The Sound of Silence - Part 1by DauthdrChaptersI - RegretII - FoundIII - FamilyAnnouncementI - RegretAuthor's Note I hope you enjoy this story. If you see any typos, do not hesitate to tell me, and I'll fix them as soon as I can. I - Regret Celestia Platinum had finally completed her life-long dream of becoming a teacher. At the age of 25, her only regret was that she didn't know where to go from there. Well, she was never one to dwell on such negativity. She was, after all, everyone's favorite teacher at Canterlot High School. It was only a month ago that she stood at the front of the class, nervously introducing herself to her new students. Standing at the front of the class, giving a lecture, was easy enough in itself. But Ms. Celestia became a teacher because she wanted to teach, not just give a lecture. By her second week, she had convinced Principal Puddinghead to start a Science Club, which she then had some of her students attend. The primary purpose was to give a hands on approach to those who needed it. Seeing the look of wonder on students who never were interested before made Celestia all the more determined to make her class the best in the school. After that, she began doing whatever she could to help everyone in her class want to study. Between tutoring, demonstrating, and lending copies of a college textbook on quantum mechanics, it was inevitable that she would gain a reputation. Other students wanted to know what was with all the hubbub. After another two weeks, Ms. Celestia's tutor classes had forty voluntary participants and twenty student tutors. Her Science Club was attended by fifty students, who would split into groups of five as they began studying the applications of chemistry, biology, physics, and even psychology. Over a hundred students had a copy of Clover the Clever's introduction to the Minuscule World of Quantum Mechanics stuck in their bags. Although, while most students were more than happy to learn new things in a more exciting environment, quite a few young men only wanted an excuse to talk to the young, pretty teacher who seemed to have all the time in the world for her students. On April 17th, Celestia had found herself marking the science practice final exams her class had just completed. Having been unable to start until her club ended at 5, she looked up and found that it had taken three hours to mark sixty multiple choice and ten written answer questions for thirty students. She leaned back in her chair, a smile covered her face as she basked in the knowledge that not a single one of her students had gotten below seventy percent. "What a month this has been". She pulled a hand-mirror from her desk and quickly applied some lipstick. Getting up, she smoothed the wrinkles of her full length white lab coat, which she had made a habit of wearing to school. Pulling her hair from it's band, she quickly brushed it and let it fall down her shoulders and onto her chest. Unbuttoning the top of her coat, she adjusted her bust. Deciding that she looked presentable, she stepped out the door. Ms. Celestia locked the door, ready to go home. As she made her way toward the front entrance, she fished around in her bag for a bus ticket. Just before she pushed the entrance doors open, she heard a deep voice behind her. "You're not thinking of going home without me, are you?" Resisting the urge to jump out of her skin, Celestia turned around to face the second favorite teacher of the school. "Discord, don't do that. You know I don't like surprises." A young man with a heart shaped face stepped forward. He wore two shirts, sown down the middle into each other. On the left was a short sleeved tee shirt, and the right was a dress shirt. His left pant leg was khaki and was sown to a right jean pant leg. He wore a biker jacket with a winter coat hood sown to the top. His left hand had a finger-less glove. "But, my dear, surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us," he said, leaning in for a kiss. "Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable", she replied, returning the kiss. "Pish posh," he said, waving his gloved hand. "So, how did your marking go?" "The lowest mark was a seventy," Celestia said proudly as she opened the front door. "So, when are you getting rid of those rags you call clothes?" "I would never get rid of art!" Discord Chaos sounded truly insulted, though Celestia knew her boyfriend would never get caught up in teasing. "My class's lowest mark was seventy-three," he added, moving to Celestia's left, placing his right hand around her back and pulling her in as the door closed and locked itself behind them. "You also had six more years of practice. What were your scores after your first month?" "Touchè, Cupcake." "Would you please stop calling me that?" she asked, turning away to hide her blush. "It's childish." "I'll stop calling you that when you stop eating a slice of cake everyday for breakfast." "Never." "Then we are at an impasse." "So it seems." Reaching the bus stop, they quickly shared a kiss before Celestia's cellphone started ringing. Pulling her phone from her bag, she didn't break contact until after reading the caller ID. "Hang on, I have to take this. "Hey, Lulu, how you feeling?" Discord put his hands in his pockets, scuffing his shoes as he watched for their bus. "Uh huh. Yeah. I guess. Yeah. I'll be right over. I love you, too. Bye, Lulu." "So, you won't be coming over tonight?" Discord asked, crocodile tears streaming from his face. "Sorry, but you know how it is." Celestia knew this act so well, she wasn't even fazed. "Don't worry about it. After what happened, Lulu deserves her big sister's affection," he said, wiping his face. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," she said, giving him a kiss. Pulling back, she turned and started walking away, purposefully shaking her hips. "Alright, but you'll have to make it up to me next year!" He called after her. Discord knew she was putting on a show, and made sure to watch it. "Happy birthday, Dizzy!" "Now, who's using childish nicknames!" The couple laughed a bit until they decided they were too far away for it not to be awkward. Discord's bus drove up, letting him on. Dropping his ticket into the fare box, he fist bumped the driver and walked to the back of the bus. Discord opened the door to his apartment. Walking into the bathroom, he undressed and took a quick cold shower. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he picked up his discarded clothing and brought them to his bedroom, throwing them on his bed. Opening his closet door, he sifted through a number of "customized" pajamas. Prying open the fake wall at the back, he pulled out a perfectly normal pair of blue pj's. Putting them on, he turned on the TV and started playing today's recorded sitcoms on his VCR. He pulled his clothes towards him, then began turning out the pockets, making sure his personal items were safely recovered before throwing the clothes in the nearby laundry basket. Seeing last night's pj's lying on the floor beside the basket, he quickly picked them up and threw them in, too. Pulling up a photo album, he started slowly flipping through the pages, allowing the nostalgia to surge through him. The album went all the way back to his teens, when he started babysitting for his elementary school's Principal Platinum. Celestia, being only three years younger than he, wasn't the one he actually looked after. He was mostly there to make sure a four year old Luna didn't get into anything dangerous. That was when he started cutting his clothes up and sowing them to each other. At first, he was just doing it to make himself seem silly and approachable to his main charge, but when her pretty older sister started looking at him, her smile only encouraged him to make his outfits even more outrageous. He was very good at his job. At least, he was for the first year or so. That was when Celestia decided to confess her growing affections to the now junior high student. Her confession was cut short by their fist kiss, which surprised Celestia very much. After that, he began paying less and less attention to his charge, spending more and more time than he knew he should have in the elder sister's room. Luna was more than content to spend her time playing video games, though, Discord always made time to make dinner for three. All it took was three months of dating for the new Superintendent Platinum to find out how her babysitter was neglecting her child. She immediately hired a new, older babysitter, who was told not to let the young man and Celestia spend any time alone. Discord always thought he was lucky to still be allowed to visit, though he found out much later that it was only because Ms. Platinum thought if she had banned him, he would start sneaking around. She could tell that her daughter really did love him and that he was just as in love with her. In high school, the "handsome, dastardly devil" had made a reputation of annoying the hell out of teachers, rallying the students to whatever current event, and still getting the best grades in his classes. He was made captain of the football team in his second year when he outright told the coach exactly what positions everyone should be in. This decision had carried the Wondercolts into the final of the state championship, the furthest the team had ever gotten. In his third year, it was a given that he would take part in the Friendship Games, though despite his abilities, the school was still crushed. The school moral bounced back after the football team won the state championship that year. Throughout these three years, he turned down over a hundred confessions. This included seven boys, though he made sure they knew that "it's okay to be gay". In his final year, Celestia began her first year. Celestia would have become a "queen bee" on her own after some time, though her dating the football captain elevated her position within the first week. Insisting on becoming captain of the cheerleader squad in her first year, Celestia made sure that she deserved the position. She then began bragging to Discord about how little time it took for her to get her way. Being the first student to receive no marks under ninety-five in a century at the school, she had already secured several scholarships before her first year had ended. In her second year, she was made student council president, a position she hadn't even asked for. She, of course, made use of her power, even going so far as having a brand new gym built. Although, it was much more impressive how she had managed to raise enough money to pay for construction before the first half of the year was over. She then began her next project: having more water fountains installed. The local newspapers all decided they would interview her. In Celestia's third year, Luna had skipped enough grades to begin her first year. This was where Discord was stuck, unable to find the right pictures to put in the album. There were plenty of happy photo's of Celestia, but this was a very hard time for Luna. The whole reason she tried so hard to attend high school at the same time was because she wanted to outshine her sister. However, the then twelve year old was often ignored or treated like a child. No one took her seriously; even the teachers had trouble treating her like a student rather than a child. When she had finally proven her intellect, she was instead met with ridicule. High school students, being the cruel species they are, had crowned her "queen of the nerds". Celestia was completely ignorant of her sister's troubles, focusing more on her own high school experience. By the end of the year, the new gym was finally built. Celestia had convinced the school board to let popular alumni Discord Chaos cut the red ribbon on opening day. Celestia's fourth year marked her own entrance in the Friendship Games. Luna's second year marked her exclusion from the chess club. The members had mad a deal with school bullies, stating that all forms of bullying would stop if they banned the queen of the nerds. This truce has lasted to this day. Unfortunately, this opened up a world of hate on the poor girl. There were only two people who had the chance to notice Luna's depression setting in. The first was her mother, who was too busy with work to see through her daughter's fake smiles. The second was a scummy teacher who, Discord would never tell, was now lying in a ditch on the highway out of the city. Discord, as an unofficial member of the family, felt completely justified in his actions. During the Games, Celestia had managed to get an "almost win", which was much better than the crushing defeat the school was used to. The students decided to have their own party to celebrate. Discord was invited to the party, and afterwards, to Celestia's house. The couple didn't make it home until midnight, and made sure to keep quiet as they proceeded to her room for their own celebration. When they awoke, they found a note that Celestia would have noticed if she had come home before nightfall. Luna was in the hospital. She had attempted suicide. When she finally got to the hospital, Luna had refused entry to her room. Celestia had to wait for an hour before her mother told her that when she got home at six, she found Luna lying on the floor with cans of beer and bottles of pills lying spilled in front of her, foam coming from her mouth. She was lucky to be alive. She stayed in the hospital for the next year. During that time, Celestia only saw her sister once. The visit had lasted less than five minutes and ended with Celestia on her knees, crying harder than she had in her entire life after hearing her sister declaring her hatred. Celestia knew exactly where she had gone wrong: her perfect plans for her perfect future had neglected to take her baby sister into account. After that, Luna had two years of therapy. With her psychologist's help, she was able to file a report on her teacher, though he had gone missing before the news of his actions had even been announced. The police suspected foul play, and Discord had been a person of interest, but the lack of physical evidence combined with the sympathy of his suspected actions had allowed the case to go cold. Luna's psychologist also helped reconcile the two sisters, and since then Celestia has made sure she was always there for her sister, no matter the cost. To everyone's joy, Luna was getting better. Luna had, since then, finished high school at home. She had recently begun attending college, where she, too, wished to become a teacher. Her entire family was more than happy to hear the joy in her voice as she made her announcement. She had made this announcement right after Discord had proposed to Celestia. It was probably the best day the family had ever had. After several empty pages, Discord had already filled the rest of the album with more recent pictures. If he could find the right scenes in the middle, it would make a great gift for Luna's birthday. Discord didn't want to say it, but he felt responsible for what happened. If he had just paid proper attention to her, maybe he would have noticed. Maybe he would have seen through her false smiles. Looking up at the clock, reading eleven o'clock, Discord sighed at yet another wasted night. Putting the book and pictures away, he turned off the TV and went to sleep. II - Found"Seriously? You can't open a child proof cap?" Celestia stood behind the living room couch, setting down a jug of juice to help with the 'terrible, life ending horror". "Shut up. My hand's just cramped from writing so much." Luna sat on the couch, an open binder laying on her lap. "And you want to be a teacher." The elder sister playfully slapped the other on the back, handing her the bottle. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Dropping a pill from the bottle, Luna put the cap back on. "I don't mean to brag, but even with a cramped hand, I can still put the cap back on." The two shared a laugh. Grabbing a glass of orange juice, Luna put a pill into her mouth. "Here's to finishing the greatest essay ever written," she said, raising her glass. Celestia poured herself a glass, tapping it against Luna's. "Even better than my 'best essay of Canterlot University since ever'?" she asked, drinking her juice. "They will look at yours and call it the 'second best essay of Canterlot University since ever'." Luna replied, draining her's, swallowing the pill with it. "And here," Celestia said, refilling their glasses, "is to your last day on anti-depressants." "I don't think I could have come this far without you. At least, not this fast." "I told you, I'm here for you no matter what." The sisters clinked and drained their toasts again. "But it seams that therapists actually know what they're talking about." Luna laughed. "Hey, psychology totally is a real science! It may not have rigor, but it stills follows the scientific method! Therefore, it is science!" Celestia laughed, sitting on the couch and pouring more juice. "By that logic, so is alchemy." "Actually, researchers have decoded ancient alchemic notes. Turns out they were actually on to something." "You're making a philosopher's stone, aren't you?" "Noooooo. No, no, I wouldn't do that. Until I had a steady income to fall back on." The two sisters laughed. "Well, then, I look forward to being immortal with you," Celestia said, hugging her sister. Calming down, Luna turned and asked, "So, how'd the practice test go?" "Not a kid under seventy. Discord's low was seventy-three," Celestia replied. "Isn't that pretty low for an honors class?" Celestia giggled. "Don't tell him that, remember the last time we broke his ego? Although, he did take it pretty well when I pointed out his first year of the class." Old Bill Bronze had served in the Canterlot City Police Department for nearly forty years. And yet, nearing his sixtieth year, he was still one of the best cops in the force. Commissioner Bronze insisted that, despite his rank, he work out on the beat. He claimed it was for health benefits, although no one would have faulted him if he said he just liked the thrill of the chase. Every day, he told whatever partner he had that he was two days from retirement. This year, his partner was a new recruit named Shining Armor. "Now kid, don't take being a cop as an excuse to eat donuts. We have a responsibility to keep these citizens safe, and that requires a healthy body." "You eat twice as me! Besides, I've been holding back. I've started dating this girl —" "Hey, don't go jinxing yourself! I've got two days —" "Do you have real plans of retirement?" "Actually, yeah, but I'm not stupid enough to say them out loud." In his years, Bronze had seen nearly everything. His weirdest case was some old bat trying to cast this spell to create a lovecraftian horror. Crazy wasn't what made it weird, it was the purple goop everywhere that got to him. It ate away at everything softer than a rock, burning a hole through five floors of derelict apartment. The whole block had to be quarantined just to make sure it was gathered up before it hit a week point in a pipe. What was even weirder was the way it almost looked like it had faces, or even hands. Whatever it was, he had nightmares about it for a year. However, on a case more important to this story, he lead an investigative team to find a teacher who had gone missing three days before some poor girl went on TV to accuse him. Having a daughter of his own, he vowed to catch that monster. And when he caught him in a ditch on a highway a week later, he knew exactly who had done it. But, as luck would have it, he was alone when he did find the body. After hours of internal conflict, Bill had decided that he would have done exactly the same thing if it was his daughter. And so, he took the body and dumped it into a river. He did this with great care, although this was before searching for trace evidence had become protocol, so he did not take as much care as he would have in the present day. He didn't lose so much as a wink of sleep. "Hey, Sir? I think we have a bunch of loiterers over there. They've been standing there for the last ten minutes." "Armor, you've got a good eye, but you'll need better than that if you want to survive. Let's go check it out." The two pulled up to a group of fifteen. Getting out of the car, Bill and Shining walked up. Bill's voice had an air of command that he had learned to use when he first joined. "What's going on here?" A small, elderly man made his way up to the cops, his left hand on his back and his right on a cane. "I was just asking my neighbors for some change. My granddaughter's cat is really sick, and we don't have enough to pay a vet." Bill took out a pen and pad. "Well, loitering is against the law. Don't worry, it's just a fifty dollar fine. Shouldn't hurt your fundraising too bad." Shining Armor stepped forward, facing his superior. "Sir, I know we're supposed to keep the law, but isn't the law supposed to help the average citizen? Besides, it's not really loitering if they were walking around the block." The hint not being subtle at all, the group began meandering away from the officers. The Commissioner put the pen and pad away, reaching instead into his pocket. "Hahaha! You've made my day, kid. With a heart like that, maybe you will last." Pulling out a number of fifties, he handed them to the old man. "Sorry, just testing the kid. Actually, I have a bit of a soft spot for cats, anyways. Come on, rookie!" And with that, the two officers left the group to their business. And they definitely weren't loitering. Celestia bolted up from her bed. It wasn't that she had a bad dream, just that she thought she heard something. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw that it was three in the morning. Just as she laid back down, she heard the noise again. "Is that...?" Her question hung in the silent air. Tip-toeing past Luna's door, Celestia made her way to the front door. Carefully unlocking it, she silently opened the door. "Sorry, did I wake you?" "Damn it, Lulu, I was trying to be quiet because I thought you were asleep." "Sorry, Celly, but look! He's so cute! You said I could get a kitten when my doctor took me off my pills!" "I meant from a pet store or something, not a stray!" "Hey, a stray is totally 'or something'! Besides, look at him! Don't turn away, look at him! Look at him and tell him he can't stay." Celestia stood in silence for five minutes. "Fine. But he's your responsibility." Author's Note Old Bill - An old fashioned term for cop used (less now) in London. Bronze - A different slang for cop. The guy's a cop, in case you didn't realize. I wanted to tease you a bit by calling this chapter "Found". Don't worry, I'm still just setting up the world. Also, just thought to change the rating to Teen. You may have noticed a few... things... They are NOT the focus of the story, they are just part of the backstory. I just thought "better safe than sorry". III - Family"We've got a reported 273A at Phoenix Road and 109th, looks to be about three years old." The sound came from the police scanner. Commissioner Bronze and Officer Armor were sitting in their cruiser, driving to the station to turn in for the night. "Sir, what's a 273A?" Shining asked. "It means 'child neglect'." Bill picked up the transceiver, speaking into it. "This is Commissioner Bronze, I'm on 117th, do you have any further details?" "According to reports, the child was wandering the streets. One caller tried to approach him, but he ran away. The latest call puts him at 109th." "10-4, we're on our way." Putting the transceiver back down, Bill turned to Shining Armor. "You good with kids?" "Ummm..." Shining felt as uneasy he sounded. "Let me guess, never really thought about it?" "Sir, I've thought about it plenty. Just... never thought about someone else's kid," Shining joked. "Hahaha, the beauty of youth! The scent of fresh lemons, you see..." "Do you have kids, sir? "Yes, I have three. One of each." "Wait, what's the third?" Shining asked, confused. "Boy," Bill deadpanned. "Umm..." "Why do you ask?" "Well, my girlfriend... I know I'm young, but I still think about... you know..." "Sex?" "I was going to say 'the future'.," he quickly said. "That, too." The cruiser slowed to a stop. "We're here." They stepped out of the car. Outside, there was a small child with white skin and green hair. His blue eyes were widened with fear as his head turned to and fro. His clothes, a ratty t-shirt and pair of jeans, were wet from recent rains, stained with grass. He shivered from the cold despite the warm air. Even at this distance, Commissioner Bronze could tell from the child's skinniness and slightly distended stomach that he was malnourished. This wasn't the his first runaway child, just the youngest. The two officers walked up to the child. Bill took off his uniform shirt, revealing a white tank top undershirt and a gun strapped to his side. "Here, this should keep you warm," he said, offering his shirt to the child. The child, hearing the officer speak, turned towards him. His mouth opened, but if the child was thankful, neither officer heard him. The child grabbed the shirt, then ran a few feet. Looking back at the officers, he put on the too large shirt. Officer Shining started walking to wards the child, but seeing the kid back up, he instead squatted, bringing himself to the child's line of sight. "Listen, we're here to help you. We're here to get you home to your parents." The child's eyes widened and he took off. Shining Armor got up to give chase, but the Commissioner held an arm out. "Listen, kid, you need to learn to watch for clues. He is wary of adults, but accepting of gifts." Walking back to the cruiser, he continued. "If he was lost, he would either be scared of adults, in which case he wouldn't have taken my shirt, or else he would have come with us because the police are the good guys. Therefore, he's not just a lost kid." "So, what, he's abandoned?" Stepping into the cruiser, Bill picked up the transceiver. "Dispatch, this is Bill, the kid got away. But don't worry, he has my shirt, so you should be able to track my cellphone to follow him." "10-4, we'll start tracking immediately." When Shining Armor was in the car, they put their seat belts on. "Abandoned? Possible, but I don't think so. An abandoned child would behave just like a lost child, depending on the situation. Unless the child was abused, they wouldn't realize that their parents weren't coming back, so he would either be fearful of all adults or else trust the men in blue." "So, if he's not lost, and he's not abandoned, then what?" Shining asked. "Probably a runaway, that's my bet. Of course, a child that young doesn't run away unless he's being mistreated, so he could just as easily be an abused, abandoned child. But, when a child is abused, they become untrusting. He probably only took my shirt because of the way I held it. He figured that neither of us could grab him if he came up and grabbed it. Which means he knew he needed it." "So, if he was abused then..." "You saying that he's going back to his parents would have been the worst thing he could hear." "Crap..." Shining lost himself in thought. Celestia looked at her watch, noting 6:15 AM. Right on time. Her bus pulled up, and she made her way to the school. Sitting down, she held her bag on her lap and let her mind wander. As she rode, she looked out the window, "staring into forever", as Luna would put it. It wasn't until she heard a small cough that she came out of her reverie. Looking around, she noticed a small child lying in the seat opposite the aisle. Looking again for the parents, she noticed that she and the child were only two passengers. Noticing the too large police officer's uniform, she quickly deduced that the child had snuck on the bus. Reaching forward, she softly poked the child's slightly revealed foot. The child jumped and backed into the wall, staring at Celestia. Celestia softly asked "are you okay?" The child began to nod, then, noticing a certain genuine care on her face, began shaking his head. "I'm Celestia. What's your name?" The child opened his mouth and closed it. Celestia waited a few minutes, before asking "can you say anything?" The child immediately shook his head. "Can you write?" More shaking. "But you can listen and understand me." The child nodded. "Do you know where your parents are?" The child backed away. "Do you not want to see them?" The Child shook his head. "In that case, I should probably call the police. They should know how to take care of you, and I'll tell them you don't want to see your parents." A gurgling sound came from the child's stomach. "For now, would you like a piece of cake?" From her bag she took a piece of black forest cake that was intended to be lunch. The child's hungry eyes grew as he excitedly nodded his head. "Well, here you go!" Taking the paper plate and ignoring the fork, the child happily ate the cake and licked the plate clean. Celestia giggled at the sight. What a cute child. I wonder why he's here... Commissioner Bronze walked up the front steps to his house. Taking his keys, he quickly opened the door to the sound of little feet and cries of "grandpa!" "Velvet Tiara, grandma told you to stop tackling grandpa!" Bronze stood up, a small child clinging to him. "Solstice Twirl, you brat, I'm not that old." "Sorry, grandpa," the five year old twins chimed. "It's okay. Is your Mada still here?" Bill picked Velvet up and put her down. "Mada! Grandpa's home!" The children ran into the house, Bill following. He assumed that the yelling meant 'yes.' Locking the door behind him, he proceeded into the kitchen just as Storm Paradise finished frying enough bacon for the family. "Daddy! It's good to see you! What happened to your uniform?" Storm Paradise had dark blue skin to match her father's and short pink and blonde hair that definitely belonged to her mother. "Met a kid right before the end of my shift. His parents weren't around and he looked cold. How's my favorite child?" Bill sat down at the table and began pouring orange juice into the five glasses that had been placed around the table. "Now, Bill, you shouldn't play favorites." Cherry Paradise, Bill's wife of forty years walked in carrying Velvet Tiara and Solstice Twirl in her arms. "Especially when all our children are absolutely amazing." Her skin was as red as her name, though in her age her hair had become two different shades of grey. "Absolutely, they are all amazing. But I'll always have a soft spot for the one who became a cop like me." "Thanks, dad. I just wish I could see you more often." Storm served bacon, scrambled eggs, and sliced apples to each of the five plates before sitting down. When everyone had taken their seats, the family began eating and conversing. "Hey, grandpa, I'm in going to grade three next year!" Solstice yelled out. "So, how's Candy?" Cherry asked. "Wait, I thought you were only five. Did I somehow miss your birthday?" Bill replied. "Oh, she's doing fine. She just finished a new composition that the Octavia Melody will play at her next concert!" Storm squeaked a bit telling the news. "Solstice and I get to skip grade two," Velvet explained. "Of course, I asked how to skip in the first place." "I would have asked eventually!" Solstice's normally pink skin became as red as his grandmother's around his face. "Wait, Octavia the sixth or seventh?" Cherry took a sip of juice. "I forget. Which one plays piano?" Storm stirred her eggs and bacon together. "Sixth. But if someone had told me that my child would get to meet the famous Melody's twenty years ago," Cherry mused, "I would have checked them into the nuthouse." "You skipped a grade? Both of you? You must be really smart!" Bill put a slice of apple in his mouth. "You think they're smart now," Storm turned to her father, "you should see them at home. The smart asses pick apart every single thing that Candy and I say." "Now, now, children, you should listen to your mother and mada," Cherry scolded. "We do, grandma!" Velvet replied. "A little too well," Solstice replied. "So, what are the Melody's like?" Bill picked up on the other conversation. "A little stuffy, but their daughter is adorable. Apparently she goes to some public school on the north side." Storm brought some breakfast to her mouth. "Get this, she shares the same birthday as Solstice and Velvet! She's even the same age!" "Oh, my, what a coincidence!" Cherry laughed. "And Solstice totally has a crush on her," Velvet teased. "Do Not!" "Do too!" "Do Not!" "Children, please!" Storm called. "And you two, stop laughing!" "Sorry," Bill drained the last of his juice, still chuckling. "They just remind me so much of you and Mistral." "Anyways, I have some important news." Storm finished her meal. "Nightlight is getting married with Twilight Velvet. Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle are absolutely thrilled." "And he couldn't find the time to tell us himself?" Cherry began collecting the plates, happy that the children had properly eaten everything. "Apparently," Bill chimed in, "he's working some big case. Remember that big robbery seven years ago? Apparently they finally have enough evidence to take the Flores in to court. Those brother detectives, the Crabnasty's I told you about, they were investigating a different incident and got permission to investigate this one." "You know," Cherry looked at her husband, "I would feel a lot more comfortable if Nightlight was the one catching the criminals and you were the one putting them behind bars." "It's okay, Mom," Storm butted in. "Dad's going to retire in two days!" Storm and Bill's laughter was cut short by a ringing telephone. "I'll get it," Bill said, getting up and grabbing the phone. "Hello?" "Is this Commissioner Bill Bronze?" "Yes it is." "We've located the child from earlier this morning. A teacher at Canterlot High phoned us in and even convinced him to come to the station with us. We've got your shirt and cellphone." "That's good. I'll come pick it up. Could you set up a meeting with the teacher? I wouldn't mind speaking with them." "Of course, sir, I'll see what I can do." "Thank you very much, I'll be there in half an hour." Hanging up the phone, Bill quickly explained the situation to his family before getting dressed and setting off. Author's Note Sorry for taking so long, school got in the way I will be finishing this part (at least) before starting any other projects, so, even if you don't see a new chapter, at least you know that I'm writing it. Mada - A parental term that is the mixture of "mama" and "dada". Bronze has three children: female (oldest), agender (born male, prefers gender neutral pronouns except for "she" and "her"), and male (Twilight Sparkle's soon-to-be step-father). It's just too bad that the rest of the world isn't as accepting of the non-binary... and I'm talking about our world as well as this fiction. Oh, and if you want to know how Storm came out, just imagine lots of dad jokes. And for those who think I used "the child" too much... I agree, but there really isn't a better way to refer to him at the moment. The illustrious Melody family, while not so important right now, will be important in Part Two. Yes, I am thinking that far ahead, I just wanted you to see a bit of it so that it doesn't feel like it came out of left field. The conversation during breakfast is somewhat like how my family is. We talk with each other loudly, listen to everyone, and jump to whatever conversation seems interesting. Further details that are not important to the story at large but you may as well know Nightlight isn't really in contact with anyone right now; he's busy making the perfect case against the Flores. Storm Paradise heard from Twilight Velvet while she was on the way home from work (what's with the family and midnight shifts?). She had dropped the kids off for the week so that she and Candy could have some time alone, and was on the way there anyways. Nightlight had a crush on Twilight Velvet from grade three to twelve, but they went to different post-secondary schools. He never had the courage to tell her, and when they met again eighteen years later, Twilight Sparkle had just been born. The birth father was caught cheating and was kicked out. Finally over his nerves, Nightlight asked Twilight Velvet out, and the rest is history. AnnouncementBetween a case of writers block (up 'til mid August) and life (why does life always have to get in the way?)... I won't be able to post anything for a bit... So, please, hang on just a few more months... And please accept my sincerest apologies.
I - RegretAuthor's Note I hope you enjoy this story. If you see any typos, do not hesitate to tell me, and I'll fix them as soon as I can. I - Regret Celestia Platinum had finally completed her life-long dream of becoming a teacher. At the age of 25, her only regret was that she didn't know where to go from there. Well, she was never one to dwell on such negativity. She was, after all, everyone's favorite teacher at Canterlot High School. It was only a month ago that she stood at the front of the class, nervously introducing herself to her new students. Standing at the front of the class, giving a lecture, was easy enough in itself. But Ms. Celestia became a teacher because she wanted to teach, not just give a lecture. By her second week, she had convinced Principal Puddinghead to start a Science Club, which she then had some of her students attend. The primary purpose was to give a hands on approach to those who needed it. Seeing the look of wonder on students who never were interested before made Celestia all the more determined to make her class the best in the school. After that, she began doing whatever she could to help everyone in her class want to study. Between tutoring, demonstrating, and lending copies of a college textbook on quantum mechanics, it was inevitable that she would gain a reputation. Other students wanted to know what was with all the hubbub. After another two weeks, Ms. Celestia's tutor classes had forty voluntary participants and twenty student tutors. Her Science Club was attended by fifty students, who would split into groups of five as they began studying the applications of chemistry, biology, physics, and even psychology. Over a hundred students had a copy of Clover the Clever's introduction to the Minuscule World of Quantum Mechanics stuck in their bags. Although, while most students were more than happy to learn new things in a more exciting environment, quite a few young men only wanted an excuse to talk to the young, pretty teacher who seemed to have all the time in the world for her students. On April 17th, Celestia had found herself marking the science practice final exams her class had just completed. Having been unable to start until her club ended at 5, she looked up and found that it had taken three hours to mark sixty multiple choice and ten written answer questions for thirty students. She leaned back in her chair, a smile covered her face as she basked in the knowledge that not a single one of her students had gotten below seventy percent. "What a month this has been". She pulled a hand-mirror from her desk and quickly applied some lipstick. Getting up, she smoothed the wrinkles of her full length white lab coat, which she had made a habit of wearing to school. Pulling her hair from it's band, she quickly brushed it and let it fall down her shoulders and onto her chest. Unbuttoning the top of her coat, she adjusted her bust. Deciding that she looked presentable, she stepped out the door. Ms. Celestia locked the door, ready to go home. As she made her way toward the front entrance, she fished around in her bag for a bus ticket. Just before she pushed the entrance doors open, she heard a deep voice behind her. "You're not thinking of going home without me, are you?" Resisting the urge to jump out of her skin, Celestia turned around to face the second favorite teacher of the school. "Discord, don't do that. You know I don't like surprises." A young man with a heart shaped face stepped forward. He wore two shirts, sown down the middle into each other. On the left was a short sleeved tee shirt, and the right was a dress shirt. His left pant leg was khaki and was sown to a right jean pant leg. He wore a biker jacket with a winter coat hood sown to the top. His left hand had a finger-less glove. "But, my dear, surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us," he said, leaning in for a kiss. "Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable", she replied, returning the kiss. "Pish posh," he said, waving his gloved hand. "So, how did your marking go?" "The lowest mark was a seventy," Celestia said proudly as she opened the front door. "So, when are you getting rid of those rags you call clothes?" "I would never get rid of art!" Discord Chaos sounded truly insulted, though Celestia knew her boyfriend would never get caught up in teasing. "My class's lowest mark was seventy-three," he added, moving to Celestia's left, placing his right hand around her back and pulling her in as the door closed and locked itself behind them. "You also had six more years of practice. What were your scores after your first month?" "Touchè, Cupcake." "Would you please stop calling me that?" she asked, turning away to hide her blush. "It's childish." "I'll stop calling you that when you stop eating a slice of cake everyday for breakfast." "Never." "Then we are at an impasse." "So it seems." Reaching the bus stop, they quickly shared a kiss before Celestia's cellphone started ringing. Pulling her phone from her bag, she didn't break contact until after reading the caller ID. "Hang on, I have to take this. "Hey, Lulu, how you feeling?" Discord put his hands in his pockets, scuffing his shoes as he watched for their bus. "Uh huh. Yeah. I guess. Yeah. I'll be right over. I love you, too. Bye, Lulu." "So, you won't be coming over tonight?" Discord asked, crocodile tears streaming from his face. "Sorry, but you know how it is." Celestia knew this act so well, she wasn't even fazed. "Don't worry about it. After what happened, Lulu deserves her big sister's affection," he said, wiping his face. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," she said, giving him a kiss. Pulling back, she turned and started walking away, purposefully shaking her hips. "Alright, but you'll have to make it up to me next year!" He called after her. Discord knew she was putting on a show, and made sure to watch it. "Happy birthday, Dizzy!" "Now, who's using childish nicknames!" The couple laughed a bit until they decided they were too far away for it not to be awkward. Discord's bus drove up, letting him on. Dropping his ticket into the fare box, he fist bumped the driver and walked to the back of the bus. Discord opened the door to his apartment. Walking into the bathroom, he undressed and took a quick cold shower. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he picked up his discarded clothing and brought them to his bedroom, throwing them on his bed. Opening his closet door, he sifted through a number of "customized" pajamas. Prying open the fake wall at the back, he pulled out a perfectly normal pair of blue pj's. Putting them on, he turned on the TV and started playing today's recorded sitcoms on his VCR. He pulled his clothes towards him, then began turning out the pockets, making sure his personal items were safely recovered before throwing the clothes in the nearby laundry basket. Seeing last night's pj's lying on the floor beside the basket, he quickly picked them up and threw them in, too. Pulling up a photo album, he started slowly flipping through the pages, allowing the nostalgia to surge through him. The album went all the way back to his teens, when he started babysitting for his elementary school's Principal Platinum. Celestia, being only three years younger than he, wasn't the one he actually looked after. He was mostly there to make sure a four year old Luna didn't get into anything dangerous. That was when he started cutting his clothes up and sowing them to each other. At first, he was just doing it to make himself seem silly and approachable to his main charge, but when her pretty older sister started looking at him, her smile only encouraged him to make his outfits even more outrageous. He was very good at his job. At least, he was for the first year or so. That was when Celestia decided to confess her growing affections to the now junior high student. Her confession was cut short by their fist kiss, which surprised Celestia very much. After that, he began paying less and less attention to his charge, spending more and more time than he knew he should have in the elder sister's room. Luna was more than content to spend her time playing video games, though, Discord always made time to make dinner for three. All it took was three months of dating for the new Superintendent Platinum to find out how her babysitter was neglecting her child. She immediately hired a new, older babysitter, who was told not to let the young man and Celestia spend any time alone. Discord always thought he was lucky to still be allowed to visit, though he found out much later that it was only because Ms. Platinum thought if she had banned him, he would start sneaking around. She could tell that her daughter really did love him and that he was just as in love with her. In high school, the "handsome, dastardly devil" had made a reputation of annoying the hell out of teachers, rallying the students to whatever current event, and still getting the best grades in his classes. He was made captain of the football team in his second year when he outright told the coach exactly what positions everyone should be in. This decision had carried the Wondercolts into the final of the state championship, the furthest the team had ever gotten. In his third year, it was a given that he would take part in the Friendship Games, though despite his abilities, the school was still crushed. The school moral bounced back after the football team won the state championship that year. Throughout these three years, he turned down over a hundred confessions. This included seven boys, though he made sure they knew that "it's okay to be gay". In his final year, Celestia began her first year. Celestia would have become a "queen bee" on her own after some time, though her dating the football captain elevated her position within the first week. Insisting on becoming captain of the cheerleader squad in her first year, Celestia made sure that she deserved the position. She then began bragging to Discord about how little time it took for her to get her way. Being the first student to receive no marks under ninety-five in a century at the school, she had already secured several scholarships before her first year had ended. In her second year, she was made student council president, a position she hadn't even asked for. She, of course, made use of her power, even going so far as having a brand new gym built. Although, it was much more impressive how she had managed to raise enough money to pay for construction before the first half of the year was over. She then began her next project: having more water fountains installed. The local newspapers all decided they would interview her. In Celestia's third year, Luna had skipped enough grades to begin her first year. This was where Discord was stuck, unable to find the right pictures to put in the album. There were plenty of happy photo's of Celestia, but this was a very hard time for Luna. The whole reason she tried so hard to attend high school at the same time was because she wanted to outshine her sister. However, the then twelve year old was often ignored or treated like a child. No one took her seriously; even the teachers had trouble treating her like a student rather than a child. When she had finally proven her intellect, she was instead met with ridicule. High school students, being the cruel species they are, had crowned her "queen of the nerds". Celestia was completely ignorant of her sister's troubles, focusing more on her own high school experience. By the end of the year, the new gym was finally built. Celestia had convinced the school board to let popular alumni Discord Chaos cut the red ribbon on opening day. Celestia's fourth year marked her own entrance in the Friendship Games. Luna's second year marked her exclusion from the chess club. The members had mad a deal with school bullies, stating that all forms of bullying would stop if they banned the queen of the nerds. This truce has lasted to this day. Unfortunately, this opened up a world of hate on the poor girl. There were only two people who had the chance to notice Luna's depression setting in. The first was her mother, who was too busy with work to see through her daughter's fake smiles. The second was a scummy teacher who, Discord would never tell, was now lying in a ditch on the highway out of the city. Discord, as an unofficial member of the family, felt completely justified in his actions. During the Games, Celestia had managed to get an "almost win", which was much better than the crushing defeat the school was used to. The students decided to have their own party to celebrate. Discord was invited to the party, and afterwards, to Celestia's house. The couple didn't make it home until midnight, and made sure to keep quiet as they proceeded to her room for their own celebration. When they awoke, they found a note that Celestia would have noticed if she had come home before nightfall. Luna was in the hospital. She had attempted suicide. When she finally got to the hospital, Luna had refused entry to her room. Celestia had to wait for an hour before her mother told her that when she got home at six, she found Luna lying on the floor with cans of beer and bottles of pills lying spilled in front of her, foam coming from her mouth. She was lucky to be alive. She stayed in the hospital for the next year. During that time, Celestia only saw her sister once. The visit had lasted less than five minutes and ended with Celestia on her knees, crying harder than she had in her entire life after hearing her sister declaring her hatred. Celestia knew exactly where she had gone wrong: her perfect plans for her perfect future had neglected to take her baby sister into account. After that, Luna had two years of therapy. With her psychologist's help, she was able to file a report on her teacher, though he had gone missing before the news of his actions had even been announced. The police suspected foul play, and Discord had been a person of interest, but the lack of physical evidence combined with the sympathy of his suspected actions had allowed the case to go cold. Luna's psychologist also helped reconcile the two sisters, and since then Celestia has made sure she was always there for her sister, no matter the cost. To everyone's joy, Luna was getting better. Luna had, since then, finished high school at home. She had recently begun attending college, where she, too, wished to become a teacher. Her entire family was more than happy to hear the joy in her voice as she made her announcement. She had made this announcement right after Discord had proposed to Celestia. It was probably the best day the family had ever had. After several empty pages, Discord had already filled the rest of the album with more recent pictures. If he could find the right scenes in the middle, it would make a great gift for Luna's birthday. Discord didn't want to say it, but he felt responsible for what happened. If he had just paid proper attention to her, maybe he would have noticed. Maybe he would have seen through her false smiles. Looking up at the clock, reading eleven o'clock, Discord sighed at yet another wasted night. Putting the book and pictures away, he turned off the TV and went to sleep.
II - Found"Seriously? You can't open a child proof cap?" Celestia stood behind the living room couch, setting down a jug of juice to help with the 'terrible, life ending horror". "Shut up. My hand's just cramped from writing so much." Luna sat on the couch, an open binder laying on her lap. "And you want to be a teacher." The elder sister playfully slapped the other on the back, handing her the bottle. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." Dropping a pill from the bottle, Luna put the cap back on. "I don't mean to brag, but even with a cramped hand, I can still put the cap back on." The two shared a laugh. Grabbing a glass of orange juice, Luna put a pill into her mouth. "Here's to finishing the greatest essay ever written," she said, raising her glass. Celestia poured herself a glass, tapping it against Luna's. "Even better than my 'best essay of Canterlot University since ever'?" she asked, drinking her juice. "They will look at yours and call it the 'second best essay of Canterlot University since ever'." Luna replied, draining her's, swallowing the pill with it. "And here," Celestia said, refilling their glasses, "is to your last day on anti-depressants." "I don't think I could have come this far without you. At least, not this fast." "I told you, I'm here for you no matter what." The sisters clinked and drained their toasts again. "But it seams that therapists actually know what they're talking about." Luna laughed. "Hey, psychology totally is a real science! It may not have rigor, but it stills follows the scientific method! Therefore, it is science!" Celestia laughed, sitting on the couch and pouring more juice. "By that logic, so is alchemy." "Actually, researchers have decoded ancient alchemic notes. Turns out they were actually on to something." "You're making a philosopher's stone, aren't you?" "Noooooo. No, no, I wouldn't do that. Until I had a steady income to fall back on." The two sisters laughed. "Well, then, I look forward to being immortal with you," Celestia said, hugging her sister. Calming down, Luna turned and asked, "So, how'd the practice test go?" "Not a kid under seventy. Discord's low was seventy-three," Celestia replied. "Isn't that pretty low for an honors class?" Celestia giggled. "Don't tell him that, remember the last time we broke his ego? Although, he did take it pretty well when I pointed out his first year of the class." Old Bill Bronze had served in the Canterlot City Police Department for nearly forty years. And yet, nearing his sixtieth year, he was still one of the best cops in the force. Commissioner Bronze insisted that, despite his rank, he work out on the beat. He claimed it was for health benefits, although no one would have faulted him if he said he just liked the thrill of the chase. Every day, he told whatever partner he had that he was two days from retirement. This year, his partner was a new recruit named Shining Armor. "Now kid, don't take being a cop as an excuse to eat donuts. We have a responsibility to keep these citizens safe, and that requires a healthy body." "You eat twice as me! Besides, I've been holding back. I've started dating this girl —" "Hey, don't go jinxing yourself! I've got two days —" "Do you have real plans of retirement?" "Actually, yeah, but I'm not stupid enough to say them out loud." In his years, Bronze had seen nearly everything. His weirdest case was some old bat trying to cast this spell to create a lovecraftian horror. Crazy wasn't what made it weird, it was the purple goop everywhere that got to him. It ate away at everything softer than a rock, burning a hole through five floors of derelict apartment. The whole block had to be quarantined just to make sure it was gathered up before it hit a week point in a pipe. What was even weirder was the way it almost looked like it had faces, or even hands. Whatever it was, he had nightmares about it for a year. However, on a case more important to this story, he lead an investigative team to find a teacher who had gone missing three days before some poor girl went on TV to accuse him. Having a daughter of his own, he vowed to catch that monster. And when he caught him in a ditch on a highway a week later, he knew exactly who had done it. But, as luck would have it, he was alone when he did find the body. After hours of internal conflict, Bill had decided that he would have done exactly the same thing if it was his daughter. And so, he took the body and dumped it into a river. He did this with great care, although this was before searching for trace evidence had become protocol, so he did not take as much care as he would have in the present day. He didn't lose so much as a wink of sleep. "Hey, Sir? I think we have a bunch of loiterers over there. They've been standing there for the last ten minutes." "Armor, you've got a good eye, but you'll need better than that if you want to survive. Let's go check it out." The two pulled up to a group of fifteen. Getting out of the car, Bill and Shining walked up. Bill's voice had an air of command that he had learned to use when he first joined. "What's going on here?" A small, elderly man made his way up to the cops, his left hand on his back and his right on a cane. "I was just asking my neighbors for some change. My granddaughter's cat is really sick, and we don't have enough to pay a vet." Bill took out a pen and pad. "Well, loitering is against the law. Don't worry, it's just a fifty dollar fine. Shouldn't hurt your fundraising too bad." Shining Armor stepped forward, facing his superior. "Sir, I know we're supposed to keep the law, but isn't the law supposed to help the average citizen? Besides, it's not really loitering if they were walking around the block." The hint not being subtle at all, the group began meandering away from the officers. The Commissioner put the pen and pad away, reaching instead into his pocket. "Hahaha! You've made my day, kid. With a heart like that, maybe you will last." Pulling out a number of fifties, he handed them to the old man. "Sorry, just testing the kid. Actually, I have a bit of a soft spot for cats, anyways. Come on, rookie!" And with that, the two officers left the group to their business. And they definitely weren't loitering. Celestia bolted up from her bed. It wasn't that she had a bad dream, just that she thought she heard something. Glancing at her alarm clock, she saw that it was three in the morning. Just as she laid back down, she heard the noise again. "Is that...?" Her question hung in the silent air. Tip-toeing past Luna's door, Celestia made her way to the front door. Carefully unlocking it, she silently opened the door. "Sorry, did I wake you?" "Damn it, Lulu, I was trying to be quiet because I thought you were asleep." "Sorry, Celly, but look! He's so cute! You said I could get a kitten when my doctor took me off my pills!" "I meant from a pet store or something, not a stray!" "Hey, a stray is totally 'or something'! Besides, look at him! Don't turn away, look at him! Look at him and tell him he can't stay." Celestia stood in silence for five minutes. "Fine. But he's your responsibility." Author's Note Old Bill - An old fashioned term for cop used (less now) in London. Bronze - A different slang for cop. The guy's a cop, in case you didn't realize. I wanted to tease you a bit by calling this chapter "Found". Don't worry, I'm still just setting up the world. Also, just thought to change the rating to Teen. You may have noticed a few... things... They are NOT the focus of the story, they are just part of the backstory. I just thought "better safe than sorry".
III - Family"We've got a reported 273A at Phoenix Road and 109th, looks to be about three years old." The sound came from the police scanner. Commissioner Bronze and Officer Armor were sitting in their cruiser, driving to the station to turn in for the night. "Sir, what's a 273A?" Shining asked. "It means 'child neglect'." Bill picked up the transceiver, speaking into it. "This is Commissioner Bronze, I'm on 117th, do you have any further details?" "According to reports, the child was wandering the streets. One caller tried to approach him, but he ran away. The latest call puts him at 109th." "10-4, we're on our way." Putting the transceiver back down, Bill turned to Shining Armor. "You good with kids?" "Ummm..." Shining felt as uneasy he sounded. "Let me guess, never really thought about it?" "Sir, I've thought about it plenty. Just... never thought about someone else's kid," Shining joked. "Hahaha, the beauty of youth! The scent of fresh lemons, you see..." "Do you have kids, sir? "Yes, I have three. One of each." "Wait, what's the third?" Shining asked, confused. "Boy," Bill deadpanned. "Umm..." "Why do you ask?" "Well, my girlfriend... I know I'm young, but I still think about... you know..." "Sex?" "I was going to say 'the future'.," he quickly said. "That, too." The cruiser slowed to a stop. "We're here." They stepped out of the car. Outside, there was a small child with white skin and green hair. His blue eyes were widened with fear as his head turned to and fro. His clothes, a ratty t-shirt and pair of jeans, were wet from recent rains, stained with grass. He shivered from the cold despite the warm air. Even at this distance, Commissioner Bronze could tell from the child's skinniness and slightly distended stomach that he was malnourished. This wasn't the his first runaway child, just the youngest. The two officers walked up to the child. Bill took off his uniform shirt, revealing a white tank top undershirt and a gun strapped to his side. "Here, this should keep you warm," he said, offering his shirt to the child. The child, hearing the officer speak, turned towards him. His mouth opened, but if the child was thankful, neither officer heard him. The child grabbed the shirt, then ran a few feet. Looking back at the officers, he put on the too large shirt. Officer Shining started walking to wards the child, but seeing the kid back up, he instead squatted, bringing himself to the child's line of sight. "Listen, we're here to help you. We're here to get you home to your parents." The child's eyes widened and he took off. Shining Armor got up to give chase, but the Commissioner held an arm out. "Listen, kid, you need to learn to watch for clues. He is wary of adults, but accepting of gifts." Walking back to the cruiser, he continued. "If he was lost, he would either be scared of adults, in which case he wouldn't have taken my shirt, or else he would have come with us because the police are the good guys. Therefore, he's not just a lost kid." "So, what, he's abandoned?" Stepping into the cruiser, Bill picked up the transceiver. "Dispatch, this is Bill, the kid got away. But don't worry, he has my shirt, so you should be able to track my cellphone to follow him." "10-4, we'll start tracking immediately." When Shining Armor was in the car, they put their seat belts on. "Abandoned? Possible, but I don't think so. An abandoned child would behave just like a lost child, depending on the situation. Unless the child was abused, they wouldn't realize that their parents weren't coming back, so he would either be fearful of all adults or else trust the men in blue." "So, if he's not lost, and he's not abandoned, then what?" Shining asked. "Probably a runaway, that's my bet. Of course, a child that young doesn't run away unless he's being mistreated, so he could just as easily be an abused, abandoned child. But, when a child is abused, they become untrusting. He probably only took my shirt because of the way I held it. He figured that neither of us could grab him if he came up and grabbed it. Which means he knew he needed it." "So, if he was abused then..." "You saying that he's going back to his parents would have been the worst thing he could hear." "Crap..." Shining lost himself in thought. Celestia looked at her watch, noting 6:15 AM. Right on time. Her bus pulled up, and she made her way to the school. Sitting down, she held her bag on her lap and let her mind wander. As she rode, she looked out the window, "staring into forever", as Luna would put it. It wasn't until she heard a small cough that she came out of her reverie. Looking around, she noticed a small child lying in the seat opposite the aisle. Looking again for the parents, she noticed that she and the child were only two passengers. Noticing the too large police officer's uniform, she quickly deduced that the child had snuck on the bus. Reaching forward, she softly poked the child's slightly revealed foot. The child jumped and backed into the wall, staring at Celestia. Celestia softly asked "are you okay?" The child began to nod, then, noticing a certain genuine care on her face, began shaking his head. "I'm Celestia. What's your name?" The child opened his mouth and closed it. Celestia waited a few minutes, before asking "can you say anything?" The child immediately shook his head. "Can you write?" More shaking. "But you can listen and understand me." The child nodded. "Do you know where your parents are?" The child backed away. "Do you not want to see them?" The Child shook his head. "In that case, I should probably call the police. They should know how to take care of you, and I'll tell them you don't want to see your parents." A gurgling sound came from the child's stomach. "For now, would you like a piece of cake?" From her bag she took a piece of black forest cake that was intended to be lunch. The child's hungry eyes grew as he excitedly nodded his head. "Well, here you go!" Taking the paper plate and ignoring the fork, the child happily ate the cake and licked the plate clean. Celestia giggled at the sight. What a cute child. I wonder why he's here... Commissioner Bronze walked up the front steps to his house. Taking his keys, he quickly opened the door to the sound of little feet and cries of "grandpa!" "Velvet Tiara, grandma told you to stop tackling grandpa!" Bronze stood up, a small child clinging to him. "Solstice Twirl, you brat, I'm not that old." "Sorry, grandpa," the five year old twins chimed. "It's okay. Is your Mada still here?" Bill picked Velvet up and put her down. "Mada! Grandpa's home!" The children ran into the house, Bill following. He assumed that the yelling meant 'yes.' Locking the door behind him, he proceeded into the kitchen just as Storm Paradise finished frying enough bacon for the family. "Daddy! It's good to see you! What happened to your uniform?" Storm Paradise had dark blue skin to match her father's and short pink and blonde hair that definitely belonged to her mother. "Met a kid right before the end of my shift. His parents weren't around and he looked cold. How's my favorite child?" Bill sat down at the table and began pouring orange juice into the five glasses that had been placed around the table. "Now, Bill, you shouldn't play favorites." Cherry Paradise, Bill's wife of forty years walked in carrying Velvet Tiara and Solstice Twirl in her arms. "Especially when all our children are absolutely amazing." Her skin was as red as her name, though in her age her hair had become two different shades of grey. "Absolutely, they are all amazing. But I'll always have a soft spot for the one who became a cop like me." "Thanks, dad. I just wish I could see you more often." Storm served bacon, scrambled eggs, and sliced apples to each of the five plates before sitting down. When everyone had taken their seats, the family began eating and conversing. "Hey, grandpa, I'm in going to grade three next year!" Solstice yelled out. "So, how's Candy?" Cherry asked. "Wait, I thought you were only five. Did I somehow miss your birthday?" Bill replied. "Oh, she's doing fine. She just finished a new composition that the Octavia Melody will play at her next concert!" Storm squeaked a bit telling the news. "Solstice and I get to skip grade two," Velvet explained. "Of course, I asked how to skip in the first place." "I would have asked eventually!" Solstice's normally pink skin became as red as his grandmother's around his face. "Wait, Octavia the sixth or seventh?" Cherry took a sip of juice. "I forget. Which one plays piano?" Storm stirred her eggs and bacon together. "Sixth. But if someone had told me that my child would get to meet the famous Melody's twenty years ago," Cherry mused, "I would have checked them into the nuthouse." "You skipped a grade? Both of you? You must be really smart!" Bill put a slice of apple in his mouth. "You think they're smart now," Storm turned to her father, "you should see them at home. The smart asses pick apart every single thing that Candy and I say." "Now, now, children, you should listen to your mother and mada," Cherry scolded. "We do, grandma!" Velvet replied. "A little too well," Solstice replied. "So, what are the Melody's like?" Bill picked up on the other conversation. "A little stuffy, but their daughter is adorable. Apparently she goes to some public school on the north side." Storm brought some breakfast to her mouth. "Get this, she shares the same birthday as Solstice and Velvet! She's even the same age!" "Oh, my, what a coincidence!" Cherry laughed. "And Solstice totally has a crush on her," Velvet teased. "Do Not!" "Do too!" "Do Not!" "Children, please!" Storm called. "And you two, stop laughing!" "Sorry," Bill drained the last of his juice, still chuckling. "They just remind me so much of you and Mistral." "Anyways, I have some important news." Storm finished her meal. "Nightlight is getting married with Twilight Velvet. Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle are absolutely thrilled." "And he couldn't find the time to tell us himself?" Cherry began collecting the plates, happy that the children had properly eaten everything. "Apparently," Bill chimed in, "he's working some big case. Remember that big robbery seven years ago? Apparently they finally have enough evidence to take the Flores in to court. Those brother detectives, the Crabnasty's I told you about, they were investigating a different incident and got permission to investigate this one." "You know," Cherry looked at her husband, "I would feel a lot more comfortable if Nightlight was the one catching the criminals and you were the one putting them behind bars." "It's okay, Mom," Storm butted in. "Dad's going to retire in two days!" Storm and Bill's laughter was cut short by a ringing telephone. "I'll get it," Bill said, getting up and grabbing the phone. "Hello?" "Is this Commissioner Bill Bronze?" "Yes it is." "We've located the child from earlier this morning. A teacher at Canterlot High phoned us in and even convinced him to come to the station with us. We've got your shirt and cellphone." "That's good. I'll come pick it up. Could you set up a meeting with the teacher? I wouldn't mind speaking with them." "Of course, sir, I'll see what I can do." "Thank you very much, I'll be there in half an hour." Hanging up the phone, Bill quickly explained the situation to his family before getting dressed and setting off. Author's Note Sorry for taking so long, school got in the way I will be finishing this part (at least) before starting any other projects, so, even if you don't see a new chapter, at least you know that I'm writing it. Mada - A parental term that is the mixture of "mama" and "dada". Bronze has three children: female (oldest), agender (born male, prefers gender neutral pronouns except for "she" and "her"), and male (Twilight Sparkle's soon-to-be step-father). It's just too bad that the rest of the world isn't as accepting of the non-binary... and I'm talking about our world as well as this fiction. Oh, and if you want to know how Storm came out, just imagine lots of dad jokes. And for those who think I used "the child" too much... I agree, but there really isn't a better way to refer to him at the moment. The illustrious Melody family, while not so important right now, will be important in Part Two. Yes, I am thinking that far ahead, I just wanted you to see a bit of it so that it doesn't feel like it came out of left field. The conversation during breakfast is somewhat like how my family is. We talk with each other loudly, listen to everyone, and jump to whatever conversation seems interesting. Further details that are not important to the story at large but you may as well know Nightlight isn't really in contact with anyone right now; he's busy making the perfect case against the Flores. Storm Paradise heard from Twilight Velvet while she was on the way home from work (what's with the family and midnight shifts?). She had dropped the kids off for the week so that she and Candy could have some time alone, and was on the way there anyways. Nightlight had a crush on Twilight Velvet from grade three to twelve, but they went to different post-secondary schools. He never had the courage to tell her, and when they met again eighteen years later, Twilight Sparkle had just been born. The birth father was caught cheating and was kicked out. Finally over his nerves, Nightlight asked Twilight Velvet out, and the rest is history.
AnnouncementBetween a case of writers block (up 'til mid August) and life (why does life always have to get in the way?)... I won't be able to post anything for a bit... So, please, hang on just a few more months... And please accept my sincerest apologies.
