Wonderbolt my Heart: After Story

Breakfast was very awkward.

Spitfire and Trixie were sitting side by side with the children flanking them. Buttercup was next to Spitfire, while Peanut sat beside Trixie. Link had come from hiding and was sitting next to Emerald Herald, wagging his tail happily as he waited for any potential food scraps to fall to the floor. Across from the family sat Emerald Herald and her husband Lightning Strike. The two pegasi having very different reactions to the family.

Lightning Strike looked thrilled to see the family, and with such diversity too. His wife was a very different story. Emerald Herald had her eyes narrowed into a almost piercing stare that burrowed through your soul. It nitpicked at your very nerves and being making you feel small and insignificant. Peanut cowered at his mother’s side, and even Buttercup was less moody and talkative than usual.

Of course Link was happy to see new faces. He’d grown a bit over the last few months, but not by much. He was still a puppy.

Spitfire was also uncharacteristically stiff. She sat in her chair with a awkward upright poster that was clearly not natural for a pony to be in. Despite this it was evident she was trying to make a good impression to Trixie’s parents. Mostly to Emerald Herald. Lighting Strike was a very easy going pony and made it very clear early on that he was the fun uncle type, minus the drinking. However Emerald Herald had managed to be very standoffish as she sat upright staring at the group intently, unblinking, as they ate. Trixie stopped eating and glanced at her mother then down to her mother’s plate and noticed she hadn’t eaten much and she didn’t move an inch for the last five minutes.

Trixie passed a glance at her father and waved to him. The stallion noticed his daughter waving at him and stopped eating. “What’s wrong my, little star?” he asked.

Trixie Blushed at her little nickname he still used on her even in her older age.

“Daddy, not in front of my family,” She whinned.

Her son, daughter, and mate, all snickered feeling the tension lighten a tick.

Trixie huffed. “Daddy, can you please wake up mother?”

The brown stallion glanced at his wife who made no indication she heard anything. Smiling he nodded and gently took his hooves and put them on his wife's shoulders. He gently rubbed them and spoke softly to her saying, “Sweet heart? You need to wake up. It’s still breakfast time.”

*Snort* “Huh, I’m sorry? What is it Lighting Strike?” Herald asked glaring down at her husband.

“Honey, you fell asleep at the table. The family thought you were staring at them.” Lighting Strike said.

“Oh? Did I? I apologize. I tend to work at nighttime with the enough courts and rare am awake during the day,” Emerald herald apologized, bowing to the family and then continued to eat using her wings.

Trixie shook her head and continued as the rest of her family visibly relaxed now that they knew Emerald Herald wasn’t silently judging them. At least they didn’t think she was. The elder mare kept a watchful eye on Peanut never taking her eye off him for more than a moment. The little disguised changeling shivered like he was cold and snuggled up against Trixie’s side for comfort and pawing at her leg.

“Peanut, what is it? You should eat.” Trixie said taking her son in her lap.

“Mommy, I’m scared of the mean lady,” Peanut whimpered pointing at Emerald Herald.

“Oh, Peanut! That’s just how some adults are! No need to be scared. I’m sure she’s a nice lady,” Spitfire piped up looking at him in Trixie’s lap.

“Sh-she is?”

“Sure thing, kiddo!” Spitfire assured him.

She reached over and lifted the disguised colt into the air with her hooves and gave him a gentle toss in the air to catch him. Peanut giggled waved his arms and legs forgetting his discomfort as he was placed back on his seat by his yellow mom.

“Now eat up kid, we got things to do today!”

Peanut nodded and went back to chomping his food down. Trixie glared at her mate as she got back in her seat. Spitfire didn’t even notice Trixie looking at her until a loud ‘ahem!’, caught her attention.

With a mouth full of salad and a fork, Spitfire turned to face Trixie with the fork sticking out of her mouth and her cheeks puffed full.

“Hmmhommm?”

Trixie replied with a swift hoof swat to the back of her mates head. Spitfire choked on the leafs in her mouth and swallowed hard. In doing so she accidentally swallowed the fork and started to gagged. Trixie gasped and with a swift lift from her magic, the unicorn dislodged the fork from her mates throat before she could truly hurt herself. Trixie went on to scold her mte, and Lighting Strike chuckled, earning himself a head swat from his wife’s wing. The kids laughed and for the tiniest, briefest, moment in history Emerald Herald allowed her lip to curl. She then took a sizeable bite of her own salad to cover it up but felt herself feeling cheered up by the sound of the laughter.

After breakfast Emerald Herald excused herself to go get some rest. Lightning Strike told the others that she was up all night finding new places and jobs for their mansion staff. While he explained this everyone except Peanut and link were sitting in the living room on the couch as he told the story.

“- so essentially she found all the previous staff new homes and lines of work with what influence our family name still holds. She’ll never admit it, but I know my wife. Sh eviews that staff not as that, “staff”. She views them as family. You should have seen her Trixie. When she said good bye to Euphora, I thought for sure she was going to break down there and then. It was hard to watch.”

Lighting Strike sniffed hard wiping his eyes with a feather tip wing. He sat by himself on Spitfire’s new comfy chair while Spitfire, Trixie, and Buttercup took the couch. Trixie leaned forward towards her father and rested her chin on her hooves.

“Daddy, what are you and mom gonna do? Do you still plan to move to the rock Farm with the Pies?”

“Yes, we do plan on that still. Like I said, we had an agreement to do this anyways. We’ll just have to start smaller than we expected.”

“So, you’ll be staying with us until then right?” Spitfire asked the stallion.

Lighting Strike nodded and leaned back into the chair. Spitfire nodded silently too. She turned to look at trixie and gave her a ‘we’ll talk later’ mouth motions. Trixie groaned slouching in the couch making Lighting Strike laugh.

“Better not let your mother see you do that! Less she raises hell on your behind like last time!” he barked laughing.

Trixie puffed her cheeks glaring at her father.

“Daddy! I was like 12 when that happened!”

“I know, but your mother will never let you live it down and you know it!” he said winking at Trixie.

Trixie huffed turning away from her father and crossing her arms indignantly. Spitfire facehooved shaking her head slightly, while Buttercup flew and hovered over the stallion. The brown bat pony eyed the fat older stallion intrigued by him. Finally she turned to face her mothers, while still hovering in the air above Lighting Strike and cleared her throat to get her mother's attentions.

“Mother?”

“What is it sweetie?” Trixie replied.

“Why are you a unicorn, but your mother and father are pegasi?”

“Well, to put it simply I was adopted. Long ago when I was younger, Trixie was left at the very same orphanage you and your little brother lived at,” Trixie explained.

Buttercup’s ears perked slightly. “Really?”

“They were?” Lighting Strike and Spitfire asked sounding surprised.

“Oh, yes! Trixie was raised by the very same matron of the orphanage as you were. Trixie hated her at first, but over time Trixie grew to appreciate her. She loved us all in different ways. Trixie was truly blessed to have her and the love from the orphanage.”

Spitfire cocked her brow in a disbelieving manner that said, that’s not what you told me, kind of way. Trixie glared back at her mate not needing to hear words to know what was on her mind.

“Trixie did! Ugh, daddy!”

Lighting Strike rolled his eyes smiling at his daughter acting like a child. It brought a feeling of nostalgia to the stallion to see Trixie again, and to hear her call him ‘daddy’ once again. He missed that. He got up from the chair and flew over the table and landed next to Trixie, and shoving Spitfire aside, so he could hug his daughter. Spitfire sputtered indignantly at the stallion as he unceremoniously knocked her and Buttercup over.

Buttercup grumbled and glared at her newly met uncle, Spitfire did the same. Trixie and Lighting Strike stared down at the two of them. After a minute of intense staring the four of them shared a laugh and hugged as a group chuckling and giggling as they all fell to the floor.

Elsewhere in the apartment little Link was following Peanut as he navigated the rooms and found a sleeping Emerald Herald laying in one of the spare beds. Beneath the bed was a sleeping bag for Lighting Strike which had a tiny teddy bear resting against the pillow. Peanut buzzed his wings and walked into the room with link right behind him. The two little ones tiptoed around as stealthily as possible.

The changeling snuck up to the bed and reached up to try and climb. He didn’t want to fly fearing he’d wake up the grumpy lady pone. Seeing his struggle Link scooted between the tiny changelings back legs and used himself as a stepping stool for him. Peanut nodded to his leafy companion and climbed the bed. Once atop Peanut used his magic to lift Link up to the bed beside him. With both on the bed they curled up like cats and began to “observe” the sleeping mare.

For a while Emerald Herald did nothing but snore lightly. She laid on her back, perfectly still. It actually amazed Peanut. He always had trouble sleeping in one spot like that. To him it was amazing to see, but after some time he dozed off leaning into Link as a pillow. Link of course was just happy to be included even if he’d become a pillow for his tiny sleeping master. His little green tail wagged back and forth, causing his leafy tail to ruffle against the blanket and made a light scratching noise. This tiny noise stirred Emerald Herald awake.

Her eyes fluttered open and she rolled over on her side to find the little spies. At first she glared at the changeling and timber wolf cub, but once she realized Peanut was asleep her stern expression softened slightly to a intense glare at Link. The tiny timber wolf replied by extending his neck out and with his tongue gently licked Emerald Herald on the tip of her nose. Emerald Herald scrunched her nose glaring down at the little timber wolf cub, but a low yawn later the cub curled up against Peanut and immediately dozed off. Emerald Herald shook her head and rolled on her back again to rest leaving her intruders at her side without a care in the world. A few moments later however she extended one wing out and scooped the little ones in and scooted closer to them. Once done, the mare had Peanut and Link snuggle up against her side as she slept with them under her wing.

Just outside Trixie, Spitfire, Lighting, and Buttercup watched the transition happen. Once they saw that everyone was accounted for they closed the door to let the mare sleep with the two little ones undisturbed.