The Book of Ethereal Secrets

Chapter 4

Daring just stood there, staring. I sighed and pulled her away from the others so they couldn't hear. she had a look of pure confusion.

"You have a daughter?" She whispered, dumbfounded.

"Is it really that hard to believe that I could procreate?" I pinched the bridge of my muzzle."Yes, I have a daughter, her name is Summer Lily." Her face took a on look of contemplation. After a minute of silence, she spoke up.

"You have been spending months out in the world with a kid at home?" Her eyes began to narrow. Again, I sighed.

"I'll explain why later, let's just say that, even though I survived Hoffen, It still destroyed me." I felt something tug my hand. Looking down, I saw Lily looking up at me.

"Auntie Bana said you'd have tea party with me when you got back." Lily stated.

I looked up at my sister with an eyebrow raised. She had a grin spreading ear to ear. "She would be correct." I looked back down at Lily, Who was sporting the same grin. My heart warmed to see her smile. Lily looked towards Daring.

"Who are you?" She said sweetly. I was about to introduce them when Daring interrupted.

"I'm Yearling." She said with a smile. Using a fake name I see.

"I'm Lily, are you Daddy's very special somepony," Daring's face turned a neat shade of red. I was fighting back the laughter when I answered for her.

"No, she isn't Lily, I don't have one." I ruffled her mane.

"Auntie Bana said that you needed one." I groaned and shot Bana a glare.

"What? you do." She coolly stated. I looked down at Lily.

"I'm going show Yearling where she will be staying and then we can get started." I motioned Daring to follow me. The bakery had three stories, the bakery on the first floor, and a house on the second two. It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It had a kitchen separate from the bakery. I took Daring into my old room. I pulled out an old cot from my closet that I used to take on camping trips. After I put it together, I pulled the extra blanket and pillow from the closet. "You will be sleeping here." I said patting the cot.

After setting everything up, somepony knocked on the door. I opened it to find my sister on the other side. She pointed to Daring. "Can I talk with Yearling for a minute?" I looked back at 'Yearling'. She shrugged and followed my sister down the hall towards the stairs to the bakery. I looked back at my closet. Now, where is that old tux.

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Daring followed Bana down into the bakery. They approached a table by the counter where a coffee maker sat. Bana pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down. Daring followed suit sitting across from her. It was silent for a long moment before Bana broke it. "So, who are you to my brother?" Daring just appeared confused by the question. Bana shook her head, "if you're not dating, then what are you, friends, acquaintances, did you just follow him here? Which is it?" Daring thought hard, she didn't know how Steel viewed her.

"We are sort of, well...." She kept thinking. "I guess we are kind of, sort of partners?" Bana's expression was unreadable.

"Why are you two traveling together." Bana pulled a coffee mug off the counter and poured herself cup. Daring thought again on how to answer this question.

"We are going to stop a cult from getting a magical book from the remains of Fort Hoffen." Steel interrupted. Bana did a spit take as the mares turned to see the intruder. Steel was adjusting the collar and cuffs of his tuxedo. "The book that caused the incident actually."

"You can't be serious." Bana sounded rather angry. "You remember how that place fucked you up right," Steel nodded, his stoic expression never changing, "and you're going back?"

"Not if I can help it, they still don't know where it is, so we are going to stop them before they find out." He suddenly switched to using a Canterlot accent, with extra snootiness. "Now, if you could excuse me, I have a tea party to attend."