The Beckoning of Nature (Re-Written)

“How come you have wings and I don’t?!” Imura complained, glaring at Yuuki with her icy eyes as she stomped a hoof.

The pegasus turned to the table and proceeded to slam her face onto its wooden frame, following this with an annoyed, muffled groan thereafter.

Kaguya shook her head and rolled her eyes at the display. She then looked at the pink-coated mare with one brow arched and the other lowered. “Today’s not a good day to be pestering her.” She remarked rather coldly.

Imura proceeded to mimic the elder’s expression, albeit with an annoyed smile and sweat dotting her face. “I know that. Does that stop me from asking?” She retorted, ears twitching.

Reina turned to the youngster and quickly donned a mask that betrayed no discernable expression; a stoic stare, if you will. “That may not, but I will if this keeps up.” She said, just as coldly as her fellow earth pony.

Imura cringed. “Y-yes m-ma’am…” She murmured, ears flattening on her skull.

“Good.” Reina sighed, turning back to her friend. “Mind if me and my bunch stay here for at least a few months? We only arrived days ago.”

“Sure. Why would I not help a friend I haven’t seen in a long time?” Kaguya replied with a nod of her head, and she was smiling. “Besides, I have extra rooms, and they haven’t been used since my bunch moved out.”

“How many?” Reina inquired, now smiling herself.

“A total of six.” The white-pelted mare answered. “And that is including the attic. Seven, counting the one in which we’re sitting, since we have a couch.”

“Most excellent.” The mossy mare remarked, her smile widening just a little bit.

Yuuki removed her face from the table. “What time is it?” She inquired, wings shifting a bit.

Kaguya glanced at a clock hanging above the couch in the corner and blinked. The hour hand rested, its thin finger pointing at the three, and the minute hand shadowed over the nine. “It’s three-forty-five.” She answered as she turned back to the pegasus. As if on cue, the door opened, and a white-coated colt with brown eyes and black mane bolted through, almost bumping right into Kaze’s back leg and spilling the contents of his saddlebags in the process.

The colt dashed around the group and homed right in on Kaguya. “Mommy, mommy!” He exclaimed, his comment causing Reina to look at her humble friend with her jaw dropped open and eyes wide. “Princess Celestia visited the school today!”

“She did?” Kaguya asked, blinking as she looked at the colt whilst somehow remaining oblivious to Reina’s shock. “That’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. What’d she do, Sekitan?”

“She took us to Canterlot on a field trip!” Sekitan exclaimed, smiling as wide as he could manage.

“Really? Was it fun?” The white mare inquired, faintly smiling herself.

“Yeah!” Sekitan replied, hopping on the seat next to the mare and directly opposite of Yuuki. “And she told me to tell you she said hello!”

“That’s wonderful!” Kaguya remarked, her own grin widening. “Alright, go upstairs and do your homework. After that, you can play.” She said, and with that, the colt dashed up the nearby stairs as if filled with unlimited energy or something. The mare looked towards her friend and only now did she notice her silence and shocked expression.

“You...had a child?” Reina squeaked, her mind on lockdown from what she had seen and heard.

“Like I said--it’s a long story.” Kaguya replied with a nod of her head. “And it’s a good thing that I’ve acquired parenting skills when I first brought in my now-grown-up bunch into the Task Force--makes it a whole lot easier, if I do say so myself.” She added, still smiling.

Reina smiled, trembling as if on the verge of tears. “I...I don’t know what to say.” She sighed, finally swallowing her shock.

“If you were here when he was born, your heart would’ve melted at the first glance.” Kaguya replied, still smiling. “Hell, a week after he was born, I still had trouble giving him a good name, and ponies just kept coming up to me with their suggestions!”

The mossy mare sighed contently. “I’d imagine.” She remarked, blinking. “Has school been a hassle for him?”

Kaguya shook her head. “Aside from the occasional bully.” She answered.

Just then, a stallion with a white pelt descended down the stairs, black hooves clip-clopping loudly and causing all in the living room to look at him. He had a messy and somewhat fluffy black mane, dark grey eyes fogged with sleep and shielded by lopsided, uncleaned glasses. He paused, yawning loudly and scratching the back of his head with a hoof before looking at the lot present. “What’s all the commotion about?” He inquired.

“Takashi, we have a visit all the way from Area Two of the Task Force.” Kaguya answered swiftly.

Five seconds of silence flew by. Ten. Fifteen, then twenty. Another full minute passed before the mare’s words registered in his tired mind. His eyes widened, nearly bulging out of their sockets. “Wait, what?!” He cried, only now noticing the features that defined each member of the surprise group.

Kaguya pointed a hoof at the unicorn. “And the last member of the Quartet, whose powers supposedly went out of whack and brought them onto the outskirts of Ponyville.” She added without stall.

Another few moments passed before Takashi spoke up. “You serious?”

“Yes. He’s right here, complete with horn on the forehead, if you don’t believe me.” The mare answered yet again, sighing this time.

The pegasus looked at the unicorn. “We never got your name.” She pointed out.

“I like to call myself Tori.” The unicorn replied, smiling as he looked at Yuuki.

“Seems legit.” The pegasus remarked, her wings twitching.

“I’ll admit, that little guy was cute.” Kurei stated, sitting on his rump. “Wonder if he’ll wield a weapon someday.”

“Most probably not.” Kaguya replied, her gaze almost immediately directed at the reddish-brown stallion as if she were going to glare at him. “Not unless he so asks for the required training.”

“A bit stingy, aren’t we?” Reina sighed, causing the mare to look at her.

“Yes. And this very continent in which we’re standing is so peaceful there’s almost no need for such a thing. The royal guard acts as a very efficient police force, and I’ve seen some of their arrests first-hand on the other side of town.” The white mare answered, blinking.

“How peaceful are we talking?” The mossy mare asked, brow arched.

“Put it like this: serial killers are almost nonexistent around here.” Kaguya answered once more, taking a moment to sigh. “And where they are existent, they’re stopped before they can tally twenty-five victims--perhaps even fewer than that.”

Reina slowly nodded, as though she were skeptical. “I see.” She said nonchalantly.

“How did you find my house, though?” Kaguya asked.

“I asked for directions. A mare named Twilight Sparkle gave them to me, and was honestly surprised I knew your name, so I had to explain to her that I was your friend.” Reina answered, smiling again.

“Ah.” Kaguya nodded quickly.

Takashi took a seat right next to Yuuki, and he did so rather quickly. “What did little Sekitan do today?” He asked, causing the two mares to look at him as he scratched his head with a hoof.

“Long story short: Princess Celestia herself paid a visit to the school, gave the class a field trip through Canterlot’s walls, and told him to tell us she said hello.” Kaguya answered, smiling.

“That’s about as lucky as Mimu landing in the Wonderbolts!” The stallion replied, eyes wide.

Right on cue yet again, and this time it was a mare in a blue and yellow jumpsuit and goggles who strode through the open door, and she actually closed it behind her as soon as she was inside. Raising a hoof, she lifted the goggles to her forehead, her frazzled raven-cut mane shifting as she did. Red-pink eyes blinked, and magenta, tufted ears twitched. Her fairy-esque wings fluttered briefly. “Now, what kind of party do we have here?” She asked.

“Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear!” Yuuki cried as if she were in a cathedral calling out a pastor’s poorly-hidden sin, pointing rather accusingly at the mare as she said this. She then smiled warmly, lowering her hoof. “How’d it go?”

“My wings kinda hurt, but it was worth it.” Mimu replied triumphantly, holding a hoof to her chest as if about to show off a first-place medal. “I’m surprised they’re not making fun of my wings yet, and I know a real bulky fellow with itty bitty wings!”

“Bulk Biceps, I assume?” Yuuki inquired, brow arched.

“Yeah, him.” Mimu replied with a nod of her head. “He’s a real good pal.”