Friendship is Shining: Family Matters

Chapters

Strange Dreams
A Startling Morning
Family Announcement
Shocked
Dropping By
Another Night
A Mother's Considerations
Tough Decisions
Going Away Party

Strange Dreams

It was a cool autumn night in Ponyville. A thin layer of clouds filled the sky, blocking out many of the stars above and waiting to release their rain just before sunrise. While a few of the ponies around were out having fun for the weekend, most have already gone to bed. Among the latter were the residence of The Golden Oaks Library: Shining Armor, Spike, and Twilight Sparkle.

Outside of the library, a pale blue coated mare walked around. She circled around the large tree turned building, looking at the windows and seeing them all dark. Not a single light was on, and given how late it was, they all should have been asleep by now anyways.

Okay, Sonata, the mare -- Sonata Dusk -- thought, you can do this. This is what you do. Just like you were taught. No problem-o.

So why did some part of her feel bad about it? She was a siren. They used their music to manipulate ponies and get what they wanted all the time. She and her sisters had done it numerous times in the past. Hay, this time she was not even going to hurt anypony. Just use her singing to manipulate the dreams a little. Not even bad dreams either.

But... for some reason, she felt guilty over it. Like she was betraying their trust.

With a shake of her head, she pushed it aside. This is why she was here. This is what she was ordered to do. If it worked, she could prove that she was not some worthless airhead. She was just as much a siren, just as much a hunter, as Aria and Adagio. She would show those stupid-heads.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She then began to sing. As she did, the red jewel on her choker began to glow. A smoky green magic slowly poured out of the jewel, making its way toward the library. The energy made its way up along the building, slipping in through the cracks around the windows and doors. It snaked through the building, crawling along the floor as it made its way toward the bedrooms. As it found the sleeping forms, tendrils slipped out, wrapping around them.

*****

Spike sat on the chair by the counter, head resting on one claw as he watched.

Next to him, Sonata Dusk stood in front of the stove. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she stared at the skillet, and her mouth gripped tightly at the spatula she was holding. All of her attention was on the skillet, scanning the surface of the pancake. Eyes suddenly going wide and a gasp escaping through her nose, she lunged forward. With a twist of her neck, Sonata slipped the spatula under the pancake and gave it a flip.

"Perfect," Spike said, standing up on his chair. "Way to go, Sonata."

"Thanks," Sonata said with a smile. "And thanks for teaching me how to make pancake."

"No problem," the dragon said, puffing out his chest. "We're family now. Besides," he jumped down and gave the mare a hug, "I owe you for helping me get together with Rarity."

With a smile and chuckle, Sonata patted him on the head.

"Plus I bet that having somepony else do the cooking -- letting you have more free time to be with Rarity -- doesn't hurt either."

That got a laugh from Spike as well, rubbing the back of his head.

Still grinning, Sonata turned back to the stove and picked up her spatula. Again she slipped it under the pancake and lifted, but this time, she set it on a plate. It went on top, the latest of the batch that were thought of as "edible" and the one that come out the closest to perfect.

"Well I think that should be enough to start," she declared. "Spike, can you wake up Shiny and Twiley while I set the table?"

"Sure," Spike said as he headed for the doorway. "No problem... sis."

*****

Twilight Sparkle -- Twiley to most -- could barely contain her excitement. The filly's grin was wide, so wide it bordered on the edge of manic, and could give Pinkie Pie's a run for her money. She was excited, she could barely hold still, and even that had her dancing in place a little. Twiley knew it would be better if she held still and saved all her energy -- especially with what was about to happen -- but she could not help herself. It was just too exciting.

She was at The Sisterhooves Social. Not just at it, but participating in it. Something she never thought she would get the chance to do, seeing as both her older siblings were brothers.

Still grinning, the little unicorn filly looked up at the blue earth pony beside her. Sonata Dusk was the best sister (sister-in-law, technically) the filly could have asked for. Not only did Sonata really love Shiny, Spike, and her, but was really nice too. Whenever Twiley was interested in something, Sonata would ask her about it, and listen intently while she explained. Some times, Sonata would ask questions. Plus, she was a really good singer. Twiley had grown to love having Sonata sing her lullabies before going to sleep.

Now, thanks to Sonata, Twilight Sparkle got to be a part of The Sisterhooves Social. She continued to grin, looking up in the stands where the rest of her family was.

"On your mark," a voice shouted. Twiley and Sonata moved closer getting in position.

"GO!"

*****

"We're a dying breed."

"You're immortal."

"We could be Immortal. I-i-i-immortal."

"Permission to kill?"

"Denied!"

"Wimpy unicorn!"

"Old goat!"

"Live! From New Yoke! It's SATURDAY NIGHT!"

With a gasp, Shining Armor shot up in bed. Eyes wide, he sat there, panting and dripping sweat. The unicorn stallion looked around, taking in the dark room. None of it seemed out of place.

"Shiny?" a soft, sleepy voice said from the beside him. "Is something wrong?"

Turning to look, his brow furrowed a moment before remembering who she was. The look of concern vanished with a smile as he leaned closer, running a hoof through the pale blue mane and brushing it aside for the half-asleep mare.

"Everything's fine, Nat," he said. "Go back to sleep."

Instead, Sonata Dusk sat up and moved closer, pressing her cheek against his shoulder.

"Another bad dream?" she asked.

With a sigh, he laid back down, looking up at the ceiling while Sonata moved to rest her head on his chest. Reaching up, he stroked a hoof through her hair gently.

"No," he answered. "Well... not bad. Just... weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well to start, I was Captain of The Royal Guard, and married to Cadance. Except..." his brow furrowed. "She was different. Very flirtatious and sex-obsessed. Like everything was an innuendo or an opening to talk about sex?" He rubbed at his head, trying to remember it all. "Then we were with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna and..." His brow furrowed. "...some sort of goat... fish... thing? I think he called himself a cap of corn, and his name was Titan or something? He was really cranky, always complaining about me and wanting to kill anything that annoyed him in the slightest.

"For some reason we weren't in Canterlot. The five of us were on some sort of quest. I think it was to find somepony so Princess Luna could punch them in the flank? Except... none of us had any idea where we were actually going. Plus, we kept getting sidetracked. Like, something would come up, and we would deal with that instead. Except we never had a plan. It was just stupid luck that we even made it out alive, to say nothing of actually succeeding, which we did. Also, there were a bunch of pop culture references. Every conversation had at least one recycled joke and a movie reference."

"What's a movie?" Sonata asked.

The question gave Shining Armor pause. Like so much of the dream, it had somehow made sense at the time. But now, it was rapidly fading away and did not really make that much sense. He tried to keep the memories in place long enough.

"I... I think they were like plays," he said. "Except... it wasn't performed live. It was like... a combination of flipbook and slide show with audio recorded?"

"That sounds silly. How would you flip the slides fast enough to make it look like they were moving?"

"I don't know," Shining answered. "That's the weird thing. It all kind of made sense at the time, like I got a lot of the references, but... now I can't place them. It's like... if you were talking to somepony about a subject, and you just toss out a name without thinking about it, but... when you are thinking about something, and you know the answer but can't think of it."

"Hm," Sonata said as she moved up. "Well... it was just a dream." Her eyes narrowed and a smile spread across her face. "We have plenty of time before morning and we're both awake."

Turning to look at her, Shining Armor raised an eyebrow.

"Do you have something in mind?"

Sonata leaned in closer, her snout almost touching his.

"That depends," she purred out. "Did your Dream Cadance give you any ideas?"

Sonata then leaned forward, pressing her lips to Shining Armor's.

With a gasp, Shining Armor woke up, eyes wide as he stared up at the ceiling. One hoof moved to his barrel, rubbing at it gently. He swore that he could still feel the warmth of the mare's body pressed against his. Just as he could still feel her lips against his. Tongue slipping out, he licked at them, seeing if he could catch a taste.

Nothing. It had just been a dream. A wonderfully vivid dream, but a dream all the same.

No mare was in his bed. No mare was sharing his life.

With a sigh, Shining Armor turned over and pulled the blankets over him more. Closing his eyes, he tried to get back to sleep. As he did, one question popped into his head.

Why her?

*****

Outside of the library, Sonata's song came to an end. The last note floated through the night air before fading away, and with it, the glow of the gem around the mare's neck. With the glow gone, the magic dissipated, like smoke that was being blown away a night breeze.

Several seconds passed as she looked up at the windows, watching. Wishing.

With a sigh, she turned away and started to make her way home.

It would have been nice if she had some actual friends to talk to.

A Startling Morning

Shining Armor was awaken by the sound of knocking on his door. Blinking, he looked around. It was morning now. Well... it had been morning before, but now the sun was actually up. He was still in his bed, which was still just him.

The door opened, and Spike poked his head in.

"Shining?"

"I'm awake," Shining Armor answered as he rolled out of bed. "What is it, Spike?"

Pushing the door open more, the young dragon stepped in. He held a scroll in one claw as he made his way toward the stallion.

"You got a letter from Princess Celestia," Spike said. "Also, breakfast is ready."

"Thanks," Shining said as he took the scroll in his magic and began to unfurl it.

"Shining? Are you okay?" Spike moved a little closer. "You look like something's wrong."

Shining Armor considered the question a moment as he looked back toward the bed. He could still remember the dream so vividly, although the dream within the dream had faded to all but a few meaningless words. The warm touch, the gentle voice, the cuddling, the talking. The kiss. So gentle. So affectionate.

"Just feeling a little lonely," he finally said. Turning back to Spike, he smirked. "We haven't all met the mare of our dreams and have declared our undying love and dedication to yet."

That got a slight chuckle from the young dragon before he suddenly perked up, eyes wide.

"That reminds me. I had this really amazing dream last night. Rarity and I were in a relationship."

"Oh?" Shining asked, raising an eyebrow. "How was that going?"

"Great!" Spike declared, nearly jumping in place. "We were all having breakfast together and talking." He suddenly froze, eyes going wide.

"Breakfast..." he whispered before shouting, "I left Twiley alone with the pancakes!" He then bolted out the room and down the stairs.

A chuckle escaped Shining Armor as he watched Spike run off. He was pretty sure that Twilight was not going to eat all of the pancakes by herself, but it did not stop her from trying, and from the young dragon worrying that she actually would.

"Save some for me," Shining called out after Spike before turning his attention to the scroll.

My Dear Faithful Student,

I am writing to inform you of something that I myself have recently been made aware of. It seems that a neighboring royal -- Princess Chrysalis of the changelings -- has decided to visit Equestria. Not so much to visit with me and discuss official matters, although I do believe that she shall do so in due time, but more to explore the land and possibly meet ponies of interest. In light of events surrounding the return of my sister and Discord, and your role in them, it seems probable that she may make her way to Ponyville.

To that end, I ask that you be aware of any new ponies that may appear suddenly. Especially those that seem to be extremely interested in you and the others, and are highly flirtatious. I am uncertain how useful this description may be to you, seeing how you are a single stallion and a hero to the kingdom. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a physical description as Princess Chrysalis is a changeling, which allows her to be able to thoroughly disguise herself how she sees fit. She very well may not even be disguised as a mare, as she is just as capable of appearing as a stallion. This does not include the possibility of other races as well.

While this letter is to notify you about this, understand that there is nothing for you to worry about. Princess Chrysalis and her changelings are allies to us, and while she may at times be mischievous, she means no harm to any pony or the kingdom as a whole. I am also quite certain that she is full capable of taking care of herself, should danger arise. However, her court -- the queen especially -- would like to find her, and admittedly, I myself am curious as to what she is currently up to. As such, should any ponies arrive in town that you suspect may be secretly royalty, please notify with as much information on the subject as possible.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia.

Shining Armor pursed his lips as he read the letter. His mind tried to go through his memories, picking out what he could about changelings. If he recalled right, they were some sort of insect-like pony creature... or... pony-like insect creature. Whichever was the case, they had a talent for disguising themselves as other creatures, such as ponies, and... something else? They had some sort of dietary quirk? He had never met one that he knew of -- much less dined with them -- and the whole thing had been a lesson from when he was younger.

It was doubtful that it mattered though. Despite what happened with Nightmare Moon and Discord, Ponyville was hardly a grand tourist spot. Yes, some ponies did come to see it, but they were few and far between. Most would go to Manehattan or Las Pegasus for big cities, Rainbow Falls if they were looking for natural beauty, or Appleloosa if they wanted some sort of rustic experience. Few ponies would come to Ponyville just because it was the sight of attacks from ancient beings long thought of as myths.

Plus, what did his being single have to do with anything?

Putting the letter away for later, Shining Armor left his room and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. There, Spike and Twilight were already seated, happily eating away at their pancakes.

"So what was the letter about?" Twilight Sparkle asked before shoving another pancake into her mouth (not just a bite or forkful, but an entire pancake).

"Nothing to worry about," Shining Armor answered as he sat down and grabbed some for himself. "A princess from another kingdom is running around Equestria, and Princess Celestia just wanted to have me keep my eyes open." He grabbed the syrup. "I don't see why though. I doubt a princess is going to come to a place like Ponyville."

Looking up from his own plate, Spike raised an eyebrow as he stared at Shining Armor.

"Did you just say that?" the young dragon asked. "Did you really just say that?"

"Say what?" Shining asked, raising an eyebrow of his own.

"Come on," Spike said, waving his arms. "You said you didn't think she was going to come here. Don't you know what that means?" He pointed a claw at Shining Armor. "That's exactly what's going to happen. Just you watch." He stood up and pointed toward the ceiling before making his declaration. "By the end of the day, that princess will be in Ponyville!"

Rolling his eyes, Shining Armor gave a shake of his head.

"Spike, you've been reading too many comic books. Saying something is not going to happen isn't going to make it happen, just like asking 'what's the worst the that could happen?' isn't going to cause things to go badly, or saying 'it can't get any worse' will make things get worse than they already are. Allow me to demonstrate."

Shining Armor cleared his throat.

"There is no way a princess is going to suddenly show up at our front door," he announced in a loud, clear voice.

There was a knock at the door, causing the three of them to jump. They stared toward the door for a second before Spike turned to Shining Armor.

"Five bits says that's the princess you were warned about."

"It's not," Shining said as he made his way for the door. "It's probably one of our friends dropping by early for some reason. Or it could be somepony who needs a book for something and can't wait."

"Or a princess!" Spike called after him.

With a sigh, Shining Armor shook his head. Between Spike and Twilight, sometimes it felt like he was the only one that could tell the difference from reality and fiction. Granted, certain things that happened in time were so strange that it seemed to come out of a story, but still.

There was a knock again.

"Coming," Shining Armor called out. Reaching the door, he pulled it open. "Welcome to Go--ACK!"

The rest of his greeting was cut off as he was suddenly pulled into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, my boy!" a feminine voice cried out. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you. We got here as soon as we could."

"Velvet," a masculine voice said, "ease up a little there. Don't want to end up crushing the lad, now do you."

The grip on Shining Armor eased up and he was able to breathe again. Blinking, he looked at the pony hugging him, then at the pony standing nearby.

"Mom? Dad?"

His mother -- Twilight Velvet -- and father -- Night Light -- smiled at him. Smiling back, he moved to give them both a hug in return.

"Spike! Twilight!" he calls out. "It's Mom and Dad."

The sound of a stampede that must have been equal to ten Big Macintoshes echoed through the library. The source of all the noise, however, was not from ten very large and muscular earth ponies, or even one, but from a single unicorn filly.

"MOM!" Twilight shouted from the other side of the room. "DAD!" As fast as her legs could carry her, she ran toward her parents. Halfway across the room, she leaped into the air, becoming a little purple unicorn missile. Before she could discover if she could leap far enough to reach her parents or fall short, a bright rose colored magic aura grabbed Twilight, pulling her to Velvet who gave her a hug too.

"Come on, Spike!" Night Light called out. "You're the only one missing from the reunion here, son."

While not showing the same amount of enthusiasm as Twilight, Spike did run to meet the other two. Reaching Night Light first, the little dragon gave the dark blue stallion a hug.

A look passed between Spike and Twilight. They both smirked before turning to the respective hug partner.

"What did you bring me?" they both asked at the same time.

There was a moment of quiet surprise before the older ponies burst into laughter.

"So what are you doing here?" Shining Armor asked as he led them into the library and toward the kitchen. "I thought you were going to be off on your third honeymoon slash tour of Equestria until Hearth's Warming."

Twilight Velvet moved to suddenly stand in front of her son. Her face took on a stern look that he recognized. Good news, he was not in trouble. Bad news, he had said something that his mother disapproved of.

"I got word that my children -- my son -- had wound up facing another ancient evil bent on destroying Equestria." With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. "Not only is that a sentence I would never thought I would have to say, but the fact I can actually use 'another' in it is extremely unexpected." Her gaze then returned to Shining Armor, and her expression softened. "Do you honestly believe that your father and I would not come running as soon as we could?"

"We also have some things we want to talk to you about," Night Light added.

A loud grumbling from Shining Armor's stomach got the attention of all gathered.

"Perhaps we can discuss it all over breakfast," the older stallion said with a laugh, getting an embarrassed chuckle from the younger one.

Family Announcement

After Twilight Velvet and Spike made more pancakes and they had all eaten their fill, the family sat around for the table. At the insistence of Twilight Velvet and Night Light, Shining Armor told them about what happened with Discord. He started with the summoning to Canterlot by Princess Celestia, and told them about the riddle. The details of what happened on the train, he kept rather vague. Partially because it was not something he wanted to dwell on too much, and partially because the stories of what happened on the train were more his friends' than his own. As he continued, he played up the importance of Twilight's role in winning, while emphasizing that she was in no danger of course. Did not want Mom and Dad to think he would put their daughter at risk, after all. He then finished with the defeat of Discord, and their being honored by Princess Celestia.

There was no need to mention the bad dreams that followed.

"Wait," Spike called out. "That was all weeks ago." He turned to Velvet and Night. "So if you came as soon as you heard, why are you two just now getting here?"

"Well to start," Night Light explained, "we were fortunate enough to be out of reach of Discord's chaotic influence. At least, as far as either of us could tell."

"We were in a little cottage in the woods near Neighagra Falls when it happened," Twilight Velvet added. A smile spread across her face as she looked at her husband from the corner of her eye. "We... also didn't leave much while we were there."

"Ew," Twilight said, making a face. While neither of them said it, Spike and Shining Armor agreed. None of them wanted to think of their parents like that.

Night Light chuckled before continuing.

"Regardless of your opinion, we didn't really get much in the way of news. It was actually some time after it happened, when we went out to eat, that we found out what happened. Once we did, we were on the next train back." Shifting, he glanced at his wife.

"Although we did stop at the hospital in Canterlot," she added.

"The hospital?!" Twilight shouted, jumping onto the table. "What happened? What's wrong? is one of you sick? Dying? Do y--"

"Twilight," Twilight Velvet said firmly. She fixed her daughter with The Gaze. "Calm down, and get off the table." One hoof pointed back to the seat that the filly had jumped out of.

"Heh," the younger Twilight chuckled with a sheepish grin. "Sorry." Hopping off the table, she made her way back to her chair.

Once Twilight Sparkle was back in her seat, Twilight Velvet continued.

"Now, to allay your fears," she said softly, "let me assure you that neither your father nor I are dying. And while I have been sick for a while, it's not due to illness." She smiled. "In fact, it's because our family is about to get a little bigger."

There was a moment of silence as Shining, Twilight, and Spike tried to process what they were just told. Shining Armor was the first to speak up.

"Wait," he said. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I'm pregnant," Twilight Velvet announced.

"Wow," Spike said. "Congrat... what's that sound?"

As they all listened, a sustained high-pitched note filled the air. It was long and drawn out, and painfully ear-piercing. The three adult ponies and one young dragon began searching for the source of the sound. Shining Armor soon found it: Twilight Sparkle. The filly's front hooves were pressed together in front of her. Her eyes were wide and she had a grin on her face that Pinkie Pie would be proud of. She was also making that noise they were all hearing.

"Twiley?" Shining asked, reaching out to poke his sister with a hoof.

"I'M GOING TO BE A BIG SISTER!"

Hopping onto the table again, the filly started dancing excitedly.

"I'm gonna be a big sister!" she sang. "I'm gonna be a big sister! I'm gonna be a big sister!"

"You're gonna be a big sister! You're gonna be a big sister!" Pinkie sang along, dancing on the table beside the filly.

"Twilight!" Velvet called out. "Pinkie! Get off the table!"

Pinkie hopped off as Twilight Sparkle once again made her way to her chair.

"Hold on," Night Light said. "Pinkie, where'd you come from?"

"Sugarcube Corner," Pinkie answered. "I was in the kitchen helping get ready for the day when all of a sudden I heard 'I'm going to be a big sister!' being shouted really really really really really really really really really --" she took a deep breath "-- really really really really loud. I thought it sounded like Twiley and I found her singing how" -- she then started singing -- "she's gonna be a big sister! She's gonna be a big sister!" The singing stopped as she resumed talking. "And she was so happy that I just had to join in and celebrate with her."

Pinkie then turned to Velvet and shook a hoof.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Sparkle. If you want, we can throw you a big baby shower right here in Ponyville."

"Baby shower?" Twilight Sparkle asked, blinking curiously. "Why would anypony throw a party to wash a baby?"

"No, sweetie," Velvet said with a giggle. "It's not a party where the baby is given a shower. It's a party where the fact a mare is pregnant is celebrated, and she is often given gifts that will help her with the baby. Such as bottles, blankets, diapers, and toys."

"Oh," Twilight said, shifting her seat and considering what she just learned. "So, why's it called a 'shower?'"

"Because they shower the new mommy with presents," Pinkie declared, grinning. "But I should really get back to Sugarcube corner. Have to get ready for the morning rush. See you all later."

With that, she pronked away, leaving the family to watch her a moment before she disappeared from sight.

Clearing his throat, Night Light got the attention of all the others.

"There is one other matter we are here about," he said. "In light of what's happened, we think Twiley should move back to Canterlot."

"WHAT?!" Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and a suddenly returned Pinkie Pie all cried out at once.

Shocked

The six stood there in silence, the initial shock passing as the words actually sank in. Twilight Velvet and Night Light wanted Twilight Sparkle to move back to Canterlot.

"But Pumpkin!" Pinkie blurted out. "And Pound! And... and... what about Trixie?" She was shifting her hooves, moving back and forth in place.

"Pinkie," Shining Armor said softly. "Why don't you go back to work. We'll discuss this and let you know if anything happens."

Pinkie looked at Shining Armor, then at Twilight, and then over at the parents. Her normal excitement and enthusiasm were gone, and she was looking around with an extremely serious look on her face (one that was especially surprising given who it was on). With a huff, she gave a nod.

"Okay." She then looked back to Shining Armor. "But keep me informed. The twins are either going to get to say good-bye, or celebrate that their best friend is staying."

"Twins?" Night Light asked.

"Best friend?" Twilight Sparkle said, eyes wide.

"Yeah," Pinkie said as her full attention turned to the filly. "You're like, their best friend now." She looks at the parents again. "They just love hanging out with her." Her eyes narrowed as she smirked. "Not to mention that Pound Cake is Twiley's co--"

With a yelp, Twilight lunged forward and grabbed Pinkie's mouth, holding it shut. The filly's face had turned so bright, it was almost as red as Big Macintosh's coat. She was staring at her parents, eyes wide and ears pulled back. A small, nervous chuckle suddenly burst from her.

"Ha ha ha," she squeaked. "That's Pinkie Pie for you. So silly some times. How 'bout we forget whatever it was she was talking about?" She grinned, a small "squee" noise accompanying it.

Velvet's horn lit up with magic, again engulfing the filly in the aura. Gently, she pulled the small limbs away from the pink mare's muzzle, letting Twilight float in the air. Velvet pulled Twilight closer as she looked at Pinkie. Tilting her head, she raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Now, Miss Pie, what where you saying?"

"Nothinggottagobye!"

And Pinkie Pie was gone. None of the remaining ponies or the dragon had seen her leave. It was just one second she was there, and the next, vanished. Did not even seem like she had ran for the door, just... gone.

"How... how did she..." Night Light sputtered, staring at where the mare had been.

"That's just Pinkie Pie," Shining Armor said. "She does all sorts of things. Nopony can figure out how or why." Wincing he rubbed at the back of his head. "Believe me. I've tried. And it did not work out well for me." He gave a shake of his head. "Anyway, can we get back to the subject of Twiley. You want her to go back to Canterlot?"

"Shining," Twilight Velvet said softly, "Twiley staying here was on a trial basis. To see if this was best for all of you."

"But this is the best," Spike said, jumping up. "Shining and I are taking good care of her, she's doing well in school, and she has friends here."

"Maybe," Velvet responded, "but there's also the matter that Ponyville seems to be more dangerous than we thought."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Discord," Night Light replied. "When he got free, he came here to and started causing trouble."

"And you were in the middle of it all," Velvet pointed out. She turned to her oldest. "Shining, you're an adult and supposed to be a hero now. As much as I don't like it that you could get hurt, I can't do anything about it. This is your life, and your choice." She then turned to her daughter. "You, however, are still a filly. You don't even have your cutie mark yet, to say nothing of being an adult."

"But... but I helped stop him," Twilight whined out, ears pulling back.

"And Discord started off in Canterlot anyways," Spike pointed out.

"But she wouldn't have been in the middle of it," Velvet pointed out. "She wouldn't have been more at risk of being attacked or anything than any other pony."

"As for you helping," Night Light added, "we are proud of you for that. However, as your mother pointed out, you're still very young. This isn't something you should be doing. Maybe when you're older, you can join the guard or something."

"Oh, Celestia," Velvet mumbled. "I certainly hoped not."

"But--" Twilight started.

"Twilight," Shining Armor cut in, "Spike, stop. That's enough for now."

The two turned to him.

"You can't be okay with this!" Spike said, staring at him.

"No," Shining answered. "I'm not." Moving closer, he pressed up against the two. "I want Twiley to stay too." He sighed. "But right now, we're all just getting worked up and not making any changes." He then turned to his parents. "So, how about we pause this discussion for now? We all calm down, and take some time. Maybe try and convince you to let her stay with us. You wouldn't mind staying a while, right?"

"Of course not," Velvet said. "We still have everything set up for our extended honeymoon. Do you have a particular length in mind?"

"No," Shining admitted. "At least until tomorrow evening. That way, we can spend the rest of the weekend showing you around town, and maybe show you it's not as dangerous as you're thinking. Plus you can meet with Twiley's teacher and see how she's doing. Give us some time to try and change your mind." He then looked at Twiley and Spike. "If you don't, then we'll see about making this as easy as possible for everypony."

Twilight Velvet and Night Light looked at each other. No words actually passed between the pair, but it did seem like they were having an intensive conversation. None of the others spoke either, not wanting to interrupt the "conversation." Instead they stood there, watching quietly at the little shifts in mouth, ears, and eyes that moved between the married couple.

"Okay," Night Light said. "We'll wait until Monday before deciding anything."

"Great," Shining said with a soft smile. Now he just had to try and get things to go as well as possible and hope that nothing majorly bad would happen while their parents were here. If something like the parasprites, or Sunset Shimmer, happened while they were here, there would be absolutely nothing that would get the pair to change their mind.

If it was a story like Spike imagined, this would absolutely be the time that something horrible would happen. Something that in itself would normally guarantee that Night Light and Twilight Velvet would take their daughter and get her away from Ponyville. However, in those same stories, something would also happen that would convince the couple to let Twilight Sparkle stay, feeling that she will be safe despite the dangers of it all.

A knock from the front got Shining's attention.

"Twiley, why don't you show Mom and Dad your Running of The Leaves ribbon while I go see who that is?"

"Okay," Twilight replied. "Come on." She then started for the stairs, her parents following her close behind.

After the three of them were gone, Shining Armor made his way toward the door, Spike following along.

"You really think they're going to make her go back?" the dragon asked, still looking back toward the stairway.

"You heard what they said," Shining answered. "Mom and Dad want to keep her safe. You can't be mad at them about that."

With a sigh, Spike sagged, his fins drooping a little.

"No," he admitted. "Doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"No one is saying you do." The stallion gave the young dragon a shoulder bump. "I don't like it either, but you have to understand where they're coming from. So, while they're here, we'll try to show them that Twiley is safe, happy, and healthy. If we can, then they might reconsider and let her stay." He then lifted out a hoof and stopped Spike, looking at him directly. "If not, then we accept it and try to make this as easy on Twiley as we possibly can. Okay?"

"...Fine..." Spike huffed, crossing his arms.

Shining gave Spike a smile and a hug. He then let go and continued to the door, pulling it open.

Standing at the doorway was the tall, lean form of Crystal Heart. Tilting her head slightly, the earth pony mare raised an eyebrow.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "I'm sensing some tension." Her head tilted the other way. "I can come back later."

"No, that's okay," Shining said as he stepped back to let her in. "Just some personal issues. How can we help you?"

Crystal stepped into the library, her white coat shifting with each movement of her toned muscles. Her green eyes then turned to Spike, the young dragon staring up at her with brow furrowed. With a gentle smile, she leaned forward, looking at him eye to eye.

"And who is this handsome fellow?" she asked. "Don't think I've met him before."

"I'm Spike." Straightening up, he puffed his chest out. "Sidekick, assistant, and little brother."

"Well it is lovely to meet you Spike," Crystal purred out, holding out a hoof, which Spike shook. "Anyway, I'm here to return the book I checked out, and maybe pick out another."

"Sure," Shining Armor replied. "I even talked to a friend of ours, and got some recommendations based on what you told me last time."

"Wonderful," Crystal said with a smile as she followed the stallion into the library and toward the romance section.

Shutting the door, Spike watched them from where he was. His eyes narrowed as he observed the mare, taking in the way she walked and talked. His mouth tensed, lips pursing together as he did. It was hard to say what, but something about Crystal Heart did not seem right to the young dragon.

Dropping By

Aside from Crystal Heart's visit, the rest of the morning was visitor free. After Twilight Sparkle showed her parents the ribbon from The Running of The Leaves (for participating and completing it, she had not been anywhere near fast enough to place), Twilight Velvet and Night Light shared photos taken during their trip. Night Light claimed that there were even some pictures from other parts of their trip, although not exactly the kind that were family friendly. This got a playful swat from Velvet and grossed out faces from the others (with plenty of gagging noises from Spike).

Shortly after noon, the front door opened and two young ponies walked in. The two made their way toward the group, a cream colored pegasus colt leading the way, while a yellow unicorn filly followed close behind. Seeing them, Twilight hopped off her seat and moved toward the pair, smiling.

"Pound, Pumpkin, what are you doing here?"

Pound Cake -- the creamy colt -- and Pumpkin -- the yellow filly -- look at Twilight, then up at her parents. A brief glance was exchanged between the two before focusing on Twilight Velvet. The pair of young ponies let their ears droop and made their eyes wide, sticking their lower lips out and trembling.

The double-barreled sad puppy faces struck Twilight Velvet point blank dead-on. While she was a well experienced veteran when it came to motherhood, in all her years, she only ever had to deal with a single sad puppy face at a time. Not so much that she was totally immune to it, but enough that she had some resistance. However, she had never faced dual puppy faces.

"Is... is it true?" Pound Cake asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"Are... are you really going to take our best friend away?" Pumpkin then asked, her voice also trembling.

The two of them then gave a sad sniffle.

The pair got Twilight Velvet to wince, looking away. She moved to rub at the back of her head, trying not to notice the two still watching her.

"It's... it's not that simple," she said. "We don't want to take her away from her friends. It's just that..."

She made the mistake of looking at them again, just at they had started to tear up and their lip trembling grew stronger. Velvet grimaced and looked away, trying not to break fully.

"It just... Discord... and parasprites..." She turned away again, trying to get the looks out view.

She could still feel them.

"Pound Cake!" a voice called out. "Pumpkin Cake! You put those faces away this instant and leave her alone."

The twins turned to face a chubby blue earth pony mare who was giving them a hard look.

"But Mom," they both whined out.

"Don't 'but' me!" their mother -- Mrs. Cake -- snapped. "Now," she pointed a hoof toward the door, "I want the two of you to head back to Sugarcube Corner this instant. March!"

With sighs, the two of them sagged. Turning away from Twilight Velvet and their mother, the twins made their way for the door.

"I'm sorry about that," Mrs. Cake said as she faced Velvet. "As soon as Pinkie Pie told them about Twiley leaving, they took off to come here as soon as they could."

"It's... it's okay," Velvet replied. "They... I guess they meant well."

"Perhaps, but still. Please, come by the bakery later, and I'll give you some treats on me to make up for it."

"Thank you."

"Oh, don't thank me," Mrs. Cake declared. "I'm hoping to convince you to let her stay as well." She gave the other mare a grin. "I'm just willing to try and butter you up and bribe you with sugary treats in the hopes you'll at least listen and consider." She started to walk as well. "See you all later. Stop by whenever you like."

"Guess we should have expected that," Spike said. "You think other ponies'll show up too?"

With lunchtime upon them, the family decided to have a nice picnic outside. All of them made their way to the kitchen, preparing sandwiches, getting bottles of juice, making salad wraps, and finding some small pastries for dessert. Spike grabbed the picnic blanket while Twilight offered to carry the basket. Although she did not have much skill with her magic yet, she did have enough to hold and balance the thing on her back.

The five of them enjoyed the cool autumn air as they went. The ground was still damp from the early morning rain, their steps leaving paths in the grass and letting them know where others had walked before. A slight breeze blew through the air, making the afternoon almost chilly. Shining Armor led the way, while Night Light and Velvet looked for prime picnic spots. A task they found a little more difficult as none of the deciduous trees had any leaves remaining, granting neither shade, nor a chance to look at the lovely colors.

"Hey!" a voice called out. "Shining!"

Turning toward the sound, Shining Armor found him and the group being approached by the light blue form of Sonata Dusk. As the earth pony mare approached, Shining Armor could feel his face heating up. He could still remember the dream from last night. The feel of her against him. The touch of her lips to his. The teasing, flirtatious look in her eye. His mouth felt a little dry at the sight of her, and he could feel his heart beating faster in his chest.

"Son," Night Light said from beside him, "aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Right," Shining said with a shake of his head. "Dad, Mom, this is Sonata Dusk, who's moved to town recently. Sonata, these are my parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet."

"Nice to meet ya'," Sonata said with a smile. "Your son's been super nice in helping me fit in. Everypony has really. It's a great place." Turning, she reached into her saddle bag. "Anyway, here." She pulled out a flyer and held it out to them. "I got a gig next weekend, and am passing out flyers to as many ponies as I can. I wanted to especially give one to you since you let me sing at that Iron Mare competition. Hope to see you there."

"Iron Mare competition?" Velvet asked once Sonata had walked away.

"Twiley didn't mention that to you?" Shining asked. After he got a shake of the heads from both parents, he started to explain.

"Well, it was just a few days before The Running of The Leaves..."

After the story and looking around a while longer, they finally found a place that looked like a decent picnic spot. It was near one of the dirt roads that headed out of town. The spot also was also near one of the small ponds that were scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. There must have been some frogs living around it as small musical croaks reached the groups ears from time to time.

Their meal was suddenly interrupted as a sky blue pegasus mare flew by, landing hard enough to skid across the ground, kicking up dirt and grass in the process. Her head snapped around to face them, rainbow colored mane and tail flapping in the wind. Her rose colored eyes were narrowed and mouth set hard. Wings flared out, she stomped over toward the group. Or tried to at least. The effort was lost when a bandaged hoof slammed into the ground, causing her to wince. Reaching the edge of the blanket, ears pulled back, she glared at the two older unicorns.

"What's this about you taking Twilight away from Shining Armor?" she growled.

"Rainbow Dash!" Shining Armor snapped. "That's no way to act. Especially to my parents."

The anger with which he said her name caused Rainbow Dash to jump, turning to look at him. Looking away, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out. Her entire body relaxed with it, sagging slightly. Pulling her wings back in to her side, she lowered her head a little further.

"You're right." Turning to the parents, she looked up. "I'm sorry. It's just..."

Shifting, she sat down as one of her forelegs rubbed at the other.

"Pinkie Pie told me what was happening," she said, "and I know how much the kid means to you. So when I heard she might be leaving, and thought about how much you missed her--"

"You got all hot-headed," Shining Armor jumped in, "took off to find us, and didn't think it all the way through."

A small, sheepish laugh escaped Rainbow Dash. Pulling the hoof away from her foreleg, she rubbed at the back of her head instead. It was, admittedly, not a claim she could argue with. Especially since it was true in this case.

"Bet this is going to keep happening all day," Spike mumbled as he grabbed another sandwich.

"Well, Miss Dash," Twilight Velvet said, "would you care to join us, and perhaps -- in a more calmly manner -- explain why you think it is such a good idea for my daughter to stay?"

Dash moved a little closer and sat down. One of the sandwiches was offered to her, and she took a bite.

"Look," she said as she chewed, "I'll admit I'm not good with kids. Never really had any siblings myself."

Shining Armor had to bite his lip to keep from arguing. She may have forgotten about it, but he remembered how she threw herself head on into danger to save a certain filly that was very much like Rainbow Dash.

"But if I had an older brother or sister," Dash continued, "I would want them to be like Shining Armor." She then looked at him and Twilight. "And if I did have a younger sibling, I'd would hope that I could be half as good as he is. Hay, the only ponies I could say better about would be Mac and AJ, but that's kinda different."

"As nice as that is," Velvet said, "it hardly deals with the matter of the dangers from living here."

"Ponyville's not that dangerous," Rainbow Dash replied. "And even if it is a little more than other places, in a way, your Twiley is probably the safest filly in the world."

"How so?"

"When I met them," Dash explained, "I accidentally bumped into them and... caused Twilight to scrape her knee. When Shining Armor noticed, he was about ready to tear me a new one."

"A new what?" Twilight asked, looking up curiously.

"... I don't know..." Rainbow Dash replied, looking away. "It's just a figure of speech I've heard a lot.

"Anyway, my point is that so long as Shining Armor is around, nothing is going to hurt your daughter. And if anything actually did try to threaten her -- to say nothing of hurting her -- I'm pretty sure he would make the worst monsters in the deepest depths of Tartarus shake in fear of his anger, and rip apart Canterlot Mountain with his bare hooves to find her."

Rainbow Dash then continued on her sandwich in silence, leaving the others staring at her, and Night Light and Twilight Velvet considering what she had said.

Another Night

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. After lunch, the family walked around Ponyville, taking in what sights there were and enjoying the autumn chill. They had even stopped at the spa, Twilight Velvet checking to see if they would be able to see her tomorrow afternoon while Twilight Sparkle was in school. The family stopped at a restaurant, getting a nice spot and having dinner. By the time night had fallen and they were on their way back home, the air had gotten somewhat cold.

As the day came to an end and they started heading off to bed, Spike commented about his surprise that more of Shining Armor's friends did not show up to express their own feelings on the matter. He figured they would all "happen" to show up at some point or other during the day, or maybe all be waiting at the library as something of a "Please Let Twiley Stay" party set up by Pinkie Pie.

When it was time for Twilight Sparkle to go to bed, Twilight Velvet read her a bed time story. Tonight, Twilight chose Relative Location of Celestial Bodies, and Their Possible Influences on Magical Capabilities, which theorized that the positions of the sun, moon, and stars could affect a pony's natural magical abilities, regardless of tribe, and also increase or decrease the effectiveness of some spells or talents. The idea of a light spell being more effective around noon, and most at the height of summer, seemed rather silly to Velvet since that would be when it was the least needed. Granted, there were place and circumstances where it would still be necessary, but still it seemed like it would hardly matter so long as there was at least some light during those moments.

Well past midnight, after every pony -- and dragon -- had gone to bed, Sonata Dusk once again made her to the library. The wind had picked up, making the night uncomfortably cold. For ponies anyways. If Sonata was in her natural form, it would hardly bother her. Even in the pony form that she was stuck in for whatever reason, she was pretty sure she had a higher tolerance for the cold than most (as well as a greater sensitivity to the heat, as she discovered in the kitchen at Sugarcube Corner). As it was, she wore a dark red cloak to keep the worst of it out, letting her stand comfortably outside the library for the time needed.

Look at me, she had thought when she tried it on. I'm Little Red Riding Hood. If Adagio or Aria had been there, they probably would have pointed out that they were more like the big bad wolf. Or they would have just called her an idiot. Probably... no, definitely the second one. They tended to make fun of her a lot. They tended to make fun of a lot of things, actually. It was like they were always mad about something or other, and normally took it out on her or each other.

Maybe Pinkie Pie could help them be nicer.

With a shake of her head, Sonata rejected the idea. If anypony -- even Pinkie Pie -- knew the truth, they would hate her. There was no way they would help her, especially if they knew what Adagio was planning. Besides, Adagio and Aria would never accept help. Especially from "stupid ponies." If anything, it would just make them be mean to Sonata more.

Pushing the thoughts aside, Sonata Dusk closed her eyes and focused. She did have a job to do after all. Even if she did find herself wondering why she bothered.

As she did the night before, she began to sing. Each breath fogged the air in front of her before being blown away. The red gem on her choker once more began to glow as she sang, the green energy seeping out of it in tendrils. Once again its made its way toward the library, seeping through the cracks and crevices before making its way toward the sleeping occupants.

*****

It was an exciting day for Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Star Song. It was the day before Hearth's Warming Eve, and their entire family was to show up today: children, grandchildren, and children-in-laws. Soon, they would be arriving, smiling and bringing more warmth into the old house, ready to celebrate the holiday together.

The sound of the doorbell ringing filled the house.

"I'll get it," Star Song called out, the dark blue filly running to the door as fast as her hooves could carry her. With laughs and shakes of their heads, the two older unicorns followed at a more casual pace. Before they could catch up, the two could hear the door opening.

"It's Spike and Rarity!" Star Song announced.

"And Sweet Emerald," Rarity added. The white unicorn mare stepped into the house, smiling softly. "How lovely to see you again."

Around her neck was a sling, which held a bundled and sleeping form. For the most part, the form looked like a baby pony, with a green coat and purple mane with a horn sticking out from it. However, around the eyes were scales tracing along the edge and curving down toward the cheeks.

Spike followed Rarity in, the young dragon now walking on all fours and almost as tall as the mare. He looked down at the foal at the door and smiled. Reaching up with one claw, he placed it on her head, ruffling her mane.

"Hey, Song. How's our little music star doing?"

"Spike!" Star whined out as she pulled away. "You know I hate it when you mess with my mane." Reaching up with a hoof, she started pushing her white mane back into place.

"A fact which I can't help but suspect you" -- Spike turned to face Rarity -- "somehow being responsible for."

"Really," Rarity said as she tossed her head, one hoof reaching up to brush the now short mane, "can you blame me if my behavior rubbed off on such a sweet filly with wonderful taste?" Her eyes narrowed and she smirked. "If Star wishes to imitate such wonderful and high-class mares as her mother and myself, who am I to disappoint?" She then turned to the dragon more. "That is part of why you married me after all, is it not?"

Before Spike could answer, a gurgling noise got everypony's attention. Sweet Emerald was awake and look up with wide blue eyes, the pupils slits like her father.

"Oh, look who woke up," Rarity cooed before leaning down to nuzzle the filly. "Is mommy's little jewel hungry? I bet she is. How about we feed you, and then you can say hello to grandmother and grandfather." She looked up at the others. "Are we in the same room as before?"

"Yes," Velvet answered. "Do you need help finding it again?"

"Thank you, but I believe I shall manage. You go ahead and start catching up. We shall return shortly."

Rarity made her way to the bedroom, while the rest of the family headed for the den.

"So how is fatherhood treating you?"

"Not as rough as motherhood is treating Rarity," Spike answered, "but at least I don't have to worry about as many mood swings." He then let out a chuckle. "Although when fashion season starts, all bets are off."

"Well since you're here," Twilight Velvet spoke up, "how about helping us finish the decorations before the rest arrive?"

It turned out for the most part that "helping" for Spike turned out mostly be used as a ladder by Star Song. After finishing feeding her, Rarity returned with Sweet Emerald, who was now being gushed over by Twilight Velvet. Little giggles escaped the baby every time the older mare blew on her stomach, or pretended to "eat" the chubby belly. Rarity, meanwhile, was braiding Star's mane while the two talked.

"Knock, knock," a voice called out.

"We're in the den!" Night Light called out.

Shining Armor poked his head in, looking around. His ears pulled back as he took in all assembled.

"No Twiley?" he asked.

"Not yet," Velvet answered. "She had to do work today. Something about last minute security issues? She should be here as soon as she got off and changed."

Shifting, Shining Armor bit his lip as he looked around.

"Well..." he said slowly, "I was hoping that everypony would be assembled for our surprise..."

"What surprise?" Spike asked.

"Be patient, darling," Rarity said. "And don't worry, Shining. Whatever surprise you have planned, I'm certain we can wait until Twiley arrives."

"No," Shining replied. "It can't. Because... well..." He turned to look behind. "Come on, Sonny."

Shining Armor stepped into the room, quickly followed by Sonata Dusk. There were gasps from all the adults assembled as the earth pony mare came into view, as did her swollen stomach.

"Surprise!" she squealed out, hopping up in and excitement, and stopping as she winced.

"Are you alright, darling?" Rarity asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah," Sonata answered, smiling sheepishly. "Just still not used to it." She then glanced at Shining Armor. "Even if a certain somepony is constantly reminding, practically serving my every whim hoof and knee."

Shifting to look away, Shining Armor rubbed at the back of his head.

"I wouldn't say every whim..."

"Fried. Pickle. Ice cream." Sonata turned to face the others. "And I don't mean he got me fried pickles and ice cream. He actually got Pinkie Pie to help make pickle ice cream, and then they deep fried it." She grinned. "And it was served on a bed of Hayburger's fries."

"I thought you loved it," Shining said.

"I did, Shiny, but it just proves my point about how far you're willing to go for me." Leaning forward, she then rubbed her nose against his.

"So," Rarity spoke up, "do you know if it's going to be a colt or filly?"

"Fillies," Sonata replied. "Two of them."

"Two?" Twilight Sparkle asked as she stuck her head into the room. "Did you say two?"

Seeing Sonata Dusk, Twilight's eyes went wide. A grin spread across her face as she let out a squeal of excitement. Running toward the other mare, she pulled her into a hug.

"Congratulation!" Twilight nearly shouted. "Oh, this is so exciting. I'm so happy for you and Shiny."

"Now is that any way for a member of The Royal Guard to act?" Spike asked, smirking.

"Well it's a good thing I'm off duty then," Twilight replied, sticking her muzzle up in the air. "So I can act however I want." She then looked around. "Now, I believe there are two other fillies that need some attention."

Seeing Star Song, a grin spread across the mare's face as her eyes narrowed. Turning to face the filly, the purple mare lowered her front half.

"And I see one that could use some Twi-tickles," Twilight said, her butt wiggling back and forth.

"No!" Song cried out, moving behind Rarity. "Not Twi-tickles!" She pressed close to the back of the white unicorn. "Save me!"

"Nice try," Twilight said as she stalked closer, "but nopony can save you. Not even Ra--"

The rest of her declaration was cut off with a squeak as Twilight was suddenly tackled. It did not hurt her, but it did knock her off her hooves and onto her back. Above her, a purple dragon was grinning down.

"Spike? What are you --"

"No pony might be able to stop you," Spike cut in, "but maybe a dragon can." His grin grew wider as he leaned in closer, nose booping nose. "Especially a dragon that knows all your weaknesses." He then moved his head lower.

"Spike!" Twilight warned. "Don't you da--"

The rest was cut off in a squeal as Spike blew a very loud raspberry on her stomach. Despite being a full grown mare, Twilight squirmed and kicked like a filly, laughing each time her stomach was blown on.

"Spike!" she managed to cry out between laughs. "Stop." He blew again. "Stop!" She laughed more as he ignored her. "As a member of The Royal Guard --" she burst into a fresh giggle "-- I'm... I'm..."

Spike pulled away from the gasping Twilight, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"First," he said, "I'm not in the guard, which means that you can't order me to do anything. And second. You're off duty, which means I can do whatever I want." He smirked, leaning forward. "So, do you give up, or am I going to have to continue?"

"I give," Twilight gasped out. "I give. No more. No more."

With a smirk, Spike let Twilight Sparkle go, who laid there, panting and trying to catch her breath.

"Well that was fun," Twilight Velvet said as she got up. "Now, who wants to help with dinner?"

*****

Outside of The Golden Oaks Library, Sonata's song came to an end. As she finished, the mare sagged, breathing heavily. She felt tired. Not just sleepy -- which she was -- but worn out, and like she did not want to do this any more. Which was kind of weird. Her and her sisters used to do this all the time and it never bothered her, and she had not been doing it that long. She had only been in Ponyville a few weeks.

So why was she sick of it? Why did doing this to Shining Armor and his family make her feel bad?

With a shake of her head, Sonata turned and walked away. It hardly mattered. She was told what to do and she would do it. If she did not, then her sisters would blame her. At least this way, when it blew up in Adagio's face -- like it always did -- she could at least say she did her part. Although it would hardly matter. Even when it was not her fault, they seemed to take it out on her.

Her sisters sucked.

But they were still her only family, and they had to stick together.

A Mother's Considerations

After having breakfast and seeing Twilight Sparkle off to school with her friends (and getting another double-barreled puppy dog face from them), Twilight Velvet decided to walk around town alone while making her way to the spa. This way, she could look around, take some time to relax, and actually consider the town itself.

She loved her family, and she would do what she thought was best for them. Even if they did not fully like it. Such was the fate of being a parent sometimes. It was not the role of the mother to be friends with children -- although it was nice when it worked out -- but to try and keep them safe and teach them how to take care of themselves when they grew up. Hopefully doing a good enough job that the children trusted her when they messed up and there was no bitterness or resentment at the end of it.

Her lips pressed tight as that last part caused her to remember some of the arguments she heard between her own mother and grandmother.

Still, Twilight Velvet wanted what was best for Twilight Sparkle, and in light of what happened, it was hard to see Ponyville as the best place for her to grow up in. It was bad enough that Shining Armor was now in a position where he would be facing threats to Equestria and she could not do anything about it, but she did not want her daughter to be in danger as well. Especially when she could do something about it, and Twilight was still a filly.

Admittedly, it would also be nice to see how Twilight would do as a big sister.

Star Song, Twilight Velvet thought as she stopped to look at her stomach. That does have a nice sound to it.

Her walking around led Velvet to the marketplace. As she looked around, she caught sight of a familiar orange and blond from of Applejack. The farm mare was at her family's stand, talking to some of the folks and working to bag apples. As Velvet approached the stall, Applejack turned to notice her, the smile growing smaller.

"Howdy, Mrs. Velvet," Applejack said, tilting her hat. "How are ya this mornin'?"

"I am fine, Applejack. Thank you." Velvet moved closer, noticing that the other mare was not looking at her. "So, am I correct in assuming that you have heard about Twilight?"

"Yeah, I have," Applejack admitted. "Pinkie ain't exactly fond of keepin' secrets, even when ya ask her to. Add in the fact it'll make a pony she sees as a friend -- more than most, anyways -- unhappy, and she's gonna want to try and fix it."

"Excuse me one moment," Velvet said as she held up a hoof. "What do you mean by 'more than most?'"

Turning away for a moment, Applejack started to put some apples in a bag. She held it out just as a gray pegasus with a yellow mane and eyes that did not line up landed nearby.

"Here ya go," she said to the pegasus before taking some bits. With that done, Applejack turned back to Velvet and explained.

"Pinkie considers everypony in town her friend. Knows their names, likes, dislikes, and even birthdays." She shook her head. "How that girl can keep track of all that is beyond me." Turning, she adjusted some of her fruit. "Anyway, while she might consider everypony her friend, there are some that she ain't as close to as others, and some that -- while she would never use the term 'best friend -- are much closer and more trusted than others." Applejack looked at Velvet again. "Shining Armor fits that last part for her. Shoot, he probably does for all of us all things considered." She rubbed her chin with a hoof. "Probably mighty close to Twiley too, seeing as Pinkie is pretty much a big sister to the twins, and she is their best friend."

"Yes," Velvet said with a shake of her head. "I've met the twins. They made their opinion on the idea quite clear, as did their mother."

Applejack let out a chuckle, turning away from Velvet to help some customers that had showed up.

"Dare I ask your opinion on the matter?" Velvet said once they were alone again.

Applejack looked at her, then sighed and looked away again. Lifting her hat up, she ran a hoof through her blond mane before setting it back down and adjusting it.

"I don't know," she finally said. "On one hoof, there's a matter of town and family pride." Turning, she looked out over the marketplace. "It was my family that helped establish Ponyville 'bout a century ago. Shoot, it was Granny Smith who found the Zap Apples what helped start bringing bits and folks here."

"Zap Apples?"

"Heh," Applejack chuckled and grinned. "I'll see 'bout sending you a letter when they're about to ripen, so you can try one yourself. Ain't like any other apple you've ever seen before."

She then gave a shake of her head.

"As I was sayin', Ponyville is mighty important to me 'cause it's part of our family history. Yeah, it might have dangers from time to time, but it's a pretty good place. 'specially with ponies like Pinkie Pie and Shining Armor around. Some of them --" she looked off toward a pale green unicorn mare "-- might be a bit odd, but they're all pretty nice." Her body drooped a little. "Somethin' I had to miss out for a while to appreciate."

That last part got Twilight Velvet's curiosity, but she chose to let it go for now since it was not immediately relevant.

"On the other hoof," Applejack continued, "family's important to The Apples. Twi's your daughter and you want what's best for her. I get that. Ya want to look out for her and keep her safe. Were I in your place, I'd probably consider it myself."

She held up a hoof.

"That don't mean I agree with it, just that I understand it."

Velvet nodded as she took a step back.

"Thank you for your honesty, Applejack."

"Well it is my element," Applejack replied with a grin.

"Yes," Velvet replied with a chuckle. "Well, I'll let you get back to work then."

"Have a nice day," the other mare called out before turning to potential customers.

With a final nod, Twilight Velvet left the apple stand and continued toward the spa. As she went, she considered what Applejack had said. It was actually a little surprising. Velvet had expected that all of Shining Armor's friends would react like Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, trying to convince her with absolute certainty that she should let Twilight stay in Ponyville. Although not quite as passionately. So having Applejack say she understood -- that she might even do the same in her place -- was not what she thought would happen. If she had know about the family pride ahead of time, she definitely would not have expected Applejack to say such a thing.

It was understandable why the mare would have been reluctant to speak up.

At the spa, she was met by a pink mare with blue mane. After helping with her with one of the thick, fluffy, white bathrobes (it was probably as close to being wrapped in a warm cloud as a unicorn could get), the spa pony let Velvet to one of the steam rooms.

"Here you are, Mrs. Velvet," the spa pony said. "Just relax here for a while, and we will get you for your massage."

"Thank you," Velvet said as she stepped into the steam room. As she did, she saw two other ponies enjoying the steam. One was obscured by the robe and towel, only a feminine white muzzle sticking out. She -- Velvet assumed -- leaned against the wall with her head back, either heavily relaxing, or asleep. The other was a pink mare with a dour look on her face. The expression on the mare's face was one Velvet recognized from some of the more arrogant Canterlot ponies as "I am better than you, therefore you are beneath me."

It was one thing she did not miss about Canterlot.

Putting on her friendliest smile, Twilight Velvet moved forward.

"Hello," she said as friendly as could.

The other mare gave her a look like Velvet had just farted very loudly in front of her.

"You must not be from around here," the mare stated. "I don't recognize you." She lifted her nose higher. "And I know everypony that is worth knowing in this town."

Velvet's jaw clenched tighter. She recognized the intentional slight in the other mare's words. Not exactly subtle, after all. However, Velvet would not acknowledge it. She would be above it. Just be friendly and sociable. Although she had no issue imagining cutie mark's on the mare's cheeks.

"I'm Twilight Velvet. And no, I'm not from Ponyville. I'm just here to visit my children: Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle."

The beady blue eyes turned on Velvet fully, narrowing as they looked her up and down. The other mare's lips pursed tightly as she judged Velvet.

"Ah," she finally said, raising an eyebrow. "So, you are the mother of that... hooligan."

The last part got Velvet to raise an eyebrow. Had she actually heard that right?

"Did... did you just call my son a hooligan?"

With a huff, the other mare lifted her head up, nose high in the air.

"I was most certainly not referring to your son," she stated.

Everything went silent as Velvet stared at the mare. First it was to try and figure out what the mare was saying, then because it took time to sink in as Velvet could not believe it. A flare of anger coursed through her body. One that she worked to keep under control. Even if she wanted to blast that smug look of the other mare's face.

"Are you calling my dear little Twilight Sparkle a hooligan?"

"What else would you call a brat that shoved the heads of other ponies into toilets?" the other mare growled out.

"Now, really, Spoiled," the white mare said as she leaned up, lifting the towel to reveal her blue eyes. "It was months ago and an accident due to a magical surge. Not like Twilight did it on purpose."

Spoiled turned to who Velvet now recognized as Rarity, brow furrowing and eyes narrowing.

"You are only defending her because her brother happens to be a handsome unicorn with connections to royalty," she growled out. "Just the type a mare like you would do anything for." She then smirked. "Such as giving your tail a little extra lift and wiggle."

If looks could kill, Velvet was pretty the look Rarity was giving would have made Spoiled's head explode. Instead of immediately responding, however, Rarity glanced toward Velvet, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Before she could open her mouth, however, a knock came from the door.

"Mrs. Rich," a blue mare with pink mane said, "we are ready for you now."

"It's about time!" Spoiled huffed as she got up. Making her way toward the door, she glanced back at Rarity and Velvet. "I swear, the quality of this place has gone down significantly lately." At the door, she turned to face the blue mare. "I should have my husband buy this place and make sure that only proper ponies were permitted."

As Spoiled Rich left, the blue spa pony rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"That mare," Rarity huffed as she moved to get comfortable. "I am sorry that you had to put up with that, Mrs. Velvet."

"It's..." Velvet started, but stopped. She was going to say "it's alright," but that was not true. The mare had frustrated her, and had gotten on under Rarity's skin as well.

"It's not worth dwelling on," she said instead as she moved to sit down. "I've dealt with ponies like her before. Although most are better at their subtlety when it comes to insults." She then tilted her head. "I am curious, though. What was that about my daughter shoving a head into a toilet?"

Rarity shifted, a small, sheepish smile spreading across her mouth.

"Honestly, I don't recall," she admitted. "I think I remember Sweetie Belle saying something about it, but it was nothing that really stuck out to me."

Turning to look at Rarity, Twilight Velvet raised an eyebrow as her eyes narrowed.

"So you lied?"

"I wouldn't say 'lied,'" Rarity replied. "After all, lying indicates that a pony is saying something either they do not truly believe or know for certain is untrue, does it not? I believe what I said as the truth." She shifted. "I merely based it more on my knowledge of those involved and the context I was given more than my knowledge of the event proper, is all."

That got a smile from Velvet and a shake of her head. It still seemed a bit deceptive and dishonest to her, but she could not blame Rarity for being so clever about the matter. Besides, it was in defense of her daughter, which she could appreciate.

Her daughter.

"Rarity," Velvet said, "would I be correct if I were to guess that Pinkie Pie told you about my intentions with Twiley?"

"You mean your intent to take her back to Canterlot?" Rarity gave a nod. "Not to me directly. However, she did mention it to Sweetie Belle, who told me about it when she came home."

"Yes," Velvet said. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you think about the matter?"

Shifting, Rarity's lips pressed together as she looked away.

"I'm afraid I do mind," she replied. "I am sorry Mrs. Velvet, but it is not something that I am comfortable discussing for personal reasons."

That got Twilight Velvet's curiosity. Lips pursing out, her eyes narrowed as she studied the other mare. She wanted to ask about it. To find out what about Twilight coming back to live with her and Night Light was connected to personal matters that would keep Rarity from talking about it. She was pretty sure it would do no good, though. Plus, Velvet did not really want to be one of those annoyingly nosy mares that pesters every pony she meets about their personal business.

Although, there were personal matters that she was completely willing to be nosy about, especially when it involved her family, and the earlier conversation with that rather unpleasant Spoiled mare did bring up a point worth discussing.

"Very well," Velvet said. "On to other matters than. What are your intentions with my son?"

The question got Rarity's attention. Turning to face Velvet, she tilted her head and raised one eyebrow.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What intentions, if any, do you have toward Shining Armor?" Velvet asked. "I know that" -- she motioned toward the door -- "that mare said what she said to get a rise out of you -- and I'm fairly certain it was quite a hypocritical claim -- but I also know there's a little bit of truth to it." Velvet held up a hoof before Rarity to could say anything. "I mean no offense to you, and I have nothing against ponies wishing for better stations in their lives. Some of the best ponies I've met had modest roots. However, I have seen too many marriages for prestige fail, and I want whomever marries Shining to do so out of love and affection for him. As such, I would be negligent in my duties as an overbearing mother not to at least ask."

The two of them sat there, looking at each other quietly for a long moment. Finally, Rarity gave a nod.

"Yes," she said. "I believe I understand." Shifting, she got more comfortable while looking Velvet directly in the eye.

"In answer to your question: there is nothing between me and Shining Armor at this time. I will admit that I have noticed how handsome he is, and after the events with Prince Blueblood at the gala, I may have considered a relationship with him. Perhaps if we had met under different circumstances, I would pursue him. However, as it is, there is nothing romantic between us."

"May I ask why not?"

"Because I believe he is ready to settle down," Rarity answered. "If we never had to face another threat again, he would be happy living a quiet life here, getting married, and having a family." She looked away. "I love Ponyville, and it will always be my home. However, I want to see Equestria, to have shops in Canterlot, Manehattan, Las Pegasus and so many others. Yes, I do want to have children of my own some day, but not for at least a decade or so. For now, I want to focus on my career and enjoy my freedom."

Twilight Velvet nodded in understanding. She herself had actually published her first novel before she had even considered accepting Night Light's offer of a date. Once she did, it was a bit of whirlwind where they quickly ended up married and planning for their first child, but it was because they both felt that they were ready.

Memories of last night's dream came back to her.

"What about Sonata Dusk?" Velvet asked. "What do you think of her with Shining."

Rarity gave a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry, darling, but I'm afraid I can't answer that. I have seen Sonata around town and heard her sing, but don't know anything about her directly. Perhaps you should ask Pinkie Pie. She seems to know the mare very well."

Before Twilight Velvet could consider asking Rarity about mares and her son, a knock came from the door. Turning to it, they found the pink spa mare approaching.

"Mrs. Velvet? We are ready for you now."

With a nod, Velvet got up and headed for the door.

Tough Decisions

"Alright class," Miss Feather Bloom announced, "that's our time today. See you all tomorrow."

As soon as she had made the announcement, her students had started to pack up. Although nowhere as enthusiastic as they would be on a Friday, the young ponies were still somewhat excited.

Most of them anyways.

While she had gotten faster in order to keep the Cake twins from waiting, Twilight Sparkle was always a bit slow when it came to packing up and leaving. More so when she had something on her mind, like the fact that her mom might be taking her away from Ponyville and her friends, and this very well might be the last time that she sees Miss Feather Bloom, Ponyville Elementary, or her friends ever again.

No. No. That last part was not true. She would be allowed to visit Ponyville sometimes. She would be able to see Pound and Pumpkin then. There was also a chance that they would be allowed to come to Canterlot and visit her. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had even gotten the chance to go for class a few weeks ago.

But it would only be for a few days at a time if that, and maybe longer during the summer. Would that be enough? They would be spending most their time around other ponies, not seeing each other. With Pinkie Pie around, Pumpkin and Pound would definitely make more friends. Twilight started to wonder: what if they became too busy to hang out with her? That they could not come to Canterlot or see her when she was in Ponyville because they had other things to do? What if they simply stopped hanging out with her? And the, they forgot her completely?

"Twilight?" Pound asked, tapping his chin. "Who's Twilight? I don't remember a pony named Twilight."

"Me neither," Pumpkin said. "Although, something about the purple seems familiar." She then waved a hoof. "Well it hardly matters now. We are much too busy with grown up pony things to worry about some silly mare we don't recall."

"Indeed," Pound agreed. "Come along, friends. Let us leave this lonely mare we have never met and don't know all by herself, while we have fun and do things appropriate for our age."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" grown up fantasy Twilight Sparkle cried out, dropping to her knees.

"Pumpkin Cake," Miss Feather Bloom's voice called out, breaking Twilight Sparkle from her depressing fantasy, "while class may be out for the day, you are still in my classroom and I do expect a certain amount of proper behavior. As such, I will ask you politely to please stop placing donuts on Twilight Sparkle's horn."

Blinking, Twilight found Pound and Pumpkin standing directly in front of her. Her gaze then drifted up to try and look at her horn. Sure enough, there was something that was covering it up that -- from what she could see -- was some sort of pastry.

"Why is there a donut on my horn?"

"Ha," Pound cried out as he turned to Pumpkin. "Told you she would notice. You owe me five bits."

"That doesn't count," Pumpkin huffed. "Miss Feather Bloom told her." Reaching up she pulled the donut of Twilight's horn. "We don't know how long it would have been for her to notice on her own."

"But why is i--" the rest of the sentence was cut off as the donut was shoved into Twilight's mouth. As soon as she tasted it, she decided that the rest of the conversation could wait while she enjoyed the sweet fried treat.

"We figured you would have one of your... 'moments' given everything going on," Pound Cake explained. "So we decided to start carrying emergency donuts. That way if we noticed you getting worked up, we could just give you one to snack on until you calm down."

Some small part of Twilight felt like she should be offended that her friends expected her to freak out and that she would be easily placated by a simple donut. Some other part of her was touched that her friends actually thought about her when she was not around, and actually thought about ways to help her. Plus, it was a tasty donut and did make her feel better.

"That doesn't explain why it was on my horn," she said before taking another bite.

"Standing bet," Pumpkin admitted. "See how long it would take for you to notice. Came up with it after the whole thing with Trixie."

With a nod, Twilight shoved the rest of the donut in her mouth and the rest of her stuff in her bag.

There was a knocking sound, and Twilight Velvet was standing at the door.

"Miss Feather Bloom?"

The white pegasus looked up from her desk, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"My name is Twilight Velvet." Velvet moved further into the room. "I'm Twilight Sparkle's mother."

Twilight froze as she stood there, staring at her teacher and mother. This was it. The moment of truth. Where her mother would hear about how she was doing in class and decide the rest of Twilight's life. Would she be allowed to stay in Ponyville, hanging out with her brother and friends while figuring out her life? Or will she return to Canterlot, losing her friends and only finding comfort in her books, until she winds up a lonely mare that cuts herself off from the world and does nothing but study?

"Ah, yes," Feather Bloom said with a smile. "I had heard that you were in town. I take it you are here to discuss how your daughter is doing in class then?"

"Yes," Velvet answered before turning toward Twilight and the Cakes. "Why don't you go wait for me outside?"

"...okay," Twilight said as she pulled her bag on and headed for the door. She had hoped that she would be able to hear what her teacher and mom talked about. Maybe it would give her some idea on how her mom would decide.

"Hey," Pumpkin said as she bumped Twilight with her shoulder once outside the classroom, "I'm sure Miss Feather Bloom only has nice things to say."

Pound moved to stand on the other side of Twilight, holding out another donut and grinning.

"I hope so," Twilight sighed as she took the offered treat. "I don't really want to go back to Canterlot."

A few minutes later, Twilight Velvet exited the schoolhouse. She made her way to where the three young ponies were waiting, Twilight Sparkle looking at her with wide eyes.

"Well?" Twilight asked as her mother approached.

Velvet smiled as she got closer. Reaching out a hoof, she wrapped it around the filly and pulled her into a hug.

"She said that you're doing wonderfully," Velvet said. "You're grades are the best in the class, you're working hard, and even helping other students. She mentioned that you were tutoring one of your classmates," she looked at Pound and Pumpkin, "and seems to think you're even helping others do better unofficially."

A wide grin spread across Twilight Sparkle's face as she leaned into the hug more.

"Does that mean I can stay?"

Velvet's smile vanished as she leaned in.

"Twilight..."

Twilight did not need to hear any more. She knew that look, that tone. Her mom was about to tell her something she was not going to like.

Velvet's hoof touched Twilight's chin, gently lifting it to look her in the eye.

"I'm glad you are doing so well and have made friends. You seem to have done a lot of growing while you were here." Velvet let out a sigh. "And yes, Ponyville does seem like a nice and friendly place. The ponies here are very welcoming and seem to care for you, Spike, and Shining Armor very much. All of which is very touching."

"But..." Twilight sighed, looking down at the floor.

"But it doesn't change my main concern, Twilight," Velvet said. "As much as I understand that you like Ponyville, and as happy as I am that you are doing well, I can't ignore what has happened. What very well may happen. Who knows what sort of dangers will come that your brother and his friends will have to face next. That doesn't even include matters like the hibernating dragon or parasprites.

"I'm sorry Twilight, but I just don't feel like you would be safe living here. It just seems too dangerous."

With a nod, Twilight slowly pulled away. Head low and tail dragging, she started trudging toward the library.

"If things around here stay quiet," Velvet said as she followed, "maybe we can reconsider." She perked up. "Plus, you'll get to help get everything ready for your brother or sister, and might get to see them after they're born."

"...Yeah..." Twilight responded, not looking up. She continued to walk at her slow pace. She understood her mom's reasoning, really she did. It did not really help though. Nothing about it made this any easier. It did not make her feel any better about the whole thing.

She still felt like she was about to lose her home. Her friends.

"I don't think donuts are going to help this time," she heard Pound say.

The rest of the walk home was in silence. She knew that her friends were with her, trying to cheer her up, and she could tell her mother was there as well, but she did not really talk to any of them. Reaching the library, Twilight led the way inside. She pushed past her family and went upstairs, making her way for her bed room.

Shutting the door behind her, she dropped the saddlebags on the floor. Making her way to the bed, she grabbed Smarty Pants and slipped under the covers, hugging the doll to her chest and curling up as tight as she could and burying her nose in its chest.

Twilight Sparkle began to cry.

Going Away Party

Although Twilight Velvet and Night Light left for Canterlot that evening, Twilight Sparkle did not. It had been decided that Twilight would stay in Ponyville and finish out the week of school. Her parents would be cleaning up and getting things ready. Saturday, she would return to Canterlot -- giving her Sunday to settle back in -- and Monday, she would start going to Golden Horn Elementary.

Whether having that week was good or bad was up for debate. Both for the same reason. An extra week in Ponyville meant an extra week around her friends. Good because it meant she go to spend time with them and say goodbye before leaving, bad because it meant she could only dread the weekend, and nothing she could do would stop it.

It also made school seem... pointless... something that she never thought she would call learning in her whole life. Next week, she would be going to a different school. Large portions of the classes would remain the same, but there would be minor changes to the curriculum allotted to each school and town in Equestria. In Ponyville, it was about traditions of the town, some times information about plants or animals (which made sense since it was a town founded by farmers), and on occasion, stories about The Everfree Forest. All of which she found interesting. Unless it had changed a lot since last year, she knew what it would be in Canterlot: etiquette, which she cared very little about; some of the history of Equestria with an emphasis on Princess Celestia's role in them, which she had learned a lot about already from Shining Armor and Celestia herself (besides, if Princess Luna and Discord were any indication, the best stuff happened before Celestia's written history); and -- considering most of her classmates were probably unicorns and old enough to apply to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns next year -- theory and application of basic magical spells, which she would not mind even if it was not as fun as being tutored by Shining Armor.

Regardless of her feelings, Twilight still did as she was supposed to. She listened to Miss Feather Bloom, took notes, did her classwork and homework, and got good grades. She had even tutored Trixie a little more. Although for some reason, Trixie showed up Wednesday, yelling at Twilight about no longer being able to tutor her. Trixie seemed to take Twilight's leaving rather personally.

It also led to Twilight having another night of crying herself to sleep for some reason.

Finally, Friday came, and the school day ended. Twilight Sparkle packed her bag, said good-bye to Miss Feather Bloom, and left Ponyville Elementary with Pound and Pumpkin Cake for what was going to be the last time.

This time, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were waiting by the door.

"So, we were thinking," Apple Bloom said, "that maybe we should all go to Sugarcube Corner one last time. Get some treats and such, ya know?"

Stopping, Twilight looked at the three of them, then at Pound and Pumpkin. Turning to face all five, she tilted her head.

"Sugarcube Corner, huh?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that where the party is?"

The Cake twins looked completely calm at the question. The other three all had their eyes go wide as they took a step back, glancing between each other.

"Party?" Scootaloo asked. "What party?"

With a roll of her eyes, Twilight shook her head.

"The party Pinkie Pie has been planning since she found out that I might be leaving. The one that would have been a 'hooray we're glad you're staying' party if Mom changed her mind, but is now a 'good-bye we're going to miss you' party since she didn't. That party."

Pound smirked.

"Told you she knew," Pumpkin said.

"But how?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Really?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. "You want to know how I figured out that Pinkie Pie -- a pony that wants to be everypony's friend, make everypony happy, and will figuratively throw a party at the drop of a hat --"

"Literally, actually," Pumpkin cut in. "Or at least try to. Remember Apple Bloom?"

"Right," Apple Bloom said with a roll of her eyes. "Her 'we're glad you're hat wasn't destroyed when it fell off' party she wanted to throw for Applejack that one time."

"Further proving my point," Twilight stated, getting attention back on her. "A mare that wants everypony happy and throws parties is obviously going to throw one when somepony is leaving."

None of them could really argue the point with her. Especially since she was right. Mostly. Pinkie Pie did not actually plan the party to be a surprise one, but simply did not want to mention it too much around Twilight because talking about the party means thinking about the fact she was leaving. It had been a certain trio of fillies that had wanted to try and make it a surprise party (and a pair of twins who bet that Twilight knew already: now fifteen bits richer between them).

The six of them made their way to Sugarcube Corner, taking a little time to let others get there ahead of them and set everything up. When they arrived, the main dining area seemed pretty much the way it normally did. Pound moved closer to Twilight and wrapped his wing around her, leading her to one of the party rooms.

A large banner with "WE'LL MISS YOU!" hung up high, the words surrounded by signatures. Balloons and streamers had been strewn about, with various shade of purple and pink. A table was set up, filled with brownies, lemon squares, and cupcakes.

"Ta-da!" Pinkie Pie shouted as she popped up, tossing the confetti on the new arrivals. "Normally I'd say 'Surprise!' but since it's not one, doesn't exactly work."

Shaking the confetti away, Twilight also looked around. There was also Shining Armor, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Big Macintosh and...

"Trixie?" Twilight asked, eyes going wide.

The pale blue unicorn filly's ears pulled back as she was noticed, a blush forming on her cheeks. She turned away, her silvery white hair falling across her face to keep it hidden.

"I'm not too late, am I?" a voice called with an easily recognizable accent. Pipsqueak stood at the door, the small colt smiling wide. "Sorry. Had to run home first."

A smile spread across Twilight's face before she started laughing. Not a hysterical laugh, but a genuine giddiness. She was not sure if it was the atmosphere, the feeling of love and care, or what. All she knew was that as sad as she was about leaving, she was feeling strangely happy and excited at the same time. Even though it was a sad occasion for her, she could not help but feel happy about how much they cared.

Something wiped at her face, and Twilight stopped, blinking. Everything was so blurry for some reason. As everything came back into focus, she found Spike standing in front of her, wiping at her face with what look like a handkerchief. She realized that her cheeks felt wet.

Lunging forward, she wrapped her forelegs around the dragon, pulling him into a hug.

"Twiley?" Shining asked. "Are you okay to continue?"

"Yeah," Twilight answered as she pulled away. "Yeah, I'm good." She smiled up at him.

Smiling back, Shining Armor reached down to nuzzle his sister. He then pulled away, looking around.

"Alright, everypony," he said. "I managed to get my hooves on a new camera. Let's get some pictures together and get the party started."

There was a cheer from some gathered as music started to play. Lots of pictures were taken of and with Twilight Sparkle. They ranged from her with a single other pony to a shot of all of them together. She even took one with Trixie and made some silly faces with Pinkie Pie. Cake (the food) was cut and treats shared. The cupcakes that had completely accurate constellations designed on them as well, which must have been hard work to make.

Surprisingly, there was even a present from Trixie.

"Don't make a big deal out of it or anything," Trixie said as she gave it to Twilight. "It's just a thank you for tutoring me so I don't owe you."

Twilight did not believe it, however, and judging from their faces, neither did Pumpkin or Pound. None of them actually said anything to Trixie, though. It was pretty clear that there was a matter of pride to it. So the let the matter go while Twilight opened the present: a book titled Faster Than The Eye: Secrets to Sleight of Hoof and Stage Magic (Without Using Real Magic) By Daring Copper Pelt.

All too soon, it grew late. Ponies started to leave, making their way back home. Even Pumpkin and Pound were reluctantly forced to call it a night, saying good-bye to Twilight and heading upstairs.

Before much longer, Twilight found herself yawning as well.

"Guess it's time to call it a night," Shining Armor said. His horn lit up with magic, wrapping around his sister and picking her up to set on her back.

Twilight wanted to protest. She did not want to go to bed yet. Unfortunately, she was too tired to actually argue. Besides, at this point, it was down to her, Shining Armor, Spike, and Pinkie Pie. Or so she thought until Shining put a sleeping Spike on his back beside her.

"Bye, Pinkie," she called out as she was carried for the door. "Thank you for the party."

"You're welcome," Pinkie called back with a grin. "See you again soon."

With that, Shining Armor left Sugarcube Corner, carrying a sleeping Spike and tired Twilight Sparkle. As she was carried outside, she looked up at the night sky and the stars. They were all so beautiful. It was hard to believe that they would be the same stars she would be looking -- and had looked -- at in Canterlot. It also seemed like a lifetime since Luna had returned as Nightmare Moon and threatened eternal night.

Closing her eyes, enjoying the warmth of her brother's coat and the gentle rocking motion of his steps, Twilight Sparkle fell asleep.