Missing

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” My three children bounced on me, waking me and my husband up to the sun shining through our already open window. Our youngest Holly clinging to her stuffed bear that she has had since she was born sat at the end of our bed.

“What do you want children?” Aether groaned.

“It’s time to get up dad” Our only son Thomas said, jumping on Aether.

“Mom, you promised to take us to see great uncle Soarin today!” Our oldest Lyla reminded me.

“Only if he wasn’t busy” I sat up; lightly nudged my husband to get up. Which naturally he didn’t he just groaned and rolled over.

“Okay, Well it seems none of you are ready” I gestured to all three of their messy mane and tails. The two older ones groaned while Holly still sat at the end of our bed, until I gestured for her to crawl over. Now she sat in between her father and I.

“Holly, do you want to go see great uncle Soarin today?”

“Yesh, Momma” My three old who was just grasping the aspect of talking replied. Her two older siblings are seven and six.

“Alright if I see three combed manes and tails, and three foals sitting at the table eating breakfast we will go.” Then they ran out of the room as quick as their little legs could carry them.

“Aether come on, get up” I nudged my husband again.

“*groan*”

“Come on you promised to go this time.”

“*Muffled* When did I ever say that?”

  “When Lyla brought up the subject of going to see him about three weeks ago” I lightly pushed him. This time instead of groaning he grabbed my hoof and pulled me down into his hooves.

  “Come on, put it off till next week, and stay here in bed with me.” He said pulling me closer.

“Sweetheart, you know how we used to do that before Lyla was born and now we have three anxious foals who really want to go see their great uncle.”

“*groan* Fine, I’m up.” He threw the blanket over me completely covering me.

“Aether!” I laughed pulling the blanket off of me before making the bed. Aether brushed his mane and tail before leaving the room.

After making the bed, I too brushed my mane and tail and went downstairs to find Lyla, Thomas, and even Holly eating breakfast. They were laughing and making jokes at one another while Aether, who was still half asleep, sat reading the morning newspaper with a cup of coffee.

   “So mom do we get to go see great uncle Soarin?” Lyla asked, with a mouthful of her breakfast.

“Let your father and I get a chance to wake up and then we will leave.” I reached for my cup of coffee, and sat with Aether. I lightly kissed the side of his head as I peeked to see he was reading about in the newspaper.

“Seems our old high school pals will be in Ponyville today visiting Twilight”

“Shining Armor and Cadence”

“Yeah, maybe while the kids are with their great uncle maybe we should go see them.”

“Sounds like a plan.” I sipped my coffee.

When we finally left after everypony did what they had to do.

“Alright, while you guys are with your great uncle your father and I are going to see some old friends of ours. You are to stay with your great uncle.”

“Yes, Mom” Three voices replied in unison.

“Sweetheart, they are going to want to go play” Aether looked at me as we flew in a group , but Holly only being three rode on either my, or Aether’s back. Today she made the choice to ride on Aether’s back.

Soon enough we reached my childhood home. I moved here when my parents were killed when Changelings attacked to Canterlot Castle, Both my mom and dad were royal guards. I was only in fourth grade at the time. That’s when I met Aether; we have been best friends since then, although at senior prom we confessed our feeling for each other and became a couple, about a year later after graduation I learned I was pregnant with our first foal, Lyla. Aether and I were already set to be married that spring.

“Mom, did you really grow up here?” Thomas asked, as we walked up to the house.

“Yup, and your father lived just down the street.” I gestured down towards the street that Aether grew up on.

“Your mother and I used to spend mostly all of our time together.”

“We even helped each other get our cutie marks.” I said knocking on my uncle’s door.

“Angelwings” My uncle happily opened the door.

“Hi, Uncle Soarin” I replied, hugging him.

“Great uncle Soarin!” The kids shouted in unison before tackling their great uncle.

“Kids how many time have I told you its just uncle Soarin.” Soarin laughed wrestling with the kids.

“Uncle Soarin, would you mind keeping an eye on them for a little while Aether and I learned that our old high school pals are going to be in Ponyville today and we were going to go see them.”

“Not at all, go have fun you two, I can see you don’t get to do that very often” He laughed as the kids ran inside, shortly followed by their uncle. I couldn’t help but laugh as Aether and I walked away.

“Why don’t we go to lunch before we go see Shining, and Cadence?” Aether nudged me gesturing to the place where we had our first official date.

“Did you know today marks, about 8 years since we had that date” He nudged me again.

“Alright we’ll go” I laughed nudging him back. We both ended up laughing all the way to the diner. We ordered what we order that night. As we ate I couldn’t help but notice behind Aether a familiar pink and white horn appeared.

“Aether” I gestured behind him as the couple that him and I were really close with back in high school walked into the diner.

“Man, it’s been forever since we saw them. I mean look at Cadence, I remember she always wore her hair in a ponytail tied back with a bow in it.” We watch as they got a table which looked like it was going to be right behind us.

“Sweet Celestia, and they’re married” Aether pointed out their rings on their horns. A they were led past us Aether and I just made small talk until they were seated in the table behind Aether, with Cadence facing me; Aether’s back to Shining’s.

“I swear Shining; I saw them today when we were walking in the diner.” I heard Cadence say.

“Cadence, how are you for sure that they were them? We haven’t seen them since graduation.” Shining replied.

“Trust me I would know my best friend, Angelwings anywhere no matter what she looked like, and wrong the last time we saw them it was their wedding. I mean after they told us Angel was pregnant. “I couldn't help but look around Aether as my name was called.

“Aether, I’ll be right back.” I said getting up to go to the powder room.

Aether's POV

While she was gone I sat there hoping that Cadence, or Shining would recognize me, or Angel when she got back.

“Shining, did you hear that? It sounded like Angelwings” and sure enough Shining Armor turned around. I continued facing the other way so he wouldn’t recognize me, but sure enough Angel had to come back as Shining was still turned around.

“Angelwings, Is that you?” Shining Armor spoke.

“Shining Armor, Cadence, What are you two doing here I thought you moved out to the Crystal Empire?”

“We came back to visit my sister. Where’s Aether?”

“Right here” I lifted my hoof, and turned around.

“Man, it’s been forever.” Shining laughed, Cadence and Angel were already giggling as they caught up.

“So man, how’s the married life been treating you?”

“It’s been good, we’ve had two more foals since the wedding.”

“Really”

“Yeah, a colt and another filly” I started talking about Thomas, and Holly. Shining and Cadence only knew about Lyla.

“Oh my gosh, I have to meet the little ones” Cadence laughed.

“Well after we finish eating we could go see them” Angel replied, laughing as well.

“Alrighty then” She laughed as they both sat down.

We all finished eating and then started walking back to Angel’s uncle’s to get the Kids.

“So Shining I see you and Cadence tied the knot.” I laughed as we were walking.

“Yeah, not to long after you guys did.” Cadence giggled along with Angelwings.

“Man, this is just like old times.” Shining laughed; we all nodded in agreement. We finally made it to her uncle’s house and the kids were already playing outside.

“Momma, Daddy” Holly screamed running over to us; the two others followed shortly.

“Oh my goodness, they are adorable” Cadence exclaimed. Holly looked at her confused.

“Momma, who is dis” She asked.

“This is Mommy and Daddy’s friend’s from back when we were younger.” Angel replied picking up the filly.

“Hi, Holly, I’m Cadence” Cadence waved to Holly, who smiled widely.

“All these foals look like a mixture of you and Aether, all but Holly. Why is that?”

“Holly is a Christmas filly. She was born on Christmas Eve” Angel explained

“Oh Lyla, how big you’ve gotten. I remember when you were just a little filly.” Lyla looked at Cadence confused because she most likely didn’t remember Cadence because she was only a few weeks old the last time we saw Cadence and Shining Armor.

We ended up spend the rest of the day with Shining Armor and Cadence. Thomas seemed to really like Shining Armor. The two were constantly doing something that consisted of playing a prank on Me, Angel, or Cadence. When it came time for us to get back home, the kids were falling asleep as they started flying, Lyla ended up cuddling up next to Holly, and Thomas, being the momma’s boy he is curled up on Angel’s back. We said out goodbyes to Shining Armor and Cadence; promised to get together more often as we landed at our house.

“See aren’t you glad you went this time” Angel laughed at me while she put Thomas in his bed.

“Yeah, I am, I missed Shining Armor and Cadence. It was really great seeing them after so many years.” I shrugged putting Holly in her crib. When all the kids were put in their beds, Angel and I crawled into bed ourselves. We did what we would do before Lyla was born. We layed there playing with each other’s hoof as I held her close, we loved doing this, but rarely do it anymore because normally the kids throw fits when it’s time for bed.

“Maybe we should go see your uncle more often. I think that was the easiest the kids went to bed.” I laughed as she snuggled her head into my neck.

“Yeah, and he would like that, He really misses having us around. No pony to greet when they came home from school.”

“It was always funny how he would know you always came home with me. If we didn’t go to your house” I laughed, as Angel started to fall asleep just like she used to do when she was pregnant, she could sleep unless she was in my arms. I have no idea why she was like that but what I do know is that I loved it. It made me feel very protective of her and our unborn foal. She was like this with all three foals. I kissed the top of her head, and I too soon fell asleep. Dreaming of how we used to play together as foals, and replaying the day I first saw her.