The Truth: An alternate-world 'Truth or Dare' tale

Chapters

Chapter One: Crashing Down
Chapter Two: Crushing Truth
Chapter Three: Reopening Wounds
Chapter Four: Revealing History
Chapter Five: Re-Attempting Routine
Chapter Six: Coming Together
Chapter Seven: Meeting Father
Chapter Nine: Weighing Options
Chapter Ten: Saving Grace
Chapter Eleven: Seeking Justice
Epilogue: Coming Home
Chapter Eight: Admitting Anguish

Chapter One: Crashing Down

The Truth
An alternate-world 'Truth or Dare' tale
by
SFC Ponycron

The library door slamming closed followed by the rapid sound of trotting hooves going up the stairs and another slamming door alerted Twilight that something was wrong.

“I’ll finish this up, Twi,” Spike said, knowingly walking towards the stove. “I’ll let you two know when dinner’s ready.”

Twilight sighed heavily. “Thanks, Spike.” She left the kitchen and slowly trotted up the stairs. She could hear muffled sobbing coming from the bedroom. Gently pressing a hoof to the door, it opened and she beheld her daughter crying into the pillow on her little bed.

“Bad day, huh?” Twilight asked as she walked over to her daughter’s bedside. “What happened?”

Her daughter stopped crying and looked up at her mother. “Some older kids made fun of me on my way home from school,” she replied. “I ran back and asked Miss Cheerilee to stop them, but they wouldn’t stop!”

“Shh, it’s all right, Dawn,” Twilight said in a low voice, running a hoof through her daughter’s hair. It was grayish-black, the color of charcoal. Just like her father’s, she thought. “What did they call you?”

“They called me a foal of a stud!” she wailed and pressed her face back into her pillow. “They said that my dad didn’t love you or me! That’s why he left!” Her wailing could be heard clearly despite her face being buried in the pillow. “They said that he didn’t want me!”

Twilight jerked backward in surprise and disgust. What in Celestia...! Her face screwed up in anger.

“Ruby Dawn, I want you to listen to me,” she said firmly. “I love you with all my heart, and your father does, too. Never forget that. Your father...”

“If he loves me so much then why isn’t he here?” she retorted through tears. She glared at her mother. “I don’t know my own father, Mother! I’ve never seen pictures of him with you, and you never talk about him! The only memento of him is that music box you gave me that doesn’t even work!” She glared at the music box that sat by her bedside lamp, a thin layer of dust over the lid.

Twilight looked at the peculiar forest-green music box. The seam of the box was lined with gold, and two tabs shaped like six-pointed starbursts poked out from the bottom of its front, one on either side, both facing forward. A single keyhole, also lined with gold, sat between and just below the hinges at the back of the box. A large fuchsia crystal fashioned into a six-pointed starburst was embedded into the lid.

A knock at the door pulled Twilight’s gaze from the dusty memento.

“Twilight, Cheerilee and Applejack are here,” Spike said uneasily.

The lavender unicorn nodded. “Thank you, Spike,” she said with a defeated sigh. She turned towards her daughter. “I’ll be back in a minute, all right?”

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Dawn nodded.

“Dinner’s almost finished,” he said as she left her daughter’s bedroom.. “Do you want me to get the others afterward?”

Twilight gave her number one assistant a wan smile. “I suppose so. After what Dawn just told me, I think it’s time that she and the others knew the truth.”

Spike nodded solemnly. “It’s been six years, Twi.”

The lavender unicorn nodded as she walked down the stairs. “I know, Spike. Six years almost to the day.” She sniffled. “Before you go get the others, there’s a letter that needs to be sent to Vinyl Scratch. Ditzy Doo should be doing her afternoon pick-up rounds soon. Do you think you can send that letter off if you see her?”

“What about...”

Twilight cut him off with an abrupt shake of her head. “No, Spike. We’ll need the time between you delivering this letter and Vinyl’s reply. I’ll need the time.”

Spike nodded. “All right.” As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Twilight saw Cheerilee and Applejack standing at the center of the main library area. Cheerilee looked absolutely horrified and Applejack was furious.

“I better go,” he said quickly, nodding at the two visitors as he jogged back into the kitchen to finish cooking.

“Twilight, I’m sure Dawn already told you what happened,” Cheerilee began. “Let me be the first to apologize to you and Dawn...”

“Who was it?” Twilight asked, her voice not as angry as she would have liked.

“‘Twas that spoiled brat Diamond Tiara,” Applejack snapped. “Jonagold told me everything. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had t’ hold him back from bucking the tiara off of her flank.”

“I’ll talk to her father a little later this evening,” Twilight said with surprising calm. “Thank you for apologizing, Cheerilee. I take comments about Dawn’s father very seriously.”

Cheerilee lowered her head. “I know, Twilight, that’s why I came to apologize to you personally.” She looked up at the lavender unicorn sadly. “For what it’s worth, Twilight, I supported you.” She turned to Applejack. “All of you.”

“Thank you, Cheerilee,” Twilight said with a nod. She looked to Applejack as the magenta earth pony turned to leave. “Applejack, I think it’s time.”

Applejack’s angry face quickly changed into one of worry. “Already? You think so?”

Twilight nodded. “Your son and your sister told you what Dawn was called at school, didn’t she?”

Applejack nodded slowly. “I getcha, but...”

“Jonagold hasn’t thought to ask you about his father in a while, but with this incident involving Dawn, I don’t doubt he’ll ask again.” Twilight sighed. “You can’t avoid not talking about him to your son anymore, Applejack. I don’t think Big Mac and Apple Bloom would be able to hold him off from asking you about his father at this point.”

Applejack shook her head with a sigh. “No, I guess not.” She sniffled. “It’s been so long, Twi.”

Twilight blinked back tears. “I know, Applejack.” She turned towards the kitchen. “Spike’s almost finished making dinner, and he’s going to round up the others.” She glanced back towards her friend. “You might want to bring the music box with you, too.”

Chapter Two: Crushing Truth

The Truth
Chapter Two

It was very rare that Twilight saw more than a dozen bodies in the library at any given time (the most notable time being Pinkie Pie’s welcoming party for her), but this was one of those times, and with this one, she knew, came a wave of heartache mutually shared by her five best friends.

Her gaze swept over the foals at her friends’ sides. Each one had some trait or other that reminded her (and her friends, she was sure) of him. Applejack’s son Jonagold had one malachite-green eye (from his father), and one jade eye (from his mother). He also inherited his father’s selflessness and his quick temper, the latter only seen when a friend was in trouble. Rainbow Dash’s soft-spoken daughter Crystal Prism also had her father’s malachite eyes and temper, only seen on very few occasions.

Pinkie Pie’s unicorn son Silver Streamer had Pinkie Pie (or, rather, Pinkamena’s) straight hair, but was charcoal-black like his father’s. Despite the somber air hovering over everypony in the library, Twilight allowed herself a small smile. Silver Streamer was normally quiet and studious (all of Pinkie’s friends joked that he was actually Twilight’s son instead of Pinkie’s) but whenever he was with friends or was happily helping his mother prepare for a party, his hair spiked every which way and was suddenly a male unicorn foal taking exactly after her mother.

She looked over to Fluttershy and her daughter, Rose Quartz. She, like Silver Streamer, inherited her father’s charcoal-black hair. Though she inherited her mother’s teal eyes, they shone brightly and eagerly much like her father’s did, and like her father, was more open to interaction and not afraid to speak her mind.

She looked to her own daughter. Everypony noted a long time ago that her own daughter, Ruby Dawn, and Rarity’s son Jasper looked most like him. Pinkie Pie, in her usual manner, assumed that since he, Twilight, and Rarity were all unicorns, it was only obvious that they would look most like him. Both of them had deep red coats and charcoal-black manes. Dawn wore her mane like her father’s: long, with a single braid over one shoulder. Jasper, however, wore his short and spiked up. Dawn inherited her mother’s purple eyes and love of books, while Jasper had eyes that shone like golden topaz and had an eye for tailoring like his mother.

Looking at her daughter and Rarity’s son she immediately shut her eyes, fighting back tears, and took a deep breath. “Kids,” she began slowly, “Dawn came home from school this afternoon in tears...”

“I know!” the bright orange-colored earth pony foal piped up angrily. “I wanted ta knock the teeth offa...”

“Hey, that’s enough outta you,” Applejack cut in, putting a firm hoof on her son’s shoulder. “Yer Aunt Twi’s talkin’.”

“Thanks, Applejack,” Twilight said wearily. She looked around at the five other foals. “I want you all to know that despite what you heard, and I’m sure what you will hear in the future, that Dawn’s father was not just some stud. He cared for me and his daughter deeply.”

“What’s a...”

Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to her daughter’s mouth. “Let’s talk about that word some other time, huh?” She cast a sidelong glance at Twilight.

“What does that have to do with us, Miss Twilight?” Silver Streamer asked politely.

“Look at the others,” Twilight replied cryptically. “You’re all smart foals. Tell me what you see.”

The six children looked at each other.

“Jasper and Ruby look a lot alike,” Rose replied.

“And Rose and Streamer have the same hair color,” Crystal went on.

“Jonagold has one light green eye and one dark green eye,” Jasper replied. “That’s really cool.”

Applejack’s son puffed out his chest with pride. “‘Course it is. Aunt Bloom says I got th’ dark one from my pop.”

“Crystal’s got really pretty dark green eyes,” Rose said, “and her coat’s just like her mom’s.”

“Is Jasper my brother?”

All eyes turned to Silver Streamer in surprise.

“What...whatever makes you say that, Streamer?” Rarity asked, expertly feigning surprise.

“Jasper has the exact same color hair as me and he wears it all spiky-like, kinda like when I help Mama get ready for a party,” the gray unicorn replied. “If Jasper’s my brother, does that mean Ruby Dawn’s my sister, too?” His hair started to spike up, as if it were slowly gathering electricity. “‘Cuz Dawn and Jasper look so much alike, and it would be cool if Dawn and Jasper and I were brothers and sister, cuz we would get to hang out after school, and maybe after school one day...” His spiky mane stood up like a frightened porcupine. “...After school one day, Jasper and Dawn could help Mama and me throw a party!” He started bouncing up and down excitedly in place and turned to his mother. “Are they, Mama? If not, can they be my brother and sister? It would be so awesome!”

There was a moment of stunned silence as the six mothers stared at Pinkie Pie’s son. Twilight was the first to regain her composure.

“And you thought Streamer was my boy, huh, Dash?” she asked with a playful sneer. Rainbow rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie smiled sweetly and gave her son a hug and pointed at Twilight.

“You should ask Miss Twilight and Miss Rarity,” the pink earth pony replied. “Can my Silver Streamer be Jasper and Dawn’s brother?” Twilight knew that there was no malice at all in Pinkie’s question.

The lavender unicorn looked down at the now-excited unicorn. “Actually, Streamer, Jasper is your brother and Dawn is your sister. Well, they’re half-siblings, anyway.”

Silver Streamer’s slate-blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. “Really?”

“Rose and Crystal are your half-sisters, too,” Twilight carefully ventured with a nod. “And Jonagold is also your half-brother.”

The six foals looked at each other like they all just met for the first time.

“Mama,” Jasper asked, “is what Miss Twilight saying true? Ruby Dawn is my sister?”

Rarity closed her eyes tightly and nodded. “Yes, my dear.”

Jasper looked at Dawn then looked up at Twilight. “Then it’s true, isn’t it?” His face contorted into a mask of contempt. “It’s true what Diamond Tiara said, isn’t it?” He turned to his mother. “Isn’t it?” He turned back to Twilight. “If Dawn really is my sister, how can Diamond Tiara be lying? She said he didn’t care about you or Dawn! He just went away!” He dashed past Rarity and Twilight and was about to make for the door when twin flashes of blue, one trailing white and the other trailing a rainbow, zipped past the two older unicorns and tackled the fleeing foal.

“I may not be your mom,” Rainbow Dash said, annoyed, “but that doesn’t mean you get to talk to your mother or your sister’s mother like that.” Her eyes narrowed. “And don’t you ever, ever talk that way about your father.”

“Why shouldn’t I?” he spat determinedly. “He’s not even here!”

“Aunt Twi was just about to tell us,” Crystal Prism said. “Right?”

Twilight nodded. She turned to the main desk and called up her magic. A large box floated from beneath the desk and landed gently at her forelegs.

“Gather round,” she said to the children. Rainbow Dash scowled at Jasper as she forced him back on his hooves and nudged him in the direction of the forming circle. “Your mothers and I wanted to wait a little longer, but after today, I thought it was time you learned about your father.” She tipped the lid of the box away and lifted up a picture frame with herself, her friends, and a deep red unicorn colt with charcoal-black hair worn in a single braid and malachite eyes. “His name was...is...Red Zircon.”

Chapter Three: Reopening Wounds

The Truth
Chapter Three

“Red Zircon?” all the foals asked. Twilight nodded.

“What did my daddy do?” Rose Quartz asked as she stepped up to Twilight and looked at the picture frame.

“He was a jewelcrafter,” Twilight replied. “He had a little bit of a reputation for his designs and his work.”

“Really?” Rose looked up at the lavender unicorn. “Did he make necklaces?”

“He made all kinds of things, Rose,” Rarity replied. “He often went with Spike and I to mine jewels.”

Dawn looked up at her mother. “I thought you said...”

“He rented a little corner of the basement to work,” she replied, anticipating her daughter’s assumption. “Shortly after he moved here from Canterlot, he used to work from his home, but he ended up wasting the day borrowing books from the library.” She smiled inwardly, recalling his face and the many times he passed by to talk or read. “After orders for jewels and accessories started to pile up, he asked me if he could rent one part of the basement so he could work without distractions. ‘Working from home makes me lazy,’ he said.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “That sure worked, considering he was around you most days.”

Twilight looked to her pegasus friend. “He worked, Dash. Besides, if Spike and I had to leave, he volunteered to look after the library while we were gone and he managed to get some of his own work done during the quiet periods.”

Applejack grinned. “Ah don’t see why yer complainin’, Dash, when you used to come to th’ library to pretend to borrow a Daring Do book to see if’n he was workin’.”

Rainbow Dash frowned at the orange earth pony. “I did borrow a book sometimes...” she muttered.

“Did Dad go on any adventures with you, Mom?” Crystal Prism asked.

“Not really,” she replied. “He didn’t like being in the spotlight all that much.”

“He sounds kinda boring.”

Dash looked at her daughter. “He has a really good eye, though,” she countered. “Your dad used to point out slight flaws in some of my tricks, and pointed out little details that made the tricks easier or flashier.” She frowned. “Said it was part of his talent, to notice and tweak little details.”

“Mama,” Jasper spoke up, “why did he leave?”

A sudden silence, as if somepony just spoke of something taboo, hung in the air above the older mares.

“You see, Jasper,” Twilight began after a moment, “not everypony was...accepting...of the relationship your father had with all of us.”

“Some ponies in town wanted ‘im ta leave, others wanted ‘im t’ break up with us,” Applejack said flatly. “Thing is, they never told us right to our faces. They sent only yer father letters an’ threats that he hid from us.”

“Why did he do that?” Dawn asked.

“He didn’t want us to worry,” Fluttershy spoke up. “Your father never told the other townsponies about us, but they found out eventually about our relationship.”

“Even after I made a Pinkie Pie promise!” the bubbly pink earth pony chimed in, her tone slightly subdued.

“Ours...wasn’t exactly proper according to society’s standards,” Twilight said with a nod. “Nopony really saw Red Zircon for what he really was: a devoted, caring, generous pony.”

“He always made sure he didn’t favor any one of us. He spent what free time he had with us equally,” Rarity replied, a sad smile forming on her face.

“What...” Jasper couldn’t bring himself to ask the inevitable question.

“What happened to him?” Jonagold asked softly.

Rarity looked at Twilight, tears forming in her eyes. The snow-white unicorn shook her head as she turned to Applejack’s son.

“Jonagold, I...” She paused then glanced away.

“Even after six years, it still hurts,” Applejack replied. “Jonagold, Ah’ll...” She looked up at the others. “Ah’ll tell ya t’night, when the moon’s full and bright.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I will, too, Rose. I promise.”

“We all should,” Rainbow Dash agreed, her voice slightly shaky.

“It’ll make a good bedtime story,” Pinkie Pie said as she ran a hoof through her son’s hair, attempting to calm it down.

Twilight looked at the foals in front of her. “I know this is a lot to ask of you, but did you bring your music boxes?”

The children nodded. Their mothers brought them out from their saddlebags.

“I’m going to ask you to leave them here.”

“Why?” Silver Streamer asked.

“Can you fix them?” Rose asked. “Mine doesn’t even open. There’s no lock or anything.”

Twilight smiled. “It’s fine. There’s only one with a keyhole, and the pony that has the key will be coming by in a few days.” She managed a weak smile. “When that pony arrives, I’ll invite you all to come over so we can open them all together.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“Can I help you, madam...?”

“I’m here to speak to Filthy Rich,” Twilight said, trying her best to quell her anger and disgust.

“And you are...?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” she stated flatly. The butler stared down his snout at her and blinked.

“If you’ll wait just a moment, madam...” He turned around stiffly and walked back into the lavish mansion, leaving the door open for her. Twilight carefully stepped in, feeling uncomfortable, edgy, and slightly sick to her stomach.

The higher-class districts of Canterlot were well-designed and opulent, but mostly in an aesthetic, flowing fashion. Poetic, even, Twilight mused. However, Filthy Rich’s estate was littered with glass and crystal, and painted sterile white or gold. Everything about the house seemed to call out gaudy and ostentatious to her. The posts on the stairs had pieces of glass that were cut to look like diamond. The chandelier was covered with much of the same cut glass. The railing was painted gold and polished to a sheen.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Sparkle?” a voice called out to her. “Does my daughter have an overdue book, by any chance?”

Twilight looked up as Filthy Rich descended from the second floor. She could hear the condescending tone in his voice as he approached.

“I will be able to pay the fine, of course,” he said with a haughty laugh.

“Actually, I am here to talk about your daughter,” Twilight replied, “and of how she sent my daughter home to me in tears.”

Filthy winced and narrowed his eyes. “Oh? What happened?”

“Your daughter claimed that mine was a foal of a stud,” she snapped. “Now, I don’t know where she learned such language, but to say that to a child...”

“That’s because your daughter was the foal of a stud,” Filthy retorted matter-of-factly. “Doesn’t he have five other children from different mothers?”

“Yes, but...”

The brown earth pony cut her off. “Then my daughter stated a fact, nothing more.” He frowned. “It’s his fault that he couldn’t keep it in its sheath, and, quite frankly, I’m surprised that he’s able to support all six of them...” He sneered. “...Given his current situation, of course.”

Twilight’s vision immediately went red and she felt her magic beginning to boil over. “How dare you...!” She took a single step towards Filthy Rich, the entire house quaking slightly and her hoof creating a circular crack on the tiles. “After all my friends and I have done for this town and for Equestria, you dare to talk about my daughter’s father that way?” The mansion shook again as she emphasized the word ‘father’. “You and this town cast her father away, drove him from his sons and his daughters, and you expect us to just turn the other cheek and forget it ever happened?”

Despite the shaking of the mansion and her threatening stance, Filthy Rich just barely managed to stand his ground. “You’ve not said a thing for six years, Miss Sparkle. Why bring it up now?”

Twilight took another step towards the earth pony, and this time he stepped back. “Because you involved my daughter,” she answered in a seething tone, “and you involved Applejack’s son...his son and his daughter. Your daughter insulted their father to their faces. I’m sure that you’d not want the entire town to hear that you’re nothing more than an ignorant, heartless colt that teaches their foal that it’s fine to call other ponies insulting, slandering names to another foal’s face. A word in the right ear from myself or any of my friends could very well mean the end of your business.”

Filthy Rich bristled. “Are you threatening me, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yes, I am,” Twilight replied. “You keep your daughter away from mine. One thing you should have learned by now is that I’m very defensive of my friends, and very defensive of my family.” She stepped closer to him again and brought her face right up to his. “Neither I nor my friends were able to defend Red Zircon when he needed us most, and for six years this entire town thought it better to forget he even existed. Now that my foal and her half-siblings know who their father is, I don’t doubt that they will want him back.” She turned to leave. “This time, if, no, when he returns, I’ll be able to defend him, defend my family, and defend his family.”

Chapter Four: Revealing History

The Truth
Chapter Four

Crystal Prism opened the door to her bedroom in her and her mother’s cloud home just outside Ponyville.

“Come on, kiddo,” Rainbow Dash said, trying to sound lighthearted. “Time for bed.”

The young pegasus stopped at her bed and turned around. “Mom, you promised that you’d tell me about what happened to Dad.”

Rainbow recoiled slightly before closing her eyes and nodding. “You’re right. I did promise.” She walked up to her daughter. “Go on, get into bed and I’ll tell you.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“So what did happen to Pop?”

“Don’t get impatient, ya little whippersnapper,” Applejack replied with a slightly forced chuckle. “Now, ya remember that yer pop didn’t tell us ‘bout those letters or threats that the other ponies in town used ta send ‘im?”

Jonagold nodded. “Well, one of ‘em threatened ta git the Princesses involved...”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“...The Princesses?” Rose asked. “But the Princesses like you, don’t they? Why did you not want them to know about Dad?”

Fluttershy stroked her daughter’s charcoal-black mane with a hoof. “Actually, the Princesses knew about your father and met with him personally. From what your father told us, Princess Celestia told him to be discreet, otherwise if other ponies knew and asked her to do something about it, her hooves would be tied.”

“What about Princess Luna?”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“Your daddy told us that Princess Luna wasn’t too happy about it.”

“But Princess Luna likes you and Aunt Twilight and the others!” Silver Streamer said. “Princess Luna didn’t like Dad?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Princess Luna thought that your daddy was crazy.”

“Like oatmeal?”

Pinkie smiled thinly. “No, my little Streamer, not as bad as oatmeal.” She looked away for a moment. “You know what your Auntie Twilight said earlier today about the feelings your daddy had for all of us?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, most ponies thought it was okey-dokey-lokey if your daddy only had feelings for one pony. But Daddy didn’t want to hurt any of our feelings because we all liked him, just like he liked all of us.”

Silver nodded in understanding. “So all of you would be happy, right?”

Pinkie nodded. “Mm-hmm!”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“So then what happened?”

“Your father was content to keep it to himself. He just went about his business if he wasn’t looking after us,” Rarity replied. “I remember because he went to check on me one afternoon. You see, from what we were told, he received the threat to get the Princesses involved when we were already pregnant with you and your siblings.”

Jasper nodded. “So Dad didn’t think he would actually get in trouble?”

Rarity huffed. “I don’t know, my dear, but I honestly wouldn’t put it past him to think that way.”

“So then what happened?”

“Well, nothing really happened until the night you all were born...”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“What happened?”

“The night you were born, he visited all of us,” Twilight replied. “Apparently, I was the last of us he visited. We gave you your name, and he gave me your music box.” She closed her eyes as tears started to well up in them.

“Mom...?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, it’s okay,” she said with a sniff. “Anyway, he told me that the music box was for you, and that it would only open when all six of you had your music boxes together and had the key.”

“Why didn’t Dad let you keep the key?”

“I don’t know. He never told me,” she replied. “Anyway, that night, he told me that somepony actually went through with that threat about getting the Princesses involved.”

Dawn’s eyes widened in shock. “But you said that Princess Celestia said that if somepony found out...”

Twilight nodded gravely. “It wasn’t during the day that your father was sent away, Dawn.” She nodded again as her daughter mentally put two and two together.

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“Oh no!” Rose cried out. “You said that Princess Luna didn’t like Daddy!”

Fluttershy nodded. “She came to Ponyville that night with her full Lunar Guard.”

Rose paled. “What happened, Mama...? Did they...?”

“Oh, no!” Fluttershy replied quickly. “No, they didn’t hurt your father, though they did surround the hospital with whoever brought it to the Princess’ attention.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“That must have been scary!”

Pinkie pressed her lips into a thin line. “He asked the doctors to make sure we were sleeping. I don’t think he wanted us to get scared because that would have made you scared, and then we’d all be scared, and then it would have been worse than oatmeal!”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“So he got sent away by the Lunar Guard?”

Applejack shook her head. “Nope. From what we were told, there was a big witch-hunt type’a crowd goin’ on in Ponyville Square, complete with torches an’ pitchforks. The Lunar Guard just dragged ‘im there while Princess Luna called ‘im out on ‘is relationship with us.”

“So the whole town found out?”

Applejack nodded. “Yeah. The townsponies were not happy.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“What did Princess Luna do?”

“She asked if he wanted to deny the claim. We were told that he didn’t. With our secret out, he wasn’t going to deny it.”

“I guess the entire town didn’t like it?”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “The entire town was in an uproar! They wanted him banished from Equestria!”

Crystal gasped. “Is that what Princess Luna did?”

Ranbow Dash lowered her head. “No...”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“The pony that threatened to tell Princess Luna suggested something worse.”

“What did the Princess do, Mama?”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“She banished him to the moon.”

Dawn sat up in bed in complete shock. She threw her covers aside and flew to the window. The moon was bright, whiter than fresh paper and larger than a dinner plate.

“Is it true, Mom? Dad’s been on the moon for six years?”

Twilight nodded as she approached her daughter. “Every night for six years whenever the moon is full, I look up hoping that your father would be looking down at us.” Twilight nudged her daughter with a hoof. “Come on, Dawn, let’s get you to bed.”

Dawn looked up at her mother, a pained expression on her face and tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked back to the moon.

“Dawn...”

“I know, Mom,” Dawn said. She closed her eyes. “Good night, Dad,” she said in a low voice.

“Good night, Daddy!”

The distant voice shattering the tranquility of the night brought Ruby Dawn from her thoughts.

“That must have been Silver Streamer,” Dawn said with a smile.

Twilight nodded with a small laugh and a shake of her head. “That’s Pinkie’s son.” She turned back to her daughter. “Come on, Dawn, into bed.”

This time Dawn didn’t fight, but instead got into bed as Twilight used her magic to tuck her daughter in.

“Try to get some sleep,” she whispered. Dawn nodded and closed her eyes, turning away from her mother. The lavender unicorn walked back to the window and stared out at the moon.

“Good night, Zircon,” she whispered.

I'll admit, I've got mixed feelings about how this chapter turned out. I wanted to have a sort-of synchronized feel, like in television where several people are telling the exact same story at the exact same time and it cuts from one character to the other. I don't think I pulled it off very well, and I might edit it if I get a better idea on how to write this chapter out. I'm sure y'all have been wondering what exactly happened to our main character, so here we are. As always, concrit (constructive criticism) is always appreciated.

Chapter Five: Re-Attempting Routine

The Truth
Chapter Five

Twilight stared at the letter in front of her. She received it the day after she asked Spike to send it out, and that was almost a week ago.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

I don’t want to sound like a Bling Bitch, but I haven’t heard from you in three years. I know that you and I know each other through Red, but even though he’s gone, it’d be nice to hear from you without it involving him.

Tavi and I have been pretty busy lately (I’m actually writing this from Torontrot. I didn’t know that ponies in Caneighda knew of me!), and won’t be back in Canterlot until a few days from now. She’s got a gig not too far from where I am, some city called Saint Cantering’s. She has two more shows left and then we’re heading back home. Tell the others that Tavi and I send our love, and we’ll be there as soon as possible.

I want you to cheer up, Twi. Red was is a tough pup of a Bling Bitch, and I’m sure that he would want you to be strong for him, too. I know the six of you are pretty bummed about having to dredge up all the drama regarding Red, but better now that the kids are still young rather than when they’re older colts and fillies. I shudder to think what kind of manure-disturber AJ’s foal would turn out to be if he found about this as a teenager.

We’ll be over in a few days, babe. Be patient, and say ‘hi’ to the kids for us (not that they know who we really are).

-- Scratch

Wearily, Twilight put the letter back down on her bed and went downstairs to the library. Spike heard her hoofsteps on the stairs and he looked up at her with concern.

“You sure you’re okay, Twi?” he asked. She looked at him with a tired smile. He was slightly taller than her now, his ‘baby’ fat gone and his body growing lanky and slender. His tail was a little longer than hers and his spikes and scales were well-groomed and shiny. If there was one thing he kept from when he was still infatuated with Rarity, it was taking care of himself, she mused.

“I think I’ll be okay, Spike,” she replied. “I think I need to do some work to get my mind off things.”

Spike looked at her dubiously but nodded. He handed her a list. “I’ve done about half of the things on this list for you. You should follow Vinyl’s advice and cheer up, or at least take it easy.”

“I’ll be fine, Spike,” she said.

“Twi, that night you told Dawn about Zircon...” His shoulders slumped. “You haven’t cried yourself to sleep on the balcony for three years. I’m worried.”

Twilight frowned. “Dawn will be home soon, Spike. I already have you worrying about me. I don’t need her worrying, too.” She gestured to the door. “Go on, do whatever you want or need to do. I can take care of the library for a while.”

“If you say so, Twi,” he said warily. He put a claw to his lips in thought. “Did you want me to pick up something for dinner? Semolina’s got a sale on lasagna pasta. I can whip something up for you and Dawn tonight, if you want.”

Twilight walked up to her number one assistant and nuzzled him warmly. “That’d be great, Spike. Thank you.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“Thanks for walking me home, guys,” Crystal said as she, Silver Streamer and Rose Quartz approached her cloud home. “Mom’s been feeling really down since she told me about Dad.”

“I think all our moms have been feeling sad,” Silver Streamer said with a nod. “I mean, Daddy really cared about my mom and your mom.” She looked to Rose. “Your mom, too, Rose.”

“I know,” Rose replied. “I mean, Mom’s been more quiet than usual, and she’s been going to see Aunt Rarity a lot, lately.”

“I kinda feel bad for Jasper and Dawn,” Crystal said. “I mean, I know my mom’s been sad, but I think that Aunt Rarity and Aunt Twilight have been taking it the worst. Dawn told me that Uncle Spike’s been looking after the library for the past week, and that her mom’s barely been out of bed.”

“Jasper’s pretty much told me the same thing about Aunt Rarity,” Rose said with a nod. “I guess it’s because Aunt Rarity and Aunt Twilight have so much in common with Dad.”

“But he liked the others, too!” Silver Streamer argued.

“I never said that he didn’t like your mom or my mom Aunt Applejack or Aunt Dash any less, Streamer,” Rose countered, “just that Dad liked to read, and he worked with jewels every day. A lot of his interests kinda mixed with Dawn’s mom's and Jasper’s mom's.”

“I guess you’re right...” Streamer said glumly.

“I’m sure that Dad liked to have a party, too,” Crystal said. “You should ask your mom if he did.”

His hair spiked up for a brief moment. “Good idea! I’ll do that now!” With that, he bounded in the direction of Sugarcube Corner.

“My mom says that he’s really like his mother. He’s really all over the place,” Rose said with a wry grin.

Crystal followed her half-sister’s gaze and looked at the bouncing unicorn as he crested a hill in the direction of Ponyville proper. “He is like his mom. He really knows how to cheer ponies up. Just yesterday, Jasper was kinda down and he split one of the cupcakes his mom made with him.”

“That’s nice,” Rose said as she flapped her wings, elevating herself up to the front door of Crystal’s cloud house.

“Mom! I’m home!” Crystal called out. When there was no response, she looked around. On the cloud-table beside the couch there was a small note.

Will be going to the library right after work. Get your homework done.

Luv ya!

-- Mom

Crystal grinned at the note and turned to her half-sister. “Do you know if the new Daring Do book is out yet?”

Rose Quartz shook her head. “No, it’s not.”

Crystal’s face fell. “I guess she went to check on Aunt Twi.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“I’m home!” Jonagold called out as he opened the door to the farmhouse.

“Out back, Jonagold!” he heard a voice call out. It was his aunt Apple Bloom. He shuffled out from underneath the strap of his saddlebags and trotted to the kitchen.

“Hi, Great-Granny Smith!”

“Hmm?” She turned to see her great-grandson. “Oh, hey there, sonny.”

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s seein’ t’ yer Aunt Rarity,” the elderly mare replied. “Been takin’ the past week hard, that’un.”

“Aunt Rarity?” He wheeled around and bolted back towards the front door only to pummel into a giant, muscled field of red. He fell back onto his flank with a ‘whoof’ and looked up to see the stoic face of his uncle.

“Oh, uh...” He grinned sheepishly. “Hey, Uncle Mac.”

“You just stay right here, Jonagold,” the large workhorse said. “If yer mother needs ya, she’ll come back fer ya.”

“But Uncle Mac...” Jonagold began to whine.

“No buts, mister,” Big Macintosh said. “You stay here and git yer homework done.”

“Can Auntie Bloom help?”

“You don’t worry ‘bout Apple Bloom none,” Granny Smith replied. “Come on, ya li’l whippersnapper. You go git started on yer homework. Ah reckon Ah kin help ya a bit.” She turned from the stove to her grandson. “Mac, you finish mixin’ these here fer me, wouldja?”

“Eeyup.”

“Is anypony home?”

The three present members of the Apple Family looked up to see a young deep-red colt with a spiky black mane.

“Yer Rarity’s boy, ain’tcha?” Granny Smith said, narrowing her eyes to see the newcomer better.

“Yes, Miss Granny Smith,” Jasper replied. “Is Jonagold in?”

“What’s up, Jasper? How’s your mom?”

“Your mom and Rose’s mom are looking after her. Aunt Fluttershy says she broke down during their weekly spa appointment.”

The three Apples gasped. “How is she?”

“I dunno. Aunt Fluttershy sent Aunt Sweetie Belle to look after her animals, and your mom told me to come here for a while. She said she’ll come pick us up after Mama’s calmed down.”

“Good, now Ah figger Ah kin help the both of you with yer schoolwork,” Granny Smith said with an endearing smile. “‘Cept fer math. Ah hated them numbers. Confusin’ as hay, they were...”

Big Mac chuckled. “Granny, why don’cha let me help Jon and Jasper with their homework. I’ve already finished most of my chores fer th’ day. I can spare a few minutes.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

The train slowed to a stop in Ponyville station. A unicorn with wild, two-toned electric blue hair and a gray earth pony with black hair emerged from the mist as the train let out a blast of steam.

“Been too long, huh, Tavi?”

The earth pony nodded silently.

“Oh, come on, lighten up! You said that you were okay knowing I was still friends with...”

“Red Zircon, yes,” Octavia said, “With Twilight Sparkle and the others, however...”

Vinyl Scratch lifted a hoof to the earth pony’s cheek. “Hey, if you recall, they’ve got kids. Right now, I’m not ready to have my own, so don’t think I’m gonna leave you for any of ‘em.” She turned away. “Although, Twilight did sound kinda lonely when she sent me that letter...”

“Vinyl!” Octavia nearly shouted, glaring at her marefriend. Upon seeing her unicorn lover’s wide grin, she couldn’t help but muster a small smile of her own.

“You’re so easy to rile up, you know that?” The white unicorn asked, kissing her lover on the cheek. “Come on, let’s go see Twilight and then find a place to stay for the next couple of days. If Red’s place hasn’t been sold yet, maybe we can crash there.”

“Isn’t that inappropriate?” Octavia asked incredulously as the two of them left the platform.

“Nah,” Vinyl said dismissively, waving a hoof. “Twilight and the others may agree with you, but Red didn’t give a spit. He lived a lot closer to Canterlot’s underground district than I did, so we agreed that I wasn’t an unwelcome guest if he woke up and I was passed out on his couch.” Her expression turned serious. “Besides, I’ve got a feeling that none of them have been to his house since before the kids were born. I owe it to him to tidy his place up a bit.”

As they left the train station and walked along the main district, they happened to pass by a pink pony with a fuchsia mane and tail, followed by a small gray unicorn with a spiky, charcoal-black mane. As they pranced happily down the road, the unicorn suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and his mane seemed to twitch three times. Vinyl noticed his back right hoof twitch slightly.

“Mom?” he called out, seemingly afraid to move.

Pinkie Pie turned to regard her son casually. “What’s up?”

“What does it mean when your mane twitches three times and your back right hoof goes all wiggly?”

Pinkie thought about it for a moment as she backtracked to her son. “Oh! That means you get to meet an old friend.” As she explained the peculiar combination of twitches and wiggles, she stopped dead in her tracks, right in front of Vinyl and Octavia, and her mane twitched three times. Vinyl grinned. ...And a wiggly back right hoof, she thought.

Pinkie’s slate blue eyes immediately turned to Vinyl and Octavia.

“Hey,” Vinyl said with a knowing grin. In response, Pinkie’s eyes grew wide. She leapt up in the air and gasped in surprise. Without touching the ground, she immediately turned around and shot off in the direction of the Ponyville Library. Octavia noted, with some concern, that Pinkie Pie hadn’t touched the ground at all.

“Do you guys know my mommy?”

Vinyl chuckled. “Yeah, we do,” she replied. “We also know your dad. I’m Vinyl Scratch. We were just going to see your Aunt Twilight. You wanna come with?”

Silver Streamer smiled brightly as his mane stiffened with excitement. “Sure!” In a gray blur, he was already on Vinyl’s back, staring happily at Octavia. “I’m Silver Streamer. What’s your name?”

Octavia gave the unicorn a warm smile. “My name’s Octavia. It’s a...pleasure to meet you, Silver Streamer.”

As they walked, Silver Streamer launched into high-speed speech very similar to that of her mother. “It’s good to meet you, too, Miss Octavia! You’re gonna see Aunt Twilight? She’s so cool! She lives in a library with tons of books! And her daughter Ruby Dawn is my half-sister! It’s so awesome! I never thought I’d have a brother or a sister, but now I have three half-sisters and two half-brothers! And now I have more uncles and aunts, too...!”

Chapter Six: Coming Together

The Truth
Chapter Six

The bell over the door jingled as the door to the library opened. Twilight was levitating a book onto a higher shelf when she turned to greet the guests.

“Wel...” Her voice trailed off from the shock. Her magic dissipated and the book landed on the floor with a muted thud.

“Aunt Twilight! Aunt Twilight!” Silver Streamer shouted as he vaulted off the white unicorn’s back and zipped right up to her, jumping on her own back and launching into rapid-fire speech. “Guess what, guess what! Mommy’s Pinkie Sense went off! My mane wiggled three times and my back right hoof was all wiggly! I asked Mom what it meant, and then her mane wiggled three times and her back right hoof went all wiggly! Yeah! And it happened in front of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia! And then Vinyl said ‘Hey’, and then Mom was all...” He gasped loudly, imitating his mother perfectly. “...And then she ran away! She probably went to tell everypony that Vinyl Scratch and Octavia were here! And then Vinyl Scratch introduced herself! She said that she knew you and that she knew Daddy! And then Octavia introduced herself and...”

Twilight, finally coming out of her shock, gently put the tip of her hoof to Streamer’s mouth without breaking eye contact with Vinyl Scratch. “Thank you, Streamer,” she said. She approached the pair with Silver Streamer still on her back, the gray foal silent though his slate blue eyes and his spiked-up mane betrayed his excitement.

“Twilight, it’s been a while,” Vinyl said slowly.

Twilight gathered the white unicorn into a slightly awkward embrace. “It has, Vinyl,” she said. “It’s good to see you.” She turned to the gray earth pony. “Octavia, it’s good to see you too.” She gathered her up in an embrace as well.

“Err, good to see you, too, Twilight,” Octavia said uncomfortably. As Twilight released Octavia from her hug, she heard the sound of hooves on the stairs.

“Mom? Who’s at the door?”

“Pup of a...!” Vinyl lowered her shades as she stared slack-jawed at Twilight’s daughter. “Is that...?”

“My daughter, Ruby Dawn,” Twilight answered. “Dawn, this is Vinyl Scratch. She was friends with your father before he moved to Ponyville.”

“Celestia Almighty!” Her shades still lowered, she trotted up to Dawn as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “You look just like your old man!”

Dawn looked up at her curiously. “Really?”

Vinyl readjusted her shades. “You even wear his hair like he does.” She chuckled. “I kept telling him that a braid doesn’t look good on him, but you pull it off nicely.”

Dawn blushed. “Thank you, Miss Vinyl.”

Vinyl scrunched her nose. “Don’t ‘miss’ me, kid,” she said lightly. “Doesn’t suit me.” She turned to her marefriend. “Tavi, though, you can call her ‘miss’ all you like.” She playfully put on a regal air, half-closing her eyes and raising a foreleg. “She’s the refined, genteel one,” she said in a playful, faked snobbish tone, wobbling her head to and fro as she talked.

Octavia narrowed her eyes and frowned as Dawn giggled. “Oh, stop, you’re going to be a bad influence on the girl.” The gray earth pony looked at Dawn. “My name is Octavia, dear, but Tavi is fine.”

Dawn bowed slightly. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Tavi.”

Vinyl snorted nasally, trying to stifle a laugh as Ocatvia glared at her again. She rolled her eyes away and turned to Twilight.

“I’m assuming that everypony should be here soon?” the lavender unicorn asked.

Vinyl shrugged as she used her magic to take off her shades and put them in one of her saddlebags. “With Pinkie knowing we’re here, yeah.”

As if on cue, the library door opened and a small crowd of familiar faces walked through. All the older mares gasped in shock when Twilight’s guests turned to greet them.

“Hey, girls,” the white unicorn said with a lopsided grin.

“Hello, Vinyl,” Fluttershy said. The yellow pegasus, much to everypony’s surprise, was the first to greet the white unicorn and gather her into a hug. She turned to Octavia and embraced her as well. The others followed suit and exchanged embraces with the guests.

“Now that you’re all here, maybe I can meet the rest of the brood?”

“Do you have to put it that way?” Octavia asked.

“Tavi, you really need to lighten up,” Vinyl said, giving her friend a sidelong glance as she looked at each of the other four foals present. She turned to Jasper. “Huh. You look just like your Dad, except for the hair and eyes.”

“My name’s Jasper,” the deep red unicorn said shyly.

“My name’s Rose Quartz.” The yellow pegasus bowed her head slightly.

“I’m Crystal Prism.”

“I’m Jonagold!” the peach-colored earth pony exclaimed.

Vinyl smiled brightly. “Awesome to meet all of ya. I’m Vinyl Scratch and this is my friend, Octavia.”

“Nice to meet all of you,” she said.

“Is Miss Scratch the pony that has the key to the music boxes, Aunt Twilight?” Rose asked. “Because you said last week...”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, she is.”

Vinyl leaned closer to Octavia. “Cuts right to the chase, doesn’t she?”

“Can we open the music boxes, please, Aunt Twilight?” Crystal Prism asked. “Mine never opened, and I wanna know what song it’ll play.”

Twilight turned to Vinyl, who just smiled knowingly.

“That’s why we’re here, ain’t it?”

Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the white unicorn’s laid back attitude. “Spike?”

The young dragon emerged from the basement. “Yeah?”

“You’ll need to lock up for the rest of the night,” she said.

Spike frowned. “Why...?” He looked around and noticed the two newcomers. “Oh.” Without another word, he strode over to the front door and locked it, switched the ‘open’ sign around and started to close up the curtains.

“Curtains...?” Applejack asked.

“Considering none of us knew exactly what Red was up to, you don’t want to take any chances alerting the town, do you?” Vinyl asked. Applejack shrugged as Spike ran up the stairs to Twilight’s room and came down a moment later with the six music boxes cradled in his arms. He gently put them on the floor in front of Twilight.

As Twilight looked at each music box, her friends and their children slowly started to form a circle around them. Each music box had a series of tabs and slots, each shaped like an Element of Harmony.

“Hey, Mom,” Dawn said, tapping a hoof on her mother’s shoulder. “Look, mine has two tabs shaped like six-pointed stars.” She picked up the music box with a red crystal shaped like a lightning bolt embedded on the top. “This one has a slot shaped like a six-pointed star on this side, and a tab shaped like a tiny lightning bolt on the front.” She took a closer look. “It looks like there’s a hole shaped like a little butterfly on it.”

“Hey! Mine has a hole shaped like a six-pointed star on one side, too!” Rose exclaimed. “Except mine has a hole shaped like a lightning bolt and a tab shaped like a butterfly.”

Twilight smiled as she watched her daughter waste no time. The young unicorn attached the three music boxes together.

“Jasper, Crystal, come on! Help us put them together!” Dawn said.

“I wanna help!” Silver Streamer said excitedly. Dawn nodded and waved him closer. The other foals closed around the music boxes and after a few moments they had all six of them connected perfectly in a triangular shape, Dawn’s connected to Crystal’s and Rose’s, and theirs connected with Silver Streamer’s, Jasper’s and Jonagold’s.

“We did it!” Silver Streamer exclaimed. He bounded over to his mother, who immediately gave him a high-hoof that he had to jump to connect with.

“Miss Vinyl, do you have the key?” Crystal Prism asked excitedly.

Vinyl Scratch nodded silently and called up her magic. A single key with a hexagonal blood-red gemstone on its bow floated from one of her saddlebags and zipped into the air, its other end sliding into the keyhole.

“Anypony care to do the honors?” Vinyl asked. She glanced at Twilight.

“No, I couldn’t,” Twilight replied. She looked down at the children. “One of you should. They’re your music boxes after all.”

The foals all stared at each other for a brief moment.

“Crystal, you do it,” Rose urged.

“Can I?” Jonagold asked.

“I think Dawn should do it,” Streamer replied. “Her box is the one that has the keyhole.”

“But that’s not fair!” Jonagold said loudly. “I wanna do it!”

A dark red hoof on Jonagold’s shoulder silenced the peach-colored earth pony. “I want to, too, Jonagold,” Jasper said, “but Streamer’s right.” He looked at his half-sister and nodded. Dawn, suddenly feeling self-conscious, summoned her magic and turned the key.

With a unified ‘click’, all six music boxes swung open facing towards each other. The foals jumped back in surprise and stared warily at their combined mementos.

“There’s nothing,” Crystal said. “It’s just a white block in each box.”

Twilight looked over the foals’ shoulders and her eyes suddenly went wide. “Milky quartz?”

Without warning, and before Twilight could elaborate at her surprise, all six blocks of milky quartz flashed brightly. Everypony shielded their eyes as the harsh glare of white light dimmed to a more tolerable level, and the slow tinkling of a piano began to play.

Jonagold was the first to lower his foreleg and saw a small image of a female unicorn using her magic to play a piano fade into view just above the blocks of gemstone. He glanced at Streamer and nudged him with an elbow. When the gray unicorn looked at his half-brother, the peach-colored earth pony pointed his hoof at the holographic image. As the song continued to play, everypony else lowered their hooves and stared in awe at the floating image.

The image of the unicorn playing the piano spun once slowly as a deeper piano accompaniment began. Twilight chanced a glance at her friends. All of their attention was focused on the floating image of the female unicorn and the hauntingly sad tune she played. Pinkie and Fluttershy had tears welling up in their eyes, and she could see Rainbow Dash fighting back her own tears. Rarity snapped her eyes shut and turned away as the sound of violins slowly rose.

The lavender unicorn looked down to see two earth ponies, one male and one female, playing violins fade into view on either side of the piano-playing unicorn. They swayed in time with the movement of their bows, their eyes closed as they took in the music and let it flow through them.

Twilight could suddenly taste salt on her lips and she realized she was crying. Zircon... she thought as she put a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder. Dawn glanced up at her mother briefly before turning back to the music boxes.

“Mama...” she heard Jasper whisper. Twilight looked up to see him embrace his mother. Rarity sniffled and whispered an apology before turning to look back at the floating images.

She heard another sniffle, and Twilight turned to see Vinyl lean her head against Octavia, shamelessly letting her tears fall. The gray earth pony kept a stoic face, but Twilight could tell she was being strong for her marefriend.

“Damn him...” she heard Octavia mutter.

A flicker of movement out of the corner of Twilight’s eye caught her attention and she looked over to see Jonagold whirl around and press his face against his mother, crying into her chest. Applejack tenderly wrapped a foreleg around his shoulders and lowered her head in a comforting embrace, her stetson slowly slipping off her head and falling to the floor.

“Ah know, Jonagold,” Applejack said in a low voice as the music suddenly paused. In that single moment, all eyes in the room turned back to the music boxes as the female unicorn slowly played the final notes of the song. All three musicians turned and face the direction of Dawn’s music box and bowed silently. Still bowed, they faded from view, and another image flickered in their place. A male unicorn stallion with a deep red coat, malachite-green eyes, a black soul patch and a black mane worn in a braid stood in the center of the triangle of music boxes, facing the same direction as the musicians did before they faded away.

“Daddy...?” Dawn and Rose asked in unison, their voices shaky.

“Zircon?” Rarity blurted out.

“Hey, kids,” Red Zircon's image said.

I feel that this could be a teensy bit better, but until I figure it out, I'm somewhat satisfied with the result. Concrit is welcome, and don't hesitate to be brutal.

Chapter Seven: Meeting Father

The Truth
Chapter Seven

“Hey, kids,” Red Zircon’s image said. “I think it’s already a given that if you’re seeing this, somepony that threatened me actually pulled it off. Also, the six of you have realized that you’re all brothers and sisters to each other and put the music boxes together.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since you were born, but I want all of you to know that, wherever I am, and I’m sure I’m still alive, not a day goes by that I miss you and your mothers with all of my heart. I knew the risks when I made my decision. I even told Princess Celestia myself. She then warned me that if somepony were to tell her or Princess Luna about my relationship with each of your mothers and asked that something be done, their hooves would be tied and they would have no choice but to, well...do something about it.

“It doesn’t matter,” the image of Red Zircon said with a shake of his head. “The love I share with your parents is one of the greatest things to happen in my life. I’d risk it all again in a heartbeat knowing that even if I’m gone, I at least left some part of me with them. That’s you.”

Red Zircon’s image sighed. “I don’t know how much you know of the reasons behind my not being here but basically someponies in town somehow found out that I was close to each of your mothers, which in normal society, is a big no-no. I started to receive threats and warnings asking me to leave Ponyville or date only one of your parents, but I couldn’t do either of those things, so I did the only thing that I wanted and could do: ignore them and keep them out of sight of your mothers.” He paused for a moment and his face changed into one of determination. “Why? The threats never mentioned Applejack, Fluttershy, or any of the others, specifically. They were only aimed at and addressed to me.

“The other reason I never told them is because had one of any of your mothers found the letters, I thought it would cause no end of trouble for them, and I didn’t want that, not for anypony. And it wouldn’t just be a huge scandal, but it would probably force the ponies in town to choose between me being with your mothers and siding with us, or me breaking the hearts of mares I care about the most and siding with everypony that anonymously sent me a threat of warning, which I think would end up being most of the town. Your mothers have their homes and they have friends here, and after all they've done, none of them deserve to be frowned on for loving the same stallion.”

Red Zircon’s image took a breath. “Anyway, what’s done is done, and the fact still remains that I’m not here, and I’m not sure if I can or will be allowed to return. I want you to do a few things for me, kids. The first thing is to make your mothers happy, just as happy as they made me, and hopefully, just as happy as I made them. I also want you to be the best ponies that you can be. Do your best in everything you do, just as your mothers do, and just as I did before I was sent away.”

Red Zircon’s image looked higher up, seemingly at the older mares present. “I expect all of you to be looking over the foals’ shoulders, don’t even try to deny it. The eight of you, that’s right, even you, Scratch, and you, Tavi, have done so much for me, and I can’t thank you enough for giving me your friendship and love.” A playful grin tugged at his lips. “Scratch, I think my life in Canterlot would have been a lot more dull without you, the music, the, well...” He rolled his eyes. “...you know. What we had was just as special to me as what I have with Twilight and the others. I’m glad that we remained friends even after we decided to break it off. Thanks for holding on to the key.”

The image of Red Zircon hung his head for a while and sighed once more. He lifted his head. “There’s so much more that I want to say, and yet it feels like I’ve said everything that needs saying. Knowing and befriending your mothers was a gift, and knowing the six of you are running around is another. You kids be good, look after your parents, and don’t cause too much trouble, okay?”

He perked up. “Oh, before I forget, now that the music boxes have been unlocked, they can play on their own when you press down on the block of quartz. The message will play if you tap it twice.”

His lips straightened into a thin line, and he closed his eyes. “As I said, be good, look after your mothers, don’t cause too much trouble, and do your homework.” He cast a brief, mischievous grin. “I love you all.” He bowed, and the image flickered and faded away.

Nopony spoke for a long while until Dawn turned around and looked up at Twilight, tears in her eyes, but beneath them was a determination that Twilight knew she wouldn’t be able to stop if she tried.

“Mama,” she said her voice shaky but at the same time full of conviction, “I want Daddy to come home.”

Chapter Nine: Weighing Options

The Truth
Chapter Nine

Luna couldn’t help but stare at the waning moon as she finished dotting the night sky with stars. She sighed, her mind and heart at odds with each other. I feel like I made a mistake, she mused, a mistake that cost six children their father, and six of my friends their lover. She shook her head. And with Celly telling me of her own relationship, I feel even more the fool...

“A bit for your thoughts, Lu?”

Luna whirled around to see Celestia, devoid of all of her regal adornments.

“What are you doing not wearing your crown?” she asked incredulously.

Celestia smiled her usual enigmatic smile. “I’ll seem biased,” she replied cryptically. “Tonight, I’m not a Princess. I’m merely a supporter of Red Zircon and the Elements of Harmony.”

Luna frowned. “That’s not fair, Celestia,” she snapped. “Don’t join them. I already feel like a fool, like I made the biggest mistake of my life.”

“You didn’t,” Celestia said, her voice firm yet gentle. “Did anypony that supported Red Zircon voice their objections when you passed judgment on him?”

“No.”

“You said to me two days ago that, had Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony been there, they wouldn’t have hesitated to voice their objections?”

Luna nodded. “Yes, though I don’t see where you’re going with this.”

“Luna, the Elements of Harmony, their children, and Red Zircon’s other friends and supporters are arriving as we speak, not to fault you for the decision you made, but to ask for you to bring him home. As I said before, you did what you felt to be right. Nopony questioned your decision and actions then, and I’m sure nopony will question your decision and actions now.” Celestia smiled. “Though, if anypony did question you tonight, I don’t think they’d be leaving the palace unscathed.”

Luna nodded solemnly. “I hope you’re right, Celly.”

Celestia strode up to her sister and nuzzled her reassuringly. “Lu, you’ll do fine.” She closed her eyes and summoned her magic. In a blinding flash, she had transformed into a more pony-proportioned alicorn mare with a pastel-pink mane and tail. She looked at her wings, and her horn glowed. Three yellow bands of magic gently wrapped themselves around her torso, and her wings disappeared from view. “Come. Your Court awaits.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“You okay, Mom?”

Twilight snapped out of her reverie and looked down at her daughter. “I’m fine, Dawn. It’s just...it’s been a long while since I’ve had to attend court.”

“You’ve been here before, Aunt Twilight?” Crystal Prism asked. “This place is huge!”

“I used to live in the castle, Crystal,” Twilight answered. “I was Princess Celestia’s private pupil, you know.”

Silver Streamer looked up at Twilight with wide eyes. “No way!”

“We’ve been to the castle before too, Streamer,” Pinkie said. “Of course, not everypony was happy about that afterward.”

“You talking about the Gala?” Rainbow Dash asked. She shook her head. “Oh, Celestia, that was a disaster.”

“Umm...” Applejack, who had been at the front of their little group, abruptly stopped. “Twi, there s’posed t’be Lunar Court tonight?”

“No. Princess Luna specifically said in her letter that she wouldn’t be holding it tonight. Why?”

Applejack pointed a hoof at the towering double doors leading to the throne room. “Look.”

Twilight and the others looked to see the doors open and a moderately-sized crowd of ponies walking into the throne room. Without a word to the others, Twilight split off from the group and trotted over to the closest brown-coated unicorn guard.

“Lady Sparkle,” the guard said stoically. Twilight quickly looked him over, noticing the red star on the center of his breastplate that denoted him as a Lieutenant.

“What’s going on here, Lieutenant? I thought Princess Luna said she wasn’t holding Lunar Court this evening.”

The guard looked down at her and smiled. “That’s correct. She’s not holding Lunar Court this evening.”

“Then why are all these ponies here?”

“Twilight Sparkle?” a familiar voice popped up behind her. She whirled around to see a familiar white unicorn with a powder-blue mane and tail.

“Fancy Pants!” she exclaimed in surprise as the others caught up to her. “What are you doing here?”

“Showing my support for a colleague of mine,” Fancy Pants replied. A slender and striking white unicorn mare with a cotton candy-pink mane and tail strode up to him. Another slender unicorn mare, her coat a light russet and her ponytailed mane and braided tail cinnamon red, took her place at his other side. “Fleur-de-Lis, you remember Lady Twilight Sparkle and her friends.”

She nodded. “Indeed. It was at your garden party.”

“You’ve not met my other partner, Cinnamon Hearts,” Fancy Pants said. He turned to her. “This is Lady Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal student. She’s the librarian in Ponyville and a dear friend of mine. These are her close friends, and their...” He shook his head in surprise. “...Children?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. “We were asked to come to the castle this evening. Everypony in Ponyville that supported our relationship with Red Zircon...”

Fancy Pants held up a hoof at the name. “Pardon a moment, but you know Red Zircon?”

“Yes,” she answered again. “Ruby Dawn, my daughter, is Red Zircon’s foal. Red Zircon was in a relationship with all of us. Our children are his.”

Fancy Pants stared in abject shock at Twilight and the others, his monocle falling from in front of his eye. “My word,” he muttered in shock. Replacing his monocle with his magic, he looked down at Dawn. “My word, indeed. You even wear his hair like he does.”

Dawn smiled shyly. “So I’ve been told, sir.”

“Umm, excuse me,” a quiet voice piped up. All eyes turned to look at Fluttershy. “Umm...how exactly do you know Red Zircon, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Fancy Pants laughed lightly. “I don’t mind at all, my dear. I’m actually one of Red Zircon’s best customers, as well as his best source of referrals.” His expression darkened suddenly. “When I heard about the news during a function I attended, I must say that I was quite curious as to why he was sent off. Of course, I know better than to question a Princess over her decision.”

He turned to Rarity and Jasper. “So, this is the colt that’s been taking up my favorite party guest’s time most days, has it?”

Jasper looked up at Fancy Pants in shock for a moment. “I...”

Fancy Pants laughed. “I was only joking, child.” He bowed. “My name is Fancy Pants, and I’m a good friend of both your parents.”

Jasper bowed nervously. “It’s good to meet you too, sir.”

“Excuse me,” a voice called out. All eyes turned to see another slender snow-white unicorn mare with pink hair. “I do apologize. You were blocking the doorway.”

“Oh no, no,” Fancy Pants said politely, shifting over and allowing the unicorn mare passage, “I must apologize. After you.”

The unicorn mare bowed respectfully and walked past the group, catching Twilight’s eye and grinning ever so slightly. As she joined the growing crowd of ponies, Twilight noticed the large sun for a cutie mark, and she gasped in realization.

“Somethin’ the matter, Twilight?”

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

Twilight shook her head. “Oh! Umm...nothing,” Still at a loss for words, she began to move into the throne room. “Come on. We better get inside.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

Luna looked out at the crowd of ponies before her as the last of the Ponyville inhabitants arrived, noting that those from Ponyville had grouped to one side of the carpet leading up to the throne, and those from Canterlot (the larger group) also stuck to their own side. She looked over to the unicorn guards at the doors and nodded. Wordlessly, they bowed and used their magic to close the doors.

“Twilight Sparkle, would you and your daughter please come forward?” she asked, her voice loud enough to be heard from the back of the room, but not as ear-shattering as her Royal Canterlot Voice. “Your friends and their children as well.” She addressed the other half of the room. “Mister Fancy Pants, if you would please move to the front of your group.”

The crowd of ponies from Ponyville made way for Twilight and the others to reach the front. The same was said as Fancy Pants, Cinnamon Hearts and Fleur-de-Lis made their way to the front.

“Six years ago, I was confronted by somepony, who is to remain anonymous, that asked that something be done about a unicorn named Red Zircon,” she said. “He was said to be pursuing a relationship with six different mares. Is this true?”

Twilight stepped forward. “Yes, Princess Luna. It is true. I and the rest of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony each had a relationship with Red Zircon.”

“Were you aware of these other affairs?” Luna asked.

Applejack stepped forward. “Beg pardon, Princess, but they weren’t affairs. We all knew ‘im, and we all cared for ‘im.”

Luna nodded and turned to the group from Canterlot. “Mister Fancy Pants, how do you know Red Zircon?”

“Red Zircon was...is...a fine jewelcrafter,” he replied. “He is most detailed, and my partner Fleur-de-Lis is a great fan of his work, as am I. Ever since I first bought some of Red Zircon’s pieces and showed them off proudly to my guests at parties I throw, everypony has demanded some of his work. He met with most, if not all, of them personally to get a better idea out of what they wanted of him. He was very devoted to his work. Our correspondence fell to mostly letters once he moved from Canterlot, though he continued to visit every so often to attend one of my functions and attend to his clientele.”

“Do you consider him a friend?”

Fancy Pants nodded resolutely. “Of course, Princess.”

Luna nodded again. She turned to Twilight. “Due to circumstances made light to me by your daughter, I can understand why you were absent the night he was banished.” She kept her face an impassive mask. “Yet there are those present with you that were there six years ago that did not voice their objections that night.”

Luna watched as Twilight looked down at her daughter and nodded. Ruby Dawn swallowed the lump in her throat and took a nervous step forward. “P-Pr-Princess?”

“Yes, child.”

“M-my name is Ruby Dawn,” she said, her voice unsure. “I was th-the one to ask Uncle S-S-Spike to send you our letters...”

Luna nodded. “There is no need to be nervous, child. You are free to speak your mind.”

Dawn nodded back and shut her eyes. She called up her magic and her music box floated free of her saddlebag. She opened one eye as she gingerly floated it onto the floor in front of her. She looked up at Twilight.

“Mom...?”

Twilight nodded and called forth her own magic. A floating image of Dawn’s music box appeared in the air in front of Luna. Dawn smiled at her mother and lifted the lid of her music box with a hoof. She tapped the block of milky quartz twice, and the block of stone lit up. Red Zircon’s image faded into view.

Luna listened to the image of Red Zircon, all the while keeping her face an impassive mask. He knew the risks, and he faced the punishment alone. Hmm. I don’t know how one pony can be so selfish and so selfless at the same time.

As the image faded away, Twilight ended the spell and levitated the music box back into Dawn’s saddlebag.

Luna coolly looked down at Twilight and Ruby Dawn. “Twilight Sparkle, do you agree with Red Zircon’s assumption that had you objected to his sentencing then, it would have put the townsponies at odds with each other?”

Twilight Sparkle nodded. “I do.”

“Do you still feel that way now, after six years?”

“It isn’t about just myself or my friends anymore, Princess,” she replied. She lifted a foreleg. “Red Zircon positively affected the lives of everypony here. I may not know some of these other ponies, but they knew him and respected him. They want him back just as much as we do.” She put a hoof on Dawn’s shoulder. “Mostly, I want my daughter to have a father that loves her, as I have a father that loves me.” She looked to her friends. “Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Applejack will all tell you the same thing. We all want him to see his children, to raise them with us, to know that we all loved him just as much as he loved us.”

Luna blinked slowly, weighing Twilight’s words. Without a reply, she disappeared in a flash of light.

Well, here's Chapter Nine. Been working on Chapter Ten as well because I'd hit a snag with this installment. I initally wanted Red to come back on Father's Day, but life and slight Writer's Block got in the way.

As it stands, I have three votes for Twilight, one for Rainbow Dash, and one vote for not putting in a cloppy chapter. Let's keep the votes coming, everypony! I know I have more readers out there! Even if you don't want to vote, at least drop a comment or some concrit. Don't hesitate to be brutal.

Chapter Ten: Saving Grace

The Truth
Chapter Ten

You scramble like a mad colt over the hill and spy your cave. There it is! you think to yourself. Gotta keep running, gotta keep running...

As you slide down the hill, your hoof catches on a rock underneath the loose sand and you start tumbling down the side of the hill. You can taste chalky moon dust on your tongue, but you forget it as you see the ground beneath you get brighter. Gotta keep running, gotta keep running, you think to yourself repeatedly as you get back up and resume your rush to your cave.

You can feel the ground getting warmer as you near the cliff with your cave at its base. The chalky taste of moon dust is still on your tongue, and as you take in a breath, you feel some tickle the back of your throat. Still running, you cough and hack, only caring about the closing distance between you and your cave. Almost there...

The warmth on your back starts to become uncomfortable and you can feel sweat beading on your brow even as you reach the cliff. My cave! My cave! you think. Gotta write, gotta write, gotta write. Gotta remember, gotta remember...

You round the corner into a tunnel that you yourself dug out to avoid the light and heat of the sun and look around. It’s lit up enough that it’s comfortable, and the walls have had numerous etchings on them, all of them scratched out, microscopic bit by microscopic bit, extending the hallway of your cave.

You see a rock with a pointy end lying in a small pile of dust. Gotta write, gotta write... Picking it up with your magic, you levitate the rock up and push the pointy end to the wall, writing out the letters of the alphabet, first in upper case letters then in lower case letters below. You etch the numerals zero to twenty below the letters. Below the numbers, you write the names of the two Princesses, remembering to capitalize the ‘C’ in Celestia, and the ‘L’ in Luna.

My name, my name... Your eyes dart back and forth. Red Zircon... You etch your name below the names of the Princesses. Below your name, you start etching out six other names in a column. Twilight Sparkle... You pause for a moment. What are the other names...? Oh! Applejack...Pinkie Pie...Rarity...Rainbow Dash... The last name escapes you for a moment, and you feel a tiny sense of dread creeping up from the pit of your empty stomach. No, no, no! Gotta remember, gotta remember...

Fluttershy! You etch the final name underneath Rainbow Dash. You look at the column of nine names and smile wildly to yourself. I still remember the names! Something in the back of your mind surfaces. Oh, wait! There’s more to remember! You look at the names again. There’s more names I still have to write. Gotta remember...

Jonagold... For some reason that you can’t recall, you write that name beside the name Applejack. Jasper... You remember that that name has to beside the name Rarity. Rose Quartz...That name goes beside Fluttershy. Crystal Prism has to go beside Rainbow Dash...

Wait, there’s still two more names to remember. What are the names? Your gaze rapidly darts between the name Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle. What are the names? Gotta remember, gotta remember...! The feeling of dread mingles with a looming sense of helplessness. It was like forgetting the numbers...

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

The day you forgot the numbers was a bad day, and it got worse and worse. You accidentally lost count of the days at one point, and you fought so hard to figure out how many days you missed that you missed more days. After that, you tried to figure out how many more days you missed and missed even more days, and spent more time trying to figure out how many more days were wasted, and it continued until you were about to succumb to the madness, the neverending spiral of numbers of days missed, days wasted, trying to add to how many days you’ve spent alone, so alone...

Eventually, you just tired out and forgot the numbers. The numbers just went away, all except the first twenty. The only things left to remember were the letters and the names. There was your name, the names of the Princesses, twelve names that you forgot the significance to, and the Last Name, the one that for some reason made you angry, made you blind with rage, made you so mad that you brought your hooves to the rock wall and erased everything, all the letters, the twenty numbers, and all the names...

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

Three more names, you think madly to yourself. Desperation is starting to settle in your mind. No, nonononono...Two more names. Gotta remember, gotta remember...

Silver Streamer! You remember that you always put the name Silver Streamer beside Pinkie Pie. Just two more names, you think. Your gaze rapidly darts from one name to another, trying to remember the last two names. You can sense the name fading from your mind, and the feeling of dread clutches at your heart. No...no! Nononononononononono...I can’t forget that name! Gotta remember the name that goes beside Twilight Sparkle! You can feel the dread squeezing your heart. No, no. Gotta stop, gotta calm down. Gotta remember, gotta remember... You recite the names in your mind. Jonagold, Rose Quartz, Crystal Prism, Silver Streamer, Jasper...

Ruby Dawn! Ruby Dawn! Ruby Dawn! You feel unadulterated elation as you joyfully write the name beside Twilight Sparkle. Ruby Dawn, Ruby Dawn... You put your hooftip gently beside the name. I’m sorry I almost forgot you, Ruby Dawn...

You look up and suddenly see red. The Last Name, you think as you see the rock etching the Last Name in large capital letters over the alphabet. You can feel your mouth open in a roar of rage, but you hear no sound. Your anger overtakes you, and you see nothing but red in your vision speckled with gray moon dust. You can taste it in your mouth, but the Last Name is still all you can see. You continue to scream and attack the wall where the Last Name is etched on, trying to get it out of your vision.

Red Zircon...?

You stop suddenly at the female voice invading your mind. Who’s there? you think. You look to the main chamber of your cave and see a shadow approaching. You scramble backwards and hit the wall of your tunnel as the shadow gets longer, gets closer to you.

Red Zircon...? The female voice invades your mind again.

Who are you? Go away! This is my cave!

A tall female head peeks out from the edge of the tunnel’s entrance.

Red Zircon, is that you?

Go away! Go away! you cry out in your mind, tears streaming down your cheeks as you try in vain to disappear into the wall behind you. You’re not real! No one is here!

Sweet Celestia!

You stop and look at the tall female. Celestia? You know Princess Celestia?

There is silence in your mind and the tall female nods slowly as she walks into your tunnel. Yes, Red Zircon. Princess Celestia is my sister.

Princess Celestia has a sister! The revelation is almost too much. You are her sister! What is your name?

My name is Luna, she replies in your mind. I am a Princess, too.

You are Princess Luna?

Yes, Red Zircon, she replies. Her face is unreadable as she takes a tentative step towards you. I need to do something for you, but I need you to trust me.

Why? What do you need to do? Why should I trust you? I have names to remember.

You should trust me so you can put faces to the names, faces to remember.

...Faces?

Yes, faces, she replies. There is something in her voice in your mind, something...apologetic. You need to put the faces to the names so you can remember everything.

Everything?

Everything, she replies. I just need you to trust me and let me touch my horn to yours.

Will I remember the numbers? The days?

She seems taken aback by your question. You will remember the names, she replies after a moment. You will remember the faces, the numbers, everything that you forgot, Red Zircon. I just want you to trust me.

Slowly, painfully slowly, you nod once.

Sit down.

You fold your legs under yourself as she takes a nervous step closer to you. Will I really remember?

Yes, she replies as she steps towards you nervously. I only need you to close your eyes and I will touch my horn with yours.

O...okay. You close your eyes nervously, and you feel the coolness of her shadow as she stands over you. You feel the tip of her horn touch yours, and immediately a calming feeling rushes through you, as if you just waded into a calm stream of water. You feel at peace, and everything just seems to click back in place in your mind.

You open your eyes and briefly glimpse Luna’s apologetic face before a bright white light obscures your vision.

You see Twilight’s face, a loving expression in her eyes.

You see Applejack’s face, and she’s wearing the smile she always has after working a full day at the farm.

You see Fluttershy’s face, smiling timidly.

You see Pinkie Pie’s face, a wide, bright, infectious smile on her lips.

You see Rainbow Dash’s face, a confident smirk on her lips and mischief in her eyes.

You see Rarity’s face, a secretive, discreet smile on her lips, and there is suggestiveness in her eyes.

You hear your voice as everything sets back in, and the calming coolness gives way to a windy rush.

“I remember...”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

Everything is black and your right side feels flat, rough and scratchy, as if you’re laying on carpet rather than moon sand. You groan, vaguely surprised to hear yourself groaning. You slowly open your eyes and lift your head.

“Oohhh...” you manage.

“Z...Zir-Zircon?”

“Huh?” You groggily look up to the source of the voice as your vision starts to clear. “...Twilight? Is that you?”

She nods, tears falling from her eyes. “It’s me, Zircon. It’s Twilight. You’re home.”

“I’m...home?”

“Dad?”

You look around for the source of the voice. A unicorn foal nervously steps towards you. He has the exact same coat color as you, as well as the same mane and tail color.

“Jasper?” you chance. Tears suddenly well up in his eyes and he nods as he runs up to you and attempts to wrap his small arms around your neck.

“Yes, Dad. It’s me, Jasper,” he replies, his voice muffled as he presses his face against your chest. “It’s you. You’re really home.”

“Yes, I am,” you say. You look up to see Rarity, smiling though tears are also streaming down her cheeks.

“Welcome home, Red Zircon.”

This chapter formed way too quickly in my mind. If anypony asks how Red Zircon survived on the moon for six years without food or water, think of the Pandorica from Doctor Who. Red was trapped on the moon in the ultimate prison. You can't escape, not even by dying. Magic kept him alive and sustained just enough, but not exactly mentally stable...

Chapter Eleven: Seeking Justice

The Truth
Chapter Eleven

“How is he doing?”

Fancy Pants gave Rarity a small smile as he lifted the teacup to his lips and sipped gingerly. “His recovery is slow-going, but I’m sure you know that that’s Red Zircon’s style.”

Rarity returned his smile with a weak one of her own. “Indeed.” She took a sip of her own tea and stared into the cup as it was slowly lowered to the tabletop with her magic.

“Rarity,” Fancy Pants spoke. She lifted her head up to meet his gaze. “You know as well as I do that it’s best that he spends his recovery time in Canterlot rather than here in Ponyville.”

Rarity nodded hastily. “I know...I know, Fancy Pants. Believe me, I’ve heard your reasons and his, and the six of us agree with the both of you. It’s just...” She sniffled. “It’s only been a few months, but it seems like it’s been years.”

“Here, darling,” Fleur-de-Lis cut in gently, floating the napkin beside her teacup to Rarity.

“Th...thank you, Fleur,” Rarity said, fighting to keep from breaking down. She blew her nose and folded the napkin in half, setting it on top of her unused napkin.

“I’ll admit that I don’t know Red Zircon as...personally...as you and your friends, Rarity,” Fleur continued, “but knowing him as long as I have, it’s probably for the best that he’s in recovering in Canterlot.” The slender unicorn mare reached out and gently laid her hoof on Rarity’s. “Rest assured that Cinnamon is doing an amazing job of helping him recover and setting all his affairs straight.”

Rarity nodded silently, her gaze once again moving to the center of her teacup. “Thank you both.”

Fancy Pants was about to speak when the door opened.

“Mama? I’m home,” Jasper called out.

“I’m in the kitchen, dear,” she called out.

“Where’s Aunt Sweetie...” He trotted into the kitchen and met the gazes of the other two unicorns in the room. “Oh.” He bowed politely. “Mister Fancy Pants, Miss Fleur-de-Lis.”

Fancy Pants nodded in return. “Welcome home, Jasper. How was school?”

Jasper shrugged. “It was okay. Ruby Dawn got another A-plus on yesterday’s math test.”

“And what did you get?”

Jasper shrank back a little. “Only a B-plus,” he replied. “But Ruby Dawn and Aunt Twilight said I’m getting better,” he cut in quickly. “When I told Ruby Dawn what I got, she got excited and said that all that studying paid off! Really!”

“Jasper, darling, no one’s judging you,” Rarity replied. “It’s only natural that Ruby Dawn passed that math test and it’s good to see that you’re improving.”

Fleur chuckled. “Your father would be proud, dear. I remember he told me that he was abysmal in school.”

Jasper’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Really? You think so?”

Fancy Pants gave the deep red colt a warm smile. “I’m sure he would be. In fact, I’ll let him know when we return to Canterlot.”

The smile fell from Jasper’s face and a look of worry clouded his features. “Mister Fancy Pants, can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away, my dear boy.”

“Dad loves me and my brothers and sisters, right?”

“Of course! Why would you ask such a thing?”

Jasper fixed the unicorn stallion with a hard stare. “Then why isn’t he back yet?”

Fancy Pants recoiled slightly from the abruptness of the question. “Oh, well...” He cleared his throat. He glanced at Rarity. “May I be blunt, Rarity?”

Rarity looked at him with confusion but nodded.

“Jasper, my boy...” He paused, thinking of the right words. He took a deep breath after a moment and met the young colt’s gaze. “Have you ever been so mad that you wanted to hurt somepony because they said or did something mean to you?”

“Like when Jonagold got so mad after Diamond Tiara made Ruby Dawn cry?” Jasper asked. “Diamond Tiara called Dawn a foal of a...” His voice trailed off after seeing his mother shake her head. “Well, he called her that and said that Dad didn’t love her, and that’s why he went away.”

Fancy Pants’ jaw dropped at the colt’s answer. After a full minute of staring at the young unicorn in complete shock, he shook his head and cleared his throat. “Dare I ask how mad your brother was, exactly?”

Jasper glanced at his mother. “I promised Mama I wouldn’t repeat some of the words I learned from Jonagold,” he answered, “but when I helped him do some chores around the orchard after we finished our homework, he started swearing and bucking at some trees.” He winced. “He actually managed to clear a full tree by himself in five kicks.”

“Er...I suppose as mad as that, yes,” Fancy Pants replied.

“Then yeah...I mean, yes,” Jasper answered. “Mama had to stop me from finding Diamond Tiara after we found out about Dad. Jonagold’s still mad that his mom, Aunt Apple Bloom and Uncle Mac have him working with them after he finishes his homework.”

Fancy Pants nodded, quickly regaining his composure. “Well, Jasper, your father is still very much feeling that way.” He looked at Rarity with a question in his eyes, and Rarity responded with a simple nod. “He’s afraid of what he’ll do should he return home. I can’t say that I blame him.”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

You shoot bolt upright, a cold sweat on your face and your heart hammering in your chest. Quickly, you remember that you’re in a bed and not covered in moon dust.

“Just...just a dream,” you say to yourself.

A soft knock distracts you from your thoughts and the door opens a tiny bit without your acknowledgement.

“Master Zircon?” You recognize the voice as one of Fancy Pants’ maids. “Are you all right, sir? I heard you scream. Shall I send for Miss Cinnamon?”

“No!” you exclaim quickly. “No...no, I’ll be fine. It was just...” You take a deep breath. “...It was just another nightmare.”

“I understand, sir,” she replies. There was a brief silence before she continued. “Master Fancy Pants has requested an audience with you at your earliest convenience.”

Confused, you look at the clock. It’s five-thirty in the morning.

“I take it he’s still asleep?”

“Yes, sir,” she replies. “He asked to be up for breakfast at six o’clock sharp.”

“Tell him once he wakes that I’ll meet him for breakfast, then,” you say. “I’ll just shower.”

“As you wish, Master Zircon.” The door closes slowly, punctuated by a soft ‘click’. You stare at the door, contemplating returning to sleep but banishing the thought as quickly as it had come. You slide out of bed and drag your sore, sleep-addled body into the bathroom.

A quick use of your magic flicks the lights on, and your vision is momentarily seared as everything is suddenly illuminated. Your skin slowly starts to crawl underneath your coat…

...The sun is here…

...Have to hide, have to hide…

You shake your head violently, fighting the instinctual urge to run away from the light and dive underneath the bed.

Stop!

You clench your jaw tight, the soreness from the action helping you regain your thoughts and focus.

You’re no longer on the moon, you think. You’re back in Equestria. You’re in Canterlot. The light’s not the sun. The light won’t harm you. You’re no longer on the moon. You’re back in Equestria. You’re in Canterlot. The light’s not the sun. The light won’t harm you…

Your heavy breathing slowly softens and, the words still repeating in your mind, you open your eyes.

A large mirror, a marble countertop, a sink, a decorative plant, a toilet, and a small circular pool rather than a tub. A golden faucet and a matching shower head in its holster are beside a small set of steps leading down into the pool. You let out one more sigh, your heart slowing from its frenzied pace just moments ago.

“Slowly but surely,” you try to reassure yourself, though a dark mood passes over you. “Just something I’ll have to live with…”

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

“Master Zircon, sir.”

The butler bows as you step out onto the back patio. Fancy Pants and Fleur are seated in one of the still-shaded tables, breakfast spread out before them.

“Come, Zircon,” he beckons, waving you over with a hoof. With a nod, you approach and take the seat across and between them.

“Are you all right?” Fleur asks you. “You look exhausted.”

You manage a wan smile as you bring a danish onto your plate and use your magic to pour yourself a cup of tea rather than coffee. “Nightmares,” you reply, “and I almost had a bit of a problem this morning.”

“You’re all right, I hope?” Fancy asks, his eyes showing concern.

You nod. “Yes. Cinnamon’s techniques have been a great help.” You look around. “Where is she, anyway?”

“She’s in town today, helping some of the servants with the shopping,” Fancy replied.

“Ahh,” you say, taking a sip of your tea. As you set the cup down, you notice a look pass between the two of them. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Zircon, ahh…” Fleur starts.

“There’s a bit of troubling news that’s come to our attention,” Fancy cut in. “We visited Rarity yesterday, and Jasper happened to tell us of a rather unsettling incident involving Ruby Dawn and a teenager named Diamond Tiara.”

You feel the hairs on the back of your mane start to rise. “What happened?”

“Diamond Tiara has been calling your daughter, and presumably one of your sons, something I’d rather not repeat,” Fancy Pants replied. “Considering my stance on relationships, by all rights, I myself am rightfully offended.”

“We talked to Twilight Sparkle after visiting Rarity,” Fleur continued. “Apparently, that incident involving Diamond Tiara was what prompted Twilight to tell your children about their father and the debacle that led to, well…”

“My banishment,” you finish. “I’m a grown stallion, Fleur. It may not be easy to bring up, but it’s something I have to deal with. You don’t have to beat around the bush with me.”

“Twilight told us who Diamond Tiara’s parents are,” Fancy Pants said. “Rather, who her father is.”

Your vision goes hazy for a few seconds and you have to fight to suppress the rage that immediately boils up within you. “It isn’t…”

“It is,” he says, a spark of concern in his eyes as he noticed you fight to hold in your anger. Your breathing goes heavy and red starts to creep at the edge of your vision.

“Zircon,” Fancy’s voice cuts through the red haze. “Zircon!”

You take a breath and shake away the creeping rage. “Sorry, Fancy Pants.” As the anger ebbs, you suddenly feel drained and hang your head in embarrassment.

He gets up from his seat and walks up to you and puts a foreleg on your shoulder. “No apologies necessary, my dear boy.” He pats your shoulder twice. “No one should have to endure what you have.”

You let out a tired breath. “I just...I feel that I should have gone back to Ponyville a long time ago, and yet here I am about to nearly lose my mind just because…”

Fleur comes around to your other side as Fancy Pants pulls his foreleg away. She wraps your arms around your neck and kisses you on the cheek. “It’s okay, Zircon, it’s okay.” She gives you a reassuring smile as she releases you from her friendly hug.

You look over at her and nod. “Thank you.” Your gaze passes over the table. “I’m sorry, but I suddenly don’t feel hungry anymore.” You get up to leave, but Fancy Pants puts his hoof back on your shoulder, setting you back down.

“I’m having none of it,” he says curtly, though the look in his eyes is soft. A smile lifts his lips but the emotion in his eyes is uncharacteristically sinister. “Sit, eat. Ever since we got back to Canterlot last night, I’ve been thinking…”

You give him a blank stare. “What…” Realization kicks in suddenly as you suddenly piece two and two together. “No! No, no, no! Fancy Pants, you can’t…”

He calmly raises a hoof. “Red Zircon,” he says abruptly, “There are a number of reasons that I am pursuing exactly what you’re thinking. Firstly, you were, and still are, an exceptional jewelcrafter. There is a reason why I recommended many of the Elite to you. Your work is nothing short of spectacular.

“Secondly, the night you were returned, I had the liberty of meeting six individuals, and much to my surprise, their children, that simply wanted an irreplaceable part of their lives back. Children should never have to live without a father, and there is nopony that deserves to live without somepony that is as special to them as you.

“Lastly,” he continues, his voice going soft but with an underlying edge to it, “I lost a friend, one that never hesitated to question my decisions even when things looked like they were on the up-and-up. You were my ‘maybe’ stallion, Red Zircon, and your opinion was something I respected and missed.

“You also knew of the nature of my relationship with Fleur and Cinnamon, and were one with whom I could speak freely about the life I share with them.” His eyes narrow. “You found out about us and kept our secret. You even voluntarily went along to social functions to let Cinnamon be your ‘plus one’ for us.”

His voice grows deathly cold. “So many ponies have lost so much since your banishment, Red Zircon. I have seen six important mares and six bright young children lose an important figure in their lives. To be selfish, I lost a confidant and friend, and by Celestia herself, I will not sit idly by and watch someone walk away scot-free while someone close to me and those he loves are traumatized by them!”

“Fancy Pants…”

“I do not use my influence in matters like these, Red Zircon, but this is the one and only exception,” Fancy Pants says after a moment. “From what I’ve been told by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the remarks made towards you are also made towards me, as one who lives a similar life as you do. Also, from what I have seen, your children and their mothers very much want to see you again.

“That said, I have one small commission planned out for you as a last project for me before you return home.” He smiles, though this time it’s warm. “Whatever materials and services you need, I will pay for, and I will still pay you triple however much you feel is necessary.”

You stare at him in shock. “Fancy Pants…”

He shakes his head. “I will not take ‘no’ for an answer, Red Zircon. Consider this a welcome home gift from me, as well as a small measure of justice for the wrong that was committed against you.”

Author's Note

Hey! Guess what? I'm not dead! And neither is this story!

It's been a long time coming, but this chapter was such a bitch to write (I swear, I came at it from, like, five different angles, and I even tried just omitting this chapter and just skipping to the epilogue, but nope, this chapter had to be here).

I know Fancy Pants seems a little OOC here, but I like to think that he can get very cold and vindictive beneath that benevolent facade. I think everyone has those depths, and I rarely see it, even in fanfiction.

The epilogue will be coming up really soon.

As always, enjoy, comments and concrit are welcome, and don't hesitate to be brutal.

Epilogue: Coming Home

The Truth
Epilogue: Coming Home

You look to the two unicorns of the Royal Guard, one on either side of you, then over your shoulder to Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-Lis. She nods at you reassuringly and you nod back in reply. With a deep breath, you turn and knock on the door three times.

After a brief moment, the door opens, revealing the butler. The only sign of surprise he betrays at your presence is a brief raising of his eyebrows.

“Please tell your master that Red Zircon and two members of the Royal Guard are here to see him, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer,” you say, fighting hard to keep your anger in check. The butler nods once before disappearing into the house.

“You still have qualms about doing this, Red Zircon?” Fancy Pants asks.

“No, not any more,” you reply with a resolute nod. “I need to do this, otherwise I’m going to go crazy and do something I’ll regret.” You turn to Fancy Pants. “Thank you, by the way, for your support of my relationship with Twilight and the others, and for your help with what I’m about to do.”

“No thanks are needed, old boy,” he says. “Recall that this is my idea, though I’ll be saying it’s yours. It’ll be quite the topic of conversation once word gets out in Canterlot, I’m sure.” He huffs once in a brief laugh.

You grin and turn back towards the door as you hear hooves stomping towards you, and you put your stoic expression back on as the door whirls open.

“What are you doing here?” Filthy Rich hisses as he narrows his eyes. “I thought I had you sent off to the moon!”

“Let's just say that the stars aided in my escape,” you reply in a clipped tone. “I came here to give you and your family a chance to make up for your mistake.”

His eyes narrow even further. “What mistake?” he asks slowly.

“Admitting what you did to me in front of two members of the Royal Guard and two well-known social figures in Canterlot who also happen to be good friends of myself and Rarity,” you snap back, taking a step to one side to reveal Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-Lis to Filthy Rich. You fight with all your might to keep a straight face as you watch the Filthy Rich’s jaw drop in a mixture of surprise and horror. “Rarity and the others don’t know that it was you that had me banished, but that can change easily.”

“What do you want?” he asks through clenched teeth.

“Nothing,” you reply. “Fancy Pants has offered to send your daughter Diamond Tiara to a prestigious finishing school in Canterlot that he himself owns and occasionally teaches in.”

He reels back in surprise, his eyes widening. “...What?”

Fancy Pants steps forward, stopping beside you. “I do understand that your daughter is already fourteen years of age and has only four more years of school left. For the next two years after that, my partner Fleur-de-Lis here will take your daughter under her tutelage and will be taught how to conduct herself properly in Canterlot’s high society.” He smiles. “She will attend many of my functions and learn chiefly from myself and Fleur-de-Lis, though my other female partner Cinnamon Hearts may take her under their wing if they are to go a function that I believe your daughter may need to attend.” He maintains his smile as Filthy Rich looks like he was just slapped in the face with a lead horseshoe. “As an added benefit, this may expand your business ventures outside of Ponyville, and your daughter may even become your liaison in Canterlot.” He turns towards one of the armored unicorns and nods. The unicorn summons his magic without even moving a muscle, and a scroll floats from Fancy Pants’ suit pocket to Filthy Rich.

“What’s this?” Filthy Rich asks as he unrolls the scroll.

“It’s a formal letter, notarized and willingly signed by Princess Luna, stating that during your daughter’s time in Canterlot, you, your family and all of your staff are in no way allowed to maintain any form of contact with her, be it by written letter or personal presence. As well, your daughter is in no way allowed to maintain any form of contact with you, your family and all of your staff,” Fancy Pants replied cheerily, as if nothing was wrong. “Any business proposals or meetings that are gained for you through Diamond Tiara’s time in Canterlot will be sent to you via my personal envoy, and anypony requesting your immediate presence will be sent to you here in Ponyville...at their expense or your own.

“Also, any attempt to contact your daughter, or any attempt by your daughter to contact you, any attempt, will be taken as a severe attempt to turn her attention from her required studies. Doing so will result in immediate suspension from her time in Canterlot, her immediate return here to Ponyville, and your admission of your attempt to banish Red Zircon to the moon will be made public immediately, with my dear associate Rarity and her compatriots the first to know.”

The tiniest hint of a smile tugs at the corner of your lips as Filthy Rich’s face goes completely ashen.

“There is one other thing. I’ve commissioned my most esteemed colleague Red Zircon here to craft something for yourself and your daughter. I would very much appreciate it if she wore it when Fleur-de-Lis and I pick her up at dawn tomorrow when we return to Canterlot.”

“What?” he asks with a start. “You’re leaving tomorrow and you’re taking my daughter with you?”

“Of course,” Fancy Pants replies matter-of-factly. “I like to think that a proper education is important for every child.”

“Of-of course.” Filthy Rich licks his lips, which have gone dry. “...What is it that Red Zircon made?”

“Oh, a trifle, really,” Fancy Pants answers dismissively. The other Royal Guard calls forth his magic, and a wheeled pedestal covered in a shimmering purple cloth rolls itself between you and Fancy Pants. “Red Zircon, you may do the honor of presenting your exquisite pieces of craftsmanship to Filthy Rich. I believe dear Diamond Tiara will look quite fashionable with it.”

You nod in thanks as one corner of the purple cloth is caught in your magic. You pull away the purple cloth, and it slides off the pedestal, revealing a glass case with two shimmering sterling platinum tiaras on it studded with deep red gems in place of diamonds. You look at Filthy Rich, who stares at the tiaras with horror and rage simmering in his eyes.

“Are those...?”

“Red zircons, yes,” Fancy Pants replies. “They’re all the rage in Canterlot this season.”

His expression darkens and he takes a step closer to Filthy Rich. “You, sir, have caused untold anguish to six children and seven individuals, two of which happen to be some of my closest colleagues. Red Zircon himself suggested this course of action to myself and the Princesses, who believed this be the best course of action for everypony involved. If it were up to me, I’d have you financially ruined and left to six mothers who would delight in dealing nothing less than revenge on whoever had the father of their children taken away.

“As it stands, you may gain much in social standing in Canterlot within six years, maybe even much business, but at a cost similar to what my friend has had to endure.”

His expression lightens again, as if he hadn’t gotten angry at all. “Well, I suppose we should take our leave so you can have the rest of the day to spend time with your daughter.” He bows, and you and Fleur-de-Lis bow as well. “Have a good afternoon.” Fancy Pants and Fleur-de-Lis turn and begin to walk away, but you take a deep breath and stare him down. He glares right back at you.

“You bucking...” He strides forward, but suddenly, a golden shimmering barrier of light separates the two of you.

“No,” you say. “This is between him and me.” You look to the guards, both silently questioning your decision. The barrier dissipates, and the two of you continue to stare each other down.

“Go on,” you say. “What were you going to say to me?”

His chest heaves up and down as he tries his best to control his temper. You feel like a coiled snake ready to strike, your jaw is tight with barely contained rage.

“You have a lot of nerve to show up at my door and threaten me, Red Zircon,” he says slowly. “You’ll pay for this.”

“No, Filthy Rich. I’ve already paid in full,” you say slowly as you turn and walk away. “It’s nothing compared to what you did to me, but turnabout is fair play.”

No sooner do those words escape from your mouth than a blinding pain in the back of your head makes your vision go white, and you find yourself tasting dirt and blood. Your vision clears and you realize you’re on the ground. In that exact moment something within you snaps.

The silence and loneliness of your prison for the last six years...

Losing track of the days after one year and three months...

Unable to run from the unrelenting heat of the sun...

Unable to fight off the nerve-shattering cold...

Being kept alive by magic alone, just enough to keep you marginally healthy and physically sustained...

Seeing the teary faces of six mares that just about gave up hope of ever seeing you again, doubting that you’re actually in front of them...

Seeing the awestruck faces of six foals seeing you for the first time, doubting your identity...

Seeing the sneering face of the one that suggested you be banished to the moon, and hearing him call out to have you driven away from your own flesh and blood and the mares that loved you...

You jump to your feet, whirl around and roar in rage. Your vision goes completely red as you shoulder Filthy Rich, knocking him to the ground. Before he even attempts to get up, you slam a forehoof on the ground just beside his face.

“There is nothing I want more than to hand you over to the Princesses and ask that I just let loose on you,” you shout, your breathing heavy. “I just want you to know that there’s not really that much stopping me. If you get between me and my family again, so help me, Filthy Rich, I’ll do just that.” You step away from him, spit some blood from your mouth and walk away.

*-----*-----*-----*-----*

After making a brief detour at your house to clean yourself up, you make your way towards the schoolhouse. You can’t help but feel a little nervous; it’s the first time you’re picking up your own foals, after all. Their respective mothers made it clear to them that you needed to set some personal and business affairs back in order after six years, though you did promise them that you would pick them up as soon as you were able.

That was months ago, you think to yourself. I never thought I’d see this day in all my life.

You hear the schoolbell ring, followed immediately by the cacophony of children stampeding out of the schoolhouse. You see some foals chatter energetically about something, but you let them be as you near the school. You see Cheerilee at the doorway, and as she makes eye contact with you, she smiles and nods. You trot up the stairs and through the doorway to see six foals packing their books and pencils. Crystal Prism is the first to finish packing. She puts her saddlebags on and her jaw drops when she looks towards the doorway and locks eyes with you. Jasper, who was talking with her, follows her gaze, and the other four follow suit.

“Dad!”

The collective scream of recognition and joy registers for the barest of seconds before a blue and white blur slams into you, sending you through the doorway and tumbling end over end down the stairs.

“You came! You came!” Silver Streamer and Jonagold shout in unison as they add to the pony pile. Rose Quartz wraps her forelegs around your neck and squeezes as hard as she can.

“It’s so good to see you, Dad,” she says as Jasper and Ruby Dawn join in the pile.

“Dad,” Crystal Prism says, her voice shaky. You look down at your daughter to see her eyes shut tightly, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. “Don’t ever leave again.”

“I won’t,” you say quietly as you kiss her forehead.

“Promise,” Dawn commanded, her voice starting to shake as she hugs you tighter.

“I promise, kids,” you say gently. “I lost you once. I’ll never lose you again.”

*-----*-----[ Fin ]-----*-----*

Author's Note

...And so this story (finally) comes to a close.

As I mentioned in the author's note in the last chapter, I actually had this sitting around for the longest time while dealing with the roadblock that was Chapter Eleven. I had to do a bit of tweaking around from the original draft, but it's still pretty much the same thing that it was when I first wrote it years ago.

Hope you enjoyed. As always, comments and concrit are appreciated. See you around!

Chapter Eight: Admitting Anguish

The Truth
Chapter Eight

Celestia strode up to her younger sister as the Princess of the Night scanned the starry skies.

“Welcome, Sister,” Luna said formally. “Did you sleep well?”

Celestia nodded with her trademark small smile. “Mm-hmm,” she replied. Luna stepped back, allowing her older sister to take her place at the edge of the balcony. Celestia closed her eyes and lifted her head, feeling the immense energies of her magic thrum from the bottom of her hooves all the way to the tip of her horn. The stars slowly seemed to fade and at the eastern end of the horizon, the sky slowly began to brighten from a deep, royal blue to a powdery lavender.

Luna felt a small thrill of awe. Her sister had allowed her to resume her duties and create her works of glimmering art in the deep blue canvas of the night sky years ago, but watching as her sister gently (and to her, respectfully) let the stars flicker away and summoned the morning with gentleness and precision never ceased to amaze her.

As she scanned the horizon, she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked to the west, and what looked like a sparkling and swirling green flame seemed to lazily close in on them. Very odd, she thought. It's only daybreak. Which one of the Elements of Harmony would wake up Spike just to send a letter at this hour?

The swirling green flame, which seemed larger than usual to Luna, floated in the air in front of Luna and her sister. It closed in on itself, turning into a shimmering green orb, and with a barely audible ‘pop’ and a small flash of light, six scrolls appeared in its place, falling to their feet with barely a rustle.

Celestia let out a small breath as she finished casting the transition spell from night to day. “There we go,” she said. She turned to her sister and saw the scrolls at her feet. “What are these?”

“I don’t know,” Luna replied. “They came through Spike’s dragon fire, though, so it must be from Twilight Sparkle or one of her friends.”

“Mm,” was Celestia’s vague reply. Luna levitated a scroll up to her face with her magic and broke the seal. The letter unfurled and she read the script, which was in rather neat hornwriting.

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

Six years ago, on the night I was born, I lost my father because somepony threatened to tell either one of you that he was having a relationship with my mother and five other mares. My father told me, in a message left to me and my half-brothers and half-sisters, that he knew that other ponies thought it was wrong, but he loved my mother, and the mothers of my brothers and sisters, equally. He loved them all enough to have me and my brothers and sisters. He also loved my mother and her friends so much that he spared them the pain of watching him being taken away by the Lunar Guard and being banished to the moon the night we were born and had them sleep before he agreed to be taken away.

Luna reeled a little in surprise. She shook her head after a moment and resumed reading.

A week and a half ago, an older filly called me a foal of a stud and that my father didn’t want me, which is why he went away. My mother told me that that wasn’t true, that my father wasn’t what the older filly claimed he was (Mother allowed me to write that word only once on the condition that I apologize in this letter for using it, so I’m sorry for writing it), and that he loved me very much. Since that afternoon, I have barely seen my mother smile. Even my half-brother Silver Streamer has barely seen his mother smile, and she’s my aunt Pinkie Pie. My other brothers and sisters are worried about their mothers, too, and there’s only one thing that can make them happy again.

I want my father back. My mother wants my father back, her friends want the father of their children back, and my brothers and sisters want their father back. You are the only ones that can bring my father home to us.

My other brothers and sisters have written their own letters. I asked Uncle Spike to send them all to you with mine.

Please, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I want my father to come home.

Sincerely,

Ruby Dawn
Daughter of Twilight Sparkle and Red Zircon

“She’s incredibly well-read and eloquent for a foal of only six,” Luna said after a stunned moment of silence.

“She’s very much like her mother, that Ruby Dawn,” Celestia replied with a sad smile. “At least she has Twilight, her siblings and her mother’s friends.”

“I always wondered why I never saw Twilight and her friends the night he was banished,” Luna said. “I know they would have tried to stop it.”

“They would have, if I know Twilight and her friends,” Celestia said with a sad smile. “It would have caused no end of scandal regarding Twilight and the others, and I’m sure he didn’t want that.”

Luna closed her eyes and sighed. “Celly,” she said, shifting from her regal bearing. “You told Red Zircon that our hooves would be tied if somepony found out about his relationship with Twilight and the others. Somepony did.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I know, Luna. You did what you had to do. You and I both know that it was unavoidable.”

She hung her head. “I didn’t approve of his relationship then, I’ll admit that, and even with children involved, I still question it now. That was why I stormed off when the three of us shared a meal. I couldn’t stand to hear any more of it. Polyamorous practice hasn’t been talked of in...” She trailed off, unable to remember.

“It was some time after I had to send you away, Luna,” Celestia replied. She looked away with shame. “I was the last one to pursue such a relationship.”

Luna’s gaze shot up to meet her sister’s. “What?”

Celestia nodded solemnly. “After I had to banish you, I felt so...broken, so alone. The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony at the time, they...” She turned away. “...They remained in Canterlot, in the castle, for a while after. They knew that I would need a shoulder to cry on, that I would need help to move forward from what we had done. They each spent time with me and I got to know them, not just as the Bearers of the Elements, but as ponies themselves, each with their different interests, wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, they saw me not just as a Princess, but my own pony with my own interests, my own wants...” She shut her eyes. “...My own needs and my own strengths and weaknesses.”

“What did...?”

“We kept our relationship quiet as best we could, but it wasn’t for long.” She grinned to herself. “I will give Red Zircon that. My relationship lasted for eight months before I was found out.” Celestia turned to her sister. “There were many false articles that scandalized my relationship with the Bearers, claimed that I was keeping them close, or that I had them under a spell, ready to use at a moment’s notice should anypony doubt me in any fashion.

“Needless to say, things were...tumultuous after that.” She hung her head in shame. “I gained the nickname ‘Molestia’ from some of the more passionate hard-liners that were against my union with the Bearers of the Elements. They may have been full-grown mares and stallions, but compared to me, they were just young fillies and colts.”

“What did you do?”

“The only thing I could,” Celestia replied. “I personally wiped their memories of our relationship in front of the entire city. I made them forget that I needed them on a personal and emotional level...” Celestia failed to hide the fact that she was fighting back tears. “...That I loved them as equally as they loved me.”

“That’s why you condoned Red Zircon’s relationship with the Elements of Harmony.” It was more a statement than a question.

Celestia nodded. “Red Zircon told me himself that after that initial night on Twilight’s birthday that he kept to himself for a good while and drove himself to exhaustion and sickness just weighing the factors of having a relationship with Twilight and her friends. I asked Twilight on one of her visits here to Canterlot if that was true, and she did say it was.” Celestia let out a small laugh. “Believe it or not, it was Fluttershy that gave him a strict talking-to about taking care of himself.”

Luna chanced a smile, though it faded quickly. “Is what I did a mistake, Celly? I mean, he is a father after all, and no foal should ever go through their childhood not knowing their father.” She sighed. “All the same, the entire town wanted him gone. Many ponies cheered when his accuser called for banishment.”

“Are you sure the entire town wanted him gone?” Celestia asked.

“I’m fairly sure.”

“Luna, I want you to send a letter to Twilight Sparkle, asking her, her friends, their children, and everypony in Ponyville that supported Red Zircon and his relationship to come to Canterlot in two days’ time,” Celestia said gently. “As well, I would like you to send a letter to Fancy Pants and ask him to summon everypony that supported Red Zircon and his relationship here in Canterlot to come to the palace in two days’ time. You’ll be surprised at how many ponies only wished happiness for a single stallion.”

Author's Notes: Well, this story is nearing its end. I find it fitting that Father's Day weekend is coming up. Hmm...should I bring Red back or not?

One final thing: IF I decide to bring back Red Zircon (this is completely hypothetical, I don't want to spoil anything) and write a 'Clop With Content' installment, drop a comment with whom you feel should be the first mare (or mares, maximum of two) to intimately welcome him home (Octavia and Vinyl Scratch are included). You have eight mares to choose from, and the top two get to be reunited, if you will, with Red...again, if I decide to bring him home. I know I'm going to Hell for teasing you all, but the more threats and comments I get, the more I know that people are enjoying this story. Cheers, everypony!