drawing and painting the day away. Dawn however felt more at home outside, playing games with others and exploring anything that caught her attention. Naturally this made them unable to agree on things most of the time. Dusk and Dawn were too much for any normal babysitters, leaving Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball as the only option.

All four equines and one dragon were alerted to the immediate presence of Twilight and Trixie by a flash of light and whiff of ozone. Dawn and Dusk took off and joined their mothers almost too quickly for anyone to see. Twilight and Trixie were both dressed in formal attire and had an overnight bag each. They greeted everyone with smiles and hugged their children before actually saying anything.

"Hey there kids. We really appreciate you being able to watch Dusk and Dawn for us." Twilight said gratefully.

"It's no trouble Auntie, we're practically grown up now. We can handle anything!" Pearl replied confidently with a salute.

Twilight looked over the group, and then back to her children. She seemed a little less than certain, but a reassuring hoof on the shoulder from Trixie put her at ease. Trixie reached into her pocket with her magic and floated a bit-note over to Cinnamint who took it into his own aura. The bit-notes were a new development in Equestria, but they were already everywhere due to the convenience. Cinnamint's eyes widened as he unfolded the bill, revealing the number fifty on each of it's four corners.

"That's so the five of you can order pizza for dinner, and be sure to get plenty. You're all still growing. We'll be at the conference until late, so the you three are having a sleepover with Dusk and Dawn. Your parents all already know, and the guest bedroom is all made up for you." Trixie explained.

Screwball and Pearl looked at Cinnamint jealously, as this sort of thing happened rather often. The adults knew Screwball was too impulsive and Pearl didn't stop and think things through enough, leaving Cinnamint as the responsible one that the parents trusted with everything. They didn't really want the extra responsibilities the title came with, but it was more of a matter of principal and youthful jealousy.

"Okay then, the phone is in the study as you already know. If there are any problems Pearl can send us a letter, or you can call the castle. The twins need to be in bed by nine-thirty, and you three can stay up until eleven. There's a shelf full of family-friendly books and movies in the game room, and there's microwaveable popcorn in the kitchen. We should be back around ten tomorrow morning. Any questions?" Twilight read aloud from a mental list.

Once no one said anything Twilight and Trixie took turns hugging and kissing the twins, despite their embarrassed protests. Once the twins had been adequately snuggled they exchanged I love yous and love you toos. Soon the adults vanished in the telltale light of teleportation, leaving the preteens and alicorn children alone in the house.

"So, what do you guys wanna do?" Pearl asked, trying to take control of the situation.

"We've got Mega Melee Mares on the Joystation. Did you bring your memory card Pearl?" Dusk asked.

Pearl reached into her hoodie and pulled out a black plastic rectangle that made Dusk's eyes fill with joy. Dawn flew out from behind Pearl and grabbed the memory card while Pearl was surprised. Dusk and Dawn giggled like mad as they headed off to the game room. Pearl gritted her teeth with a sinister sneer and took wing, easily turning the corners of the mansion effortlessly. Screwball buzzed after them with her beanie, sounding like an overexcited parasprite.

"And I guess I'm walking." Cinnamint sighed as he began trotting off after the others.

Once Cinnamint rejoined the others he found Pearl setting up the game. Cinnamint knew that there were only four players, leaving him out, as usual. Cinnamint wasn't overly fond of video games, but it was always nice to be included. He instead took his place on the sofa on the other side of the room and levitated a book off one of the many bookshelves of the Sparkle home.

Before long Cinnamint found himself engrossed in the story. However he was ripped back into reality when he felt someone else join him on the couch. He looked over to see Pearl sitting beside him, watching the others play. Cinnamint looked over to see Dawn, Dusk, and Screwball playing against each other, practically dead to the world.

"Why aren't you playing with them?" Cinnamint asked Pearl, shutting his book and placing it back on the shelf.

Pearl looked to Cinnamint, barely registering the question. It took her a minute to come up with her response, as she had clearly been caught off guard. Cinnamint found Pearl at a loss for words more and more lately, and like now he found her unable to meet his gaze.

"I uh... I've noticed you get left out of stuff a lot, and I don't think that's right. Screws is fun and all, but she's so random it makes it hard to be serious with. You're the normal one, and I need some normal sometimes." Pearl explained softly, obviously not wanting the others to hear.

Cinnamint wasn't really sure what to say to that. Pearl had seemed off lately, but whenever he asked she said she was fine. She had snapped at Screwball once or twice and sometimes she'd just quietly fume in the corner with black smoke coming out of her nose. Now Pearl was being more like herself, but there was something in her voice that seemed sad.

"Is something bothering you Pearl? You've been kinda different lately, and I'm starting to get worried. Mega Melee Mares is your favorite game, you never pass on an chance to destroy people." Cinnamint asked in concern for his best friend.

Pearl just sighed and tilted her head back against the couch. She looked like the weight of the world had suddenly been dropped on her. Cinnamint immediately regretted the question, feeling like it had been the worst question he could have asked.

"Skyla sent me a letter a few weeks ago. She was really upset because Grandma and Auntie Lulu came to see her as soon as she finally got her cutie mark. Her hair started doing that floaty thing theirs does and now she can control the weather or something. She's gonna live forever, just like Grandma and Auntie Lulu." Pearl told Cinnamint.

Cinnamint wasn't entirely sure what was the proper thing to say to that. He wanted to be happy for Skyla, but the way Pearl made it sound made him think otherwise. Cinnamint had very little experience with the concepts of mortality and immortality, but he knew enough.

"I asked my dads about the twins, and they couldn't answer me for sure, but probably them too. Screwball too, cuz her dad told her, but I don't think she gets it yet. Then my dads decided to tell me about dragons. I'd never really cared about being a dragon instead of a pony before then.

"Dragons get fire breath, and most of us can fly, but we also live a really long time. We can take a nap for a hundred years like it's nothing. I learned that Me, Daddy, Grandma, Screws, Skyla, the twins, Aunty Lulu, and Screw's dad all have keep going while everyone else we know dies. Daddy and Pa both started crying with me, and we just sorta stopped talking about it after that. They keep asking me if I need to talk, but I dunno how that'd help." Pearl continued, tears flowing from her eyes.

Cinnamint did the only thing he could think to do and pulled her into a hug as powerful as he could muster. Pearl was surprised, but didn't try and fight it at all. It actually made her feel a lot better than she had felt in awhile, much to her surprise. Cinnamint had tears welling up in his own eyes, as he felt the tremendous sadness in Pearl. He couldn't wrap his head around what Pearl was going through, but he knew she needed someone right now. Luckily the loud video games kept the twins from hearing, since this was something they were nowhere near ready for.

"I dunno if there's anything else I could do to help, but talking about it did kind of help didn't it?" Cinnamint asked hopefully.

"I think it did. Thanks Cinnamint." Pearl replied as she separated herself from Cinnamint.

After their talk Pearl excused herself to get cleaned up. Cinnamint attempted to talk to the trio playing video games, but it was a lost cause. They had switched to adventure mode and were united on a campaign to reach the final boss. Screwball had summoned up sodas nearly the same size as the foals themselves to keep them well fueled. Cinnamint instead opted to watch until Pearl returned.

When Pearl returned she was carrying a bowl of popcorn. She sat beside Cinnamint once more, if just a little closer. She seemed much more together than before, causing Cinnamint to smile. Pearl placed the bowl between them as she hopped onto the couch.

"Figured we'd watch the zombies play for awhile so I made some popcorn." Pearl explained, taking a handful of the snack.

Cinnamint laughed and they watched the story play out in the video game through the occasional cinematic. Mostly it was still game-play, leaving them to talk amongst themselves. Both of them found it refreshing, since they were having fun without really having to do anything. It was very rarely the two of them, as someone from their enormous extended families were usually with them, and then it was usually more fast paced.

"So has your dad beat up anything cool lately?" Cinnamint asked casually.

"Nah, all the monsters have figured out that he's gonna clobber them if they mess with towns and stuff. Lately Daddy's been working on the farm with Pa and writing his book about dragons. Doesn't seem like being a knight is that exciting anymore." Pearl replied.

"Sooo, does that mean you don't wanna be a knight anymore?" Cinnamint inquired curiously.

Pearl knitted her brow in thought, as though she was having trouble deciding on her answer. She drummed her claws on the arm of the couch, as though that would somehow help. Eventually she gave in.

"I dunno now, now that you mention it. I'd be super bored most of the time, and I definitely don't wanna be a full-time princess. Besides, Daddy can take pretty much any monster by himself now. By the time I'd get to be a knight he'd be even bigger than he is now. I still wanna help ponies somehow, but I've kinda always thought I was gonna be a knight. I haven't really thought about anything else." Pearl replied as she continued pondering the matter.

"Well, I read a book Twilight loaned me not too long ago, it might help. I think it's over there." Cinnamint told Pearl as he pointed to the shelf.

Cinnamint used his magic to take the books out of the shelf one after another. Eventually he came to the volume he wanted and floated it over to Pearl as he righted the other books. Pearl examined the book, staring at the worn out cover. It had probably been red at one time, but now it was a grayish-pink color. The gold-leaf lettering on the spine was faded, but legible.

"The Dragon's Heart? Care to summarize it for me?" Pearl asked skeptically.

Cinnamint flipped the book open, showing Pearl an old-fashioned drawing of a mare standing in front of a dragon many times her size. Unlike most books the dragon wasn't overly threatening, and wore a smile on his face. In his outstretched claw was an enormous fistful of treasures and valuables.

"In the story a lonely male dragon falls in love with a beautiful mare he sees walking through his woods and offers her his entire hoard to stay with him. She declines, since she's already in love with a stallion in the her village. The dragon pleads with her to no avail. He became so furious he leaves her in the forest and sniffs out the stallion that smells of her and tries to kill him in a fit of jealousy."

Cinnamint flipped through the pages, stopping on another page. The picture showed the mare on the forest floor, staring up at the distant figure of the dragon in the sky. A look of utter terror painted on her face out of concern for her love.

"To his surprise the mare races back to the village and jumps in front of his claws at the last second, saving her love's life. The dragon was so moved by the act of love and sacrifice that he lifted the mare into his claws and bathed her in flames. At first the stallion tries to rush the dragon with a sword, but once the flames cleared the mare was totally unharmed. The dragon then gave the couple his blessing in the form of two gold rings from his hoard, and they got married. The couple lived happily ever after, and the dragon protected the village for generations after that." Cinnamint explained.

Cinnamint flipped to another picture, one of the couple being wed in the dragon's presence. The dragon was crying happy tears, and there were numerous ponies cheering in the background. Underneath the touching artwork was a large fancy script Fin, as it was the last page.

Pearl listened to the story intently, as Cinnamint was a pretty good storyteller for a twelve year old. She hadn't heard this particular story before, but it was admittedly refreshing. Most dragon stories ended up with at least one dead drake coming before the happily ever after. Unfortunately, the message didn't seem to sink in.

"So the dragon became good and protected them? We've got our knight already, my dad. We just went over this, there's no point in being another knight." Pearl sulked, to which Cinnamint rolled his eyes.

"Not that, the thing about healing fire. Your dad can use magic to send and get letters, and you can do it too. Maybe there's some truth to the story, and you can use it to heal ponies." Cinnamint elaborated further.

Pearl blinked a few times, trying to figure out how she had missed that. Going back through what Cinnamint had said it seemed obvious. That left only the question of whether or not it was actually possible. Pearl stared at her claws and tried to feel the magic she could feel when she breathed fire. She balled her claws around her thumb, and clicked up, scratching it across her middle and pointer claws like flint. She was elated to see a small and wavering blue-green flame sitting atop her thumb.

"Whoa, that's pretty cool. I didn't know you could do that." Cinnamint said as he watched the little flame flicker.

"I wasn't sure I could. My dad does it to light candles and stuff. He says it's good for focus too. I kinda believe it, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be." Pearl replied as the flame went out, "If I keep trying I can probably learn to do all sorts of new stuff with my fire."

For the second time today Cinnamint had made Pearl feel better about everything. She felt better about the future, and now she had an idea of how she could help ponies. Pearl had been aware she was maturing faster than ponies her age for some time, but lately it had become more frustrating. She wouldn't even be thirteen for another week, but still the only thing on her mind other than her troubles was Cinnamint. She was in need of a distraction, immediately.

"Cinnamint! Can we order pizza now?" Dusk yelled.

"We're starving!" Dawn chimed in.

"Can we get one with peanut butter and pop rocks?" Screwball added.

Pearl's stomach provided the fourth vote for dinner, and Cinnamint could only laugh. The five of them headed to the study and took a vote on what to order. Thanks to Pearl and Screwball's abnormal appetites they decided on four pizzas, just to be certain there would be enough. Pearl was chosen to use the phone, as it was a rotary model and she was the only one with fingers. The others could have used magic, but it was easier this way.

Pearl dialed the number in the phone book of Ponyville's best pizza place. After several rings the phone was answered. Pearl could tell it was a stallion, maybe a teenager.

Deep Dish's Pizza Parlor, how can I help you? The voice asked.

"I'd like to place an order for four large pizzas please. Are you ready to write down the order?" Pearl asked.

Hold on just a second. The stallion replied.

Pearl heard some momentary rustling before the stallion returned.

Okay, shoot.

"I'd like one veggie lover's deluxe, one double cheese with pineapple and stuffed crust, one with mushrooms, olives, and onion, and a cherry dessert specialty pizza. Did you get all of that?" Pearl listed off.

The stallion on the other end was silent for a minute before reading the items back to Pearl. After giving the stallion the address of the Sparkle Mansion Pearl flipped through the phone book once more. On the inside of the front cover was the number of the phone at the gate of Paradise Estates. The guardstallion was much quicker to answer the phone than the pizza parlor had been.

Front gate speaking, please state your business. A gruff male voice answered.

"This is Princess Priscilla Falstaff Equestria calling from Sparkle Manor. We've ordered some pizza's so expect the delivery-pony in around thirty minutes. Is that alright? Or do you need my ID card number?" Pearl instructed.

I do need the number to authenticate the command princess, my apologies.

"No it's fine. The number is P1-4tt779g2ef0225." Pearl read from the card she had taken out of her pocket.

Okay, all set. Will that be all?

"Yeah, thanks." Pearl replied before hanging up the phone.

"And now we play the waiting game." Screwball said as she pulled a deck of playing cards from her beanie.

For the next twenty five minutes the group played cards, with Screwball winning the majority of the rounds. That gave her the right to decide which slice of each pizza she wanted first, much to the twin's dismay. Before the next round could start they heard the doorbell, and they all made another mad dash to the door. Cinnamint chuckled as he teleported to the door, making it there well before the others.

Cinnamint opened the door himself, while the others halted upon seeing the race's victor. They settled for trying to burn a hole into the back of his head with their glares. The delivery stallion was a pizza sauce red color, with a yellow, white, and orange mane and tail of dreadlocks. His cutie mark seemed to be a pizza missing a few slices. Atop his head was a cap for the restaurant they had ordered from, and sitting on his back was a special delivery-bag that kept pizzas warm.

"Hi there. I've got four pizzas here, did you kids order them?" The stallion asked in a chipper tone.

"Yes sir. How much do we owe?" Cinnamint asked respectfully.

"It's forty-two bits, and for every purchase over twenty bits you get a free two-liter bottle of Mountain Magic soda." The delivery stallion replied, passing a receipt over to Cinnamint.

Cinnamint passed the stallion the fifty-bit note and Pearl stepped forward to grab the pizzas the stallion offered. The stallion reached into the side compartment of his bag and handed Pearl the soda which she took in her tail to let her keep holding the pizzas. After fishing another smaller zipper-bag bag out of his larger one the stallion opened it to make change. After giving Cinnamint the change the stallion put the zipper bag back into the delivery bag, and tipped his cap at the kids.

"You kids enjoy the pizzas, and next time you order tell them you're friends with Steve. That's me, they'll give you a discount." With that, Steve trotted of to his next destination.

Pearl passed the soda to Screwball and carried the pizzas to the dining room. Cinnamint got plates and glasses from the kitchen and they all sat down to eat. Screwball got first pick, but decided to leave the first picks on the dessert pizza to the twins. As they ate they emptied the bottle of soda in the first five minutes, but everyone got some.

"Anyone else think that the pizza guy had a weird name?" Cinnamint asked through a mouthful of pizza.

"Yeah. Steve, right? Who names their kid something like that?" Screwball agreed with a roll of her eyes.

While the others ate in silence something had boiled to the surface in Pearl's mind. She looked over her friends, and at their various cutie marks. For the first time in her life Pearl was noticing something that seemed ridiculously obvious now.

"Have you guys ever noticed that ponies usually end up with talents related to their names? Like, Cinnamint and his mom Bon Bon both make candy?" Pearl asked.

Everypony stopped and thought about it, and all was silent for a moment.

"Nah, I don't see it. Steve is a pizza delivery pony, and Steve doesn't have anything to do with pizza." Screwball reasoned.

"But what is a Steve anyway?" Dawn asked, Dusk shrugging his shoulders as he continued devouring his current slice.

Once again, nopony could answer. The whole name discussion was dropped, and dinner continued. The leftover pizza was put into the fridge, and the twins were put to bed not long after. Cinnamint, Pearl, and Screwball played a few rounds of video games before turning in themselves. Cinnamint offered to take the floor like a gentlecolt, and Screwball and Pearl shared the bed in the guestroom.

The five slumbered peacefully, but there were no dreams to be had. All across Equestria there were a great number of ponies who slept soundly, but without dreaming. On the roofs of these ponies were several black silhouettes, each of them carrying a large seed shaped pod, pulsing a dull green. As soon as the moon was at it's highest in the sky green mist began flowing out of the homes, drawn into the pods.

"More satisfied customers." One of the silhouettes said softly to itself.

As soon as the pods stayed lit, the silhouettes bagged them up and carried them off into the night. Being naturally dark colored nopony that was out noticed the sky full of changeling drones against the starry backdrop. However, in Canterlot there was a certain alicorn trying desperately to figure out where thousands of dreams had gone.

Author's Note

I know time-skips aren't great for stories, but I needed to move it along somehow.

Also, I am trying to make Cinnamint Spike-ish. In other words, a fairly bright young man that's usually nice, if sometimes impatient and unbelievably oblivious to certain happenings.

Pearl's drama felt a little rushed I admit, but I couldn't find a good way to set it up with everything else I have planned.

Steve Returns! Changeling plot underway! Third thing!

Next chapter should be up before November 20th. Mostly because I'm gonna be totally vegged out on Pokemon for at least a week after the 21st. I spent weeks making eggs for shiny hoenn Pokemon for my parties. I have both Ruby and Sapphire on reserve, and I have 18 shiny babies ready for three teams, each led by shiny treeko, mudkip, and torchic respectively.

Me and my nerd posse have been prepping like crazy ever since we got the hoenn confirmation, I've been hatching eggs like mad, my buddy Charlie's been trading up a storm, and my other friends are compiling info on all the secrets of the new games. As you can tell, we have no lives and I just wanted to show off.

That said, I've still been trying to work on writing whenever I'm home. Our game prep has been mostly done when we were hanging out together. I don't want you guys thinking I'm devoting all my time to pokemon. When I'm not writing I have a ton of stuff to do, including caring for elderly family, cleaning, running errands, etc.

Midnight Mission Part 1

Mad did not even begin to describe what Luna had been feeling the last few weeks. It had been going on for well over a month now, and ponies were beginning to bombard her with questions about missing dreams. A grand total of seventy-nine percent of all Equestrian citizens had experienced the dream loss phenomenon. It seemed to skip the majority of wealthier ponies somehow, but only if they didn't have young children.

Scientists and mages all of the country were baffled by the epidemic, and the eldest princesses had never seen this sort of thing occur either. The ponies felt no physical side-effects, but the psychological effects became more devastating the more times it happened to someone. With the loss of their dreams, imagination and creativity slowly waned until it faltered all together. A great deal of musicians and artists had already put a hold on all creative endeavors, including Sapphire Shores and New Lunar Republic. The public was becoming uneasy and in an increasing number of cases, depressed.

Their were several ponies in Luna's lab that were being payed to act as controlled test groups. Luna was staring into one of the rooms right now, a room containing a single pony that was deemed most average pony in Equestria by Normalcy Magazine nine years running. He was appropriately named Base Line, and had a cutie mark that looked like a series of check-boxes relating to his survey-taking hobby.

Base Line had just gone to sleep ninety minutes prior, and was entering the R.E.M. cycle. This was the right time for Luna to be able to sense if Base Line would enter the Dream-scape or not. She had observed him for an incredibly boring twenty-four hours, having him go about a normal day as to be a perfect subject. Luna kept her magical senses at the ready, but felt nothing. Frustrated, she tried using her magic to influence Base Line to have a dream, but was met with resistance in the form of a foreign magic-signature that wasn't from a pony.

Luna wouldn't have it, and she began probing and pushing as much as was safe. Luna's eyes began to fill with the darkness of the Dream-scape as they always did when she went dream-walking. Though she lost the fight, it was not entirely fruitless. In their enhanced state, Luna's eyes could see the stuff of dreams flowing out of Base Line's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. It was subtle, as Base wasn't the most creative of ponies at the best of times, but it was there all the same. A strange mist that was attempting in vain to escape the sealed lab.

"Green mist, invisible to mortal ponies, stealing away creativity. The dreams of my little ponies, and so too their happiness. Whomever is responsible for this injustice will have hell to pay." Luna swore to herself.

Unbeknownst to Luna herself, her tired eyes had momentarily become the cold reptile-like slits of her former incarnation. Luna was so distraught she wasn't paying any attention to her own state of mind. Without dreams very many dreams to protect or ponies to aid she had too much time on her hooves, and had started obsessing on finding the culprit behind the nefarious plot being carried out.

Luna lit her horn blinking out of existence, going back to her chambers. She had preparations to make, and would take nothing less than perfection from herself. Luna was on the warpath, and anyone that stood in her way was to be pitied.

Fifteen hours later, Sweet Apple Acres.

Pearl had just arrived home from school with Cinnamint and Pearl in tow. School had started a week ago, with Pearl's birthday having gone by two-weeks ago. She had received a Joy-Boy SP pink pearl edition from her fathers and the latest Pony-Mon game, a signed copy of Daring Do and The Steel Serpent from her Aunty Rainbow, and a genuine blue moon-diamond pendant from Aunty Lulu, who had unfortunately been unable to attend with the ongoing crisis.

Despite having just turned thirteen years old, Pearl was decidedly unhappy right now. The issues of her unwanted pseudo-immortality still weighed heavily on her, but now the loss of her dreams was the problem of the week. As soon as she had been relatively light on emotional burdens and high on hopes her inspiration was snatched up, as if the universe had set her up to fail. Or that's how it seemed to the teenage dragoness anyway.

Pearl had managed to make progress on her fire, but had yet to show anyone, or even tell any adults of her plans. She wanted to wait until it met her fairly high standards, and until she could properly show it off. As soon as the dream thefts started happening to her more and more she lost her muse, and had even lost interest in practicing. Pearl's drive had been stolen away, and her friends and family were all using all their free time to figure out how to fix the problem.

As soon as the trio got in the door of Pearl's family home Pearl made for the couch. She rested her head against the back and let out a dull groan, as if she was looking up to the ceiling for some kind of invisible answer she might have never noticed before. Cinnamint and Screwball exchanged worried glances, both concerned for her. They too were suffering, but Pearl's issues were compounding, and they felt that Pearl would slip into a permanent funk if things stayed this way for much longer.

I give my horn to fix this, but I dunno what to do. Cinnamint thought to himself sadly.

As if on cue, a bright flash of blue light illuminated the room. Pearl snapped to attention, staring into the sudden magical phenomenon. Due to having a number of incredibly gifted magicians in the family Pearl could instantly tell who and what was happening. The who, being her Great Aunt Luna, and the what being a long-distance, multi-person teleportation field.

Sure enough, in a few seconds Luna stood in the middle of the living room surrounded by a small squad of her loyal thestral guards. Since it was daylight, they each wore shaded glass goggles made to fit under their helmets, protecting their sensitive but powerful eyes from the sun. Luna herself seemed to flinch at the brightly-lit room, likely because she had been in her dimly-lit section of the castle for some time.

The children would have normally been delighted to see Luna, but they felt only worry as they looked at the alicorn.

Luna had enormous bags under her eyes, and her feathers were unkempt and out of place. Even her ethereal mane and tail were rather droopy, and sparkled much less than normal. Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball all thought she looked like death warmed-over.

"Aunty Lulu? You don't look too good." Pearl asked in concern, thinking Luna's health more important than a proper greeting.

Luna nodded her agreement, not bothering to deny it.

"I have not slept since I felt the dreams being stolen from all over Equestria. I regret missing your birthday party, but I was preoccupied. Rest assured, this is nothing. I once went three months without sleep or food, using only moonlight and water to sustain myself. It isn't as refreshing as sleep, but I'm still eating too. I can continue this way as long as is necessary." Luna explained, failing to instil confidence in her grand-niece.

Luna saw the look of worry on the children's faces and felt her heart ache at having caused it. She joined Pearl on the sofa, wrapping a front leg around her. She motioned for Screwball and Cinnamint to join them on the Spike-sized sofa. Both of them cooperated, easing up just a little.

"Captain Crunch, please lead the squad in fulfilling the orders I discussed. I will be taking a short respite until you return with the others. I will be safe in my nephew's home, so please do not worry for me, as you are one to do." Luna commanded a nearby thestral guard.

The guard saluted, but frowned somewhat.

"Requesting permission to speak freely Ma'am?" Crunch asked.

"You know I dislike unnecessary formalities Captain, speak to me as you would a friend." Luna said with a roll of her-eyes and an annoyed tone.

"Well it's just that, I'm actually a lieutenant. But, for some reason you always call me a captain, despite the fact you know I'm not. Why is that?" Crunch asked awkwardly.

"Because I find it hilarious Crunch. I actually considered changing your rank for that very reason, but I'd already done that with Sergeant Pepper and ponies would talk. Now, if you wouldn't mind, mission, saving Equestria and all that?" Luna replied with a devious smirk.

Lieutenant Crunch frowned, but saluted before exiting the house with the other guards. Cinnamint and Screwball were delighted to see that Luna's antics had tickled Pearl's funny-bone, causing her to giggle. Pearl had been far too mopey lately, and it did everyone good to see her smile.

"Well then, I suppose I should honor my word and take a short nap. My guards will likely return within the hour with the rest of the family. Until then I'm going to sleep here on the sofa, if you'd please wake me when Crunch and the others return." Luna said before yawning loudly.

"Don't worry. We'll wake you as soon as they get here." Pearl assured Luna, comfortably sitting beside Luna with her hands in her hoodie pockets.

Within moments Luna was out like a light and snoring softly. Screwball frantically waved a hoof in front of Luna's face, unable to elicit a response from the princess of the night. Pearl removed her claws from her hoodie, showing her comrades her crossed claws.

"So obviously we're making her sleep as long as possible. She's a wreck right now. I don't want whatever bad guy getting the drop on her cuz she's too sleepy." Pearl reasoned.

"On it." Screwball replied.

Screwball took her beanie off her head and pulled out what looked to be an alarm clock. Screwball handed the alarm clock to Pearl who examined it carefully, but couldn't find anything abnormal about it at all. Usually Screwball's possessions were absurd and colorful or resembled other things. The alarm clock was an ordinary analog style clock with bells on either side of the top at angles and the whole thing was finished in a bronze-gold color.

"Okay, I give up. What's so special about this thing?" Pearl asked, passing the uninteresting device off to Cinnamint.

"Nothing, it's just an alarm clock silly. Just set it for morning, and I'll take care of the rest." Screwball replied.

Cinnamint took the liberty of winding the alarm clock, setting it for seven AM. Once that was done, Screwball trotted to the center of the living room and stood there for a moment with her eyes closed. Even though she wasn't doing anything, both Pearl and Cinnamint could begin to feel magic building up. When Screwball opened her eyes, the normal steady spiral sped up, becoming a blur of lavender. The next minute, a blinding flash of light obscured everyone's vision.

When the light cleared, Screwball was still standing in the center of the room, though she seemed out of breath. It was quite a rare occurrence when any activity or magic could tire out the spawn of chaos, so whatever had been done must have been big. When Screwball looked back to her friends they were speechless. Screwball's eyes were a that of a normal pony's, a lovely shade of blue like her mother's.

"Screws? You alright there? Your eyes are... normal... " Pearl asked, voicing her and Cinnamint's concerns.

"Whew, *huff* Yeah, I just used up all my magic. I only have a little bit compared to Daddy, and large-scale chaos takes it outta me. *huff* I'm gonna be a normal pony for a few hours, but we've got plenty of time." Screwball explained.

"Whoa, I didn't know you could be normal. I'm so used to crazy that I dunno if I'd like a normal Screwball." Cinnamint thought out loud.

"And what do you mean 'large-scale chaos'? What'd you do?" Pearl asked out of worry.

Screwball picked up the alarm clock in her mouth and placed it on the end table beside the couch before turning back to her friends.

"I garbled up the time-space continuum a little bit. We'll stay in the house with Luna while she sleeps until the alarm clock goes off. While outside, time is going normally. The moment somebody comes back will link up with the moment the alarm goes off. This way, Luna gets to rest all she wants while it's only like, an hour." Screwball explained as she sat down to rest a moment.

Cinnamint pulled a pocket-watch from his saddlebag, finding it was spinning in complete disregard of it's normal function.

"So if it was three forty-five PM when you did that, and the alarm is set for seven AM are we going to be stuck here for like fifteen hours and change?" Cinnamint asked sounding thoroughly unamused.

Screwball's newly altered eyes conveniently expressed emotion much better than the regular spirals. Currently, regret and realization were making a stunning display.

"I may not have thought that through all the way, but I literally can't do anything about it now. So we've got some time to kill." Screwball replied guiltily.

For what seemed to be the next fifteen hours the trio played card games, watched VHS tapes (because apparently being cut off from the time-space continuum makes your satellite-dish stop receiving), slept, ate, and tried putting costumes on Luna without waking her up. Cinnamint won, as nothing would wake her before time it was decided by the hilarity of the costume.

As soon as the door opened, Luna's alarm clock went off loudly, just as Screwball had said. As the adults filed in, the trio stayed to one side of the room. This gave Luna some room to stretch, while everyone else filed in. The guards entered first, habitually securing the perimeter. Though they were trained to be stoic, it was evident they were pleased that Luna looked well rested.

Luna looked over to the children who had approached her once she seemed to be coherent. Screwball's eyes were back to normal, as was her magical ability. Likewise, Cinnamint and Pearl had freshened up after waking up hours before. This ensured that they looked just as fresh as they had an hour ago, so none of the adults found out that Screwball could have potentially broken the universe.

"I thank thee for allowing me a brief slumber children. Perhaps I might trouble you for some coffee? I must be coherent when I explain my plan to the rest of the family." Luna mused, watching everyone file in after her guards.

With a dutiful salute Screwball summoned up a cup of coffee that would have been more accurately described as a bucket with a handle on the side. Luna eagerly excepted the gargantuan beverage and began downing the steaming hot black brew with gusto. In less than a minute, Luna had dispatched the entire cup and set it atop a comically undersized coaster on the coffee table.

"Excellent brew, thank you Screwball." Luna said with much gratitude.

"Er, not to interrupt your majesty, but everyone is waiting on you." A thestral stallion whispered loudly to Luna.

Luna turned to see that her guards had accomplished their mission. Spike, Macintosh, Applejack, Twilight, Trixie, Pinkie, Rarity, Discord, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts flight-suit, and surprisingly enough, Zecora were all waiting to hear Luna speak. They all looked ready to roll, except for Zecora unsure of exactly why she was there.

Luna got up from the sofa, a serious look on her face. She stood before the assembled mass of equines and miscellaneous creatures, as a general would before he addressed his troops.

"I have gathered you all here to discuss a plan to put an end to the dream thefts. I have spent a great deal of time studying the phenomenon, and I have determined it to indeed be magical in nature. However, it is the product of an unfamiliar magic that has been infused with alchemy to create an almost imperceptible mist that carries away dreams, inspiration, and even nightmares, and connected feelings.

"I have set up a specially designed arcane array that managed to capture a small amount of the mist and make it visible. With the aid of Discord, Twilight, and Trixie we will be on our way to my chambers in Canterlot. There, resident alchemy Zecora will examine it and help us devise a way to back-track it to whomever inequine threat is stealing our dreams. Then, it will be up to us to put an end to it. Celestia is handling my shift tonight, and releasing a press conference assuring ponies that things will improve soon. Any questions?" Luna elaborated before leaving the floor open.

Zecora raised her hoof, though she seemed more at ease. Luna nodded, allowing her to speak.

"I agree with this plan, and will be glad to help out you and your extended clan. Though I only ask the for an apology from the stallion who kicked down my door, I believe that was rather uncalled for." Zecora asked, looking to a bat-stallion who was suddenly quite nervous now that fifteen sets of eyes were on him.

"Heh, I'm very sorry Ma'am. I just graduated from the academy and I got a little carried away in the excitement of my first mission." The stallion apologized.

"Rest assured, you are forgiven. Just please have more respect for the places others live in." Zecora smiled back at the stallion who blushed and saluted.

Next, Rainbow Dash raised her hoof, Luna giving her the clear to speak.

"Did you know there's a fake mustache, a monocle, and bowler hat on you? Because I'm trying very hard not to laugh, but I can't take you seriously like that." Rainbow chuckled.

Luna blinked, processing Dash's words. She raised her silver-shod hoof to her upper lip, removing the mustache. Luna's expression turned more angry than serious, and she lit her horn. She used her magic to lift the monocle and bowler hat off her head and floated them into the air with the mustache. To everyone's surprise a very small black hole opened up, swallowing the objects which were to never be seen again. It was pretty obvious that Luna was in serious-mode. That was the last anyone said of it.

When all was said and done, it was decided the children could come with them to Canterlot. However, much to their disappointment they would stay at the castle while the adults went off to stop whatever it was that needed stopping. Lyra and Bon Bon would pick them up and take them home later in the evening after the five of them ate dinner with Celestia.

Once everyone was huddled together they used their combined powers to teleport the group into Canterlot Castle directly. Since Luna was leading the metaphorical charge she was the one deciding their destination. The world became a wild blur of colors that eventually faded into blue, and then white light.

Once the world stopped spinning everyone found themselves in a world of dark blue, purple, black, and silver. Luna's sections of the castle were always decorated as such and usually dimly lit to better accommodate her elite squads of thestral guards. The particular room they found themselves in however was covered in symbols and circles full of magical formulas and equations, all of which were glowing a pale blue with Luna's arcane power.

Twilight and Trixie immediately rushed to various points of the room to geek-out over the impressive feat of spellcraft.

"This is some seriously heavy old-school magic, it'd take a team of S-class magic specialists weeks to make and properly charge. They don't even use this symbol set in modern arrays." Trixie said aloud as she traced the conjoining lines back to the center circle on the room's floor.

"Yes well, as you might imagine I prefer the old ways. And it only took me fourteen and a half hours to do it alone, thank-you-very-much." Luna said proudly.

"Right well, how about those of us not magically inclined go get ready for whatever. I dunno about the rest of us, but I haven't eaten yet today and my fire could use some fuel." Spike suggested.

"Eeyup, Ah could do with some grub. Ah've been out in the orchard all day." Macintosh agreed.

"Yes fine, less chance someone will damage the arrays on accident. We will find you when we have something conclusive." Luna told the group as she got to work.

Minus the non-magic users, the only ones left in the room were Luna, Twilight, Trixie, Rarity, and Zecora. Discord may have been magically gifted, but he had no taste for long boring science, so he left with Fluttershy, Screwball, and the rest. Luna ushered them over to one corner of the room, where a tall glass tube lined with archaic runes held a sinister neon green gas that swirled about. Each of the mages examined it carefully, save for Luna who had already committed everything of value to memory.

"This is the mist, carrying the dreams of a pony. I was unable to extract the dreams, or it would have dissipated. Without the tube, it would only be visible by my dream-vision. The magic signature is decidedly un-equine and I have never come across it before. The accompanying alchemical components were determined as: nightshade, bitter-root, citrum berry extract, edelweiss, fire reed dust, powdered quarray eel tusk, the pollen of poison joke, worm's wart, and an ingredient I am unable to place." Luna listed off from a clipboard.

Luna used her magic to pass the clipboard to Zecora, flipping it to a sheet detailing the chemical analysis. Zecora examined it carefully, while keeping the other ingredients in mind. After a time she passed the clipboard back to Luna.

"May I trouble you for the marker used on this glass? I remember an array that may help, back from my days in alchemy class." Zecora mused.

Luna reached into her mane, pulling out a silver glass-pen. Zecora took it in her mouth and had Luna remove the cap. Once the marker tip was free Zecora began scrawling an array on a blank space. It looked quite different from Luna's arrays, but that was to be expected since Zecora was taught in another land. Once it was finished the effects were almost immediate.

The gas quivered and pulsed, and finally turned pink. After a few seconds, the array was alight with white magic, and then just as quickly the array flaked off and dissolved into magical sparkles. The sparkles floated over to Zecora and entered her mind through her eyes. Zecora didn't flinch at all, so if it hurt she was very good at hiding it. Everyone watched Zecora with great interest, barely noticing the gas had returned to it's normal appearance.

"The primary ingredient is changeling mucus, though it has been put through much. It is refined with dyes and sugars for whatever reason, and then aged for many a season. It has dozens of uses in it's natural form, but this dream-gas is far from the norm." Zecora informed Luna and the others.

Luna smiled an evil little smile, pleased to finally have a name for their enemy. The others were much less pleased with the news, knowing more of changelings than Luna. The changeling's shape-shifting and trickery were far from the easiest of magics to counter.

"Changelings... I suppose that makes sense. They must be able to turn the dreams and feelings and stuff into something nourishing." Twilight thought aloud.

"How wonderful, I slept through their invasion at my niece's wedding and fate has given me a chance to redeem myself. They've merely added fuel to the fire, treading on my sacred duty. All that remains is to find them." Luna said as she glared at the glass tube, a much darker reflection staring back at her.

"I suppose we could let the gas out, and use Luna's dream-vision to track it." Rarity suggested.

"No. It doesn't travel well on it's own. after five minutes in the open air it dissipates. They must have a means of collecting it somehow." Luna countered.

Everypony was silent for a time, until Twilight spoke up several minutes later.

"It's pretty obvious now that I think about it. Since they're stealing dreams it stands to reason that they collect at night. If they use their original forms they'd blend in with the night sky perfectly. They've been doing everything right above our heads." Twilight theorized.

"And they have the audacity to use my night as cover. They are digging their own graves, and they don't even know it." Luna practically growled, her voice an octave lower than normal.

Luna was ready to begin sending guards to track down anyone at all suspicious, but Trixie and Twilight stopped her with their combined magics.

"We still don't know how they're causing this to happen Luna. If we get rid of them now, the dreams might never come back. They could be the only ones that can stop it. And we don't even know where their base is." Trixie reasoned, trying to calm Luna.

Luna snorted loudly, but conceded to her point.

"If it's loaded with sugars and dyes, it's probably some kind of energy drink that unruly teenagers binge on nowadays. Athletes and celebrities endorse them all the time, which would explain why it occurs in younger ponies and in such great numbers." Rarity suggested.

"Actually, it's happened to the twins and we never let them have anything like that. The same goes for Macintosh, Spike, and Pearl. Mac's a nutritionist, he'd never let her have anything like that. I'd say it's something more like soda-pop or sports drinks than energy drinks." Twilight reasoned.

Luna nodded her agreement and lit her horn once again. She summoned up a piece of parchment and quill and quickly penned a short missive. Once again, Luna used her power, this time to make the letter vanish.

"I've sent a letter to the Department of Nutrition, Secretary Gluten Free is to stop all stores from receiving all beverages other than plain fruit juices and water until further notice and send us a list of the drinks most popular amongst foals and lower-income families. We should go meet the others in the castle's dining hall and inform them of the situation as we await a reply." Luna told the others calmly.

Seeing Luna had returned to her normal self the others agreed to the plan and left the room. They made haste in getting to the dining hall, but unbeknownst to them a shimmering mass appeared in one of the room's corners just as they were gone. As soon as the shimmering stopped the mass was revealed to be a trio of small figures under a blanket printed with eyes all over it.

Dropping the blanket, Pearl, Screwball, and Cinnamint were revealed. The trio stretched, having been stuck in the corner until the adults left had been cramped between the three of them. Sneaking back into the room without anyone had been relatively easy, as Screwball had nullified the sound of the door and their foot/hoof steps. Cinnamint lifted the cloak into the air with his magic to fold it and put it back into his saddlebags once it was a more convenient size.

"Where did you even get that thing?" Pearl asked with a truly impressed expression.

"Ordered it from the back of a comic book. It didn't work very well so I made it better with a spell Mrs. Trixie taught me from her show-mare days." Cinnamint answered with a puffed out chest.

"Ugh you two can flirt and make kissy faces after we get everyone's dreams back. If we can beat the grown-ups to the punch we'll be heroes!" Screwball reasoned.

Pearl and Cinnamint both blushed at that, but ignored it after the awkward silence.

"We don't even know which soda the changelings are making, and even if we did we don't know where the factory is. How are we supposed to pull this off?" Cinnamint asked, getting the conversation back on track.

"It's Mountain Magic obviously. It's only been out like a month and everypony drinks it like it's gonna give them superpowers. The factory is in the lower part of Canterlot, they did a fundraiser thing there when it first came out. I actually still have a flier for it in my bag, it's got the address. We can be there in like, forty-five minutes if we hurry." Pearl reasoned.

Cinnamint weighed his options, as it was obvious Pearl was right. Likewise Pearl and Screwball were already trying to figure out how to convince Cinnamint to go along with the plan. Anytime they even thought about doing anything dangerous Mr.Responsible was always the first to rain on the parade. Granted it had saved all of them a great deal of trouble countless times before.

"Okay, let's do this." Cinnamint said with conviction.

"But Cinnamint! We... wait what?" Screwball replied confusedly.

"Yeah what gives? Normally you'd tell us all the reasons we shouldn't do stuff, which is admirable, but kinda annoying." Pearl added with just as much confusion.

Cinnamint's blush returned in spades and Pearl couldn't get him to look her in the eyes. She knew from experience that whatever Cinnamint was about to say was going to be embarrassing. Possibly, or even likely, for both of them.

"I-I want you to be able to dream again Pearl. I know you're really sad since you can't work on your fire, and I like it better when you smile." Cinnamint reasoned.

Pearl was now as red-faced as was possible for her pale scales. About a thousand thoughts were swimming around her head right now, and she was having trouble separating them from each other. One thought seemed to outshine the others, but she pushed it back, at least for the time being.

"O-okay then! Let's uh, lets go destroy an industrial complex full of bug-ponies." Pearl agreed.

"You have no idea how prepared I am for this." Screwball announced in an eerily calm voice.

Author's Note

Woo! Progress! :rainbowkiss:

Getting close to the end of the main story, and after that it's just the epilogue. I'd say three more updates, maybe four.

Also, I know Luna is royally pissed (pun not intended), but no one is gonna die in the fight. Just wanted to clear that up.

Also, the next updates for my stories probably won't be out until after Thanksgiving, cuz shit is gonna be nuts cuz we have extended family staying with us for awhile and whatnot. I'll probably write a rough version before then and go from there afterwards.

And, as always, I really appreciate your readership and patience. Please feel free to comment if you want, and I'll probably respond. :heart:

P.S. Who else is totes ready for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire? As soon as I have a formidable team I'll put my Secret Base gym's QR Code in a blog for all my followers. :twistnerd:

Midnight Mission Part 3

Macintosh Apple was currently roaming the halls Canterlot Castle alongside two of his dearest friends. Lyra and a very frantic Bon Bon, despite being calmer Mac and Lyra were far from smiling. Cinnamint, along with Screwball and Pearl were nowhere to be found, and once being briefed on the situation Bon Bon had started freaking out. She was concerned that changelings had somehow taken the children in anticipation of the attack on the factory.

Lyra and Macintosh were beginning to worry as well, having already searched Luna's half of the castle and most of Celestia's.

Luna's ponies had been able to provide them with information, and it was clear that the Mountain Magic soda factory was the changeling's secret base. Luna, Mac, and Spike were to lead the charge on the front of the factory, while the elements of harmony, Trixie, Zecora, and Luna's thestrals surrounded the building entirely. Discord was to lock-down the entire area, ensuring the changelings couldn't escape this time. They were all set to go, but none of them wanted to set out until the kids could be found.

"Has anyone tried sending Pearl a letter? She can get them anywhere right?" Lyra asked as she opened a door to look for the kids.

Macintosh nodded the affirmative, but it was clear Pearl hadn't responded. Macintosh entered a nearby room and began unceremoniously overturning anything in his path. Lyra and Bon Bon watched it happen, like a natural disaster was tearing around in front of them. Though Mac looked calm and collected it was obvious that he was beginning to loose his cool.

Mac couldn't be stopped until a familiar green flash appeared behind him, signifying a message from Spike or Pearl. Mac quickly opened the letter, finding Spike's writing style. Unlike the usual perfect penmanship Spike had practiced over the years, the letter was a rough scrawl, obviously written in haste.

Twi sent Pearl a tracker. The kids are definitely in the factory district. Get to the front gates now. We imagine the changelings know we're coming. Get ready to fight.

Mac dropped the letter and bolted down the hallway without uttering even a single syllable, leaving Lyra and Bon Bon in the dust. Lyra floated the letter over so the couple could read it. Both mare's eyes grew wide as soon as they read the short letter.

Within seconds Lyra found herself thrown onto Bon Bon's back and holding on for dear life. Despite being a candy maker, Bon Bon had always been in good shape. Lyra was incredibly surprised how fast her wife could run, especially when carrying her on her back. They were only a few minutes behind Macintosh, and once they stopped Lyra fell off of Bon Bon's back.

From her new upside-down vantage point Lyra could see everyone was already at the gates, presumably waiting for the call to arms she now found herself a part of.

It was the middle of the night, and only the torches lining the courtyard illuminated the group. Lyra had never seen any of her friends so serious or angry before. Spike was even looking decidedly dragon-ish, his pupils barely more than predatory slits. Spike seemed to pay Lyra and Bon Bon's arrival no heed, continually staring out into the city like he was a common beast sizing up prey.

Macintosh didn't look much nicer at the moment. A thestral guard was currently helping him into a suit of armor from Luna's armory. Somehow it made Macintosh seem much larger than he already was. Lyra didn't envy whoever was going to be on the receiving end of an armored back-hoof from Big Macintosh.

Twilight and Trixie were wearing matching costumes and identical downtrodden expressions. Both were dressed in battle outfits much like Trixie's original performer's outfit but with little tiaras at the brim of the hats. Trixie's was her classic purple with a silver tiara, while Twilight's was a light blue with a gold tiara to match her wife.

They seemed to be muttering something about undoing transformations and detection spells to each other, making certain they were prepared.

Fluttershy was being restrained by Discord, who was looking his incredibly advanced age at the moment. Years of clean living had changed his attitude towards revenge, and now Discord was only concerned with Screwball's safety. Fluttershy uncharacteristically seemed very near lashing out at anything in her direct vicinity violently unless she had her baby returned to her.

Discord was doing his best to keep Fluttershy level headed until she could be set loose on the changelings.

Applejack was holding a heavy duty rope in her teeth, ready for a fight. Rainbow Dash was in her Wonderbolt's uniform, looking combat ready. Pinkie Pie was in full pink-camo gear, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. Rarity to her credit, was wearing a more stylish version of the day-guard's armor emblazoned with her own cutie mark. She seemed more uncertain than battle ready, but still willing to contribute.

Luna was in full armor, a look of cold fire in her eyes. Her mane's flow was fast and bright, like an turbulent river of stars in a purple sky. It was evident that Luna intended to strike the changelings hard and without mercy. Lyra almost pitied the changeling queen, but thoughts of Cinnamint soon erased any pity that could be given.

Celestia hadn't bothered with armor, and she was without her regalia. Instead of her formal attire she wore a black T-shirt with the words Bad Grandma printed in bold red letters and her normally flowing mane had been bound up into a ponytail. Instead of her normal crown, a smaller, sharper golden tiara set with a diamond shaped ruby lay atop her head.

Lyra could only think that she had never seen Celestia's mane and tail so dim before. It was known that Celestia was old, but she had never looked it so much as she did now.

Despite the varied looks, it was clear the goal in every one of their minds was the same. Lyra quickly got to her hooves, getting ready herself. A thestral guard passed her and Bon Bon Hoofball helmets, the best they had in mare size on such short notice.

Once Lyra had hers on, she looked at Bon Bon to see a fire in her eyes she had never seen before. Lyra was worried and excited by that look in her wife's eyes, but there was important business at hoof.

Luna took point in front of the group, her expression like a general in front of their troops. It occurred to Lyra that that was exactly the role Luna was playing now, and it appeared to be far from the first time.

"Today, the changelings have committed great crimes against our country and almost all here personally. They have stolen away the dreams of the ponies, and even more seriously they have captured three of our own. Children even, and these actions are tantamount to war. We will not let this go that far however. It ends today, and it ends with us." Luna barked with authority and weight.

With that, Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Rarity, Lyra, Discord, and Trixie all readied there magic to move everyone to the factory. Luna had laid down an array allowing for lessened time and energy, and with everyone cooperating it took little magic from each of them, allowing for optimum spell-casting opportunity in the future. The whole group vanished in a flash of teleportation, leaving the castle courtyard empty.

That night was the coldest night ever recorded in the month of August.

Two hours ago, Mountain Magic soda factory, BF1

Pearl awoke with a start, coughing up a fireball. She instinctively held out her claws, catching whatever was being sent to her via the flame channel. Once it had reconstructed itself from flame and ash, Pearl held it up to her eyes to inspect it.

It appeared to be a silver orb, emblazoned with the familiar cutie mark of a six pointed magenta star. Pearl had no idea what it was, but realized it must be important and pocketed it.

Suddenly Pearl was hit with the realization that the last thing she could remember was being captured by a strangely polite changeling. Looking at her surroundings, Pearl found herself in a small room not much larger than a closet.

All that the room contained was the bed Pearl was laying on, a small television on a stand, and a trashcan. The only way in or out of the room was a normal looking door that locked from the inside. It was both obvious and confusing that the changelings didn't care if she stayed in the little room or not.

Pearl quietly got off the bed but tripped over something on her way down. The impact on the floor was annoying, but not painful for her. Upon closer inspection she saw that what had tripped her was her bottomless bag that had been propped up against the side of the bed by whoever had placed Pearl in the room.

Pearl happily slung the bag back over her shoulder and resumed her trek out of the room.

Upon exiting the room she found that she was in some kind of underground building or level of the factory. The vaguely musty smell of the place tipped her off. That, and there were absolutely no windows or sources of natural light Pearl could find.

Behind her, Pearl saw that there were a number of small rooms nearly identical to the ones she had awoken in. Two of which had doors left wide open, and beds left unmade.

"So, I guess Cinnamint and Screws are up already." Pearl thought out loud.

Pearl took on a threatening stance however when someone unseen answered her.

"They're in the game room." A vaguely familiar voice replied calmly.

Pearl's eyes darted around in a panic until she remembered changelings could walk on walls, and more importantly, ceilings.

Sure enough, when she looked up Pearl saw a changeling standing upside down. It sounded male, but Pearl couldn't be certain. She was vaguely sure that it was the same changeling that had knocked her, Cinnamint, and Screwball unconscious though.

"Why are they in the game room? Shouldn't we be in goo-pods or something?" Pearl asked skeptically.

The changeling unstuck himself from the ceiling and buzzed his little hole-filled wings until he was safely on the ground. Pearl was strangely at ease despite having someone she had previously thought of as an enemy not even three feet away.

"We don't do that anymore. After the love-wave thing hit us, us drones got brains of our own and Queen Mom got nicer slowly. Now we sneak dream-stuff out of the soda drinkers and refine it into love. We don't wanna hurt anypony anymore, but we used to be mean so we still need to hide." The changeling explained.

Pearl was cautious of the changeling's tale, but upon closer examination there was something she had failed to notice until now. A familiar brown blob sat on the changeling's back, looking at her with white eyes.

"Hey! Why do you have Cob?!" Pearl shouted accusingly.

The changeling looked back at Cob, grabbing the imitation cat off his back and passing him over to Pearl.

"He fell out of your bag. The little guy tried to squeeze through the holes in my legs but gave up eventually. Queen Mom figured he was important so she had me watch him. I admittedly forgot he was on my back before I went on the ceiling. Good thing he's sticky." The changeling apologized.

Pearl graciously accepted Cob back from the changeling and let the little blob climb onto her shoulder. Pearl was beginning to think that the changeling was telling the truth, or at least didn't want to hurt her. Besides, Cob was always a spectacular judge of character.

"Can you take me to Cinnamint and Screwball now, Mr. ...?" Pearl started, unaware if changelings even had names.

"My name is Steve. Changeling second in command. I got hit by the love-thing first out of all my brothers and sisters so I got smart first... I guess. Not totally sure that's how it happened. Anyway, I delivered a pizza to you guys once. Took me awhile to remember though." Steve informed Pearl with no small amount pride.

Steve let the green fire of his magic swirl about him, turning him into a perfect facsimile of a pony Pearl recognized. Steve, the pizza delivery pony from the night she and her friends had babysat Dusk and Dawn. Red coat like pizza sauce, and a mane like cheese, complete with a cutie mark of a pizza missing a few slices.

"Oh wow. I didn't know changeling magic was fire based. Can you teach me how to do that?" Pearl asked excitedly, momentarily forgetting everything else.

Steve shrugged, as he just automatically knew how to shape-shift. Pearl looked disappointed, but got over it pretty quickly. She decided to follow Steve to the game room, reasoning she could probably outsmart Steve if the situation called for it.

Steve gave Pearl an abridged tour of the basement, explaining that all the oldest changelings worked here in the factory and that the basement floor was their living quarters. The rest were in schools as foals to receive proper educations that had been unavailable until recent years, or acting as parents and working jobs to keep up the illusion of being average ponies to care for the foal-lings.

Steve hinted that a few of Pearl's classmates may even be changelings in disguise, though only 'Queen Mom' could tell her for certain. Pearl was a little unsettled by that, but Steve assured her that they very rarely switched places with a pony for longer than a day, and only to cover their tracks here and there.

Eventually they passed a staggering number of refrigerated shelves like you'd see in a supermarket. In every single one of them was plastic single serving cups of what seemed to be green gelatin. The seemingly innocent desserts would have looked perfectly at home on a cafeteria lunch tray. Steve said that it was refined love, their primary food source.

Pearl found it funny that many of the over-sized refrigerators had crayon pictures of changelings and ponies on them. Instead of pink and red hearts there were poorly drawn black and green hearts full of holes. Many of them depicted a much taller black figure, some labeled Mom, Mommy, #1 Queen, or a combination of them. It was obvious that changeling were a lot different than the last time they had been spotted in Equestria.

Finally, Steve led Pearl to the game room. The door had been painted black with green spots, reminiscent of the holes in a changeling's limbs. Pearl had to admit the changelings had a distinct style, and that it vaguely reminded her of her Aunty Lulu's darker style.

Steve pushed the door open, and as soon as he did the familiar sound of video games could be heard. Pearl and Steve entered, and Pearl marveled at the sights laid before her. Tons of arcade machines, some manned by changelings with open token holding slots, bowls laying under the machines to catch them as they fell.

Most of the changelings in the room didn't even notice Pearl or Steve enter, but an excited changeling buzzed his way over to Steve half a second later. It was a little hard for Pearl to tell, but the unfamiliar changeling looked smug to her.

"Guess what Steve~! I beat your high score on Dig Dug just now~!" The seemingly male changeling taunted.

Steve frowned, but looked to Pearl and decided it best to keep his cool.

"That's... great, Carl. But The princess is awake and she wants to see her friends. Then I've gotta take them to see Queen Mom. Official business and all that."

Pearl almost felt bad for Steve just then. It was pretty clear that the high score had been important to him. Carl though seemed immediately jealous when Steve flaunted his mission. Pearl's common sense told her it was best to stay out of the surprisingly normal sibling rivalry in the changeling factory.

Steve began walking past Carl, and Pearl hastily followed to the back of the game room. Cinnamint was on a cart racing game machine, while Screwball was playing air-hockey against a changeling who seemed to be losing badly. As soon as Pearl came into view, both of her friends flocked to her side, leaving the games forgotten.

The changeling Screwball had been playing with scored on the defenseless goal before joining the group at Steve's side.

Pearl had no allusions of getting away from the incoming preteens, and was quite swiftly assaulted by a fierce group hug. Cinnamint made the hug awkward for Pearl, but it was Screwball's magically enhanced earth pony strength that really made the hug memorable. Other than her naturally powerful fathers and Aunty Lulu, Screwball was the hardest hugger around when she was worried.

"Pearl! We tried to wake you up, but your scaly butt was too stubborn." Screwball practically shouted.

"She means we were worried about you, but we thought it'd be creepy to watch you sleep. Steve said we could wait here and he'd bring you here when you woke up." Cinnamint reassured her.

Pearl eventually broke out of her friends' heartfelt, but overpowering embrace and caught her breath.

"So, this is way different than what I expected. You two too?" Pearl asked almost rhetorically.

"Yeah, they're actually really cool. And they recycle tokens endlessly. We can learn much from our buggy brothers and sisters." Screwball replied, mimicking an old pony giving out sage wisdom.

Pearl and Cinnamint giggled, but were silenced a moment later.

"I'll take that as a compliment daughter of Discord." An especially echoed feminine voice said from behind them.

As the children looked around, they saw Steve and all the other changelings in the game room bowing. Turning their heads, they saw a changeling that was without a doubt the Queen.

She was as tall as Celestia, but as lithe as Luna or Cadence. She was more pony-like than her children, but at the same time more foreign. Her horn was long and jagged, much more intimidating than a unicorn or alicorn horn. She had fangs like her children, but her eyes looked similar to Luna's when she masqueraded as Nightmare Moon. Her wings were insectoid in nature, and instead of fur she was covered in chitin riddled with holes at her extremities.

She was beautiful and alien, seemingly as much an alicorn as a changeling. Pearl had seen an artist's rendering of her from many years ago, but there was now a softness to her eyes. Instead of the eyes of a monster they were the eyes of a normal motherly mare, albeit oddly shaped.

"Hello there children. I am Chrysalis, Queen of the changelings. I do apologize for Steve knocking you out, but we weren't expecting guests so soon."

Pearl was the first of them able to talk again, all three having been momentarily surprised.

"Are you the same Chrysalis that body-snatched Aunt Cadence and Mind controlled Uncle Shining?" Pearl asked sternly, not ready to forgive the guilty mother of the changelings.

Chrysalis's smile fell, but she nodded her head.

"I am. I won't deny what happened twenty something years ago. I used my babies to try and take over, but I don't regret it. The love wave broke my hive-mind and gave Steve and all the others individuality and eventually they changed me. Now I have no army, but I have a great many lovely children." Chrysalis admitted with conviction.

Pearl looked over to Cinnamint and Screwball. All three of them shared a silent conversation consisting over various hoof gestures and looks that only the trio could understand. Steve and the others looked to Chrysalis who shrugged in return, signifying she didn't know what wasn't being said either.

After a time, the tweens broke their silence. Apparently Cinnamint, being the responsible member of the group was elected their speaker.

"Queen Chrysalis. In the spirit of harmony, inter-species brotherhood, and unlimited game tokens, we have agreed to send word to our parents in order to ask them to hear you out. We have no actual authority but our parents aren't normally gun-ho about this stuff." Cinnamint informed Chrysalis in his most authoritative voice.

Chrysalis giggled at the display of pretend political power, but bowed nonetheless.

"I thank the three of you for asking your parents to hear us out. We were going to stop stealing dream-stuff once we had a stockpile of Love refined, but we've began to see the adverse effect it has on ponies. We have no choice but to submit ourselves to the law, and we might even get to integrate into society eventually.

"I'm quite relieved that you three showed up on your own before anyone else caught onto us. I feared that things were going to end violently after last time. Many of my children suffered cracked shells and fractured legs." Chrysalis said with no small amount of gratitude.

Unfortunately, as soon as Chrysalis mentioned being the first to catch the changeling plot the children paled. Pearl in particular looked like she had seen a ghost as she removed the previously forgotten sphere from her hoodie pocket. Chrysalis's eyes dilated to pinpricks out of fear as she saw the glowing crest of Twilight Sparkle.

Not a second passed before the entire factory shook with a tremendous roar that Pearl had heard on only a few occasions in her life. It was worth noting that none of those occasions had been happy days. The most recent was several years previous when Pearl had gotten to big for her scaly britches and thought herself old enough to explore Froggy Bottom Bog.

Pearl silently wondered if the changelings were as afraid of her Daddy as the hydra had been. One of the most fundamental laws of nature was that you didn't mess with a dragon's hoard. Unfortunately, it was now clear that Pearl, the crown jewel of that hoard had just unintentionally put her new friends in quite a pickle.

Author's Note

Shit just got like, 120% more real.

Just a few more chapters left.

Then I'm gonna get into the last act of My Shining Love, and then release my magnum opus that I've been dropping some vague hints about here and there. It's gonna be a long one, so I'm writing quite a few chapters in advance so I can release them once a week to satiate my followers as I work.

And for those of you that it still means something to, Happy Holidays. Or Hearth's Warming, or whatever you choose to celebrate. No matter who or what you are, I thank you for your continued patronage and wish you all nothing but the best.

I really don't care for the holidays because of all the stress, but it does other people some good so I can't complain much. In the comments lemme know if any of you got any sweet pony swag, and if so what it was.

Midnight Mission Part 4

Less that ten seconds after the earth-shattering roar ripped through the factory every changeling in the area began frantically running or flying about in circles. Chrysalis was trying to decide what to do, knowing full well what was about to happen. Despite having changed greatly since the last incident with Equestria, Chrysalis had been keeping an eye on anyone dangerous.

Spike, adopted son of Celestia was one of the top slots. He had little history of violence outside his job as a knight, but was shown as fiercely loyal and powerful. If the hive was perceived as a threat, Chrysalis was quite doubtful they could take Spike alone in his rage, let alone whoever he had likely brought with him.

Chrysalis looked to the children anxiously, hoping that she could resolve the situation as fast as possible. If she could get the children back to Spike or whoever else was with him, things may very well end without needless struggle. A quick surrender, and hopefully none of her babies would get hurt.

"Okay everyone, get behind me. We're going to go upstairs to the ground floor to surrender. Nobody do anything stupid, and just keep quiet, please. Pearl, Cinnamint, Screwball, and myself will do all the talking." Chrysalis ordered in a loud, authoritative tone.

All the changelings in the area scrambled into the game room, eager to be under the protection of their mother. They stayed a few feet back, while the kids stayed directly behind Chrysalis with Steve there to watch over them just in case. Steve seemed a little unnerved, but was keeping his cool.

Once everyone was calmed down enough, Chrysalis lead them out of the game room and to the secret door up to the factory. Chrysalis listened to the noise upstairs and she let out a concerned sigh. She looked back at Steve and gave him a quick nod. Steve nodded in return and pressed a big red button nearby.

With a loud click, the door opened and the changelings and the children began flying up slowly. Steve was kind enough to give Cinnamint a lift, though neither of them said a word.

Within a few short moments, Chrysalis and the children breached the top floor. All around the trap door was a circle of thestral guards who had no weapons, but eyed the changelings with seemingly infinite contempt. Standing a ways back from the thestrals was their commander and chief, standing atop a distinctly familiar purple dragon. It was clear that Spike was at his largest, meaning he meant business.

Neither Luna or Spike seemed happy to see Chrysalis, but with the children present they withheld the urge to strike at the changelings.

"Chrysalis, Queen of the changeling hive, wanted all throughout Equestria, the Crystal Empire, and several allied nations. You are asked to hand the children over to us and surrender. If you come quietly we will see to it that you are treated fairly and merely banished from our lands for the remainder of time." Luna belted loudly.

Chrysalis looked around the factory, seeing all the changelings had been returned to their natural chitinous forms and rendered immobile by pink and magenta magic-cuffs. Twilight and Trixie could be seen in the middle of the captives, maintaining the restraints. Out the window was a teleport blocking shield bubble with cotton candy clouds and chocolate milk rain within it's boundaries, courtesy of Discord.

Celestia herself was at the front door, covered on either side by Bon Bon and Lyra. Chrysalis had no doubt that there were plenty of others outside, meaning they had likely brought down the full force of Equestria's might. Though Chrysalis was somewhat relieved she couldn't see the royal couple of the Crystal Empire for a number of reasons.

It was extremely obvious that even if Chrysalis had hostile intent, there was no way she could win in this situation.

"I submit to the full punishment of the Equestrian law system for previous actions and the crime of stealing dreams. I only wish that it be known we did not foalnap the children. They came here of their own accord, hoping to stop our plot before you, the adults." Chrysalis explained.

Chrysalis landed on the factory floor, and surprised Luna by bowing her head to the moon princess. At the same time, Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball landed on the ground and casually walked over to Luna and Spike with guilty looks on their faces. Everyone that could see the display was taken completely by surprise.

As soon as Pearl reached her father, Macintosh emerged from behind his husband, looking extremely disappointed in her. Still, within seconds Spike swept them up into a very large hug that was just barely tolerable to his much smaller loved ones.

"Don't you ever do that again Pearl, or no gems until you're a hundred." Spike only half-joked.

Luna smiled, but quickly returned her attention to the matter at hoof. The lunar alicorn used her wings to command her thestral guard to separate into two lines on either side of the changelings as she walked forward to meet Chrysalis. Though Chrysalis was still taller, Luna's armor made her the more intimidating of the two.

She is quite an interesting mare. It's quite a shame she's on the wrong side of the law. Luna thought to herself sadly.

After a moment Luna shook her head to put herself back into the task at hand.

"I find you much different than I was led to believe. If you wish to appeal your case, I will listen only because you cared for the children when you could have used them for your own gains. I have been given full control of this operation and sentencing since dreams are my responsibility." Luna proclaimed.

Chrysalis stood, and proceeded with another short bow of thanks.

"Thank you, Princess Luna. I humbly request that I alone be punished for the transgressions weighed against Equestria. During the invasion of Canterlot my children were mindless drones. Until the love wave hit them, they had no way to think for themselves and obeyed me because of a genetic imperative.

"Admittedly, they are capable of individual thought and feelings now, but their development at such a late stage has rendered most of them child-like even though they were adults at the time. All my babies since have also been gifted with intelligence. The dream formula was my doing, and I instructed my loyal sons and daughters on what to do. They shouldn't be punished for following my instructions.

"I feared Equestria would reject us after our first meeting, so I attempted to find a non-violent way to feed my babies. The dream-emotions could be refined into love, and I thought that it wasn't harming anyone until recently. I fully intended to stop once we had a stockpile of food. I only ask you spare my children and find somewhere they can be loved." Chrysalis explained, stating her case.

Luna's eyes couldn't have been wider.

The alicorn of the night looked all around the factory, attempting to count the changelings. A number of emotions was welling up inside her chest. Jealousy, regret, longing, and even pity. Almost all of the apprehension Luna had felt just moments ago was draining out of her.

Chrysalis found the unorthodox cocktail of emotions confusing, but ignored them. She couldn't be certain whether or not they came from Luna or one of the guards, making it moot.

Despite being awash in emotions, Luna's outer expression remained largely indifferent after her cursory scan of the factory. She internally cursed herself for still being unable to mask her cares as well as Celestia, but pushed her self-berating to the side while she tried to formulate a plan of action.

If she took too long, Celestia would most assuredly try to step in. It was important to Luna that she handle the crisis herself, it would the first major event she handled herself since her return.

After a few minutes, an almost evil grin appeared on Luna's face. With a quick glow of her horn, Luna's armor disappeared and her guard instinctively took three steps back from the changelings.

"Queen Chrysalis, as I'm certain you are aware, the charges against you include assaulting my beloved sister, yes?"

Chrysalis's ears drooped, fearing the new direction the conversation was going.

"I do remember us locking horns and exchanging energy volleys, yes." Chrysalis replied.

Luna's smile didn't fall in the least, further worrying Chrysalis.

"According to Equestrian law, the highest crime is assaulting a princess, and the charges are to be handled by the princess that was attacked. However, since I have been slighted more recently the law gives me the right to pass sentence on all of your crimes that are still to be answered for.

"I am willing to drop all charges against you if you consent to a duel with me. If you win, you and all your changelings go free and are to be considered for citizenship, so long as you go through proper channels. If I win, your fate is completely up to my whims.

"Do you find these terms agreeable?"

Chrysalis blinked in disbelief, having been caught totally off guard. She quickly looked from Luna to her many children all around the factory, including the ones in energy cuffs. Only after she steeled her nerves did she turn her attention back to Luna.

Chrysalis found that she knew very little about Luna, at least compared to Celestia. Even while posing as Cadence, Luna had been asleep anytime Chrysalis was around. In those days she was still reclusive, leaving nothing but rumors and tidbits of things Celestia would tell her.

In the last two decades since her return, Luna had become the most social princess, appearing in public far more often than Celestia. All Chrysalis really learned was that she was a night owl (which was obvious), she preferred the old ways of doing almost everything, she loved foals, and she could drink an entire platoon of royal guards under the table by herself.

She's smaller than Celestia, and she lost in their fight a thousand years ago. She must be weaker, and since I have full love reserves I should be able to defeat her. The last time I was this full I beat Celestia, so I should go through with this and win freedom for my babies! Chrysalis convinced herself.

"I accept your duel. What are the rules of this challenge?" Chrysalis asked, standing strong with a determined look in her face.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines.

Chrysalis was far too focused to notice that everyone in the factory that wasn't a changeling had moved about as far back as possible. The changelings that had been shackled had been released and they had immediately rushed to their mother's side with the rest.

Even Luna's guard had moved to either side of the factory, leaving Luna and Chrysalis relatively alone. The other ponies and Discord had come back inside to watch the show at Screwball's prompting.

While Cinnamint and Screwball were humoring their over-delighted parents, Pearl was sitting atop Spike's head to get a good view of the action that had yet to happen.

"Between us, do you think Chrysalis has any chance at all right now?" Pearl asked her fathers.

"Eenope." Mac and Spike replied simultaneously.

"That's what I thought." Pearl said with a disappointed look on her face.

She felt genuinely bad for Chrysalis, despite having planned on stopping her plans mere hours before. Pearl was glad she was Luna's niece. Anyone that messed with Luna usually got a silver-shod hoof to the face.

Back at center stage.

Luna's expression didn't falter, as she had expected Chrysalis to accept.

"If you are unaware, I myself am an experienced shape-shifter. We will have a fight until one of us submits to the other, while transforming every few minutes. You may use whatever abilities you possess, whether they be your own, or those of your assumed shape's. My guard, Captain Crunch will time us, and tell us when three minutes have passed.

"Understood?" Luna explained.

Chrysalis nodded, now feeling more confident than before. She was queen of the changelings, and the art of disguise was in her blood. She had never been bested in a contest of this nature before, and similar games were played often among her and her children.

"I understand completely. We transform at the same time, yes?" Chrysalis asked.

Luna only nodded as a lone thestral guard glided down about fifty feet away, holding a stopwatch, looking unamused. Once he touched down, Captain Crunch looked to the watch and prepared himself to hit the button. Luna and Chrysalis both got ready to fight, though Luna seemed much more relaxed than Chrysalis.

The atmosphere in the factory felt heavy, and no one watching dared say anything, lest they miss the start of the battle. The air seemed charged with tension, and for those of the onlookers that could sense emotion; anticipation.

"BEGIN!"

Before anyone had enough time to think, Chrysalis was enveloped in green flames, while Luna exploded into a cloud of blue stardust. When the flames cleared, a perfect imitation of Celestia had replaced the black chitinous form of Chrysalis. Luna however, had reformed herself as an equally perfect representation of Chrysalis.

Luna actually broke into a fit of double-toned laughter upon seeing the visage of her older sister across from her,

"Aw, that's adorable. You think I'll go easy on you if you take the form of my sister. That was a terrible mistake." Luna teased in Chrysalis's own voice.

Before Chrysalis could say anything on the matter, or even react, She found herself bowled over by herself. Luna was standing atop her, pressing her to the factory floor with her own hole-riddled hooves.

Try as she might, Chrysalis-Celestia couldn't overpower Luna-Chrysalis. Luna charged a magical attack, and Chrysalis did the only thing she could think to do. Chrysalis opened her transfigured jaw and bit into the chitinous leg that Luna now possessed.

Luna hissed at Chrysalis and buzzed her wings, flying up into the air. Using her trademarked blue aura, Luna fired the beam at Chrysalis from the air, only to have it dodged.

Chrysalis watched as a chunk of the floor freed itself from the rest of the factory and floated up into the air. The small platform hovered, slowly turning about halfway between the floor and the ceiling. Her voice caught her attention, letting Luna become her focus again.

"Gravity manipulation magic. Very useful on the moon, and when you don't want to ruin a pretty face." Luna taunted, running a foreleg down her own face.

Chrysalis was preparing a retort, but was cut off before she could even open her mouth.

"CHANGE!"

Luna was faster on the draw, becoming stardust once again.

Chrysalis quickly lit her horn and wrapped herself in flames. Luna soon reformed herself, as two separate entities. The first was a jet-black griffon that heavily resembled a crow, and the other was a white snake patterned with dark blue, crescent moons. The snake was easily large enough to constrict the average pony.

Chrysalis's flames cleared and a pony-sized manticore lioness stood where a perfect simulacrum of Celestia once was. The grin on the chimerical-lioness's face fell as soon as she saw Luna had split into two. Chrysalis was beginning to worry that the duel was just Luna's way of toying with her.

"What ever is the matter Chrysalis?" The griffon began.

"Have you never seen someone split themselves before?" The snake continued.

Chrysalis didn't respond, instead she began charging toward the Luna's griffon incarnation. Instead of separating, like Chrysalis had expected, the two halves of Luna merged. By the time Chrysalis tried to stop herself from rushing headfirst into the Luna(s), She was being stared down by a larger griffon with a snake for a tail.

Manticore-Chrysalis was blind-sighted by a backhanded slap from one of the chimera's powerful arms, sending her back a good foot and a half. Chrysalis recovered quickly, opening her mouth, where a green fireball began forming.

Luna(s) spun around without hesitation, allowing the snake tail to wrap around her jaw and snap it shut, dispersing the attack. Chrysalis was held at enough of a distance that her attempts at swiping at the griffon were for naught.

"You hid your magic source in an amateur way. I gather you are also restricted to sizes around that of your actual form. A manticore lioness was a rather inspired choice though, very few ponies see them and live to tell of it." Luna told her captive with a tone denoting respect.

Chrysalis struggled in the snakes grip to no avail, just as she had when Luna had her pinned. Chrysalis was beginning to become furious with Luna and herself. For being toyed with, and for underestimating Luna's abilities.

Chrysalis tried to catch Luna off guard, stabbing at her with the scorpion tail that came with the manticore body.

The griffon grabbed it before it reached their body, effortlessly thwarting the attack.

The Luna-griffon kept it's grasp on the tail, while the snake let Chrysalis's jaws free. The griffon then yanked Chrysalis back, then threw her across the room, past Captain Crunch who didn't flinch. He just kept looking at the stopwatch.

Chrysalis managed to open her bat-wings to stop herself mid-air and shakily began flying on the undersized wings.

"Out of curiosity, what is the average lifespan of a changeling queen? I've heard tales of changelings for ages, even though nopony knew you really existed back then." Luna yelled over to Chrysalis.

Chrysalis scowled in Luna's direction, but didn't act in haste. She assumed Luna was trying to throw her off, making veiled threats. So instead, Chrysalis decided to go along with the charade.

"We live until we are killed. I've only been around about, five hundred and seventy years. When the queen dies the eldest female daughter slowly becomes the new queen and gains independence. So if you killed me, there would be a new queen in a few weeks. My children live about as long as a pony does." Chrysalis replied with a brow knitted in frustration.

Luna's snake and griffon heads looked at each other, smiled, and nodded to one another.

She certainly seems promising. Both heads thought.

"Change!" Crunch shouted out.

Chrysalis let out a loud groan of frustration and enveloped herself in fire that emitted from her manticore mouth. Once the fire cleared, she was herself again, wearing a suit of armor. It was pretty clear that she was tiring of the one-sided battle.

Luna broke her form apart again, but unlike the previous times her body of stardust became a violent two-story twister of sparkling dust, crackling with magical lightning. Everyone watching on the sidelines needed to brace themselves against the swirling winds.

When the twister dissipated, Luna was revealed to be a dragon. A very familiar white dragoness to be specific, give or take a few centuries. It was clearly what Luna imagined Pearl to be like in the future. She was easily two and a half times the size of Spike.

Luna had a horn as tall as a pony on her nose, and the crest on the back of her head had become sleeker and longer. Her neck was long and lithe, and her body wasn't as muscular in appearance as Spike's while her wings were like the sails of a great ship. All her scales either seemed to be the color of the moon or of the clearest river water.

"Holy horse apples! I'm gonna be hot!" Pearl shouted from the other side of the factory.

Luna chuckled, turning her head to grin at Pearl. Unfortunately, the new form proved to be a little unwieldy and Luna accidentally struck her head against the ceiling of the factory, causing the whole place to shake.

Chrysalis slowly floated to the ground with a dull buzzing of her wings. She dispersed the armor disguise and hung her head low to the ground in defeat.

"I submit. This whole duel was a farce. You showed me up completely. Do with me what you will, just don't hurt my children."

Luna looked down on Chrysalis, her enormous eyes looking the changeling queen over.

She knows when she's beat, and what is truly important. Luna thought to herself, quite pleased with the day's events.

With a loud POP the adult Pearl scattered back into blue stardust, which then drew itself inward and down to the floor. It took a bit longer than the last few transformations, but before long Luna was whole and unaltered again. She wobbled a bit for a second, but was back on her hooves and steady within seconds. She had used a tad more magic than she wanted, but Luna thought it well worth it.

"I have no intentions resembling anything close to harming you. But as we agreed, you will have to adhere to any and all demands I ask of you." Luna replied.

Chrysalis perked up a bit at that, and looked over to her children who were looking quite nervous after seeing Luna figuratively wipe the floor with their mother.

"Alright then. Name your terms." Chrysalis agreed, sounding understandably tired.

Luna proceeded to stamp her silver-shod hoof on the factory floor, ushering Captain Crunch to her side. Crunch stowed the stopwatch within his breastplate and pulled out a small pair of bifocals and placed them on his nose. From the bag on his side Crunch pulled a roll of parchment, and a fountain pen which he placed on the floor and sat down beside, prepared to write.

Once the pen was in his mouth Crunch nodded to Luna to go on.

"Firstly, the changeling hive is allowed to apply for citizenship and will stay in the factory until proper lodgings can be secured for them. As a show of good faith from Equestria, all previous charges are to be dropped so long as no further crimes are committed you or your children in the next three years and all changelings in the general populace reveal themselves." Luna began.

Chrysalis's eyes went wide, and her jaw practically fell from her head. She was so surprised that she didn't recover until Steve walked up to her and waved a hoof in front of her face.

"You, uh, you may continue." Chrysalis stuttered.

Luna smiled before continuing.

"Secondly, you must formally apologize to my sister Celestia, as well as Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor. Eventually we may have to set up a press conference, a public apology to the nation, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it." Luna continued.

Chrysalis nodded, finding the terms reasonable, even though they were guaranteed to be extremely awkward apologies.

"And lastly, off the record, I'd like to treat you to dinner tomorrow evening. In my chambers." Luna said through a truly impressive blush.

Chrysalis lifted her hoof to her ear and rubbed it, making sure she could hear correctly.

"I'm sorry, but just to clarify... Are you asking me out on a date?"

To her credit, Luna's expression was stoic, even though her face looked something akin to a tomato in terms of color.

"You are funny, intelligent, long-living, fond of children, you're a powerful but compassionate leader, we share certain skills, we both have rather... sordid pasts, and I find you and your children positively adorable. I would hate myself for the rest of time if I didn't at least attempt to court you." Luna admitted.

Chrysalis could sense the emotions coming off Luna. They were positively intoxicating, and definitely sincere. There was affection galore, hope, longing, fear, loneliness, sympathy, and many more. Luna seemed like Chrysalis had suddenly become the most interesting and sought after thing in the universe, despite being ready to end Chrysalis if necessary only about an hour ago.

"I, uh, I accept your terms. All of them." Chrysalis agreed.

"I see. Well, then please don't disguise yourself anymore. Black is my favorite color, and it'd be a shame if I couldn't admire the real you." Luna replied, flattering Chrysalis.

Steve and several other changelings crowded around the pair, practically giddy.

"Whoo! Two moms!" A changeling shouted as it buzzed overhead.

The changeling did a loop, not noticing he was about to hit the displaced chunk of floor. With a thud, the floating floor chunk destabilized, wobbling uncontrollably. Within a few seconds, the chunk plummeted to the ground.

Both Chrysalis and Luna tried to catch it, but were too depleted of mana to catch it.

"Steve!" Chrysalis shouted as the chunk of floor struck the unsuspecting changeling below.

Author's Note

Dum Dum Dum! Luna got bitten by the love bug, or will soon enough. (Suggestive wink)

Also, I really hated myself for the ending. I've grown to like Steve. The next chapter will be out in a day or so, since it was split from this chapter. So it's not really a cliffhanger, just a little bit of a wait.

The fight scene I redid like 5 times, and I'm still not super happy with it. I wanted to make Luna be toying with her, but at the same time have her getting a feel for who Chrysalis was.

Still, getting real close to the end here. Two more chapters, then one or two epilogue chapters. Still debating exactly how to play the end, even though I've got the main points thought out already.

Midnight Mission Part 5

As soon as the chunk fell, a cloud of dust and debris issued forth. It was accompanied simultaneously by the sound of breaking rock, and a sound like someone getting the wind unceremoniously knocked out of them.

When the dust cleared, the heavy chunk of concrete was squarely atop Steve. The changeling's armored shell had protected Steve from being completely crushed. Still, Steve seemed to be unconscious and a crack was seen along his face. It was slowly dripping a viscous, glowing-green fluid that seemed in all likelihood to be changeling blood.

Chrysalis ran to Steve's side, trying to see if he was alright. With Luna's help, they were able to push the concrete off Steve.

There were smaller cracks in several places, only a few drops of the glowing ichor issuing forth from them. The segmented underside was still moving slowly, telling them that Steve was breathing, albeit labored. Both Luna and Chrysalis were looking frantic, but Chrysalis knew she needed to help more than she wanted to freak out.

"Kids, go get me as much liquid love as you can, and hurry! Steve is hurt badly, and if he doesn't get love fast..." Chrysalis began but couldn't finish.

Nevertheless, the changelings rushed off to the giant vat of liquid love and began a bucket-line stretching across the factory. Each changeling acted like a piece of a precision machine, testament to their bond even without the hive-mind.

By the time the first buckets of love reached Chrysalis, the members of the group that had until now been onlookers were gathered around. Fluttershy had flown straight to Steve, as she was the only one who had any sort of medical training.

However, it was clear to Fluttershy that she was out of her depth upon seeing Steve's condition. She gingerly examined Steve as much as possible without moving him, completely unsure what to do. Fluttershy stood back up after only a moment, a deep sigh of regret passing her lips as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Changelings are just too different. I don't even know how to get a pulse on him." Fluttershy told Chrysalis, taking several steps back.

Discord picked Fluttershy up and pressed her against his chest, comforting her. Discord briefly entertained the notion of trying to use his magic on Steve, but knew that it would likely only serve to make things worse. Chaos was chaos, and returning anything to normal that wasn't altered by chaos itself was a gamble Discord wouldn't place on someone's son.

Chrysalis was only barely aware of the others at this point. She was continually draining the buckets of love and turning it into magical plasma before forcing Steve's body to absorb it. Her efforts succeeded in restoring the minor cracks to barely noticeable hairline cracks, but only managed to slow the bleeding from the main injury.

Chrysalis turned away from Steve once she had a rhythm going, continually infusing love as it was brought by the bucket-line.

"I can keep Steve alive until we run out of love, but unless we figure out how to do something about the head-wound it'll keep seeping out." Chrysalis informed the group before returning her attention to Steve.

Luna turned to the group, looking just as disheartened as Chrysalis.

"Does anyone know healing magics? I imagine it would need to be powerful, but we are the greatest assembly of mages in the world. Surely someone here can help?" Luna asked the crowd as she began to cry.

Despite Luna's heartfelt plea, no one stepped forward or could even look her in the eye. Everyone made a noticeable effort not to look at the scene in fact, having been made to feel their own partial guilt at Luna's words. She was completely right. They were almost all of the world's best magic users, but none among them had ever bothered to learn medical magics, save princess Cadence who was a country away and still not a all that experienced.

All was silent as Chrysalis continued her efforts to try and prolong Steve's life. Or it was, until Cinnamint broke free of the death-grip that Bon Bon had on him. Cinnamint quickly weaved his way through the group, making his way to Pearl's portion of the crowd where she was in a similar death-grip, courtesy of Macintosh.

"Pearl! You've been practicing healing magic! You've gotta try and help Steve!" Cinnamint whisper-yelled at Pearl.

Pearl looked up to see both of her fathers looking down at her, surprise evident in their faces. Cinnamint looked a tad guilty, but forgave himself given the situation.

"Is that true, Pearl?" Macintosh asked calmly.

Pearl nodded her head, but she was doing her best to shrink down into her hoodie. It was quite evident that Pearl wasn't very confident in her abilities. Spike craned his neck down, the practiced expression of a parent trying to keep a child calm on his face.

"Pearl, if that's true then you're the only person here that knows any magic actually meant for healing. That changeling is Chrysalis's son, and I can't imagine how we'd feel if that were you in his hooves." Spike told his daughter.

Macintosh nodded, looking a bit green just thinking about it. Pearl still couldn't bring herself to try and think about using her new magic on a sentient being.

"I can't heal a changeling! I've been practicing on trees! This is way out of my league. Let's wait for a real doctor to get here!" Pearl practically pleaded with her fathers.

"I doubt that would be possible."

Everyone looked over to Chrysalis, who was still infusing Steve with love at a steady rate. She kept her eyes on Steve, but continued to speak.

"Changeling magic is much different than pony magic. We may look similar enough, but our magics are incompatible in most instances. Pony magic flows fluidly and in relative freedom, making it like water. Changeling magic is more volatile and only reliable in controlled situations and occasional bursts for transformations. It's essentially fire." Chrysalis explained.

Cinnamint looked back to Pearl, renewed in his faith in her.

"See! Fix fire with fire! Steve needs you, he's our friend!" Cinnamint implored Pearl.

Pearl saw Luna sending her thestrals out for specialists, to whatever end. Luna actually seemed closer to losing it completely than Chrysalis, feeling responsible for Steve's injury. Captain Crunch was playing the role of a comforting teddy-bear, being almost crushed in the moon princess's hug. Chrysalis still hadn't moved an inch, but was beginning to look quite winded.

Pearl sighed, jumping out of Mac's hooves.

"You're coming with me." Pearl said as she grabbed Cinnamint by his front hoof.

Cinnamint looked back at Spike and Mac for help. Mac merely shrugged, and Spike mouthed what Cinnamint was certain were the words 'Roll with it.' Cinnamint looked ahead, Pearl having dragged him all the way over to Steve.

Cinnamint turned a shade of green when he saw the state Steve was in.

"W-what am I supposed to do?" Cinnamint asked Pearl uneasily.

"You stand here and let me hold your hoof so I don't lose it." Pearl replied in an annoyed tone.

"Oh, uh, okay. I can do that." Cinnamint replied with great relief and a minor blush.

Pearl looked over Steve's injury, ignoring how much she wished she could flip out.

After a moment Pearl looked over to Cinnamint who gave her a reassuring nod. Pearl returned it, feeling a little easier about things. She calmly let go of Cinnamint's hoof, eying Steve's injury.

Pearl took in a deep breath, and as she did so placed her hands in front of her chest, one atop of the other with a good six inches apart, palms facing each other. After a few more deep breath's Pearl let loose a trickle of her blue-green flames. Everyone watched with great interest as the line of fire curved itself between her hands, as if it was tracing around an invisible sphere.

With several more breaths the sphere began filling in, becoming what seemed like the miniature sun of an alien world in a sci-fi movie. Pearl stopped breathing fire once the sphere was complete, making certain that she got her breathing back to a steady level.

As soon as she was calm again, Pearl moved her tail in front of her. She positioned the spade of her tail at the very bottom of the sphere as she removed the hand at the bottom of the sphere. After she was certain it was safe to do so, she removed other hand from the sphere and let her tail balance it.

"Now I've gotta feed it magic. I tried just breathing fire and magic at the same time, but it didn't work out. I gotta put the magic in after the fire gets going." Pearl said aloud, likely to remind herself of the procedure.

Next, Pearl began moving her hands around the sphere, as it getting a feel for it. After a moment, both of Pearl's clawed hands began glowing with a dull blue-green energy as she continued her task. She briefly looked over to see Chrysalis continuing her task, and to look at Steve.

"This is the part I was having problems with when the dreams stopped coming and I lost my mojo." Pearl said once her hands stopped glowing.

Everyone watched silently as the sphere unraveled into something like a winding snake of flames. As she moved her hands, the fire snaked it's way through the air in response. She seemed to be experimenting through a range of movements, trying to figure out how to control it better.

"The accuracy kinda bites, but if I can hit the mark this usually works." Pearl said to no one in particular.

It was evident that Pearl was quickly losing confidence in what she was doing. Her brow knitted in frustration and the stream of controlled fire seemed to wobble and shift back and forth in intensity.

"You're doing great. I know you can do this." Cinnamint leaned in and whispered encouragingly.

Pearl didn't dare look away, but nodded as the blush slowly returned to her face. The fire returned to it's normal state, and Pearl seemed to relax. She moved the fire experimentally, finding it was much more obedient than before.

With renewed vigor, Pearl kept one hand open while closing the other while leaving just her pointer claw out. Mimicking a cutting motion with her claw, a small fireball of the snake separated, floating under the control of Pearl's claw.

Pretending to jab at Steve, the fireball shot right at Steve's wound, stopping on the surface of the injury. Pearl opened her hand again and the fireball disappeared. A triumphant smile graced her lips.

"Steve's changeling magic is kinda like watered-down dragon magic. I think I can actually do this." Pearl informed Chrysalis.

Chrysalis smiled and nodded, stopping her work to let Pearl do her thing.

Pearl pulled both her hands back, waiting only a second before pushing them, and the fire forward. The strange colored fire flowed freely into Steve's wound, much easier than Pearl had anticipated. The wound began to glow with the same color that had been on Pearl's hands minutes before.

Pearl let out an exhausted sigh and let her arms drop to her sides. She watched with a smug grin as the flesh visible in the crack knitted together and the gap in the chitin lessened considerably. It was far from a perfect fix, but the magic had done it's work and not burned Steve in the slightest.

Pearl turned to Cinnamint and kissed him on the cheek.

While Cinnamint was trying to form words Pearl fell over, only to be caught by a pillow summoned up by Screwball. Spike had to hold Mac back, urging him to listen. Pearl had began snoring loudly, and Cob freed himself from her bag and took up residence atop of her as he often did.

Chrysalis finished infusing Steve with the last of a bucket of love and then let out her own sigh of relief.

"His condition is stabilizing. As long as I feed him love magically every few hours, Steve should be up and about in a few days." Chrysalis informed Luna with a small, but noticeable smile.

Luna dropped Captain Crunch who was picked up by one of the remaining thestrals and moved out of the way. He was bruised, but not badly.

"That is very good to hear. We can bring him to the castle to rest in a big, comfy bed if you'd like. All his brothers and sisters are welcome to stay in my areas of the castle as well." Luna offered, still feeling guilty.

Chrysalis nodded, a coy grin on her face.

"I think I'd benefit from a big, comfy bed as well. So long as it's big enough for two." Chrysalis replied before placing a kiss on Luna's cheek. "Just no more guilt. It tastes like sour milk."

Luna sat beside Chrysalis and they rested their necks on each other, looking forward to what could very well be a long, happy, relationship.

Celestia, who was now standing beside Spike and Macintosh looked to her son.

"This has been the strangest day I've had in some time. I never expected Luna to fall for the mare that almost broke my horn." Celestia told Spike as he watched Pearl sleep contently.

"And I never thought that my little girl would grow up so fast." Spike replied with a hint of sadness.

"Eeyup." Macintosh agreed.

Author's Note

One more full chapter to come soon. Then it's epilogues which will likely come out on the same day. I'd say early February, maybe valentine's day just to be cooler.

You should have known I wasn't going to kill Steve. Everyone loves Steve.

BTW, it was Carl that bumped the floor chunk. Feel free to hate Carl. Dig Dug is Steve's game!

The End of The Beginning

Pearl, for the second time that day woke up in a strange room. Fortunately, she at least had some idea of where she was this time. There was a sterile smell, everything was white, and the bed she found herself in was surrounded by a privacy curtain.

"Castle infirmary? Musta over did it with fixing Steve." Pearl told herself.

Removing the white sheet covering her on the bed, Pearl got up and stretched. On the bedside table she found a freshly laundered hoodie, and it smelled of apples and cinnamon. Pearl quickly donned her garment of choice, finding it still warm from the dryer.

Thank you, Pa. Pearl thought instantly.

Pearl looked around, finding her bag in a nearby chair. As she slung it over her shoulder, Pearl looked around and found the wall clock. It was almost eight AM, meaning she had been out for some time. Pearl wasn't surprised in the least, having always worn herself out anytime she practiced magic before.

It seemed she needed some more practice before trying to heal anything as big as a changeling again.

Pulling back the curtain, Pearl was greeted by the sight of her roommate, Steve. Steve wasn't hooked up to any monitors, likely because pony nurses didn't know how to properly check a changeling's vitals. Fortunately, there were at least ten changelings in the room, both on the floor and ceiling.

There was one lone pony nurse, a mare who was watching over Steve. Not with fear or contempt, but great interest. Pearl briefly noticed that her cutie mark was a dragonfly with heart shaped markings.

A love of bugs? Pearl pondered.

The very instant Pearl was spotted, every able-bodied changeling rushed over to Pearl. Including a changeling that had been amateurishly painted yellow for whatever reason. They all seemed very happy to see Pearl, though the yellow one seemed guilty. Too guilty to look at Pearl directly.

"Pearl! We're super happy you're alright!" Said a female changeling.

"Steve is gonna be okay thanks to you!" Said another male changeling.

"That's great guys, but what's with the yellow guy?" Pearl asked, dying to find out.

The changelings all looked over to the painted changeling, who sheepishly waved his hoof at Pearl.

"That's Carl."

"He bumped the rock that fell on Steve."

"We made him look like cheese because Queen Mom wouldn't let us do anything else."

Pearl looked at the painted changeling, vaguely recalling him from the arcade back in the factory. Carl seemed very sorry for his actions, and was taking his punishment without complaint. Pearl hated to admit it, but...

"That. Is. Hilarious." Pearl laughed.

After Pearl and the other changelings had a good laugh about it, one of them named Maggie showed her to the rooms where the others were to be polite, even though Pearl knew the castle well. Chrysalis and Luna were in Luna's half of the castle, while Celestia, Pearl's parents, and everyone else had been given rooms to sleep in.

Once they were outside Spike's childhood room in the castle, Pearl let Maggie go back to join the others watching over Steve. After knocking on the door Pearl only had to wait a moment before her Pa opened the door.

Of course before Pearl could even greet her father she was grabbed and brought into the room in Mac's powerful embrace.

"Hey Pa. You're kinda squeezing the air outta me." Pearl huffed.

Macintosh sat Pearl down on the carpet, giving her an apologetic look.

"Ah'm sorry, Pearl. We were just so worried when you passed out." Mac apologized.

"It's okay Pa. I just had to help Steve, ya know?" Pearl replied, brushing off Mac's concern.

Pearl and Mac's attention was shifted to the bed on the other side of the room as it had begun creaking in protest. There was a tremendous figure in the bed, covered mostly in a blanket. From the bed rose Spike, Pearl's other father who had likely forgotten to shrink before going to bed in all the excitement of the previous night.

Spike stretched and ruffled his wings, waking himself up. Spike carefully filled his mouth with flames, destroying any and all bacteria and effectively eliminating the need to brush his teeth or worry about morning breath. Pearl couldn't fault him, since she used the same trick pretty often even though her Pa still made her brush if he was around.

"Good morning Pearl, have a good rest?" Spike asked, less worried than Mac had been.

Pearl nodded, glad to see her other father wasn't as worried.

"I'm pretty good Daddy. Steve looked okay too, which is good. I kinda wanna go talk to Cinnamint about some things, but... I sorta figured you'd wanna talk to me first?" Pearl answered honestly.

Mac and Spike shared a look, both of them knowing that it was time for serious talk. They'd been preparing for some time now, and hopefully they were as ready as they thought they were. As planned, Macintosh was up first.

"Pearl, we already knew bout' yer feelings for Cinnamint. Thing is, kid's don't realize parents know what's goin' on most of the time. We weren't expectin' you t' act on em' so soon, but we knew." Mac explained, sounding almost guilty.

Pearl's face became pink alarmingly fast, but she was thankfully able to resist the urge to beat her head against something big and solid. She felt remarkably dumb, but took comfort in knowing that her fathers and other family members weren't likely to mock her about it. Though Pearl was still dreading the actual talk with Cinnamint, since she had kissed him without warning.

"Okay... Well, that saves some time I guess." Pearl reasoned.

"Eeyup. But we ain't done just yet. We've been talkin, and yer father and I agreed yer old enough fer us t' have a talk with ya. We've been waiting since you were an egg, but we think now you're ready." Macintosh added.

Pearl paled at what she thought she was hearing.

"This isn't the talk is it? Because I don't think I need to know anymore about that than I already do for the time being." Pearl asked in concern.

Macintosh and Spike's eyes shrunk to pinpricks and they both quickly shook their heads no.

"No no no no. No. Not that. Faust No. This is a totally different talk." Spike assured Pearl.

Pearl breathed a sigh of relief, her face regaining what little color it had to begin with.

"Okay then? What is this about? The magic?" Pearl asked, clicking a fire atop her thumb with ease to demonstrate.

"No. We're surprised by that, and a little miffed you wouldn't tell us about it, but you're certainly not in trouble for it. We're proud of it, really." Spike replied.

"Okay, then what's going on?" Pearl asked, her confusion beginning to devolve into worry.

Macintosh looked at Spike, and Spike used his tail to reach the wall behind him. There was a picture of the whole family on the wall, everyone barely fitting in the confined photo despite it's impressive size. Spike slipped it off the wall and brought it to himself.

Pearl and Macintosh watched as Spike carefully took the backing off of the picture frame, revealing two oval-shaped, flat items from between the photo and the frame. Each of them were almost the size of Spike's hands, and they were sleek and beautiful. One of them was gold, and the other was emerald green.

Pearl looked at the scales on her hands, seeing there was a distinct resemblance between them and the new scales, as well as her father's purple scales. It was painfully clear what they were, even without seeing them up close.

"Dragon Scales? From really big dragons?" Pearl asked, already knowing the answer.

Spike nodded and shrunk himself with the dial on his chest. Spike and he and Macintosh climbed into the bed. They left a spot between them, which Pearl knew was meant for her. She took the spot without hesitating, eager to know what was going on.

As soon as she was situated, Spike gave Pearl the scales. Pearl took one in each hand, examining them carefully. They were gorgeous, and the golden one was shaped exactly like her own scales. Her father's were more rounded than hers, which she hadn't really noticed before. If Pearl had to guess, the owner of the golden scale was closely related to her.

Pearl had known she was adopted for a long time now, but she had never really gotten to know how she had come to be with her fathers. Pearl had never needed to know, she had always been loved, and that had been all she needed. Now, holding the green and golden scales it was perfectly clear to Pearl what the talk was about.

"These belonged to my biological parents."

Spike and Macintosh nodded, not intending to leave any questions unanswered.

Spike sighed, preparing himself to tell the tale he'd only repeated a few times in the last fourteen years. It was a story that was told as few times as possible, for good reason. For her part, Pearl was able to prepare for the worst when she saw the expressions on her father's faces.

"The green scale is from your father, and the golden scale is from your mother. They lived in the Everfree until close to fourteen years ago. After your egg was laid, they came to a... disagreement. I had just become the Knight of Equestria, and knew I had to investigate the noise. Your aunts Trixie and Twilight who were still a new couple went with me, and your father was visiting cousin Braeburn in Appaloosa.

"Your mother was still with us when we got there, if only just. You look a lot like her really, and she seemed to be good at magic too. I offered to care for you in her stead, and she gave me the last of her magic and knowledge with some kind of fire spell. I carried your egg around even through our wedding, and before too long you had hatched. Your Pa and I have never regretted the decision to raise you as our own once, and we love you more than life itself.

"I promised your mother that you'd get to know about her and your father, if only a little. I've never once spoken their names to anyone, but I still remember them as clear as day. Whenever you think you're ready, I can tell them to you. There's no pressure, all this is is us, fulfilling a very important promise." Spike told Pearl.

Pearl fell back on the bed, letting it all sink in. It was more than a little disturbing to learn why her biological parents had passed away, but in the long run it didn't make all that much difference. She wasn't a different person, and her fathers were still her only parents. Her family was still her family.

If anything, the story made Pearl appreciate her fathers more. They had taken her in before they were even married, and had spent the last thirteen years caring for her. She had the best family she could imagine, whether there was blood between them or not.

Pearl got up from the bed, and assuaged her father's worries by pulling them both into a hug. Mac and Spike were momentarily caught off guard, but quickly reciprocated the family hug.

"I don't think I wanna know their names just yet. But someday, I think we should give them a proper funeral. I know that you've been saving these scales for me for a long time, but the only way I'm gonna see my parents in them is in your reflections. I love my Daddy, and I love my Pa. That's good enough for me. I wouldn't care if you were both dragons, or ponies, zebras, cows, or whatever." Pearl exclaimed with finality.

The hug lasted a good long time, and even though Mac and Spike had both expected there to be tears their little girl's maturity had surprised them yet again. All three of them still held each other in the same regard, and they still loved each other very much.

After the hug broke, Pearl hopped of the bed and looked up at her parents with a look combining apology and embarrassment.

"Well... I've gotta go make an idiot out of myself to Cinnamint. Wouldn't wanna be late for that." Pearl joked nervously, rubbing her hoodie sleeve in an attempt to calm down.

Macintosh put his hoof on Pearl's shoulder, a knowing look on his face.

"Just tell him how you feel. Ya might be surprised. It worked fer me." Mac advised.

Pearl looked from Mac to Spike, repeating the process several times. No matter how many times she thought about it, the numbers just wouldn't crunch.

"Wow. I always figured it was Daddy that asked you out, Pa. You're not exactly Auntie Pinkie Pie in the speech department." Pearl exclaimed, not meaning any offense.

"Eenope. But ah know how t' say what needs said." Mac replied.

Pearl nodded, the confidence having returned to her just a little. Enough to get her out the door at least. She hugged her parents one more time, and was told where to go. Screwball, Cinnamint, and several more changelings were camped out in the rumpus room down the hall.

Pearl slowly made the trek down the enormous castle hallway, time seeming to move much slower than normal. It was as if some higher power was making time slow, giving her a cruel amount of time to over-think the situation she was about to get into. Pearl was a bundle nerves by the time she reached the door of the rumpus room.

Pearl felt like she was suddenly five years old again, and the ordinary, white, castle door was towering over her. Pearl swallowed her fears, imagining them burning away in her belly. She reached out her claw, grabbing for the doorknob for what seemed like a year.

After what seemed like a century of knob-turning, Pearl pushed the door open and found her closest friends sitting at the table, playing cards with changelings.

Cinnamint, Screwball, and three changelings were gambling with oreos, trading cards, and various pieces of candy. They all turned to see Pearl, all of them happy to see her. Even Cinnamint, though his face was much redder than it's standard pink.

"Hey! Pearl! This is Gin, Rummy, and Monty. They're great at cards." Screwball happily introduced the changelings.

Pearl eased up considerably, feeling much better upon seeing everyone. Especially Cinnamint who didn't seem mad at her. First, she needed to clear the room. Having her conversation with Cinnamint in front of other people didn't appeal to Pearl at all.

"Good to meet you guys. But, uh... Could I maybe, borrow the room... and Cinnamint for a minute?" Pearl asked.

The changelings were all a little miffed as they looked at their cards, but agreed to leave the room. Screwball gave Pearl a salute, telling her oldest friend that she had her support. Screwball placed her cards face-down in front of her on the table, and in the time it took to blink she had teleported herself to the door.

"Alright boys, here comes the mushy stuff. Let's get out of the danger zone." Screwball all but ordered, ushering the changelings out the door.

"Aw man."

"I had three aces."

"But I like mushy stuff. It tastes like strawberries."

Despite their grumblings, the changelings gratitude to Pearl got them out of the room after Screwball. Screwball shut the door after giving Pearl an encouraging wink. That left just Pearl and Cinnamint, alone together in the rumpus room.

Pearl and Cinnamint awkwardly made their way to the sofa on the other end of the room, both taking a seat on either end. There was a lot of awkwardness in the air, but the situation wasn't entirely unpleasant. It took awhile, but Pearl was the first to speak.

"So... About what happened at the factory. I guess you've probably got some questions." Pearl started.

Cinnamint did his best not to hesitate, but it still took him a second to put what he wanted to say into words.

"I do. I guess. I kinda thought you might've liked me a couple times... I mean that way. But I wasn't sure." Cinnamint admitted.

Pearl tried thinking of some of the times she had almost slipped, but thinking back on it there were way more times than she'd like to admit. For now, Pearl thought it would be better to focus on the now.

"Well, I, I really do. For awhile now. Dragons mature fast or whatever, but I know lots of kids our age still think mushy stuff like this is gross. I didn't wanna look like a total creepazoid and maybe ruin our friendship." Pearl confirmed.

Cinnamint nodded, as it was the only thing he could really think to do. His face felt hot, but not in a bad way. Cinnamint had thought of Pearl that way before, but only a few times. She was always the leader of their close-knit group, and probably Cinnamint's best friend. Screwball was a great friend, but more often then not they ended up in an argument which Pearl usually wound up mediating.

"I-I think I like you too, but I don't really understand why you like me so much. You're special, and amazing, and smart, and p-pretty. I make candy, and I read books. If I didn't know you, or Screwball I wouldn't be special."

Pearl surprised Cinnamint, leaned in at him, and flicked him on the ear with her claw. Cinnamint flinched rubbing his ear with his hoof.

"You are special. You make me happy. I'd go crazier than Screwball if I couldn't talk to you about normal stuff like Daring Do, or what crazy thing Pinkie Pie's gonna do next Tuesday. I may be a fire breathing dragon, but I was raised like a pony. Adventures are awesome and fun, but I need some boring here and there. You're like a glass of water after chocolate, you make life more refreshing.

"Even if you didn't like-like me back, you'd still be my best friend. It makes me sad to see you being all mopey about being a normal pony. Lots of things make me sad lately, but every time that happens you fix it for me. If it weren't for you, and your big, booky brain, I wouldn't have been able to help Steve, and we might not be friends with the changelings. Heck, I'd say that makes you pretty special by itself." Pearl assured Cinnamint.

Cinnamint didn't know what to say, lacking the ability to process everything so quickly. Everything Pearl said made sense eventually, as if she had found the perfect balance of kid-talk and adult-talk. Another thing Cinnamint liked about Pearl.

Pearl punctuated her speech with what was possibly the warmest hug Cinnamint had ever received in his life. Pearl held him for a minute, unsure whether it was for her benefit or Cinnamint's. Either way, they both got something out of the hug.

As soon as they parted, Cinnamint knew just what he wanted to say.

"I dunno exactly what we're supposed to do on dates and stuff yet, but... I think when we're a little older I'd like to be your coltfriend. I've never had to say this to anyone other than my moms, or my grandma... but, I think I love you. I think anybody'd be stupid not to." Cinnamint declared, sounding much more sure of himself than before.

Pearl gave Cinnamint another peck on the cheek, causing both of them to turn red again, or at least redder than before.

"Well then, I guess... just lemme know when a little older is. I can wait. Just so long as we can still be friends until then." Pearl agreed.

"Definitely."

For a time things were quiet between the two of them, but once the air had cleared Pearl and Cinnamint hopped off the couch and headed to the door. Cinnamint took the initiative to hold the door for Pearl, causing Pearl to giggle at the cheesy show of chivalry.

Screwball and the changeling trio had switched to Monopony in the hallway, which the changelings seemed to be losing quite splendidly.

Screwball looked up from the board when Pearl and Cinnamint left the room and joined them in the hall. She stared at them awkwardly for a time, trying to come up with the right words.

"Soooo. How are... things?" Screwball asked in an attempt to sound undaunted.

Pearl and Cinnamint looked at each other for a moment, but didn't linger.

"Good, I'd say?" Pearl replied.

"Better, maybe?" Cinnamint added.

Screwball let out her breath she hadn't realized she was holding, glad the crisis had been averted or had already passed.

"Thank Smooze! I was worried I'd be stuck trying to choose between both of you for the rest of our lives. I'd go sane in no time." Screwball cried to the heavens in relief.

"Pfft. Thanks for believing in us Screws. I'll remember that next Hearth's Warming." Pearl joked.

Screwball pretended to look hurt, and before long all three of them had erupted into laughter. The trio was back in full force, and they excused themselves from the game of Monopony to go check on Steve and be with the rest of their seemingly ever-growing family.

"So who thinks I'd make an awesome doctor?" Pearl asked as they headed down the hall.

Author's Note

Hopefully the final bits of this story will be out before long. All that's left is epilogues really. I'm gonna give a general idea of what happens to everybody down the line, but I wanna leave it fairly open ended.

Before anyone asks, I'm not making another installment in this series. I'm closing up this series with this 3rd story. I don't have a 4th installment's story planned, and I don't have the time to come up with another right now.

After this gets finished I'll start updating My Shining Love, and eventually release my next story which already has a number of chapters drafted already. As I've said before, it's been a pet project I work on whenever I have inspiration and time. It's a Spike ship of course.

Epilogue Part 1 - Eleven Years From Now

White. Everything was white, like a winter wonderland in the summer. There was the sound of bells filling the air, accompanied by the chatter of ponies and assorted other creatures. While every conversation blended together with the others, it was plain to anyone listening that excitement was in the air.

Ponyville's Paradise Park wedding chapel was figuratively and literally abuzz for the coming festivities. Despite having access to any chapel in all of Equestria, the happy couple had decided to hold the wedding in the relatively modest building instead. Though rows and rows of seats needed to be added to the outdoor seating area, what with all the changelings, ponies, and members of various other species all gathered there.

The one presiding over the ceremony was none other than The Princess of Love herself, Cadence. She had volunteered to hold the ceremony just as soon as the news was out, and the couple had been more than willing to accept.

Everyone in the churchyard was silenced when a sudden roar of thunder, (courtesy of Skyla) signaled the beginning of the ceremony. Cadence tapped the microphone, testing it out. Once satisfied, she took a calming breath to be sure she wouldn't mess up.

"Good Afternoon everyone. We're all here to celebrate the joyous union of two people we've all been expecting to tie the knot for quite some time. After a long, steady romance, I'm pleased to allow all of you to bear witness to the wedding of Princess Luna of Equestria, and Queen Chrysalis of The Hive of Equestria!" Cadence's amplified voice boomed over the audience.

On cue, the band N.L.R. began playing a metal version of the wedding march.

As the music started, a squad of thestrals in tuxedos released a number of bats a squad of changelings all used magic in synchronicity to burn away the white decor, revealing the wedding's true colors: black and midnight blue.

The final touch was when the day gave way to night, which in turn gave way to an eclipse.

Everyone in the audience pulled out their special eclipse-glasses that had been passed out before the ceremony, allowing them to watch the rest of the show without worrying about going blind.

After a moment, something emerged from the epicenter of the eclipse. On a silver chariot, pulled by a great, white dragon, Luna and Chrysalis (in armor and spider-web themed dresses respectively) rode in from the light of the eclipse. The dragon landed squarely in the center of the aisle, letting the brides disembark the chariot, right to the podium.

Luna and Chrysalis strode elegantly to the podium, allowing everyone to see the beautifully dark dresses Rarity and her new apprentice-lings had come up with. Pearl was attended to by a crew of thestrals and changelings, unhooking her from the chariot while the audience was watching the main event.

Once free of the fitted harnesses and straps Pearl ran off to the back of the rows and used her magic to shroud herself in blue-green flames. After a few years of studying the changelings, Pearl had figured out their shape shifting. She could shrink herself down to a manageable size, all without a M.A.C. unit's help.

For the occasion, Pearl added a rosy pink blouse, though she still preferred a hoodie.

Luckily, even though she had momentarily been part of the show a certain somepony had saved her a seat. A certain pink stallion, wearing a white tux, peppermint-striped bow-tie, and a golden wedding ear-ring of his own. A fairly recent addition.

Pearl carefully snaked her way through the other wedding-goers and succeeded in not interrupting anyone's good time. Pearl leaned over to her husband, whispering in his ear.

"How was I? Should I have gone bigger? I used my normal size just in case I accidentally swung my tail and decked somebody. It'd suck to have to play doctor after ruining the wedding."

Cinnamint rolled his eyes, dismissing Pearl's concerns.

"You did fine. Your big, beautiful self was perfect, granted I was too focused on you to pay too much attention to the brides." Cinnamint joked back in a whisper.

Pearl giggled, placing an affectionate smooch on Cinnamint's cheek. Even after years of dating and over a year of marriage Cinnamint still blushed furiously whenever receiving public affection from Pearl. Despite the embarrassment, Cinnamint wouldn't change a thing for all the bits in the world.

Pearl and Cinnamint sat side by side, hoof in claw. The same could be said of Spike and Macintosh, sitting in the row on the side opposite them.

Mac was getting a little grey, which was common of ponies in their late forties. Spike had grown again, and was now half the size of the family barn when not holding himself back via the M.A.C. permanently in his chest. Even still, both Mac and Spike loved one another just as much as they ever had.

The ceremony continued as planned, and love was in the air.

After The Ceremony

It was late into the evening once the after party had died down. The only people still around were the newlyweds, and those closest to them. Spike, Pearl, and Luna were having the most epic drinking contest of all time, while Chrysalis, Cinnamint, and Mac cheered their spouses on as the others watched in fascination at the otherworldly display of drinking ability.

Both Pearl and Spike were at their largest, and still having difficulty keeping up with Luna. It shouldn't have been possible, as Twilight had already tried to tell Luna her body should have given out long ago. She was likely more booze than mare at this point. Chrysalis herself was beginning to get worried.

"Luna. If you don't stop now you're going to start off our honeymoon in Horseshoe bay with a week-long hangover." Chrysalis cautioned.

Luna drained her current mug, letting it drop to the ground before looking over to her wife.

"Silly Chrys, hangovers don't happen until morning. Ergo, I decide when morning is, meaning I can theoretically stave off a hangover for as long as my sister be willing." Luna explained in a drunken stupor.

Luna then began snoring, having fallen asleep while still on her hooves. Chrysalis had long since learned Luna could sleep off damn near anything, the least of which was alcohol. She merely propped Luna up against her, placing a loving kiss atop her forehead.

"I can only hope our first hybrid babies have half their father's endurance, and twice as much sense." Chrysalis prayed aloud.

Several already reasonably buzzed members of the group heard and couldn't resist asking, Celestia included among them. The tension bubbled for a bit before coming to a full boil, forcing someone to ask.

"How in tar-nation does that work? Aren't ya both mares?" Applejack piped up, beating the others to the punch.

Chrysalis blushed, not realizing she had spoken aloud. Alcohol tolerance wasn't something she had in common with Luna, and the drinks from the after party were still with her it seemed.

Still, everyone present was family. It couldn't hurt to share.

"We had some doctors run some... unconventional tests on Luna and myself. Changelings can theoretically reproduce with ponies instead of asexually. Or at least a queen can. And Luna, this amazing mare-o-mine, well... Let's just say if she turns into a cobra, she'll have venom. Life finally found a way for Luna. We're gonna start trying for foals after the honeymoon. Or during." Chrysalis explained.

"Baby corns." Luna muttered in her drunken sleep.

"Yes sweet moon, all the baby corns we could ever want." Chrysalis replied, giving Luna an affectionate nuzzle.

Spike and Pearl at this point ran out of liquor, and their respective husbands came to their sides, making certain they didn't try and fly about or accidentally crush anyone. Spike was on his back, and Pearl was devouring a literal barrel of pretzels to try and cope with the booze. Spike watched Cinnamint and Pearl, and in his state of inebriation the words just slipped out.

"Have you two started thinking about kids yet?"

Pearl almost choked on her pretzels, forcing Cinnamint to rear back and buck her in the throat like a tree as an impromptu Heimlich maneuver.

"*cough* Thanks Minty." Pearl told Cinnamint gratefully, "Dad, I'm not even finished with medical school yet. And... you know, if we adopt I dunno if I could handle it. We're happy with it being just the two of us, and our awesome family for the time being."

Cinnamint nodded his agreement before placing a kiss on the horn of Pearl's nose.

"We've got a lot of family now, and if we change our minds down the road we can adopt." Cinnamint concurred.

Spike blew a smoke ring into the air, pondering his daughter's words. His eyes fell upon Mac, who's mane wasn't getting any darker in color with time. The grandchildren discussion ended up taking place in their household at least once or twice a week now that Pearl and Cinnamint had their own place. Though to be fair, there was an awful lot already in the works elsewhere in Equestria.

Steve and his wife Butterfly had just adopted a foal a couple years back, making Chrysalis a very happy changeling. Butterfly had once been one of the castle nursing staff, having been the first person to talk to Steve when he woke up. Steve became the first changeling to get married to a pony, since Chrysalis and Luna wanted to take things slow, being long-lived and all.

Celestia too was pushing for great-grandmother, albeit more subtly. She had taken to dropping in on Pearl and Cinnamint from time to time, just to talk. Spike thought she might be planning something to convince them, being as she was about to have a lot of time to herself soon.

Luna and Chrysalis were scheduled to move out of Canterlot Castle not long after their honeymoon, having spent a great deal of time and effort rebuilding the castle in the Everfree. Now it was black stone, and the windows had been tinted green. The whole building was a triumph of pony-changeling cooperation.

Spike had even helped teams create a safe path through the Everfree, adding to the efforts to recolonize the area after a thousand years. It would be the changeling capital of Equestria, which had been under development for at least five years. Many people even speculated the true reason Luna and Chrysalis had waited so long to marry was so they'd have room for all the baby changelings Luna would want.

Chrysalis and Luna had felt no need to dismiss these rumors. Times were changing, and the family was growing. Come what may, Equestria was in good care. Not even the passage of time could dispel love, or the bonds of friends and family that held the nation together.

Spike decided it was Pearl and Cinnamint's decision, and he would be happy for them regardless. He and Mac headed home after Spike managed to get up and shrink himself, and everyone thought it best to call it a night as well. There would likely be some legendary hangovers waiting for them when they woke up, and unfortunately they couldn't miss their appointments.

Pearl and Cinnamint headed to there home as soon as the party had fully died down, both knowing full well that everything was going to be alright in the end. Time, and even death itself wouldn't stop them from loving each other.

Author's Note

Warning: Epilogue part 2 is wicked sad even though it ends well enough. If you don't want a case of the feels don't read it.

I legitimately hate myself for writing part 2.

Epilogue Part 2 - One Hundred And One Years From Now

Pearl, master surgeon, head Royal Physician, princess, and widow. She walked alone through a field, knowing perfectly well where she was going. Pearl didn't even need to think about her route, which was good considering there were other things occupying her attention.

The sky was bleak and gray, something Skyla always did when she was sad. Or at least that's what Pearl thought. Despite having known Skyla for all of their lives, Pearl wasn't sure if Skyla was one with the weather, or if she merely controlled the weather.

Either way, Skyla knew what today was. Everyone knew what today was, all across the nation. Not one pony, changeling, or other creature was to cause a fuss over anything today unless it was a dire emergency. Today was the thirty-first of August, which had been christened remembrance day over fifty years ago.

Today was the day for remembering heroes of the past, and all of the loved ones no longer with us. In the field beyond the Apple family property Pearl's father owned and her cousins farmed, there was a series of monuments built to honor each and every member of the family that had become known simply as The Equestrians by the people.

The field was now known as The Field of Memories, and defacing anything in it was a felony topped only by the most heinous of crimes. Even trespassing on any day other than Remembrance Day was enough to get someone fined. Only family had year-round rights to enter, though there were no fences or anything else to keep people out.

Other than the knowledge of how powerful, big, and well connected the family of Equestria who considered the place sacred was of course.

Once arriving, Pearl saw a familiar mass of purple instantly recognizable as her father. There were many figures of other colors near him, meaning Pearl was likely the last to arrive as usual. She had never a morning person, and had to ingest quite a lot of caffeine before really waking up. Pearl cursed herself under her breath and walked faster to meet up with them.

The others noticed her arrival, turning silently to see her coming.

Her father Spike, her grandmother Celestia, her cousins Screwball, Skyla, Dusk, and Dawn, her uncle Discord, and her aunts Luna, Chrysalis, and the three eldest of their children.

Luna and Chrysalis's children were beautiful pony-changeling hybrids you'd almost think were just ponies in armor, gifted with spiral horns and insect wings. The holes that riddled a pure-blooded changeling's body weren't part of their anatomy, but as it turned out the hybrids had to be carried for eleven months just like an ordinary foal. Still, that didn't stop the two of them. Pearl could see a healthy curve in Chrysalis's belly, and Luna wouldn't venture more than a few feet away from her beloved.

Everyone had an expression full of emotions, happiness at seeing Pearl, sadness from the day, and nostalgia brought on by the monuments. It was a bittersweet experience, which Pearl compared to dark chocolate after her many happy years married to a candy-maker.

"Hey, there's daddy's little girl." Spike greeted, trying to hide the melancholy in his tone.

Pearl made sure she was a fair distance away from anything before letting the facade restricting her size burn away in blue-green flames.

Out of the fire stepped a full-sized Pearl, in all her beauty. Had the sun been out her white scales would have seemed to almost glow. Pearl was now the size of a large house, though since taking up residence in Canterlot she rarely let it show. It felt good to be able to stretch, but being a doctor meant she needed to be where there were patients.

Pearl was a bit dismayed that she was still dwarfed in size by her father, but his growth spurts seemed more effective than slow and steady like Pearl's own growth rate. Spike was as tall as a grain silo on his back legs, and as wide as at least two. Even other dragons would be wise to be wary of Pearl's father.

"Guess little girl is kinda relative. But it's good to see you Dad." Pearl responded.

After receiving what was probably the biggest hug ever, Pearl and everyone else set out to do a round at each monument. They broke into groups, and as every year before the groups would do their own lap in whatever order they always did. There was never any trouble, as everything was coordinated so everyone would have their own time with each monument. The schedule had been devised by a very smart alicorn some time ago.

Spike, Pearl, and Celestia's first stop was at a very large apple tree. Despite having been planted only a handful of decades ago, the tree was heartier and stronger than any other tree in Equestria. Spike had planted the tree himself, and tended it often. Pearl had taught her father a bit about magic, and Spike had made sure the tree was never ill, and thanks to his powerful influence it was never bare of fruit. The Apple family were the only ones allowed to tend it or eat the apples besides Spike, who was the only one allowed to pick from the tree to ensure it's continued health.

A whole grove of trees planted from the seeds of it's fruit existed, or at least that many trees. It was a little hard to be certain, since they were scattered across Equestria on every Apple family farm. It's been said they produce the biggest and sweetest apples anyone had ever had. Macintosh would have loved to see such a tree, and Spike liked to think that he could see it.

Spike stopped and showed Mac how big their little girl had gotten, and Celestia told Mac of her genealogy project, seeing just how far the Apple family roots went and how far they had already spread. Pearl told her Pa about a foal she had treated that had looked just like cousin Babs, and then they all ate one of the apples from the tree.

The next stop was a series of five crystals jutting up out of the ground in a row, a good six feet apart from one another. Aside from the element of magic, this was the area for the elements of harmony who had been so important to Equestria, and to it's ponies.

The first was a rounded yellow crystal with three pink and blue, life-like butterflies inside it. A vine of some sort had grown around it, with small pink blossoms growing all along it. It had likely been left to grow on purpose, as testament to Fluttershy's love of nature. In front of it, a bouquet of poison joke flowers and a stuffed bunny had been placed by Discord and Screwball.

The next crystal was in the shape of a lightning bolt, striking it's way into the ground. It was composed of three different colors, blue, yellow, and red, and a cloud was magically preserved atop it. Inside the crystal, if one were to look hard enough was a pair of flight goggles. It still wasn't quite as awesome as people would have liked, everyone who saw it knew it needed to be at least twenty percent cooler. A bottle of Sweet Apple Acres Famous Cider was placed in front of it by Spike, as it had always been Rainbow's beverage of choice.

The next in line was a simple orange crystal, rough and uncut. Very natural. Inside it was a trio of red apples, but not real apples as it would have been a waste of perfectly good food. A worn out stetson was placed atop of it, secured and preserved for all time. As per Applejack's will, nothing was left in front of it. She had said: It ain't sensible to leave me somethin' Ah can't use. Keep yer goodies.

The next crystal was pink, and had been sculpted into the shape of a ridiculously large birthday cake. Three balloons loomed in the air above the crystal, bobbing however they pleased without being blown away, a seemingly impossible feat. A cupcake had been sat in front of it, purchased from Sugarcube Corner which was still run by the cake family's descendants. Pinkie Pie would have no doubt been thankful for it,

The last was an elegant slab of snow-white quartz, inlaid with three large diamonds with dark-violet borders around each of them. It wasn't flashy, it wasn't boring, and it was timeless. Rarity had designed it herself of course, years ahead of her time. At the foot the stone Spike placed a copy of the most recent fashion magazine, telling everyone what the hottest look in Canterlot was going to be in the coming winter.

Everyone took their turns talking to each of them, telling them all about the good things that had happened in the last year, and the not so good things. Inevitably, there was talk of how much they were missed and how much they were still loved. While doing so hurt in the now, everyone would feel lighter in the long run.

Twilight and Trixie had a separate monument to themselves. A large mosaic mural, crafted by Dusk and Dawn themselves. It showcased their loving mothers' entire history together. Every major event from Trixie's first show in Ponyville to their end as old, happy mares. In the center was a recreation of the jewel that was the element of magic, bordered in silver star-wands.

It was quite a large piece, with many artists having asked permission to come view it. It had taken the twins several years to complete, but it had been well worth it to create a fitting memorial. It was currently considered one of the most feeling-provoking works in the art world, with photographs of the mosaic available for viewing in most museums.

Spike, Pearl, and Celestia all cried heavily as they talked to the most magical couple to ever live, the loss being the freshest in their minds. Twilight and Trixie had been gifted with great magic, and just like Starswirl The Bearded, lived to ripe old ages. Celestia placed flowers on the memorial, as did Spike and Pearl in turn.

Cadence and Shining Armor, being Equestrian natives had monuments here as well even though they had spent the greatest portion of their shared life in the empire, now ruled by their daughter Skyla.

Their memorial was a replica crystal heart, encased in a luminous magenta sphere. Within the sphere, the crystal heart replica spun slowly, even though it wasn't attached to anything. Each time the heart spun, a different image of the couple could be seen on the surface of the sphere. It was crafted by the ponies of the empire who had crafted it also made another just like it for the future ponies of the empire to see.

Pearl left a crystallized rose in a small vase at the base of the monument, and Spike placed a corn-dog on the side opposite it. Even Celestia had to admit that made a fitting offering, and a spot-on parallel. Spike told Shining about the team that had one the last hoof-bowl, while Celestia and Pearl told Cadence all about a new series of romance novels taking the country by storm. To their surprise Spike had a bit to say about those too.

After that, they stopped a moment to leave flowers at a plaque dedicated to the founding members of the CMC.

The plaque was there because the Crusader's memorial was the only one not in the field itself.

The statue of Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom as blank-flank fillies stood outside the CMC National Headquarters in Ponyville. It was now an agency that gave fillies and colts help discovering their talents by providing them with a local young-teen filly or colt big-brother or big-sister that had already gotten their mark. Their successes were already close to five million in total, and it was currently the fastest growing non-profit organization in the country.

The group then visited a tall wall of obsidian, where the name of every changeling that had passed away was magically recorded by Chrysalis herself from memory. There were official records too of course, but a mother never forgets her children. There were a number of toys, candies, and other things that the changelings had enjoyed in life left by Luna, Chrysalis, and their children.

The very last stop for Pearl's group was definitely the most humble of all of the monuments. A large, but simple headstone of grey rock, with a polished stone embedded in the front that looked like a peppermint candy with a pink heart in the center. It was average compared to all the other monuments, but still very special.

Spike and Celestia stayed back a bit from the stone, giving Pearl her time.

Pearl shrank herself down in a flash of her fire magic, just so she could touch the stone without harming it. She placed her claw on top of it, tracing the top with the back of her hand. Almost as if Cinnamint were there himself, and she was brushing his mane out of his face as she used to do.

"Oh Minty, I still love you so freaking much it hurts. It's been almost thirty years since you've been gone, but I swear I can still hear you talking to me sometimes. We all miss you. I sent some kids to culinary school on your scholarship again too. Qualifier meal was lasagna made completely from scratch, the first thing we ever ate together. People say it's weird I still remember being five, but I think it's a dragon thing because we live so long."

Pearl had to stop for a second, wondering if she should apologize for talking about longevity in the situation. After some short-lived internal debate she thought Cinnamint wouldn't mind, since he knew exactly what would eventually happen after they said their I do's.

"Anyway, I know we tried for kids for awhile, but we just weren't compatible I guess. I dunno if it's biology, or instinct, but, I can't stop thinking about being a mother. I treat foals all the time and I can't help but feel like I need a foal too when I look at them, and it's been hard living without someone to love constantly. But, with the species barrier and time being a factor...

"I thought I might try and take a trip to the dragon lands for... a donor? I guess? We wouldn't do anything... intimate, but I imagine I can get a dragon to do just about anything for enough loot. Gonna be a hella awkward conversation though. It sounds really dumb when I say it out loud too.

"I dunno if I'll actually go through with it. The idea kinda grosses me out, because he wouldn't be you, but nobody else can be you. You were the world's greatest anomaly, a one-time only, one-of-a-kind wonder. So much special inside one little pony. It's a wonder you didn't explode and create a mushroom-cloud that spread free candy all over the world."

Upon mentioning candy, Pearl remembered that she had brought something special. Pearl held her claw out with her pointer finger up, which meant one minute to those with hands. Pearl was confident Cinnamint remembered that.

Pearl lifted her wing, and from under it she took a small parcel. It was a plastic bag of a pink color, bound at the top by a red ribbon. Inside were a number of candies, each one painstakingly wrapped by hand. Each and every one of them looked like the stone representation of Cinnamint's cutie mark.

"Can't believe I almost forgot. It's taken me literally like, a century, but I finally got the hang of making these little beauties. Mint outside, cinnamon inside, Cinnamint's cinnamints. Warm, and refreshing at the same time. Just like you always were."

Pearl opened the bag after undoing the ribbon, then took two of the candies out. She unwrapped one for herself, and popped it in her mouth. The other she placed atop Cinnamint's tombstone, smiling even as the tears fell. They tasted exactly as she remembered them, but they still weren't as good as they once were.

"Nobody makes candy by hoof nowadays, you know? If I do have a kid, I'm gonna teach them to do it just like you taught me. Maybe even how to make lasagna eventually. Even if you aren't here with me, that kid's gonna be yours too. You influenced my life in so many ways Minty, so it'd be like you helped raise the kid with me." Pearl said sincerely.

Pearl looked at the stone, almost hoping it would say something in response. Even though it had never answered any other questions in the last three decades. This matter was infinitely more important however, and Pearl wouldn't take council on it from anyone other than Cinnamint. She was still his mare, even if he was six feet under and she was a dragoness instead of a pony.

Pearl leaned in and touched her forehead to the stone, an act she couldn't really explain why she thought it would help. Nonetheless, it was what felt right. The situation called for a bit of gut-feeling and a lot of praying to a higher power Pearl had never felt the need to speak with until now.

"If you can hear me blubbering up there talk it over with Pa and your folks, then send me some kind of sign okay, Cinnamint? I need to know I'm not gonna make some kind of huge mistake if I go through with this. Okay? Something small even, subtlety is good." Pearl pleaded.

Across the field, Skyla was viewing the memorial to her parents, but not crying. She had long since learned how to withhold her tears, otherwise it would rain in the immediate vicinity. Skyla instead tried to focus on all the happy memories. She remembered every holiday with her parents, every one of their birthdays, the family vacations, and it all made her feel just a bit better inside.

The small ray of happiness she had created penetrated Skyla's depressed mood, and the sky responded to her feelings in kind.

The thin blanket of gray clouds in the area were parted a bit, letting a small ray of sunshine through. The sunbeam landed squarely on Pearl and Cinnamint's headstone, causing her to look up in surprise. Pearl was quite speechless to be honest, but a smile soon found it's way to her face.

"That's my guy. Always comes through for me." Pearl smirked.

Once Pearl had wiped her eyes enough, she tucked the bag of candies away again safely under her wing. Pearl told Cinnamint she loved him, even though it was certain he knew that. Then she kissed the stone at the top, imagining it was Cinnamint's cheek. Even in his later years, cheek kisses had always been Cinnamint's melting point.

Pearl then turned and headed back to her father and grandmother, who were waiting patiently. They were a little surprised to see Pearl smiling, as normally she would sulk a bit until they all went out for drinks. Pearl somehow seemed as happy as could be, even though it was evident she had been crying until just a moment ago.

"Are you okay, Pearl? You seem... too happy?" Celestia wondered.

Pearl chuckled a bit, and sniffled as an after-effect of the crying.

"Yeah, I think I'm better than I've have been in ages." Pearl responded with a nod, "But Daddy, I think I need to ask you a favor."

Spike looked at his daughter uncertainly, but didn't want to dismiss whatever she was so happy about.

"Anything for my little girl." Spike affirmed.

Pearl smiled even wider, having hoped for that response.

"How would you like to come on a trip to the homeland with me? It's a dangerous place and I could use some muscle."

Author's Note

Not a hundred percent how I feel about this. I tried to pay respects to everybody, so I'm sorry if I forgot anyone. A lot of people wanted Pearl and Cinnamint to have kids, but I couldn't write a whole sequel for that. I just don't have any more ideas for this universe of stories.

I ended it the way I did because I've already created way more OC characters than I wanted to. This way, it's bittersweet but not overpoweringly sad. Everyone who passed away is loved, and remembered. Never will anyone in the family forget even one of the ponies in the field.

Cinnamint's tombstone was relatively ordinary because that's how he wanted it to be. Pearl was all the extravagance he ever needed out of life.

And I cried while writing this chapter. Not ashamed to admit it. I'm a large 21 year old man, and more than once did I have to stop and wipe my eyes. Now I'm gonna continue My Shining Love which has around... 5 chapters left? 5 sounds about right. Depends on word-count really. So give or take a chapter.

Nightmare Night

The first two months of school had gone by painfully slowly for Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball. However the days leading up to the end of October were seemingly endless. But finally after months of waiting Nightmare Night was upon them.

Pearl and her fathers were currently getting into their own costumes at their house. Spike was currently painting himself a shade of dark blue and his spines and wings had already been painted black by Pearl. He was going to participate in Luna's show later in the night. She was going to be flown in on his back for her grand entrance.

Macintosh was struggling with his own costume, a Medieval knight outfit complete with a prop lance. Despite his costume being merely for show the numerous straps and buckles made it just as annoying to get on as real armor. Pearl had thankfully fastened half of them for him before going off to put on her own attire for the night.

Rarity and Pearl were in the other room as Pearl's fathers got dressed. Pearl was currently doing her best to stand completely still as Rarity applied a gratuitous amount of body paint to the young dragoness. They had been at this for well over an hour but the results were worth it.

"Just... a little more... yellow... annnnd! Finished deary!" Rarity sung happily as she stepped back to admire her work.

Pearl seemed to be on fire, painted in vibrant hues of yellow, red, and orange. She wore a few articles of clothing with a perfectly matching pattern on the fabric, though the most striking thing about them was the feathers. Spike had given Rarity Pee Wee's fallen feathers from the last year to complete this Masterpiece.

Pearl's feather headdress and skirt of feathers covered her natural crest and tail while making a perfect representation of a phoenix's. Her wings were even made to look more like that of a birds thanks to even more feathers. Pee Wee himself looked over the ensemble approvingly and cawed his pride in being the source of inspiration. Pearl truly looked like a fellow fire-bird.

"I look amazing! Thank you Aunty Rarity!" Pearl exclaimed as she looked herself over.

Rarity beamed with pride, she had crafted a truly wonderful costume. She normally didn't participate in Nightmare Night, but Pearl had pleaded with her. She actually enjoyed making such an exotic look.

"Yes well, I do try you know. We'll have to come up with something twice as dazzling next year." Rarity said as she packed away her make-up and paints.

"Okay, but Pa's probably gonna want to take pictures of us before you leave." Pearl said with absolute certainty.

Right on cue a heavy knock was heard on the door. Rarity took up a pose right next to Pearl and flung the door open with her magic. Macintosh was now in full costume on the other side, and he held a camera in front of him. He quickly snapped several photos of his little girl and the artistic mind behind her costume.

Spike entered the room a moment later, his current appearance causing Rarity to jump back in surprise. He looked like an totally different dragon, his colors changed and the M.A.C. on his chest covered by an enormous breastplate emblazoned with a crescent moon. His eyes were even different, his normal vibrant green eyes had been changed to the same golden yellow as Luna's thestral guards via contact lenses.

"Wow Pearl, you look great!" Spike said happily as he entered.

"Thanks Daddy, but I think you scared Aunty Rarity too badly. She's sorta twitchy." Pearl said and pointed to the unicorn who had tumbled to the floor.

"Rarity, Fancy Pants is outside. He and Fluer are taking you to the opera." Spike said convincingly.

Within half a second the mare was out the door of their home. Spike was certain Rainbow Dash would have been impressed at those movements. A few seconds later she trotted back into the house and had an unamused look on her face.

"Sometimes I question the benefits of having friends that know me so well." She mused aloud.

After everypony double checked their costumes and Pearl had a suitably large bag for her candy the group headed out into town. Rarity bid them farewell so she could pass out candy at her boutique as soon as they reached the center of town. Macintosh stayed with Pearl while Spike headed off to prepare with Luna for the festivities.

After a couple minutes of waiting Fluttershy arrived with Screwball in tow. Fluttershy had only recently become brave enough to be out on Nightmare Night, but Screwball loved the holiday and her mother would do anything for her little girl. Fluttershy wore a simple white cloak and plastic halo headband, making her look like an angel.

Screwball's costume on the other hand was wearing a truly inventive and unusual costume. She wore a fuzzy brown costume accompanied by false buck-teeth. Though the most noticeable piece of the costume was the enormous pink plastic ball Screwball walked in as she went along.

Pearl looked the chaotic filly over several times before giving up.

"Screwball? What are you supposed to be?" She asked uncertainly.

Screwball rolled her swirly eyes in annoyance. She thought it was obvious.

"I'm a hamster, see? Buck teeth, big ball thingy to walk around in?" Screwball said as she pointed out her costume's finer points.

Pearl stepped forward and tapped on the plastic sphere with her claw, producing a hollow thud.

"How are you supposed to get candy if you're in a big ball?" Pearl asked in concern.

Screwball motioned for Pearl to move back, to which she complied. Screwball moved forward several steps and pushed forward on a large circle in the bubble that was now in front of her. A hatch opened up, making access possible to receive candy. Pearl nodded her approval and the girls chatted as they awaited Cinnamint's arrival.

After about ten minutes Lyra came trotting up with Cinnamint. She was dressed as a sea pony, several large fins decorating her light blue scaly costume. Cinnamint was wearing a black and silver spandex outfit with a symbol of a stylized-alicorn on the flank. His face was obscured by a black plastic mask made to look like a helmet, shaded plastic serving as a visor over the eyes.

"Cinnamint! That's an awesome pony ranger costume!" Screwball shouted in her bubble, making her sound somewhat odd.

Cinnamint used his magic to lift the visor of his mask, as it made it harder to see. He looked over Pearl and Screwball's costumes, his face unreadable by the girls thanks to his mask. They anxiously awaited his opinion.

"Your costumes are awesome too! I've never seen a phoenix costume or a hamster costume before." Cinnamint praised, the girls both smiling smugly at the compliment.

As the children talked amongst themselves the adults did the same. Lyra noted the absence of both Spike and Discord, two people she thought would absolutely love a holiday devoted to being scary.

"Where are the big guys at? Didn't think they'd miss this." Lyra asked as she kept her eyes on the kids.

"Spike's gettin ready fer Luna's big entrance." Mac replied.

"And Discord is running the haunted house at Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie and Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy added.

Lyra was about to respond, but an earth-shaking boom was heard all through Ponyville as soon as Fluttershy had finished talking. Before anypony could figure out exactly what had happened it began raining, only instead of water multicolored sprinkles fell from the sky. Every child in town looked up at the sky with open mouths. Screwball even exited her ball and used it to collect as many as possible.

A moment later Pearl spat and sputtered as something other than a sprinkle fell into her mouth. She used her claw to retrieve the offending object. She and everypony else were surprised to see a feather, a familiar sky-blue feather to be precise.

"Would everypony be alright if I went and checked on everyone at Sugarcube Corner?" Fluttershy asked as she tried to hide the worry in her voice.

Nopony disputed the necessity of her trip and she flew off just as fast as her wings would take her. The group left to hit all the houses giving out candy, making good time as they did. Ponyville wasn't a very large town so it only took them about three hours to finish. The last stop on their trip around town was Bon Bon's candy shop.

Bon Bon was Ponyville's best place to get candy, and as such she got a huge bonus from the town each year to churn out as many sweets as possible. This year she had truly outdone herself and Cinnamint and the girls reaped the benefits. She had managed to make quite a bit more than usual, thanks mostly to having her son who shared her talent and passion for the craft.

Thankfully the kids had their parents to watch over them to ensure they didn't eat too much candy. Bon Bon had also joined the group after they stopped at her store because every business in town was shutting down as per tradition. Luna's Nightmare Night Carnival was about to begin, and nopony in their right mind would miss it.

Ever since the first Nightmare Night after her return from the moon she had come back each year. Despite living in Canterlot Ponyville would always hold a special place in her heart. She considered Ponyville the first place to truly accept her as herself after being rid of the Nightmare. The citizens of Ponyville looked forward to it all year round, and now it was about to start.

By the time the group made it to the square this year's stage had been set up, midnight blue curtains obscuring everypony's view. Stands and stalls selling food, Luna and Nightmare Moon dolls, and other merchandise. Of course the game stalls were still around too, such as the spider toss, pumpkin launcher, bobbing for apples, and many others.

When Mac, Lyra, Bon Bon, Screwball, Cinnamint, and Pearl showed up they saw Fluttershy and Discord, with the latter dressed as a mummy. Mac waved to them and they walked over, Discord with an obvious limp. As they got closer it became apparent that Discord's bandages weren't a costume.

"Daddy? What happened to you?" Screwball asked worriedly as she rolled up to her father.

"Rainbow Dash bet me that Pinkie Pie could out-chaos me. The next thing I know I'm trapped inside a giant doughnut, Pinkie's mane and fur wouldn't stop changing colors, and Rainbow Dash was entirely bald. After that things are kind of a blur, but we've all seen better days." Discord explained.

"I'm disappointed in all of you. Dash should know better than to egg you two on, and you shouldn't have accepted. No story before bedtime for a week mister." Fluttershy huffed.

Discord literally deflated, the normal large serpentine form flattening and shrinking to the ground. His antics were cut short however, as an ear-splitting roar alerted everyone to the start of the carnival.

The curtains on the stage flew open, revealing it to be entirely empty. Everypony was confused until another roar met their ears, looking to the sky they saw a great shadowy dragon flying downward to the stage. Every few seconds the dark beast would let loose powerful streams of green flames. Thanks to the generous amount of make-up nopony realized it was Spike right away, but knew it was merely part of the show.

When the torrents of fire lit up the night, a dark cloaked figure could be seen riding on the dragon's back. In the next flash of fire the cloaked pony ran up the dragon's long neck and jumped into the fire. The pony emerged from the flames, the cloak burning away revealing Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon and the dragon landed on the stage, right in the center. The dragon spewed fire right over the crowd, eliciting wild cheers and gasps from the audience. Nightmare Moon stamped her hoof on the stage and a microphone sprang up from a secret panel on the stage floor. She took it into her magical aura and walked forward.

"Good evening ponies of Ponyville! Welcome to the Fifteenth Annual Nightmare Night Carnival since my return!" She bellowed to the crowd.

The response was an overwhelming round of cheers and happy hoof stomping. Luna grinned madly with her fanged smile as she basked in the love of the masses. Her sister had truly given her a great gift when she invented this holiday. Luna never felt more loved and important than she did when her fans screamed in a mixture of fear, delight, and excitement. She continued on, not wanting to disappoint.

"Since tonight is the fifteenth anniversary of our first Nightmare Night together, I spared no expense! So fillies and gentlecolts, please give a round of applause for Equestria's newest rock sensation: New Lunar Republic!"

The dragon reared onto it's hind legs and spread it's wings as it let out the loudest roar yet. As he fell back onto his front legs he lit a circle of flames around himself and Luna. After what seemed like only an instant the flames roared up and nearly blinded those close to the stage.

When the flames died away several angry looking stallion's in ragged clothing were on the stage in place of Luna and Spike. They began playing music loud and fast, soliciting yet another round of excited cheers from the costumed crowds. Everypony was so busy rocking out to the music that they failed to notice Spike and Luna slipping out from behind the stage, making their way around the crowd to get to their loved ones. Both of them had returned to their normal appearances.

Spike was thankful his size let him go through the crowd with relatively no ponies trying to deter his movements. It made getting back to the group much easier than it would have been for most. Within minutes they found them, Discord's height serving their needs well.

Pearl jumped them as soon as they were within range, pulling them both into a hug.

"You guys were awesome! How'd you disappear like that?" She asked, looking up at her father.

"Trap doors and some fancy mechanisms. Time Turner set it all up, the guy's kinda odd but he's great with machines." Spike replied as he set Pearl back down on the ground.

He couldn't help but notice her painted-on costume was somewhat smudged in several places and a few feathers were missing. He was glad Rarity wasn't one for rock music, if she were here to see Pearl in such a state she would have flipped her lid.

"Sweetie, I think it's time you're costume came off. It's gotten smudgy and you're done trick-or-treating anyway." Spike informed the much smaller dragon.

Pearl nodded and held out her arms at her sides. Lyra, Bon Bon, and Cinnamint watched as Spike took in a deep breath and blasted Pearl with green fire. Bon Bon nearly fainted, Lyra was speechless, and Cinnamint let a tear fall from his eye from behind his mask.

However they were all relieved to see she was perfectly fine as soon as the fire dissipated. She smoked slightly, but was otherwise fine. In fact she looked sparkling clean, her scales once more a vibrant white and teal.

"Thanks Daddy, I was starting to itch anyway." She said happily before turning to Macintosh, "Pa, do you have one of my extra hoodies on you?"

Macintosh reached into the breastplate of his costume armor and retrieved the hoodie in question along with Pearl's bag she took everywhere. Pearl accepted them eagerly and began pulling it on. For a reason Cinnamint didn't completely understand Bon Bon covered his eyes until she had it on completely.

"Thanks Pa." Pearl told her other father gratefully as she hugged him around the neck.

"Right then, we should begin the traditional ticket competition." Luna told the group as she stepped forward.

"What's the ticket competition?" Lyra asked.

"The ticket competition is a thing we do every year since the carnival got so huge. Each game here earns you tickets when you win. Whichever team gets the most tickets by midnight wins the other teams tickets to get whatever prizes they want. We normally do teams of two. Each person has a twenty bit game limit." Spike explained.

"Can we be in the contest this year?" Screwball asked Fluttershy while motioning to Pearl and Cinnamint.

Fluttershy looked around the square to all the stands and the crowd at the stage. It seemed nearly three-fourths of the ponies were at the stage, leaving the stands clear for the most part. She could easily spot them from just about anywhere if she really tried.

"Alright, but only if their parents agree too. And you can't use magic either, it wouldn't be fair." She replied sounding somewhat reluctant.

The children all looked to their respective parents who nodded their consent. They divided into groups of two for the competition. Lyra and Bon Bon formed their own team, Spike and Mac formed one as did Discord and Fluttershy. The parents gave their children twenty bits each, as the games cost at least a bit to play.

Screwball called dibs on Luna, as she thought Luna was the best at the games having seen her in action the year before. That of course left Pearl and Cinnamint as a team, neither one of them objected though. Soon the groups split off and began searching for easy ways to win tickets.

Cinnamint had to stop Pearl from running off as soon as the rest headed out. She looked back to the colt in confusion, wondering why he stopped her.

"What gives? We need to hurry or they're gonna beat us!" She implored.

"We shouldn't just run around to different stalls. We should figure out what game we'll be best at and stay there to get lots of tickets. Do you have any idea what we can do really well?" He reasoned.

Pearl nodded her head in agreement and the two began scanning the rows of stands. Ski-ball looked fun, but neither of them had played it before. The spider toss was currently occupied by Luna and Screwball, and Pearl's fathers had the pumpkin launcher. They were just about to lose hope when Cinnamint spotted the perfect booth for them and quickly pulled Pearl along as he went.

Pearl had no idea what the stall offered until they arrived. Behind the counter of the stall was one of Luna's thestrals serving as the proprietor of the game for the night. Many of her personal guard were working the carnival to make sure nothing went amiss.

Behind him was a large wall of cork-board with many different colored balloons of all shapes and sizes taped to it. The thestral smiled as the kids made their way to him. He bowed lightly as soon as he recognized Pearl.

"Good evening princess. Would you like to try and pop some balloons with darts to earn some tickets?" The bat-pony stallion asked surprisingly cheery sounding.

Pearl understood Cinnamint's plan perfectly now. Her fingers gave her an edge here, and Cinnamint's magic allowed him to at least try. Here they could both play to try and get tickets at once. Pearl nodded to the thestral at the counter. After a moment of rummaging under the counter the stallion placed a cup of five darts in front of either of them.

"Now blue balloons are one ticket, red ones are two, the smaller green ones are five, the pink heart shaped balloons are seven, and the yellow squiggle shaped ones are ten. You get five throws for a bit, so I'm going to need a bit from each of you." The stallion explained.

Pearl reached into her bag and pulled out her pouch of bits and placed two on the counter. Cinnamint had given her his bits to hold onto as well, considering his costume had no pockets. The stallion placed the bits in the nearby register and moved aside.

Pearl picked up her first dart, finding it to be a heavier metal dart rather than a plastic one. The tips weren't any threat as Luna had enchanted all the games to be safe for children of all ages herself. The weight would take some getting used to, but she tried for the first yellow balloon she saw.

The dart fell almost to the ground, popping a blue balloon at the bottom of the board. Frowning, she took another dart from the cup and let it fly. This time she managed to hit the yellow balloon, her previous annoyance completely forgotten. With her next three throws she was able to hit a pink, a red, and another blue.

The stallion running the stand punched in her total and the machine spat out a strand of twenty-one tickets. Pearl accepted them happily and watched Cinnamint try his luck. He missed the board with his first throw, but when he tried again he managed to get two reds, a blue, and a pink. The stallion once again repeated the process on his machine and passed Cinnamint twelve tickets.

After about an hour the pair had spent their combined bits and the stallion had put up more balloons three times. All in all they managed to gather over seven-hundred tickets. The stallion at the counter had been nice enough to keep track for them. The pair departed the stand and waved goodbye to the thestral stallion.

They still had well over an hour until the contest ended, but were out of money. They thought they had completely run out of options until they passed by a large scale with an earth pony stallion next to it. He wore a black headband that had a large eye printed at it's center. The sign next to the scale read:

The Amazing Stallion, Lucky Guess!

If he can't guess your weight correctly you win a THOUSAND free tickets!

Both of them instantly looked at one another and nodded. Cinnamint stepped forward first and got the Lucky's attention. He looked them over and smiled.

"Welcome kiddies! I'm Lucky Guess! Would you two like to try and win the big prize?" The stallion asked excitedly.

Both children nodded enthusiastically and were practically jumping at the prospect of a thousand tickets. Lucky looked the two over carefully, appraising them with a look of determination in his eyes. He took several steps back and put his front hooves out, seemingly trying frame them like he was about to take a picture.

After about thirty seconds of his odd rituals he stopped and trotted back up to Pearl and Cinnamint. He looked over to Cinnamint first with a smug smile.

"First off, I'm just going to let you kids know nopony has ever won one of my prizes. My guesses are always within half a pound, if I'm more than half a pound off you get the tickets. Does that sound okay? Any questions?" Lucky asked the children.

Both of them were silent but nodded their agreement. Their hopes weren't as high now, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Lucky looked Cinnamint over once more and nodded to himself.

"Young colt, I'd say you weigh about thirty-one point nine three pounds." Lucky told Cinnamint.

Cinnamint gulped and stepped onto the scale. The digital screen was large enough for both Pearl and Lucky to see. Three dots kept loading and disappearing over and over as the scale calculated. Both the toddlers thought their hearts had stopped beating as the world around them seemed to stop. In reality the scale only took ten seconds or so, but the minds of children exaggerate everything.

"Oh! Right on the dot my boy, thirty-one point nine three pounds. Bit of a skinny fellow aren't you? You should eat more protein rich foods if you wanna grow up big and strong." Lucky said excitedly in a cheery tone, he couldn't have sounded more pleased with himself if he tried.

Cinnamint hung his head and walked off the scale, taking his place back beside Pearl. Pearl patted him on the back, attempting to console her friend. She left her bag with Cinnamint and stepped forward. Lucky's expression wavered for a moment when he saw her, but he still seemed pretty confident.

"I've never actually met a dragon before, but I think I'll still be right on the money. I'm gonna say that you weigh about twenty four pounds, since you seem rather lithe." Lucky said as he scratched his chin in thought with his hoof.

Pearl stepped onto the scale and closed her eyes, fearing the worst. After a moment of silence she opened just one eye a little. To her surprise Lucky was standing there, his jaw nearly hitting the ground. Pearl looked to the display, it read thirty pounds even.

"Yes! We get the tickets!" Pearl cried out in utter and complete joy.

Cinnamint giggled as Pearl's wings fluttered so fast she was several inches off the ground. Lucky regained his composure a few seconds later and pulled a roll of tickets out of a box sitting beside the scale. Pearls took them like they were about to run away and shoved them in her bag that sat beside Cinnamint.

"Well, I shoulda guessed that you're more muscular than a pony of the same age. Muscle weighs more. You win fair and square little lady, and as a bonus reward you can have this." Lucky relented as he untied the unusual headband from his forehead.

Pearl took it as well, putting it in her hoodie pocket. The pair headed back to the meeting place they had agreed to meet the others at at midnight. They still had awhile to wait so Pearl and Cinnamint sat down on a nearby bench and listened to the music that could be heard all over town.

After a few minutes of silence between the two Pearl took the headband out of her pocket. She thought it was pretty cool, but didn't really think she wanted to wear it. She looked over at Cinnamint who had his eyes closed, humming along with the music. Pearl reached over and tied the headband around his neck like an ascot, much to Cinnamint's surprise.

"Why are you giving me this? You're the one that got us all those tickets." He asked.

"Yeah, but if we hadn't stayed at the darts stall we would have wasted all night running around. That was your idea, so I wanna give it to you." Pearl replied. Cinnamint couldn't tell that she was blushing thanks to the dark, but Pearl's excellent night vision let her see his blush.

Cinnamint opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance. The other teams all arrived right as he was going to say something. Each of the teams had a significant amount of tickets with them, though Cinnamint was sure they still had more. Luna stepped forward and summoned up a box which she dropped her and Screwball's tickets in.

"Screwball and I have managed to gather nine-hundred and fifty-nine tickets." Luna said proudly. Screwball poked her head out of the box and nodded with a smug grin on her face.

Lyra dropped her and Bon Bon's into the box next, a cheery expression on her face.

"We only managed four hundred and ten tickets, but we also spent half the night trying to decide what to play." She chuckled.

Discord who was now bandage free walked up and dumped a meager handful of tickets into the box, much to everyone's surprise. Fluttershy was hiding behind her mane like she used to, and Discord seemed extremely calm and collected despite his obvious loss.

"We ended up teleporting home after Fluttershy got scared of the fake duck shooting gallery. After that we just sort of lost track of time, but we came back and earned sixty-three tickets." Discord said casually.

Macintosh coughed into his hoof, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Pearl, Screwball, and Cinnamint were all unsure what exactly was going on, but everyone other than Discord and Fluttershy looked just as uncomfortable as Mac.

"Hey Mommy? Where's your costume? Did you take it off when you were home?" Screwball asked Fluttershy.

Whatever force of the universe that controls coincidences has excellent timing. The band finished a song just as Screwball asked her question. Everything seemed eerily silent just then, as if everything in existence wanted to hear the answer.

"Um... yes, yes I did." Fluttershy replied awkwardly. Within three seconds the band began their next song and the rest of the world's background noise returned as well.

Spike reached out and dumped his enormous handful of tickets into the box as well, it seemed he and Mac had done well for themselves. Luna eyed their contribution with a light scowl which was matched by the one on Screwball's face.

"We got eleven-hundred and seventy-two tickets at the pumpkin launcher. Mac figured out the trajectories and I slammed the button." Spike said proudly. He briefly stuck his forked tongue out at Luna who gave him a truly evil look.

Pearl reached into her bag and pulled out her and Cinnamint's winnings as well as the roll of tickets from Lucky Guess's challenge. Everyone was speechless at the amount she dumped into the now overflowing box. Luna admitted defeat, but grinned when she saw her nephew's shocked expression.

"We have seventeen-hundred and thirty-six tickets! We win the whole box!" Pearl shouted as she lifted her arms in the air and clenched her fists in victory.

Cinnamint held out his hoof, which Pearl bumped with her fist. Screwball literally had steam coming out of her ears, clearly unhappy about losing. Discord picked her up and wagged a finger in her face, wordlessly telling her not to get upset. He let her sit inbetween his antlers atop his head until she calmed down.

"Well done children. You now have four-thousand, three-hundred, and forty tickets to spend at the prize stall. You well exceeded the previous record." Luna said, bowing to the children for besting her, "I must be off to see to the closing ceremony, but I thank you all for attending."

Luna smiled sadly before vanishing in a flash of pale blue light. Discord and Fluttershy both said their farewells too, Screwball had fallen asleep on her father's head. The rest of the reformed group headed off to the exchange counter where Pearl and Cinnamint marveled at all the wonderful things they could get.

There were all manner of toys and Nightmare Moon themed collectibles on shelves as well as glow-stick necklaces and light-up costume jewelry. The most expensive items were up above on top of the shelves directly behind the stallion at the front. Anyone who had lived in Ponyville anytime in the last six years or so would recognize the tan colored stallion with greased-back hair. He was Filthy Rich, current mayor of Ponyville. He seemed delighted at seeing the group walk up to the counter.

"I thought I'd see you here before the night was out Spike. Luna won last year, so I assumed it'd be your and Mac's victory this year. Am I right?" Filthy asked casually, clearly knowledgeable about their traditional contest.

"Actually, our little girl won on her first year. We're right proud of her an' her partner in crime here." Mac told Filthy as he pointed to Pearl and Cinnamint.

Filthy chuckled a bit at that. He stepped aside, giving the kids a clear view of the prizes. Pearl had her eyes on the remote controlled racing cart, but it was four-thousand tickets and would have been difficult to share. Cinnamint set his sights lower, looking at a Lego model that looked like Canterlot Castle. The box said it was three feet tall and it was only two-thousand, bits.

Pearl saw him looking at the set, feeling bad that she had been looking to use all their tickets up one item. Splitting them evenly was more fair, and her fathers were always telling her not to be greedy. She scanned the same row of prizes the Lego set was on, looking for something more fair. She saw something she never knew she wanted until that very instant.

"Can I get the villains of Equestria figurine set?" She asked Filthy.

Filthy nodded and pushed a stool forward to climb on. With the extra height he grabbed the box off of the shelf. Cinnamint thought now would be the best time to speak up, considering Filthy was already up there.

"I'd like the Canterlot Castle Lego set please." Cinnamint asked.

Filthy took it off the shelf as well, placing Pearl's item under his chin. As he got down from the stool and placed the items on the counter Spike and Lyra counted out the tickets for Filthy. Pearl and Cinnamint talked while the adults did their business.

"We should totally play like my bad guy figures are attacking the castle! It'd be so much fun! There's even ones that looks like Screwball's dad and Nightmare Moon!" Pearl suggested.

"That sounds great, but what are we gonna do with the other three-hundred and forty tickets?" Cinnamint asked, causing both of them to look back to the shelves.

"How about we get that super-hot joke gum for Screwball? She loves pranking ponies." Pearl suggested. It was three-hundred points for five packs, each with different inconspicuous wrappers resembling famous brands.

"Good idea, just don't ever take any gum from her again." Cinnamint agreed.

After giving the rest of their tickets and telling Filthy to keep the change the groups separated. Pearl fell asleep not long after she and her fathers began walking home. It was to be expected, she had been awake far longer than usual and gratuitous amounts of sugar only go so far. She was sleeping comfortably on Mac's back, leaving her parents relatively alone.

"Pearl and Cinnamint are getting awful close, don't you think?" Spike asked casually, not looking over to Macintosh.

Mac chuckled at Spike's over-protectiveness, but nodded in agreement. He hadn't seen the two fight once yet in the two months since Pearl and Cinnamint had met. That was pretty unusual for a pair of five year-old kids, doubly so for a boy and a girl.

"Granny used t' say kids grow up faster every generation. Sides, Cinnamint is a right gentlecolt if ya ask me. Kinda reminds me a' a certain somedragon Ah know and love." Macintosh teased, causing Spike's serious demeanor to soften instantly.

"I know I'm being silly, I just worry that if Pearl falls for Cinnamint things won't end well. We still don't know how she's going to handle living so long when she gets to be old enough to know. I didn't take it so well the first time I realized it you know." Spike reasoned.

Macintosh sped up just a bit and popped his husband in the back of the head, just hard enough for him to feel it. Spike stopped in his tracks, looking at Mac knowingly. Mac's face wasn't angry, just disappointed.

"Ah know it's not gonna be easy, but nothing worth havin' is easy, life included. She may not be big and strong like you just yet, but ah know our girl can handle anything so long as she's got family. Ah ain't gonna worry about the future, cuz ya cain't plan for the things that really matter in life. Down the road, if our girl falls in love we'll support her, just like our families did us." Mac said sternly.

Spike hugged Mac around the neck, taking care not to wake Pearl. He and Mac shared a loving kiss, enjoying their shared affections for each other. When it ended Spike kept his hold on to the red stallion.

"I dunno what I'm gonna do with myself when you pass. I can turn diamonds to dust with my bare hands, but I don't think I could ever be as strong as you are inside." He told Mac softly, tears boiling away so quickly it looked like he was crying steam.

"You'll be fine, ya just gotta go about it a day at a time. Jus' like we do now." Mac replied, tears falling down his own face.

"Good thing Pearl's asleep. We're a mess huh?" Spike joked as he let go of Mac to rub his eyes.

"Eeyup." Mac chuckled as he began walking again, Spike following closely behind.

Somehow as soon as they started moving forward again their moods lightened considerably. They still had their worries, as everyone does. But as long as they knew they were loved things would be alright, they just needed to remind one another every so often.

In the dead of the night neither of them could make out the jet black figure watching their emotional display from beside a skeletal bush, it's skinny form blending in well with the dead shrubbery. It didn't dare make a sound, but as soon as they turned their backs a white, fanged smile and a pair of luminous green eyes cut through the dark.

Author's Note

So yeah, I already know how I want the story to end and all. There are probably going to be about five more chapters until it's finished. Next chapter will be the one where Twilight and Trixie become mothers.

That said, I usually only work on this story when I'm happy since it's a happy story over all. The last month or so hasn't been good for me and I've been kinda depressed. That, and I've been doing odd jobs for cash lately so I can fuel my gaming addiction. This is because I have literal tons of social anxieties and phobias and can't tolerate being in public very long. Otherwise I'd just get a normal job, but whatever. Doing all that stuff for cash has been making it impossible to write much as I don't normally get to use my computer until well after six PM.

Since I've been in a bad mood lately I've started working on a new story about once a week. It's about Spike of course, but it's a little darker, and has adventure and fighting and the like. Not gonna tell you who the love interest is, and I won't be submitting it until it's done. That way I can read the whole thing through and correct myself throughout and make sure everything connects well. Mostly because it will be my longest fanfic ever, though I'm not sure by how much.

I'll still write for this story whenever I'm in a good mood, so kind of sporadically. This chapter has been half done for like a month, but people kept asking me about it so I forced myself to write the rest. I'd say expect probably one chapter a month on this story, My Shining Love might go back on hiatus. I dunno life is pretty crazy right now so don't set your hopes super high.

Midnight Mission Part 2

Cinnamint was obviously a unicorn at first glance. This meant he had the potential for great feats of magical power, and that he wasn't meant for hard labor or flight. Unfortunately for Cinnamint, his best friends were a dragon and the spawn of chaos. Both Pearl and Screwball were quite accustomed to the sensation of flight, and had outvoted Cinnamint in their travel decisions.

The troublesome trio was currently flying high above the city of Canterlot in something Screwball had dubbed the helicopter. Screwball had used her magic to increase the size of the propeller on her beanie and affixed it to the top of the dashboard at the front of a chariot the group had borrowed. The spinning propeller extended a good five feet above them, ensuring their safety. Screwball claimed she had gotten the idea from Pinkie Pie's flying pedal-powered machine.

"Oooh, why did we have to do this? I'm feeling sick." Cinnamint groaned.

Pearl grabbed hold of Cinnamint, holding him upright as he wobbled. Screwball was too busy tending to the steering wheel, which she had added upon realizing they had no control over their makeshift craft without pegasi in front. With a quick look down Screwball saw that it wouldn't be very long at all until they were close to the factory district in lower Canterlot.

"We'll save loads of time this way. If we keep this up it'll only take like ten minutes. Otherwise we'd have to take a cab and wait on traffic or hoof it, which would take way longer. We need the helicopter specifically because I'm not strong enough to carry you that far." Pearl explained as Cinnamint lamented his situation.

Cinnamint would have normally conceded the point, but was far too busy trying to keep his lunch down. He was extremely glad Pearl was there, otherwise Cinnamint would have also been freaked out about being in a completely experimental flying-thing Screwball threw together. The only times Cinnamint had been flying this high up was on the back of Pearl's father Spike.

"We should have just had Screwball teleport us." Cinnamint concluded groggily.

"Too late now! Brace for impact!" Screwball cackled maniacally.

Very suddenly the chariot tilted to one direction, slamming Cinnamint into Pearl, and Pearl into the side of the chariot. Pearl was fine, but surprised by the sudden jostling. Pearl instinctively grabbed hold of the nearest thing in sight, which just happened to be Cinnamint. Cinnamint didn't hesitate to return the favor, equally concerned he was going to die.

Pearl couldn't have been any redder than she was upon realizing her close proximity to Cinnamint. Fortunately, Screwball was trying to keep them alive, and Cinnamint was to scared to open his eyes. With a sudden drop, Pearl rejoined the fear club and shut her own eyes tightly. Things seemed bad, what with all the rocking and falling, but suddenly a soft thud was heard and the sensation of movement disappeared. The only side-effect of their safe landing seemed to be a slight bounce the kids experienced, being boosted up a few inches and falling back down to the chariot floor.

Cinnamint and Pearl opened their eyes simultaneously, looking to see if they were dead. What they saw when they looked over the edge of the chariot best described as chaotic. They were about ten feet off the ground, still in the chariot. Underneath the chariot was a massive pile made up of a number of soft objects with many more strewn about. There were pillows, plush toys, ugly holiday sweaters, blankets, and other miscellaneous comfy items.

"Cool. Didn't know if that was gonna work out. I totally forgot to make something to help us land until like, literally five seconds ago." Screwball chuckled.

Upon hearing Screwball's voice, Pearl and Cinnamint looked over to see Screwball flat on her back only a foot away from them. She was looking at them with an upside-down crazy smile. It was about that time that Pearl and Cinnamint realized they were still holding onto each other for dear life. They separated,quickly, each moving to the other side of the chariot as fast as possible.

Screwball stuck her tongue out to feign disgust but found herself feeling quite stupid when gravity caused her tongue to hit her in the eye. All three of them laughed right then, conveniently erasing the tension that had been there only moments ago. Within the next couple of minutes the group made their way down the mountain of comfy objects, finding themselves in an alleyway.

Looking around, Pearl and Cinnamint both came to the conclusion that their intended target was nowhere in sight. The alleyway they were in sat between a cereal factory and a toothpaste factory, telling them that they were at least in the factory district.

"Screwball? Why aren't we at the right factory?" Cinnamint questioned their pilot.

"We're like, two blocks off. I thought it'd be a good idea to walk the rest of the way, otherwise the changelings might have seen or heard the landing." Screwball reasoned.

Neither Cinnamint nor Pearl could argue with the answer, as much as they would have liked to. Cinnamint pulled his invisibility blanket out of his saddlebags, draping it over the three of them again. The three of them whisper-griped at each other as the confined space was difficult to walk under with all three children trying to keep each others pace.

Though it took longer than they would have liked, the kids cleared the two blocks between them and the Mountain Magic soda factory unnoticed. They had even managed to slip past some confused factory workers who had come back from their breaks to find a chariot atop a plush mountain. As soon as they slipped around back and under the fire escape Cinnamint pulled off the blanket, glad to be out of the overly close huddle.

"Ugh. Next time we teleport. If Screwball breaks the time-space continuum moving us, it would still be better than our adventure so far." Pearl complained.

"Agreed." Screwball and Cinnamint droned simultaneously.

Pearl flapped her wings, giving herself enough lift to get onto the fire escape. Once on the fire escape Pearl found the ladder that could drop down and lowered it for her friends. Quickly and as quietly as possible Cinnamint and Screwball climbed the fire escape while Pearl waited on them. The trio decided to ignore the door leading directly into the factory's upper floor in case they would get spotted. Instead they continued up to the roof.

Cinnamint observed the layout of the roof, finding only a door leading down to the factory's upper level, an inactive smokestack, and a grate leading into the ventilation system. The stairwell could be guarded on the other end, and the smokestack would likely lead into something like a furnace that would likely kill two-thirds of the trio. It was plain to see that the vents were the best option.

"Pearl? Can you get us through that vent? I'd say it's the best way to get in without being noticed." Cinnamint asked politely.

"Also it'll be awesome, like one of those spy movies Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash love so much." Screwball added enthusiastically.

Pearl gave a quick salute before walking over to the grate casually. Pearl gave the grate a quick once over, finding it was secured with a sturdy lock. As with most locks in Equestria it was almost definitely magic-proof. Fortunately, Pearl wasn't a unicorn.

Leaning down, Pearl widened her jaw, slamming it shut quickly. Her powerful fangs tore right through the metal with no real effort. Pearl did sometimes enjoy the benefits of being a dragon, such as easily tearing through metals and gems. Spitting out the slightly rusty metal fragment, Pearl used her claws to open the grate.

"And. We. Are. In." Pearl nonchalantly praised herself.

"Good job Pearl." Cinnamint smiled, " Now who wants to go first?"

Without hesitation, Screwball dove for the vent. Instead of hitting the bottom she drifted down slowly, using her beanie to avoid alerting anyone in the factory below. Pearl and Cinnamint both looked down into the hole to see Screwball sitting waiting for them, though obviously anxious to get moving. Pearl decided she was next and folded her wings as close as she could to her back, making certain that she'd have enough room to maneuver through the vent.

Once Pearl carefully made her way down, using her hands to slow her descent it was Cinnamint's turn. Screwball and Pearl both had to help him in, considering he had no hands to help him like Pearl did and he didn't know any magic relevant to the situation. Once Cinnamint was safely on the bottom of the vent however, a new problem arose.

There were three paths to take from the intersection the grate had been covering. Splitting up was right out, considering they were in a factory likely very full of changelings. It was quite a choice, but none of them had any idea of which vent to pick since they were winging it.

Pearl stuck her head through each of the paths that lay ahead, tasting the air with her reptilian tongue like a snake. Pearl thought it was somewhat embarrassing, but it was a useful skill at times. After trying all three routes Pearl came to a decision.

"The one on the right. The air coming from that direction tastes like Mountain Magic stronger than the other two. We should start there." Pearl told her troops.

"I didn't know you could do that." Cinnamint told Pearl, sounding impressed.

Pearl blushed, but thanks to the dimmer light in the vent it went unnoticed.

"Yeah well, being a dragon is okay sometimes. We should hurry though, otherwise the grown-ups are gonna get here before we figure out how to sabotage the changeling's factory." Pearl replied.

"Is that what we're doing? I thought we were gonna blow it up?" Screwball pouted, sounding rather miffed.

"We can't blow it up. We'd blow up too, or the adults would blow up if they got here after we managed an escape." Cinnamint reasoned, once again raining on Screwball's parade.

Pearl rolled her eyes and got on her belly and began crawling through the vent, followed by Screwball, and then Cinnamint. It was fairly spacious, considering the three of them weren't full grown yet. It was musty and dirty, but the three of them soldiered through it until they came to another intersection with an open vent. It was just wide enough for them all to look through, down at the factory floor.

There were two rows of giant vats. One side containing swirling green liquid that glowed slightly, and the other vat contained what was easily recognizable as Mountain Magic soda. Besides the vats there were a large number of ponies in hard-hats, tending the vats and monitoring gauges or moving barrels of sugar and other ingredients around the factory.

On one side of the factory was a conveyor belt that was full of empty bottles that stopped in sequence to be filled with soda from a system of tubes. Each time a bottle reached the end of the line one of the ponies would levitate it into a crate with numerous others. It all seemed pretty standard for a factory, other than the glowing substance in half of the vats that was likely concentrated dreams. There were still no changelings to be seen, though it was likely the workers were changelings in disguise.

Okay, now what? Cinnamint asked hopefully in a hushed whisper.

Pearl thought it over, looking the factory layout over carefully. On the off chance they were wrong, it would look pretty bad if they totally wrecked a factory. It would be best to somehow get at least one of the workers to reveal themselves as a changeling to be sure.

Screwball, can you use your magic to make the changelings look like themselves again? Pearl asked.

I dunno. I've never tried. I'm not allowed to do magic on living things. Screwball replied uncertainly.

Cinnamint coughed into his hoof, garnering Pearl and Screwball's attention. Cinnamint looked rather guilty, but at the same time it looked like whatever he had to say was important.

I think I can do it. Mrs.Twilight's spell-book had a spell for that in it. I wasn't really supposed to look, but I sorta... peeked? Cinnamint admitted.

Pearl and Screwball were both surprised at their friend's actions, but in a good way. Screwball was happy Cinnamint was far from his normal stick in the mud self that day, and Pearl was finding she liked it when Cinnamint wasn't so reserved. Both Pearl and Screwball stood aside while Cinnamint took point at the vent.

Cinnamint lit his horn, preparing himself to cast the spell. Since he wasn't fully grown and had never performed the spell, Cinnamint took some time to focus. Just as he was about to let the spell loose a loud thud shook the vent, breaking Cinnamint's concentration.

"What was that?" Screwball asked in a panic, forgetting to whisper.

"HEY! STAY THERE A SECOND!" A particularly loud, distorted voice rang out from outside the vent as a series of louder thuds headed toward the group.

Pearl, Cinnamint, and Screwball all froze in terror as the black, chitinous face of a changeling appeared through the vent. It's echoey voice told the children he was male, and much to their confusion his smile was cheerful, not sinister. Lighting his horn with green energy, the changeling popped the grate off of the ventilation shaft. The changeling poked his head into the vent, not worried the kids might be hostile.

"I'm really sorry I scared you guys, but I felt some affection coming from this vent. Mom is gonna want me to bring you downstairs, so I'm gonna have to magic you unconscious, okay?" The changeling informed the trio regretfully.

"Wait, wha-" Cinnamint started.

Before the kids could react all three of them were hit with a green blast of energy that instantly put them to sleep. Cinnamint and Pearl both fell over on Screwball, using the crazy filly as a pillow. Screwball was too deeply asleep to notice, as she just snored away.

The changeling kicked off the vent his hole-riddled hooves were affixed to, buzzing his wings to keep him aloft. Using his magic the changeling levitated the trio out of the vent, lowering them and himself to the factory floor. As they descended, he took a better look at the kids in his aura.

"These kids look famaliar..." The drone thought aloud. "I bet Queen Mom knows who they are."

As the kids slumbered remarkably peacefully, the changeling signaled a worker on the factory floor with a series of clicks. The disguised changeling worker pressed a button near the conveyor belt controls. A trap door on the floor opened up, allowing the changeling entry into the secret basement with his guests. Within moments, the trap door had disappeared, no trace of it's existence remaining visible.

In no time at all, every worker returned to their business, as if nothing had ever happened.

Author's Note

Cliffhanger~

Like two, three more chapters left. Things are about to get crazy actiony.