The Perfect Rose

Chapters

1 - Prologue
2 - A Rose by any Other Name...
3 - Parenting 101
4 - Social Graces
5 - Exploring Home
6 - ZAP!
7 - Rule of Three
8 - Friends
9 - Alicorn of Love
10 - A World Apart
11 - Different
13 - Griffon N' Pals
14 - Business as Usual?
15 - The Fantabulous Adventures of a Queen Griffon
16 - Grounded
12 - History
17 - Winter Bells
18 - Auditions

1 - Prologue

“Honey!”

“Yeah?”

“Can I have the baby yet!?”

There was a resounding chuckle from upstairs, one the clearly frazzled unicorn mare didn’t appreciate. She paced back and forth, her eyes darting from left to right as individual hairs rapidly popped out of place in her brown coat and darker brown mane. She tried distracting herself by studying her own hoof, admiring how her coat shifted to a lighter near-white colouration below the knee joint, almost like a sock! Oh, how about her cutie mark! A flawless gemstone amidst rough rock, how fascinating!

This wasn’t helping.

“I want my baby!”

She could almost hear the eye roll from upstairs, the mare pouting up at her unseen husband indignantly.

“Madam, perhaps you could use a cup of tea?” a white pony, also a unicorn, with a greying blue mane, wearing a suit said as he approached with a silver tray in his hoof. His cutie mark was that of a stopwatch, indicating his extreme affinity for punctuality. “Madam Ebony Rose?”

“Right, I’m sorry, Time Catcher,” she apologised sheepishly. “I suppose I am a bit on edge…”

“An understatement,” said the stallion as he finally came down, a unicorn much like the others, revealing his deep blue coat, black mane and bit bag cutie mark. His green eyes met his wife’s red, then shifting to Time Catcher’s cyan. “The tea might be a plan, Bulk Hunter.”

The butler rolled his eyes. “I do wish you never discovered my birth name, Sir.”

“Cash Counter, don’t be so teasing,” Ebony chided. “There is nothing wrong with a pony changing their name to suit their cutie mark. It’s hardly uncommon.”

“No… But it’s still fun.”

“I’ll make the tea,” Time Catcher deadpanned, though not without a small smile forming afterwards, before heading off to do just that.

“So, are you calm yet?” Cash Counter asked as he adjusted his recently adorned suit.

Her eye twitched, another hair twanging out of place. “Calm!? We’re still in the house! When we should be… meeting him! Or her! You know, our little foal…”

Cash Counter sighed, giving his wife a more subdued smile as he approached for a tender embrace. She accepted gladly, burying her head into his shoulder as she tried to purge some of her rampaging emotions.

“Come on, in here…” Cash gently took Ebony’s hoof and brought her into the sizable lounge where they gently found themselves upon one of the couches. “We still have an hour before we need to leave for our appointment. Be patient, it won’t be long now.”

“I know, but…” The mare snuffed. “What if it doesn’t work out? If we mess up? If… Oh, Cash. I can’t get everything that could go wrong out of my head! And yet I want it more than anything! I… Ever since we found out I couldn’t give you a foal…”

“I don’t blame you, you know that,” he responded earnestly. “But there are plenty of foals out there who never got a chance. So… maybe it’s for the best? How many Canterlot nobles do you know who actually adopt?”

“Very few,” Time Catcher remarked as he returned with the tea, passing one to each of them. “Bloodlines are everything, as you well know. Even to families of so-called minor nobility, like this very household, most would scoff at the idea of adoption.”

“Thank you for that apt summary,” Cash dryly stated. “But he gets my point. We’re doing a good thing, and you’ll be the best mother.”

“And you? Being a father?”

“Well…” he started while twirling his hoof, a mischievous smile on his face. “I was planning on pawning off most of my fatherly duties to our dear butler, but if you insist…”

“You don’t pay me enough,” said butler scoffed as he exited the room.

“I guess that’s out of the question then?”

“I think so, yes,” she replied with a titter, nuzzling affectionately into his cheek. “You’re stuck with us.”

“Lucky me…” he replied teasingly, pressing his nose against his other half’s happily. “What did I do to deserve you again?”

“Our parents encouraged us to ‘join forces’?”

“Right. Good thing it turned out so well this time, eh?”

“It is…” she agreed. “So, with an hour to go, we still haven’t got a name. Just as a heads up.”

“I thought we agreed to wing it?”

“I would still like some idea!”

“Well, naming him after me or my lot is still out,” he half-joked. “But really, it depends on who it is. Most of the others expect us to adopt a unicorn foal. But what if we defied convention and went pegasus?”

“Earth pony?”

“How daring,” he said with a chuckle.

“I don’t want to choose by wing or horn,” she said. “Let’s just… meet them. Hopefully find an infant, if at all possible. If not… Well, either way, I think we’ll know the one. It will feel right.”

“See? Those maternal instincts are already kicking in!”

“Don’t tease me…”

“I’m serious! We’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

“I hope so, Cash. I really do…”

For such a long time, Ebony Rose had really wanted a child of her own. Colt. Filly. It didn’t matter. A child, somepony to care for a raise, to love and cherish. She so wanted to be a mother, and she knew that, beneath his jovial attitude, Cash Counter wanted to be a father.

Today was a special, terrifying day.

And she had no idea how it would end.

Canterlot was busy and bustling with ponies, the majority unicorns, beneath the gaze of Celestia’s sun. The hoof traffic had been less towards the higher end districts of the mountainside city, but as they descended down into the lower districts the volume of ponies increased exponentially. There were ponies going to work, conducting work, a few foals playing in the streets…

Part of Ebony Rose became jumpy at the sudden sights, sounds and smells assaulting all of her senses. Part of her was almost endeared to the general hustle and bustle of ordinary city life compared to the mundane silence the nobility tended to prefer.

Maybe she was just getting jittery again.

They started to pass by a playpark, Ebony stopping in her tracks as she was momentarily distracted by the variety of foals happily playing amongst themselves as their parents proudly watched on. Would she be among those parents someday soon…?

And then there was one filly, however, that seemed to be sitting by herself. She was on a swing, sitting silently while seemingly sniffling and trying to hide her features. Ebony almost called out to her husband to see if something was wrong, what if this child had lost her parents? These thoughts, however, were silenced by a most unexpected and rather shocking sight.

Two adult ponies and two ponies in their teens approached, and one of them was the unmistakable sight of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Celestia’s own niece!

“There you are!” one of the adults, a grey mare, said with both fury and relief. “Why did you run off like that?”

“Do you have any idea how worried we were?” the blue adult stallion then asked.

The filly seemed to sniff, curling up even more.

The ponies all glanced at one another, the two teenagers choosing this moment to step forward and sit either side of the swing.

“What’s up, Twily?” the white coloured colt asked. “You were so excited for the Entrance Exam.”

“What if I mess it up and get banned for life…?” she stressed.

“Twilight Sparkle, you are the brightest little filly I’ve ever had the pleasure of foalsitting for,” Cazenza said softly. “You are more than ready for the task.”

“Then why can’t you come with me?”

“We have school, and you know how important it is now. Especially with our final year coming up,” the colt informed the younger pony. “Mum and Dad will be there. And who knows? You might make some friends.”

“Friends are dumb. I don’t need them!”

“What about your friends from school? Moondancer, and the others?”

The child averted her gaze. “I… I dunno. But they distract me from my reading a lot.”

“Either way, you know that you are ready for the exam,” the Princess affirmed. “Now come on. It will be starting soon, you don’t want to miss your name being called.”

“Come on, Honey,” the stallion who was clearly her father called out. “We’re right behind you.”

“Whatever happens at Celestia’s school, we’re proud of you!” her mother agreed.

The filly gave one final sniff, wiping her eyes before jumping off of the swing. “Okay…”

“Well, that’s not something you see every day,” Cash Counter commented as the group started to head off up into the richer areas of Canterlot.

“The Princess…!” Ebony said in awe. “Think we can get her to foalsit for us?”

“I’m sure she has enough on her plate,” Cash Counter said with a chuckle. “Now come on, no more delays.”

Ebony hummed in agreement, giving one last glance at the playpark before following on behind her husband.

The rest of the trip was made in a brisk, excited silence. They’d waited long enough, years, for this moment. Years of trying and failing to start a family, medical misfortune and heartbreak. But not anymore. This would be the start of that family; nothing could stop that now.

They hoped.

And then the building came into sight. The Canterlot Orphanage was sat in the middle of a fenced-off plot of green grass filled with playground equipment and discarded hoofballs. Some of the children had scribbled all along the outside of the building with chalk, a few of said children out and about just as the couple made their approach.

Several stopped at the sight of two unknown grownups sliding in through the gate. Some did so with hope in their eyes, some with resignation. The rest who didn’t look towards them seemed to no longer care all that much.

Suddenly Ebony and Cash both felt quite self-conscious and bad for all these foals in equal measure.

The children were a variety of ages, some looking to be five or six while others looked to be rapidly approaching their teenage years. Ebony Rose made sure to get a good look at them all as they made their way across the pathway, finally reaching the front door and pressing the doorbell.

There was a momentary commotion from inside, the door then opening to reveal a plump purple mare in an apron.

“Oh! Hello dearies!” the mare greeted enthusiastically, moving to shake their hooves. “You must be Ebony Rose and Cash Counter, a pleasure! Oh! Should I call your Sir and Ma’am, considering your nobility and all?”

“You needn’t bother, we’re just here as prospecting parents today,” Cash Counter answered. “You are Sweet Nurture, I assume?”

The mare nodded. “Aye! That’s me! Apologies for the messy apron, I was making dinner for some of the little ones. Do come in! Come!”

Sweet Nurture moved aside to allow their passage, the duo walking forth to find themselves in a well-lit space with several branching corridors and a set of stairs leading upwards to a second floor.

“Well, it looks nicer than the horror stories I’ve heard about places like this…” Ebony muttered.

“Oh, for sure! Princess Celestia makes personal donations to the orphanage quite regularly. Those royal bits do wonders to keep the place running!” Sweet Nurture explained. “Now, before you get deciding and sign any paperwork, I assume you want to meet some of the youngsters?”

“We met a couple outside. Quite the age variety,” Cash noted.

“Yes, well, it is a sad state when a young one doesn’t find a family before he is too old to really have a chance, but it happens to too many of them,” she said sadly. “Too few families looking to adopt, so we’re all most of them will ever have for such things. But like I said, the royal funding helps wonders.”

“Are… there any other parents looking to adopt right now aside from us?”

“One other. A family from up the road, no less,” she explained. “They’re thinking of collecting this adorable little three-year-old colt who took a shine to them when they were last here. They went home just a short while ago to think things over.”

Ebony bit her lip. She felt so horrible that, with all these children here, they came for just one. And, at that…

“Well, we were wondering if you have any infants left with you. We… were wanting to start from scratch,” Cash Counter explained.

Yes, that.

“So I recall from our correspondence,” Sweet Nurture recounted. “Aye, it is a common thing. Especially for parents in your position, my condolences. However…”

“However?”

The mare, for some reason, suddenly looked a little nervous. “We only have a single infant, mere weeks old, just over a month we think, among us here right now. The poor dear was brought in by a kind-hearted bystander nary two weeks ago.”

“Abandoned?” Ebony asked in shock.

“Afraid so. No chance of finding the parents now.”

“Why not?”

“Yes… that’s… Perhaps you would like to meet her?”

Cash Counter frowned. “Are you alright?”

She coughed into a hoof. “Y-yes! Fine! Just… You’ll see, come!”

She turned and started to head upstairs, the couple glancing curiously at one another before moving to follow. Just what had gotten this seemingly cheerful nurturing mare so worked up? Something seemed odd about this, and Ebony and Cash were both getting shivers down their spines.

Sweet Nurture kept going, leading the way until they came across a dorm room at the very end of one of the orphanage’s long corridors. They passed a couple more foals on the way, each giving the group a curious look before scurrying along on their way. The purple mare stopped here, turning to give the two a strained smile as she prepared to open the door.

“Now, she might not be what you’re looking for… but…”

She seemed to falter, instead opting to open the door and heading straight on inside. The two followed, quietly, entering a rather sparse room that held some seemingly empty drawers and a single foal’s crib in the corner. Some subtle breathing, or snoring perhaps, could be heard radiating from that crib.

Sweet Nurture, expectantly, nodded them to go forward. And so, they did, creeping their way along the wooden floorboards until they were finally able to peer into the cot.

And what they saw was the most beautiful sight they had ever been witness to.

The babe within was sleeping soundly, her chest silently rising and falling along with her breaths. She had the rear of a lion, the fur as black in colour as the eagle-like proportions and feathers that dominated the top half of the child. The exceptions being the odd feathers and fur around her head, being more a dusty grey colour, leading on to a yellow beak. She shuffled in her sleep, giving a tiny little yawn as she stretched out her minuscule talons and wings. The red highlights up the front of her chest seemed to almost shimmer in the sunlight coming in through the window.

As unexpected as it was, there was only one conclusion.

She was a griffon!

“I didn’t realise you had non-ponies here…” Cash Counter muttered with a small hint of bewilderment.

“W-we don’t. Not usually. She is all there is,” Sweet Nurture explained. “The guard ran some checks, but there are no records of griffon visitors to the city since she arrived here. The theory is that either a pony brought her in or, more likely, her parents flew in to dump her here and then departed just as quickly.”

“Why would anypo- anyone do that?” Ebony asked, appalled.

“I dare not speculate. I don’t know the minds of those griffons.”

Ebony dropped, turning back to stare at the poor thing that was resting blissfully unaware in her crib. It was hard enough for a pony to be adopted in Canterlot, apparently, what chance did a sweet little girl like her have?

And then the chick’s eyes opened up.

Rose’s red eyes met ones equally so, the child’s lighting up with immediate excitement as she let off a sweet mix of a chirp and a baby babble. She held out her claws, both grasping thin air as her legs, tail and wings all twitched happily. It was like she wanted Ebony to pick her up…?

Her horn lit up, the baby giving a squeal of joy as she levitated into the air and into Ebony Rose’s waiting hooves. The child instantly made herself comfortable, burying herself into the mare’s fur and rapidly drifting off again.

“Well, I’d say she has a soft spot for you,” Sweet Nurture suggested.

“She does…” Cash Counter agreed cautiously. “Honey…?”

“I love her!” Ebony proclaimed, clearly smitten as she nuzzled the top of the young griffon’s head as tears of joy threatened to breach her eyes. “Look at her, Cash. She’s perfect! So small, innocent and capable of anything!”

“I know we were talking about earth ponies, but this is a fair bit different. A griffon in a noble house is… unheard of.”

“Cash…” Ebony said seriously. “Look at her. Just look at her.”

He did, coming closer and sitting down onto his haunches to study the infant. She was resting so contently in his wife’s grasp. She was innocent, completely unknowing of nobility or expectations or… anything. Just a lonely babe, in the grasp of her… of her Mother.

He sighed, gently stroking the top of her head. “She is something, isn’t she?”

“You think so?” Sweet Nurture said exuberantly. “Oh, I was so worried for her. I thought for sure she’d never leave here! And a griffon in this city… I wasn’t certain how well she would do.”

“She will be fine. With us,” Cash Counter said confidently. “I think we have decided.”

“We have. We have our baby…” Ebony muttered emotionally, holding onto the young chick for dear life.

It was everything she’d hoped for…

“Then we can begin the boring official bits,” Nurture agreed, starting to turn to leave before, suddenly, she turned to them with a curious look. “What of a name? Any ideas? I can’t say I am an expert on how griffons handle such things.”

“She doesn’t have one yet, then?” Ebony asked.

“No. We have yet to do so.”

“Well…” Cash began. “She has your eyes, dear. Plus, those highlights.”

“A Rose, then?” she asked hopefully.

“Hey, name them after your side all you want. Just not mine!”

“Rose it is then. And…” Ebony looked down at her child with adoration, studying her perfect little form…

That was it!

“Hello, Perfect Rose.”

Author's Note

And so starts a cute fluffy thing!

There won't be an update on fimfic for this next week, as a heads up, just so I can line up the patreon schedule with that of The New Kingdom. The chapter will release the week after, however, for the usual weekly release cycle going forward.

2 - A Rose by any Other Name...

Perfect Rose was fascinated by the manticore.

She was laid flat on her belly, eyes focused on the plush toy with such focus that she somehow managed to resist the urge to blink. Her tail slowly swished from side to side like a curious puppy, completely entrapped by the completely docile creature before her. It stared back the whole time, its little black beady eyes equally focused and unblinking, not removing itself from the impromptu staring contest any more than the little griffon herself was willing to.

And then, little by little, Rose started to nudge her body forward. She wasn’t exactly crawling, more jolting her body towards the stuffed animal while her limbs were dragged along uselessly.

She did stop again as she reached the manticore, her eyes staring up in wonder at the plushie. It was the same size as her, maybe a little bigger. And then, as if having an epiphany, Perfect Rose jolted herself up into a wobbly sitting position before immediately falling over again towards the creature!

And promptly falling into it, wrapping her legs around it while squealing in delight at the soft squishiness of the toy.

Ebony Rose, meanwhile, gave off a noise that was something of a mix between a ‘d’aw’ and a ‘squee’. “She likes it!”

“Apparently so,” Time Catcher noted with an amused smirk, habitually re-arranging some of the other new toys scattered around the living room in a manner befitting of any respectable butler. “The young Madame has taken quite the shine to the beast.”

“Hasn’t she though?” Ebony replied, clearly immensely pleased by the development. “Oh, I knew it was a good idea to do a bit of shopping on the way back!”

“And with only one bout of crying baby to deal with to boot,” Cash Counter joked. “Whatever was that commotion at the Princess’ school, I have to wonder. Gave poor Rose quite the fight.”

“And every other foal in Canterlot, one would have to imagine,” the butler pointed out. “Whatever the case, it appears to have been resolved. No matter, I trust you didn’t have any other issues bringing the little one home?”

“No, she was a dear. She slept on my back for most of it,” Ebony recalled contently, lowering herself down to lay next to Rose as she snuggled the manticore. “Who is the most well-behaved filly in Canterlot? You are! Yes, you!”

“Chick is the term, I believe,” Time Catcher suggested. “For an avian. Or half-avian, as it is. Or perhaps cub, considering the other half.”

“Let her have her fun,” Cash said quietly, Ebony entirely distracted from their talk while playing with Rose and her new best friend. “And, between you and I, I did see a few stares after we left the orphanage.”

“It is an unusual sight, Sir. I’m sure no offence was meant.”

“And what about you?” his employer asked in a serious tone. “What’s your take on Perfect Rose?”

“My ‘take’ is that she is a lucky girl who has found a good home,” the unicorn responded without an inch of hesitation. “And she makes Madame Ebony quite happy. I’ve also seen your own smile, so I would assume the feeling is mutual.”

“I never expected our daughter to be a griffon,” he admitted as he looked on at his recently expanded family. “I’m… still getting used to the idea, to be entirely truthful. There’s a lot to consider. Her diet, her development…”

“I will head out when her grandparents arrive to buy some products suitable for one who eats meat,” the butler stated. “Finding a supplier might prove a challenge, but I’m sure one of the establishments in this city must keep such things for visitors from outside Canterlot. If nothing else, at the castle. I have a few acquaintances who could help should bits be available for the purchase.”

“Always good to have friends in the royal kitchens.”

“I can’t imagine Princess Celestia objecting to such an arrangement. Much of it will go to waste while such dignitaries are absent, after all.”

“I’ll leave it in your hooves. Just don’t dawdle, I think we’ll know when she gets hungry.”

“True. But there is our usual pantry should I not return before such a time. Griffons are omnivores, not strictly carnivores, Sir.”

“I’ll make sure to mash some fruit up, then,” Cash remarked. “Alright, get going. We can hold the fort here.”

“As you wish.”

Cash Counter watched the family butler turn and depart the living room, no doubt intending to acquire a saddlebag and the necessary bits needed for his task. It was an odd thing to ask of him, but nothing about this situation was usual. Meat prepared for consumption was quite uncommon, particularly in the unicorn dominated Canterlot. Some restaurants would offer it on the menu in limited supply for non-pony customers, from griffons to abyssinians, though finding ponies partaking and buying such things was extremely rare. He was certain a few might experiment, though he couldn’t imagine it was very many considering the general herbivorous nature of ponykind. Digesting meat wasn’t impossible, and some farms around Equestria did sell it on to the prior mentioned restaurants or non-pony residents, but it didn’t seem worth the likely indigestion to follow.

But this wasn’t about him. This was about his daughter, and she was most definitely a meat-eater. Not exclusively, perhaps. But he would be remiss to skip out on part of her natural diet; he wouldn’t see her health at risk due to such a minor issue.

Unusual, yes. But, in the end, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Not for them. He wouldn’t allow it.

“Hawb!” Perfect Rose babbled, burying her face into the manticore as she squealed in delight at the attention she was receiving.

“Come here, you!” Ebony Rose said, getting giggles of happiness as she picked up the griffon, manticore included, and gave her a loving squeeze. “You’re going to be a mama’s girl, aren’t you? Yes, you are!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Cash Counter interjected as he left the sofa behind and joined the two girls in his life. “Daddy’s girl, all the way. Guard? Ballet? I’ll fund the lot.”

“There will be plenty of time for spoiling her later,” Ebony said as he kissed her husband on the cheek. “We have to potty train her first.”

“And then teach her important life lessons. Modesty, kindness, loyalty… how to grow a thick skin by withstanding the teasing of your father when the inevitable coltfriends come about.”

“Is that your excuse?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Just preparing, with a heavy heart, to fulfil my future fatherly duties.”

“I’m sure,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “And what if it’s a marefriend?”

“Do I need to make the distinction?”

Ebony laughed, getting a questioning chirp from her daughter as she looked up at her new parents with inquisitive eyes.

“Oh, don’t you worry,” Ebony stated, nuzzling her head. “I’ll protect you from the mean old stallion.”

A squeak of confirmation escaped the entangled Perfect Rose.

“See, she’s my girl.” Ebony grinned victoriously at her husband as he grumbled in mock indignation, both then sharing a small chuckle as he joined in on the family embrace.

A touching moment that, as one would expect, was swiftly interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Time Catcher?” the stallion called out.

“He’s out, dear.”

“Ah. Right. Well, the duty falls to me…”

Cash Counter got up, leaving his wife and daughter behind as moved out of the living room and into the sizable entrance hallway. He stopped as he went, glancing first at the doorway into the dining room and then past the several other closed doors lining the hall.

One at the very end led to a sizable storage closet. There wasn’t anything in there that couldn’t be relocated to other storerooms, so maybe that one could be turned into some kind of playroom…

Musings for later; the large size of the family home meant that they weren’t exactly short on options. Still, another knock on the door indicated whoever it was on the other side was becoming impatient, so he returned onto task and opened it up.

“Hey there, Cashy!” an older stallion matching Cash’s colour scheme, aside from the grey stripe through his mane, greeted enthusiastically. “Surprise!”

“Dad!?” Cash stated in shock. “Mum!?”

“Yes, dear!” a yellow mare with a pale orange mane confirmed. “Plus, the in-laws!”

He looked up, dumbfounded, at the two ponies behind his parents. One was a green stallion with a deep blue smartly combed mane, his wife beside him being an amber mare with her lower legs having their coat become a pearly white, her mane a lighter brown colouration. All four ponies were finely dressed, not uncommon for those of noble lineage.

“I… thought you weren’t coming until next week…”

“We decided to surprise you, dear,” his mother replied. “Bit Collector and I thought you could use the shock to your system.”

“What Gold Shimmer means to say…” the second mare started up. “Is that we couldn’t wait another minute to see our new grandchild!”

“I… I see…”

“We talked it over with Mr Fancy Mane and Mrs Amber Rose,” Bit Collector explained. “We knew what time you were likely to be home, so we decided to bring our wishes. By the way, where is that servant of yours?”

“Uh, Time Catcher is out getting provisions. Some things we missed.”

“Ah, nappies and the likes?”

“Something like that…”

“The first day of fatherhood. I recall it too well with Ebony,” Fancy Mane reminisced. “You are a lucky stallion. And I’m sure your butler can provide the support, I remember him to be quite capable.”

“You don’t mind the intrusion, do you?” Amber Rose asked. “I do hope this wasn’t a bad time.”

“Not at all! Actually, I think you’ll be rather pleased with the name. We just weren’t expecting you so soon.”

“I’m sorry, dear. But we so want to meet the little foal,” Gold Shimmer said. “Can we…?”

Cash took in a breath. He had quite hoped to have that week to figure out how to introduce them all to their daughter. None of them had any clue as to what they had done. But he could hardly turn them away, not with his parents and his parents-in-law all now looking at him quite expectantly. At least they had come without their servants, he knew at least one of them was quite zealous in his attitude and service to the nobility.

Well, there was nothing else to do.

“Alright, this is unexpected! But… do come in. Forgive the lack of refreshments for the moment, I’m sure Time Catcher will return soon enough.”

The stallion stepped aside to let the visitors in, waiting until they had all crossed the threshold before closing the door behind them.

“Now, where is the rascal?” Fancy Mane asked. “And I do hope they weren’t riled up too much by the ruckus earlier.”

“She’s fine,” Cash Counter assured.

“She!” Amber Rose noted happily. “A mare! Just what was needed.”

“Oh well, we can’t have everything in life,” Bit Collector quipped, getting a dirty look from both Gold Shimmer and Amber. “So, where is the filly?”

“Right. ‘Filly’. Well, they’re in the living room…”

He watched nervously as they were admitted, the group passing him by before he moved to follow them back into the living room where his wife and daughter were located. At first glance, Ebony Rose had her back to the door as she continued to shower their child with affection. Perfect Rose was, quite conveniently, hidden from view.

For the moment.

“Ebony, dear!” her mother addressed first. “There you are, now where is… the…”

Silence echoed throughout the room as Ebony turned in a shocked surprise, her jump eliciting a small squeak from Rose as she suddenly came into view, blinking as she was faced with four completely new ponies.

“Oh my.”

“Cash…” Bit Collector said evenly as he glanced between him, Ebony and the infant. “I assume there is something of an explanation here?”

“Uh, yes, there is…!” he nervously confirmed. “Mum, Dad. Fancy, Amber. Meet Perfect Rose, our daughter.”

“But…” Gold Shimmer said in awe as she stepped forward and crouched down. “She’s a…”

“Griffon,” Ebony confirmed in a low tone. “Yes. But… what are you doing here?”

“I think that is obvious, dear,” her mother replied as she too moved down towards the child. “You named our grandchild ‘Rose’? I’m glad to hear that, at least.”

“It… seemed right, considering…”

“I must say, this is an unexpected development,” Bit noted, joining the other two in admiring the young griffon. “How… did this come about, exactly?”

“We saw her there, abandoned on the streets and brought into the orphanage with little hope of ever having a family. Less than the other foals,” Cash Counter explained. “She was also the youngest. And she also took quite the shine to us. Now, I know how this looks, but this was our choice.”

“Perfect Rose is our daughter,” Ebony said firmly. “The stars aligned when we met her. She’s perfect for us, love at first sight. I’m finally a mother, we couldn’t be happier.”

The three older ponies all peered down at Perfect Rose, the griffon not knowing quite what to make of all these new ponies. She looked between them all one by one, her eyes eventually looking aside to the discarded manticore. She reached out, her claws grasping for the plushie before finally getting a hold of the toy and bringing it towards her.

“Bublub!” she announced, holding the manticore up as if offering it eagerly to her grandparents.

“I think she wants to play,” Gold Shimmer noted.

“Wvumlupub!” she babbled further, still holding it up.

Amber Rose’s horn lit up, taking hold of the manticore and turned it towards the child. She gently moved it forward, playfully feigning an attack on the griffon.

“Roar! I’m going to get you!” she growled in a mock voice, Rose giggling joyously as she was ‘violently’ assaulted by the toy held in the unicorn’s aura.

“She is quite cute, isn’t she?” Bit Collector mused. “Unexpected. Unconventional, even. But cute.”

“I think it’s quite marvellous,” Gold opined. “She is unique, and that holds value. And yes, she is adorable. Aren’t you? Little cutie!”

The child chirped proudly, almost as if she was quite pleased by the compliment.

“Oh, you must tell us all about that first meeting!” Amber insisted to her daughter. “You said she took an instant shine, yes? How so? Was she as endearingly bubbly as she is now?”

“Are you all insane!?”

A shocked silence once again filled the air, this time the source of it being the green stallion who was adjusting his suit irritably. The glare he was giving them caught them all off guard, especially his own child as she held the oblivious Perfect Rose closer to her chest.

“Dad…?” Ebony muttered.

“Do you have any idea of the ramifications your irresponsibleness could create!?” he demanded to know. “You all seem so enamoured with her, but do any of you have brains still in your heads? What the other nobles will think?”

“Really, Fancy, it’s not that much of a problem,” Amber tried to placate her husband.

“Amber, honey, I love you, but you know that’s not true,” he denied. “The nobility of Canterlot is almost exclusively unicorn. Even a pegasus would be considered ‘exotic’, earth ponies are almost unheard of! But both have occurred, there is a precedence. But a griffon? Not in the history of Equestria has such a thing occurred!”

“Then we make history. I see only the benefits of that, Fancy mane,” Bit Collector said with a warning in his tone.

“The wrong side of it, perhaps. Our lines all date back to the nobles under the rule of Queen Platinum at Equestria’s foundation, Prince Blueblood Sr. and his children all share her blood! And bloodlines are everything for the nobility.”

“Well, it’s too bad I can’t have foals then!” Ebony shouted at her father, passing her daughter over to Cash as she approached the green stallion while the griffon started to shift about in distress. “So sorry to stain that bloodline! But I’m barren. I can’t help that.”

“No, and I don’t blame you for that,” Fancy Mane said far more softly. “There had to be an exception here, we all knew it. They all knew it. A nice unicorn foal would have done just fine in these circumstances. But a griffon… You will be a laughingstock! Those above our station will take offence, others of the minor bloodlines will distance themselves… Pandemonium! Ruination! All for this… flight of fancy!”

“She is NOT some curiosity, fad or whatever else you might call her!” Cash Counter snapped. “She came into our lives not because she was different, but because she needed us. And, frankly, we were the ones who needed her.”

“She’s our daughter, Father,” Ebony stated. “Your grandchild. I don’t give a damn what other ponies might think. Celestia herself could condemn us for this. I don’t rightly care. So, if you have nothing nice to say, then… Then you can get out!”

Wails assaulted their ears as Perfect Rose began to cry, the shouting and hostility scaring the poor child and causing her to fearfully curl up in her father’s embrace. He did his best to calm her down, starting to rock the chick back and forth while attempting to hum something of a tune. It did work after several agonising moments, the infant giving a little hiccup as she continued to shiver.

“I’ll… prepare some tea. I don’t think we need to wait for Time Catcher,” Ebony muttered, wiping away some tears and trying to regain her composure. “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back soon.”

She left, still trying to hold herself together. She left behind a group of ponies left in shock at what occurred, while Fancy Mane retreated into the corner as the others stared at him in horror.

Perhaps he was a symptom of days to come…

Celestia had lowered the sun and raised the moon, darkness filling the streets outside as Cash Counter and Ebony Rose gently laid their daughter down into her crib. She had drifted off several minutes earlier, tired out from further interaction with her grandparents and a hearty meal after Time Catcher had successfully returned with a crate of pork chunks.

Rose had eaten it quite happily once it had been ground enough into small enough pieces that she could consume it, mixed in with a couple of berries for good measure.

Now she slept soundly, out like a light as she curled up beneath a blanket with her new manticore friend by her side. She was as precious as the moment they had first laid eyes on her, completely innocent of the world as she hopefully dreamt of fun adventures with her plushie companion.

“Goodnight, Rose…” Ebony whispered as she planted a kiss on the child’s head, retreating from the room with her husband and closing the door carefully behind them.

“Well, that’s that,” Cash Counter remarked. “Day One, complete. Rest of our lives: In-Progress.”

“And what a roller coaster…” Ebony muttered, leaning against the wall. “We should probably see our parents home. Or maybe offer them the spare bedrooms for tonight, whichever one they choose to fight over.”

“The third has a good view,” he noted. “But yeah, let’s.”

“Before that…”

They both turned to see a certain green stallion approaching them from down the hall, Ebony averting her gaze from him while Cash narrowed his eyes in challenge.

“What do you want, Fancy Mane? You’ve been quiet all night, and rightfully so.”

“Is she asleep?” he asked.

“You care?”

“Dammit, you completely misunderstand me. I never meant-”

“Never meant to what? Tell us our daughter was not welcome? That we made the wrong choice? That she has no place here?”

“What I said was out of line. I know that,” he admitted shamefully. “I panicked, said some things in the wrong way and others I didn’t mean. I know you followed your hearts when you chose her, it was cruel to say she was a mere curiosity.”

“And the other things? The ones you said in the ‘wrong way’?”

“I should have been calmer, but I meant what I said about the nobility,” he said, quickly placing a hoof to stop Cash as he tried to walk past him as his words. “Just listen! I was worried about you. And about HER.”

“Why would you worry about Perfect Rose?”

“Because she is a child. And now she is my granddaughter.”

“You… admit to it?” Ebony asked hopefully.

“I won’t abandon my family over this matter,” he said honestly. “But the life ahead of her… An adopted unicorn would have faced some jeering. Bullying. But a griffon? I’m scared about what other ponies will think of her, will do to her. What they will say, how they will act. She doesn’t understand or comprehend such things now, but she will.”

“We will protect her. She’s our daughter.”

“Your protection can only extend so far, short of locking her in this house,” the stallion pointed out. “Life is going to be hard for her. Far harder than one should expect for a life of privilege. Most will be against her, and I’m scared about what it is going to do to her. I feel nothing but remorse for making you think I am one of those ponies, but… the truth is, I am just worried about my new granddaughter.”

“Dad…” Ebony addressed sadly. “I… I understand. I know what she will face. All I can say is that we will love and cherish Rose for as long as we still walk Equus. To teach her to be strong, and that there is nothing wrong with who she is. To be proud of who she is.”

“But what if that’s not enough?”

“Who can say what will be enough?” Cash Counter stated. “You don’t know the future. Neither do we. But she is here. We love her. She stays with us. And we will face whatever the nobility throws at us as a family.”

Fancy Mane sighed. “Then… I will give what support I can. Just please be careful with that girl. Don’t lose her to the hostility of the court.”

“We won’t. I promise.”

All the while, Perfect Rose continued to sleep soundly. She had found her manticore friend again, cuddling up to the toy as she rested peacefully.

For all of Fancy Mane’s fears and warnings, whatever the future held, it mattered little for the moment. It had yet to pass, and it all started at that very moment.

A small child, dreaming of what her future may yet hold.

3 - Parenting 101

Perfect Rose has settled into her new home rather well.

It had been some time since they had brought the infant griffon home and introduced her to the brand-new grandparents entering her life. The events of that night, specifically the confrontation and discussion that emerged from it, were still fresh in the minds of Ebony Rose and Cash Counter. However, the professed fallout promised by Fancy Mane had yet to occur. This was likely in no small part to a lack of contact with the outside nobility; the new parents spending much of their time at home with their new child. Anything they needed was dutifully collected by Time Catcher, everything from groceries to even collecting their mail.

It was time well spent, remaining reclusive and internal while they got to grips with the trials and tribulations of parenthood. The prior mentioned butler had even brought home a copy of ‘Parenting 101’ from the Canterlot Library, something he had done entirely unprompted and of his own volition. Initiative and a cheeky jab at the same time, even if the stallion had kept a straight and entirely serious face when presenting them with the tome.

He did like to see them squirm. Especially when he could get away with it.

It was all in good faith, of course.

Still, they hadn’t actually passed up the opportunity for whatever insight the book might provide them. Ebony herself was laid out on the sofa with the book held in her magic, flipping through the pages with an inquisitive look in her eyes. She was making a serious attempt at gleaning whatever lessons the author of the tome could provide, anything she had yet to find out the hard way of trial and error.

There was an issue, of course.

“I wish they put a chapter on griffons children in here…” she muttered to herself, disgruntled. “This chapter, for instance, it’s all about magic surges.”

“Do griffons even have magic surges?” Cash Counter asked, sitting on the chair opposite as he watched his daughter calmly play with some wooden blocks. “They do have wings, but…”

“If they can fly and interact with clouds, one would assume they are similar to pegasi,” Time Catcher noted, collecting some empty teacups and moving to return them to the kitchen.

“Maybe we should collect some cloud. Test that theory,” Cash Counter joked. “We just need to find somepony who can get some.”

“Another trip to the library seems like a better choice,” his wife commented. “But let’s assume they are. A pegasus foal’s surge is supposed to manifest in the sudden ability to fly extremely fast but uncontrollably.”

“What does the book recommend?”

“Cover the corners of side tables, hide up breakables, anything that could be harmed or cause harm on the foal’s rampage.”

“So… just duck and cover?”

“Not quite, let me finish. It also recommends trying to hold the foal’s attention with their favourite toys, stories or lullabies. Anything to keep their attention. After a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the foal, the surges will die off and their magic returns to normal levels.”

“And then it’s back to learning the old-fashioned way,” Cash recounted. “Heh. I still remember my surges.”

“Liar! You were, what, days old?”

“I do too!” he protested with a pout. “I juggled several priceless vases. And a maid, if I recall.”

“Now I know you’re making that up.”

“Ask my parents. They will vouch for everything I say.”

“Just to wind me up, I’m sure.”

“Whatever you say, honey.”

Ebony rolled her eyes, returning to her book as her features steadily morphed into a small frown. “Though speaking of, they are meant to happen in the first days of life. Probably around the time we met her in the orphanage, and she’s been here for over a week now.”

“I don’t think it’s all that uncommon to have them later. Right?”

“Hmm… No, it does mention it happens. Just a lower percentage of the population.”

“And, again, not counting the fact that she’s a griffon. They may work differently. They may not have surges at all.”

“It would be a blessing, in a way,” Ebony mused. “Less panic.”

“On the flip side, we’d miss part of pony parenthood.”

“Oh! I didn’t think about that! D-do you think-”

“Ebony, I’m kidding,” Cash interrupted her coming tirade, getting up from his seat and squeezing up next to her. “Surges or not, it doesn’t really matter. She grows as she grows, I suppose we just need to be ready.”

“Yes, you’re right…”

“So, any other advice?”

“Want to hear the chapter on burping them?”

He chuckled. “I think we have that one covered already.”

The sounds of a block tower collapsing caught their attention, the parents turning to see that Perfect Rose had patted them aside with her talons as she looked up at them with rapidly watering eyes. She gave a distressed squeak, holding up her claws and gesturing for attention.

“What about a chapter on ‘incoming hunger tantrums’?” Ebony suggested.

“Answer: Time for dinner,” he responded with a knowing grin, moving forward and picking up the infant. The instant griffon happiness noises were a good sign. “Come on, you little terror! Time for yum-yums.”

“Umsums!”

“Yes. Yums.”

“Darn. Almost an actual word,” Ebony lamented as she closed Parenting 101 up and followed on. “Someday soon…”

“I bet it’ll be ‘Daddy’.”

Ebony gasped in mock offence. “Don’t you dare! It has to be ‘Mama’!”

“Challenge accepted.”

They entered the dining room, Time Catcher busy dusting some expensive china on a nearby oak cabinet. The butler eyed the trio as they entered, watching as they rounded the large expensive table and started to strap Rose into her highchair.

“I take it the young madame requires feeding?” he questioned.

“She started getting teary-eyed, so I would say that’s an affirmative,” Cash Counter confirmed. “Let’s go with apple today. Mind mashing some up?”

“If it makes her happy,” he answered, retreating off back to the kitchen to make the chick’s dinner as promptly as possible.

They got the infant safely strapped in, Perfect Rose struggling uncomfortably against her restraints as her stomach growled further. She started to grumble, sounding quite displeased as she looked around for her food.

And then, quite suddenly, she stopped. The griffon blinked a few times, looking rather perplexed about something. Her wings fluttered against her back, one then extending outwards as she examined it intently.

“Think she just discovered she actually has wings?” Cash remarked cheekily.

“She’s not grumbling anymore, let her have her fun.”

“Point taken.”

While Rose seemed absolutely fascinated by her own feathers, Time Catcher quickly returned with a small plastic bowl held in his magic. In it was contained what was once an apple that had been smashed up into something of a juicy paste. A spoon was at the ready, the bowl placed down onto the highchair and presented before the child.

Perfect Rose chirped happily.

“May I?” Ebony asked, taking the spoon from their butler.

“May you do the work instead of me? My, Madame, you have made me practically unemployed,” he jabbed. “But if you do so insist.”

She gave him a deadpan look, shaking her head before returning her attention to her daughter. She lifted the spoon, filling it with some of the paste and playfully hovering it in front of Perfect Rose as the griffon excitedly tried to reach out for it. She then allowed the kid to take a bite, Perfect Rose munching happily on the apple and consuming it. Ebony continued to feed her daughter while Time Catcher returned to dusting, Cash just content to sit at the table and watch his wife and daughter interact.

It was quiet, serene and just a pure moment of family bonding.

If only it could have lasted.

As they came to the last few bites of apple left inside the bowl, Perfect Rose suddenly stopped accepting the spoon. She kept her beak shut, despite Ebony’s encouragement, starting to shift around in her seat again.

“Oh, come on…” Ebony muttered. “Please…? One more bite.”

She still refused, her wings extending and giving a flap as she wrapped her claws around the straps holding her in the chair.

“I guess she’s full,” Cash noted with a shrug.

“I guess you’re- Wait, what is she…?”

Then Rose’s claws ripped straight through the straps and cut her loose. Suddenly exposed to complete freedom, the griffon’s wings snapped open as wide as they could go as she kicked off from the seat and into the air! The bowl was tipped upwards by her passage, flipping and landing upside down on Ebony’s horn, the remainder of the apple coating her muzzle.

And then all three adults took a double take as Perfect Rose squealed joyfully, doing a full lap of the dining room before vanishing into the hall.

“I… think that’s a ‘yes’ to magic surges.”

“Uh-oh.”

Rose barrelled back into the dining room, zooming about as one of her wings grazed the very china Time Catcher had been dusting. They wobbled for a moment before they tipped over and gravity took charge, the butler looking alarmed as his horn lit up and caught them an inch from the ground.

And then she was gone again, likely committing havoc elsewhere in the house.

“I do suggest you reign her in. Unless you wish to replace half of your decorative items,” the butler suggested as he started looking for a safe place to put the china away from the talons of the winged menace.

“Perfect Rose!” Ebony shouted out, spurred into action as she and her husband ran from the room in pursuit. “Come here! Mummy wants you!”

They heard a giggle from somewhere upstairs.

“Now she’s just taunting us,” Cash lamented.

Crash.

“That sounded expensive.”

“Alright, so…” Ebony started, attempting to come up with a solution for their current predicament. “Parenting 101 might come in handy after all. So, we need…”

“Toy. Book. Song. One of the above,” her husband recollected.

Bang.

“…Quickly. Like, now.”

“I doubt she’ll sit still long enough to notice one of her bedtime stories.”

“And it’s not bedtime.”

“That too. Pony Pokie?”

“Let’s get a solution that doesn’t drive us insane. How about a simple lullaby?”

“As you pointed out, not bedtime.”

Smack.

Both cringed at the ongoing sounds of destruction upstairs, each at a bit of a loss. And then, like a lightbulb went off above both of their heads, both turned towards one another and said one simple word that promised to be their salvation.

“Fluffy!”

The two parents ran upstairs as fast as their hooves could carry them, seeing Perfect Rose pass by in a blur and vanish into the main bathroom.

“Cash, try to catch her! I’ll get the weapon!”

“On it!”

They split, Cash Counter following Perfect Rose into the bathroom while Ebony ducked into the child’s own bedroom. It was a brightly coloured room; the walls painted a bright purple with little stars and smiley faces stuck on for good measure. A cot sat in one corner by a window showing the street out front, several chests containing toys, books and other items there for the infant’s constant amusement.

But there was one item in particular that was laying in the cot, right where it always was so Perfect Rose could easily snuggle up to it at night. She couldn’t sleep without it, a fact they had discovered one evening when the item had accidentally fallen free. And as she reached the small bed, she found the said object sitting idly next to Rose’s pillow.

A familiar manticore plushie she had taken a shine to the first day home.

Ebony Rose picked up the toy and rushed back out, emerging just in time to see Cash fall over backwards out of the bathroom as their daughter zoomed out overhead with excitement in her eyes.

“Honey! I have your Fluffy!”

Perfect Rose skidded to a halt all most comically in mid-air, coming to a hover as her eyes locked onto the manticore that Ebony was holding out invitingly.

“Yes! See? He’s getting lonely, and he can’t keep up with you!”

“Wubwuff?”

“Yes! Fluffy! Right here!”

Perfect Rose blinked.

And then she shot forward, impacting into Fluffy and rolling along the ground. All her limbs, wings and otherwise, wrapped around the manticore in the mother of all snuggles. She came to a stop, squealing with pure joy as she held on to the manticore like her life was depending on it.

Ebony and Cash both breathed a sigh of relief, the former trotting towards their daughter and picking her and the attached Fluffy up and onto her back.

“Right then, problem solved…”

Thank Celestia she loved that thing so much.

“What are we going to do with her?” Cash commented, patting the child affectionately on the head.

“Keep Fluffy on hoof at all times,” she stated. “And… one more thing…”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“I’m reading more of that book.”

4 - Social Graces

Perfect Rose did not like where this was going.

She wiggled and squirmed as if her life depended on it, all in vain as the outfit, a small infant-sized dress, was carefully fitted onto the young griffon. She gave a few grumbles at the act, clearly displeased with the ongoing development. She could do little more than that, however, as the dress was finally fitted onto her small frame and her parents took a step back to admire their daughter for a moment.

“Aw, she looks like a little princess,” Ebony squeed.

“Not sure she approves, though,” Cash Counter noted. “If looks could kill…”

“I would dare say that, were griffons physically capable, she would hold quite the pout,” Time Catcher noted with no small amount of amusement, taking the packaging the dress had been held in and putting it safely away.

Was it just their imagination, or was she actually glaring at them?

The dress was well made, definitely an expensive item, even more so considering they had it custom made to Perfect Rose’s specifications. It was a deep shade of red to match her eyes, also pairing her up with the one her mother wore, though Rose’s was more loose-fitting to allow the infant with a decent amount of comfort and freedom of movement.

Still, in her mother’s eyes, her indignation only made her look all the more precious.

“Well, I guess it’s my turn,” Cash Counter stated, his horn lighting up and retrieving his own suit that was laid out on the bed nearby. “Got to look proper for the Prince, I guess.”

“I am glad Prince Blueblood saw fit to invite us,” Ebony said. “Maybe Dad’s predictions were rubbish after all.”

“Blueblood Sr.,” Cash corrected. “Got to make that distinction. It’s only ‘proper’.”

“And far less confusing, I’m sure,” Time agreed. “But such confusion is expected when you name your firstborn after yourself with no variation. Either way, I shall head downstairs and wait for the arrival of the carriage I hired on your behalf. Hopefully, it arrives on time.”

“Don’t worry too much, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind us being a little fashionably late.”

“That would imply being late was deliberate. But alas, it is out of our hooves now.”

They watched as the stallion retreated from the master bedroom, shutting the door behind him before heading downstairs to wait by the front door to await the family’s transportation. All light had already faded outside, a chill pervading the night air. Cash Counter started to slip into his tuxedo, Ebony glancing back at their daughter as she suddenly found herself biting her own lip.

“You think Rose will be alright staying up a bit later?” Ebony asked her husband, a little concerned. “It would be a first.”

“I don’t honestly know. But we’ll keep a close eye on her. If she starts getting cranky then we can just leave a little early.”

“I suppose. I don’t know how she will react to being around so many ponies, either.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine. If not, as I said, we can just leave. Besides, we’ll hardly be the only ones there with infants to worry about. But if you’re that worried, we could always leave her in Time’s care for the night.”

Ebony let out a slow breath. “No… No, we need to show the rest of the nobility that we’re not afraid to be seen with her. That they have to get over it.”

“Weren’t you the one just saying your father’s prediction might be wrong?”

“True. Still, it’s important. I’m not ashamed and I refuse to give them any impression to the contrary.”

“Alright, fair enough,” he said, fixing his tie into place and then turning to show it off. “So, how do I look?”

“Dashing,” she responded, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Well, I need to look my best for the princesses. Did you know they were going to attend, by the way?”

“It’s a given, Princess Celestia’s nephew is the host.”

“Yeah, though I imagine every high-end noble invites her to their little gatherings. Blueblood Sr. just has the advantage. Even ifhe’s not really her nephew by a blood standpoint.”

Ebony raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t say that to them.”

“I’m not that much of an idiot,” he remarked in reply. “You have to admit, though, they do act a lot as if they are.”

“It doesn’t change the fact they are actually related to the former Queen of Equestria,” Ebony pointed out. “Who Celestia adopted into her own extended family, remember?”

“Yes, I do. And every child of his will be prince or princess, though only the first-born’s own children will adopt that title from then on and yadda yadda yadda. Why are we talking about this again?”

“You were complaining,” Ebony said with a chuckle.

“Well, the inter-class competition gets tiresome. Bloodlines and shows of power and… whatever else the others do to flaunt themselves.”

“I know you’ve never really liked that stuff, but you’ve gotten a lot more vocal about it recently. To me, at least.”

Cash glanced off at the small child on the bed, tugging distastefully at her dress. “Well, I have more reason to.”

Said child started to whimper.

“Annnd we should be giving that reason some more attention. Come here, you!”

Rose’s whimpers turned to happy gurgles as she was levitated into the air, being brought into the hooves of her father who began to apply the horrendous war crime that was tickling and raspberries, the infant giggling and squealing at the horrible assault.

“Honey, you’ll ruin the dress,” Ebony warned between her own smile. “Save it for later.”

“Bah, saved by your mother,” he remarked to his child. “I’ll get your next time.”

“Habwub!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Buh?”

“Yes, I’m talking to you, Missy!”

Ebony shook her head in amusement, taking hold of Perfect Rose and placing the infant onto her back. “Come on, let’s see if our carriage is here.”

“Oh, you do spoil my fun.”

“I know, I’m a horrible pony.

“The worst.”

She nipped his ear. “Well, I’ll just have to have you sleep on the sofa, then.”

“You wouldn’t…”

“I might change my mind…”

“Sir. Madame. Your carriage has arrived,” came Time’s shout for downstairs.

“Okay, hold that thought. We should move.”

“Well, alright then. Let’s get this over with.”

The couple retreated downstairs, Perfect Rose in tow. After a small debacle of getting her into a pram, they loaded it and her onto the waiting carriage before boarding themselves. From there they said farewell to Time Catcher and willed the ponies out front to move on, the carriage starting to move from their home and deeper in towards the castle.

Their destination, the Blueblood family manor. A home so large that is had its own ballroom.

And with Rose in tow, the night was going to be… an interesting one.

Sometime later, the carriage having dropped them off outside of the estate, Cash Counter and Ebony Rose were led by a servant through the giant halls of the mansion and into the ballroom where the party was taking place. The moment they entered, classical music flowed through their ears from the hired musicians playing from a raised stage in the corner. There were several tables all along the edges of the room containing small bites of varying fancy foods, bottles of only the best champagne and some boxes of Sweet Apple Acres branded apple juice for both the youngsters and those staying away from the alcohol.

The room was also packed with finely dressed ponies, a few particular mares being adorned in more expensive jewellery than they really knew what to do with.

Cash Counter thought it just made them look weighed down. None of them could compare with Ebony, not in his mind.

Most were mingling in groups, snippets of conversation making its way over to them. Some were about business, some were complaints about the lower classes, some were political in nature. None of them were particularly interesting. The rest were joined with their partners on the dancefloor, conducting a slow dance to music. The present fillies and colts, meanwhile, were a mixture of attentive and bored-looking, all of them staying close to their respective parents.

And already, mere moments after stepping inside, the stares were starting to pile in. Several nobles glanced towards Perfect Rose, their eyes either filled with disbelief or disdain. Most would go on to whisper to those around them, others would simply turn up their noses and attempt to forget their very existence.

Still, Ebony Rose, in particular, was suddenly finding herself feeling rather self-conscious. Cash Counter, meanwhile, just glared challengingly back at the nosy lot.

“Okay… Okay…” Ebony muttered. “Let’s go slink over to the food table. Might do something for my nerves.”

“If that’s what you want,” Cash responded, not taking his eyes off of the onlookers.

Keeping the pram containing the oblivious Perfect Rose, who was just looking around at the colourful ponies in complete fascination, they started to slink through the crowd towards the food table. A few more ponies glanced their way as they went with a variety of reaction. One colt, who they brushed past just before reaching their destination, had his eyes go wide.

“Woah! That’s a griffon!”

“Hush!” his mother warned. “Don’t bother yourself with the likes of them.”

“But they look so cool!”

That got a small smile from Cash.

Unfortunately, all Ebony really heard was the reaction of the colt’s mother.

They reached the table, the mare pouring herself a small glass of champagne while her husband studied the food for anything of particular value. He was eyeing a cheesecake slice and perhaps a small piece of apple for Perfect Rose.

“So, tell me, Cadance. Is Shining Armor and his family not going to attend?” a voice asked, Ebony and Cash both glancing at the source.

Their eyes settled on a small clearing amidst the crowd nearby, occupied currently by three ponies. One was the very same alicorn they’d seen the day they adopted Perfect Rose, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, only she was now adorned in a light blue dress. She was conversing with two teenage ponies, one a white stallion with a blue mane and curly moustache, another a tall also white unicorn mare with a long pink mane.

“I’m afraid not, Fancy Pants,” Cadance answered. “After what happened at Celestia’s school, they didn’t want to bring Twily. She’s still adjusting to being Celestia’s pupil.”

“That explains her, it is most understandable,” the mare stated. “But what of your little stallion friend?”

Cadance blushed. “What are you implying, Fleur?”

Fleur De Lis giggled. “You know what I mean.”

“He’s just a friend!”

“Of course, because you so closely integrate yourself into the family of most friends and become the sister-like foalsitter of their younger sibling. Or is that just his where you have done that?”

“A-anyway…” Cadance tried to change the subject as her blush deepened. “Shiny wants to focus on his application to join the Royal Guard, and Night Light and Twilight Velvet are helping Twilight acclimate to the castle. She was feeling a little homesick.”

“It is understandable, but nevertheless an honour for the filly,” Fancy Pants commented.

“I’m thrilled. We’ll see each other a lot more,” Cadance said. “Still, I just hope she manages to pry herself from the royal library every once in a while.”

“Ah, Princess!”

Another stallion emerged from the crowd, this one a white stallion with a greying blue mane not unlike Fancy’s. He gave a courteous bow before Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, who seemed a little uncomfortable at the action.

“Er, Prince Blueblood. Thank you for the invite.”

“I would have been amiss not to,” he answered. “My wife so wanted to make your acquaintance at long last, you should speak to her before the night is done.”

“I’ll… make sure to.”

“You have my thanks. I’m sure it would make the evening of my sons as well.”

“Oh my!” Fleur suddenly explained, Ebony and Cash suddenly realising the mare had spotted them eavesdropping. “A griffon?”

Ebony sighed. Here they go…

The couple mentally prepared themselves as all eyes turned on them, the group making their approach as they glanced between the infant in the pram and her adoptive parents.

“Ah, Cash Counter and Ebony Rose,” Blueblood Sr. recalled. “You work with the Rich family, I believe. We have you to thank for the sparkling apple juice.”

“We only help with the contracts,” Cash responded. “Making such transactions occur smoothly is my special talent, after all. Rich is the one who points us in the right direction and makes sure Sweet Apple Acres meets their quotas.”

“Still, I’m told you make the process an efficient one,” the Prince replied. “And I’m also told about the unorthodox addition you’ve collected.”

“Hi there!” Cadance blurted out as she crouched down to look into the pram. “Aren’t you just sweetest thing? Yes, you are! You're a little cutie pie!”

Perfect Rose giggled at the Princess’ cooing, taking hold of the pink outstretched hoof as the teenage alicorn played with the happy little infant.

Cadance then noticed the looks she was getting, flushing red as she pulled back a little.

“Oh, um, sorry! I should have asked first…”

“It’s fine, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” Ebony assured her. “I’m just… glad you approve.”

“Cadance is fine,” the alicorn stated. “The full thing is a mouthful. And of course I approve, she’s so cute!”

“Unusual, but I appreciate the kindness you showed in giving her a home such as yours,” Fancy Pants mused.

“It will turn some heads,” Fleur agreed. “But she looks like a fine young lady.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

All eyes went wide at that motherly tone, all of them with the exception of Cadance immediately dropping into a low bow as they turned to see the tall imposing form that was Princess Celestia herself. Her royal regalia glimmered in the ballroom’s light, her alabaster fur completely immaculate and perfect while her rainbow mane flowed in an unseen breeze.

The most powerful pony in Equestria, a symbol of beauty and the ruler of all the land.

And not a pony either Ebony or Cash had expected to encounter in such a close proximity!

“Rise, my little ponies,” the Princess requested gracefully. “And you know you need not bow to me, nephew.”

“I do apologise, Aunt Celestia. But I feel obligated to do so in your presence, it is only proper,” Blueblood Sr. explained. “I wasn’t expecting you quite yet or I would have greeted you at the door.”

“I finished today’s paperwork a little early, so I took the opportunity to fly over under the power of my own wings. I am sorry if I caught you off guard.”

“No need to apologise. I am glad you could make it.”

“As am I, Auntie,” Cadance said, trotting forward and giving Celestia an affectionate hug. “I like it when you get out of the castle. Even if it’s to a formal function.”

“I rarely am afforded the opportunity. But I had reason; I have yet to meet my latest nephew.”

“Born mere weeks ago, Goldenblood is already a fine gentlestallion,” the Prince claimed. “He is with my better half and Blueblood.”

“The ‘other’ Blueblood, you mean,” Celestia said with humour in her tone.

“Of course, it is as you say.”

“And speaking of the young…” Celestia trailed off, focusing on Ebony and Cash. “To see such acceptance for others from the nobility is quite pleasing, this is the first instance of a griffon among your ranks since Equestria’s founding.”

“T-thank you, Princess!” Ebony exclaimed, quite humbled by her words. “She was just… perfect.”

“It’s why she’s called ‘Perfect Rose’,” Cash recounted.

“I see,” Celestia said with a nod, leaning down or a better look. “Hello there, little one.”

Rose’s eyes went wide at the giant pony in front of her, those eyes drifting over to her ethereal mane as it swished and flowed. She started trying to reach out for it, determined to catch whatever the weird flowy thing was!

Celestia chuckled. “She is endearingly sweet, is she not?”

Ebony curtsied. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Am I happy for you. But I’m afraid I must mingle with some of the other guests,” the Princess apologised. “Do take care of your little one.”

“We will. I promise.”

Celestia gave them her iconic motherly smile, giving them a final nod before turning back into the crowd. She was followed by the rest of the group, who all gave their own farewells to the couple, before vanishing with Celestia into the crowd.

Or as much as they could, Celestia stuck out like quite a bit among those several heads shorter than her.

“Well, that went surprisingly well,” Cash Counter muttered. “Approval from both our host and both alicorns. Great success?”

“Great success,” Ebony happily confirmed, feeling a weight lift off of her shoulders. “If they approve, I don’t think the rest of the nobility will be far behind.”

“Don’t count on that.”

They were both caught off guard by the snide female tone, a mare emerging from the crowd with two children in tow. The mare was wearing a priceless jewel-ridden red dress that covered her yellow coat, her blonde coloured mane done up in an elaborate style in a show of status. A white colt with a blonde mane wearing a tuxedo walked alongside her, glaring at the pram disapprovingly. A second colt was but an infant held in her right foreleg, also wearing a small suit. His coat was far darker than his mother’s, more golden in colouration, his mane being more a yellow that matched the mare’s coat as blue eyes stared out curiously.

“Social Grace,” Cash Counter greeted through gritted teeth towards the wife of Prince Blueblood Sr., not taking kindly to her words and tone. “What do we owe the pleasure.”

“Mother, why is that thing in here?” the younger of the two Bluebloods asked in a condescending tone. “I want it gone from our party!”

“I wish it were so, Blueblood. But your father decides these matters. And with the Princess being too courteous to such abnormalities, we cannot,” Social Grace replied to her son. “Even if they should all be appalled by this gross betrayal.”

“Betrayal!?”

“A griffon? Of all the gall!” the mare said with a huff. “You insult your peers and belittle yourselves with such reckless and foolish actions. You would do well to see her off back to the hole where you got the creature from and swap out for a more respectable child. A unicorn, of course.”

“Swap out? She’s our daughter you b-”

“What my husband means to say,” Ebony interrupted with a frantic elbow to his side. “Is that we are very proud of our daughter. Your husband seemed to agree, I am sorry you don’t.”

Social Grace’s nose seemed to rise a little higher. “He is taken by the mere curiosity of it, little more. The phase will pass, and he will grow weary of the novelty. A griffon does not belong among the elite, it threatens our very sovereignty over Equestria.”

“I’m pretty sure Princess Celestia is the one with the ‘sovereignty’, last I checked at least,” Cash taunted.

“We play an important part in keeping Equestria proper,” she retorted. “If the common ponies see we let beasts mingle with those above their station, they will all believe themselves worthy. Then Equestria becomes strained as the masses clamber for what is beyond them.”

Ebony frowned. “I think you’re being a little dramatic.”

“Dramatic? The nerve!” she screeched.

“Maybe you should move on. Wouldn’t want to be seen with the ‘likes of us’, right?” Cash suggested.

“Hmph, quite right. Come, Blueblood,” she started to lead her son away, the colt continuing to glare at Perfect Rose. “This isn’t over, deviants.”

They started to vanish into the crowd, Cash glaring and ensuring that they actually left. As they did, however, Goldenblood peered over his mother’s shoulder and seemed to wave a hoof at Perfect Rose.

And then they were gone.

“What a- Gah,” Cash growled. “Purity and bloodlines and nobles and stupid bad rubbish. Thinking we’re better than everypony else just because we’ve done well for ourselves, she’s the big red flag that makes half of Equestria hate the nobility. Bet she lounges all day, never worked for anything a second in her life.”

Ebony sniffed. “W-well, at least not everypony reacted s-so… badly.”

“Hey, forget about her,” Cash comforted his wife and tears appeared in her eyes. “She’s just some horrible pony who married into more privilege than she knows what to do with. She doesn’t matter. None of them do, even the ones who approve, though that’s appreciated. All that matters is us, alright?”

“Yeah. I know…” she replied, taking in a deep breath. “I’m alright… Can we just avoid her, though?”

“Of course. Come on, have your champagne. I’ll see if Rose is hungry.”

“Okay. Thanks, Cash.”

They returned to the party, trying to forget their encounter with Social Grace and instead focus on the good that had come their way. Celestia approved, as had several others. That counter for a lot, especially in the Princess’ case.

Ebony Rose just hoped that Social Grace had more bark than she had bite…

5 - Exploring Home

Perfect Rose was enamoured by the sparkles.

The young griffon’s eyes were wide, entirely focused on the little gems on Ebony Rose’s necklace and earrings. Both were contained in a golden casing that seemed meticulously crafted and decorated, the rubies almost glowing in the room’s light. They were so sparkly, in fact, that you could pretty much see them reflected in the chick’s large orbs as she stared intently at the captors of her interest. Her mother seemed to like them too, studying both them and her dress in the mirror. But Perfect Rose had never seen them before today, and they were so shiny! She just had to reach out one of her claws and…

“No, you don’t, rascal!” Cash Counter quickly grabbed the griffon in his magic, gently pulling her back as she gave a whine of protest. “I think she might love them even more than you, dear.”

“Thank you, Cash,” Ebony said emotionally, nuzzling the stallion affectionately. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a gift like this. Even for us, these had to have been…”

“Expensive? Bah, my own savings can take the hit,” he dismissed. “Besides, after that whole business at the party, you deserved something nice.”

“You had to deal with that too. And I didn’t-”

“It’s my gift to you, don’t start feeling all guilty about not getting me anything. I get to take my darling wife out for a quiet night out and about, I’m content with that,” he answered, but then took on a more mischievous look. “Although, there is the matter of the cheque afterwards…”

She rolled her eyes, but then smiled nevertheless. “I supposed I can foot the bill.”

“Hey, I was joking.”

“Well, I’m not. It might not be as expensive as these, but I can still do something nice in turn.”

“We could always use our shared savings.”

“No, I’m paying for it.”

“That’s final, huh?”

“I can do nice things too!”

“I know. I know,” he said placatingly. “You win. Still, you look lovely.”

“Habab!”

“Rose thinks so too.”

Ebony shot a motherly smile towards her daughter. “I’m glad you think so, honey. Though, I’m not sure whether she actually appreciates the effort a mare puts into her outfit for a night out yet more than it just being shiny. You know how babies can get distracted by new and interesting things, they’re always learning.”

“Either way, she approves, and so do I.”

The mare hummed. “You know, I always thought you hated too much ‘bling’ on a mare. The way you talk about some of the others…”

“Hey, they deck themselves out so much that they look like a haphazard gold merchant’s caravan, you have just the right amount to not be ridiculous,” he retorted. “I’m just lucky I married the one noble mare in this city who understood that. Maybe I’m also a bit biased, but eh, I stand by my statement.”

She gave him a knowing smile, her stare looking somewhat bemused.

“As I recall, Cash Counter, you had a crush on Twilight Velvet in high school,” she pointed out. “Never gave me so much as a second glance until our parents started pressing.”

He gave an awkward cough. “Actually, she had the crush on me… You know, before Night Light entered the scene.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

“You were the only mare for me, oh light of my heart,” he replied, Ebony raising an eyebrow at his corniness. “Besides, could you imagine her forcing me to go over a waterfall in a barrel? No thank you.”

“Aw, you’d make a great daredevil.”

“I like living too much, I’d think you’d find.”

Ebony laughed, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before giving a satisfied sigh. She gave herself a little twirl, giving off an aura of excitement far more potent than she’d ever emitted in the lead up to the Prince’s ball.

But why not? She couldn’t remember the last time it had just been them, going on a date like they were courting all over again.

Of course, there was a singular downside to the whole arrangement.

“Do you… Do you think he’s up to it,” Ebony asked with worry, trotting over to her daughter and sitting down next to her. She pulled her in close, the griffon batting away at her necklace with her talons. “We’ve never been apart since she arrived…”

“I think-”

“That I can speak for myself,” Time Catcher interrupted as he entered the room. “You can trust me with the young Madam’s wellbeing, Madame Ebony Rose. On my honour as this household’s butler and that of an honest pony.”

“I know you can,” Ebony replied. “I’m just being silly, but…”

“Hey, I’m a little nervous too,” Cash Counter assured her. “As you said, we’ve never been apart before. But it’s just one night, and if he can keep us in check then he can watch Rose.”

“You are the greater challenge of your family, Sir,” Time Catcher quipped. “Now her brief trip down the lane of magic surges has been quelled, she is nothing but a perfect lady.”

“He’s just buttering you up. But remember who your favourite is,” Cash jokingly warned his daughter, though she still seemed to be entirely focused on the shiny things. “It’s me, by the way.”

“Keep telling yourself that~” Ebony sang as she got up, placing Perfect Rose onto her back as she started to trot from the room and onto the landing.

With both stallions following on, they navigated the upper floor and swiftly made their way downstairs. They bypassed the entrance hall and made their way into the living room, the unicorn mare placing her daughter down by some scattered blocks and a wooden toy train.

“Now, you be good for Time Catcher, won’t you?” she asked of her, kissing Rose on the forehead. “We won’t be long, we’ll be back before you know it.”

Perfect Rose tilted her head, not really understanding what she was being told.

“You heard your mother,” Cash supplemented. “Be nice. We’ll see you when we get back. Promise.”

“Bwub?”

Ebony bit her lip, more than a little reluctant to step away from her daughter and towards the front door. But, with an encouraging hoof on her shoulder from her husband, she gave Rose one final kiss before starting to move away from the griffon.

As the duo vanished out of the room and into the hallway, the sound of the front door opening and closing reaching her ears, Perfect Rose blinked as she leaned forward onto her belly. She planted her legs beneath her, shakily lifting up and taking a step forward as confusions warmed her mind.

She gave a questioning chirp as Time Catcher looked towards her, her beak starting to quiver as he saw the signs of incoming tears start to form.

“Now now, none of that,” Time Catcher instructed, his horn lighting up as he reached out for the Fluffy he had prepared earlier. “See? Your best friend is still here to keep you safe and warm.”

The coming waterworks stopped as she saw her teddy come floating down towards her. She reached out for it, gladly grabbing onto the plushie and holding on tightly in an enthusiastic embrace.

“There, that’s better,” the butler said with satisfaction, walking over and sitting down beside her. “Now, never expected to be left alone with the butler now, did you? Hmph, I do wonder whether you’ve even realised I exist yet.”

Rose looked up at the stallion with a questioning expression.

He chuckled. “Ah, I suppose I am just being a silly pony. I’m not your mother or father, but I’ve been around enough. You’re lucky, you know. The Master is as rebellious as a noble can be, and your mother can be a bit too soft a touch at times, but they are two of the most loving parents I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Good ones, the both of them. Despite what others may think, you’ll be in safe hooves with them.”

“Bub?”

“Ah, but listen to me ramble. You’re too young to care or truly appreciate about such things. Enjoy that while it lasts, the world of a child is a wonderful thing indeed. And few will have a childhood quite like yours, of that I am certain.”

She had no idea what he was saying.

“But neither do you wish to hear a pony such as myself go on, how about one of those tales you like so much, hm? Now, let’s see…”

Time Catcher turned his back, his eyes drifting over to a chest that laid open in the corner. The source of many of the scattered toys around them, they really did spoil that filly… chick, cub, whatever that definition was in the end.

He supposed it didn’t truly matter.

He peered inside, replacing some of the disused odds and ends while he was at it, if only to make the place seem a bit tidier. There were a couple of books nestled inside, the range being from fairy tales to nursery rhymes to simple picture books. Anything a child with a passing interest in stories could hope to hear, and plenty of room for more if it ever came to that. He decided to settle on one about a reindeer who didn’t quite fit in, which seemed appropriate, and turned to present it back to Perfect Rose.

She was gone.

“Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be, I see,” Time Catcher muttered to himself, placing the book aside. “Very well, young Madame. I take your challenge.”

Perfect Rose happily plodded her way into the hallway, so nice of her parents to leave the door open a crack. Nudging her way through took a bit of effort, the door was still so much larger than the young griffon, but she’d managed it while the tall pony was muzzle deep into that chest. Now she was free to look around the absolutely giant house around her, Fluffy sitting comfortably on her back as she went for a griffon ride, ready for whatever adventures awaited her.

Her wings fluttered excitedly by her sides. She could make recent fuzzy recollection about soaring through the house without much of a care in the world. She missed being able to do that.

But she had her Fluffy, she was now ready and invincible.

She looked towards the stairs. They looked… big. Big and imposing. Doom stairs.

She decided not to go up the stairs.

Instead, she moved towards the only other door she could see that wasn’t shut up completely, that being one on the opposite side of the house just down the hall. She steadily walked her way inside, somewhat registering the sound of the living room door opening up behind her and that of hooves trotting outwards, but she was too preoccupied with exploring to really care all that much.

She found herself in a large space she’d never seen before. Several large counters sat around her like impassable mountains, a table sitting in the middle of the room where she could just about make out the smell of food.

She sniffed, following her nose and ducking under the table under until she emerged on the other side. She continued until she came to the base of one of the counters, looking up and trying to view the source of the smell. She couldn’t see the yums, however, being as short and stubby as she was.

She wished her wings worked, she really did…

But maybe…?

She glanced at the manticore on her back, sitting dutifully and ready to assist.

The griffon tilted her head. She could send Fluffy up there, have her see what it was that smelled so good. Her parents could make things float with their minds, couldn’t they? So, she could too, right?

Perfect Rose concentrated. Remembering all the floaty fun things and how Fluffy should be doing it at that very moment. She would float up and find the yums and then everything would be happy and filled with hugs.

Yes.

Yes…?

No.

Fluffy wasn’t moving, and Perfect Rose didn’t really understand why. It should work, shouldn’t it? They did it all the time, even the other pony. The not Dad one who had just had his face in the box and said weird things that made no sense.

But there were no floaty things. Fluffy refused to move.

Rose gave a small whining noise, extremely disappointed with this outcome. Her plan wasn’t working for a reason that she couldn’t really understand, and that made her start to shake a little and her vision become watery, but…

Maybe there was another way.

She used one claw to wipe away the wet, glancing at her second as she stretched it outwards. She then reached back and took hold of Fluffy, pulling back and throwing her up to the top of the counter! She finally flew for real, sailing through the air like she’d seen her do before!

Fluffy splatted against the side of the counter, sliding back down and to the floor.

She hadn’t even made it halfway up.

“That’s enough for one day, Madame,” Time Catcher’s voice sounded from behind her, the infant turning to see him standing over her with a raised eyebrow. It was very high. “And poor Fluffy surely didn’t ask to be thrown against the wall, hm?”

“Bahub?”

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” he inquired, glancing at the top of the counter. “I’m afraid I wasn’t quite done preparing your dinner, so it will have to wait a while longer.”

She grumbled indignantly.

“Yes, such a tragedy. Alas, it is a burden we shall bare together,” he remarked. “Now come on, back to the other room we go.”

Not done adventuring yet, Perfect Rose grabbed onto Fluffy with her beak and started to move away from the big pony and back towards the door.

“I’m afraid not, Miss Rose,” he said, lighting his horn and picking her up.

Her beak quivered again.

He sighed. “Yes, I understand the thrill of seeing all that is new… Perhaps I can bring your high chair in here and you can watch me work. I may even read your story while I do so, sound fun?”

She wasn’t sure what he was suggesting ‘exactly’, but the tone of his voice indicated it was a good thing. As such, the griffon gave a chirp of approval that garnered a nod from the butler.

“Very good. Now, about that reindeer…”

“I can’t believe we forgot our tickets!” Ebony stressed as they approached the house, their steps quick and panicked. “I thought you had them!”

“And I thought you had them, so let’s share this one, eh?” Cash shot back. “Let’s just hop in and get them before Time notices, else he’ll never let us forget it.”

“I’m more worried about losing our reservation. They have a long waiting list!”

“We have time to kill, don’t worry,” he assured her as they reached the front door and opened it up. “Come on, let’s do this before-”

“I don’t know about you, young Madame, but that was one very brave reindeer!”

Cash and Ebony blinked. Was that…?

They followed the source of the voice, walking slowly and quietly towards the kitchen door. It was open, and the duo carefully looked around the corner and into the room.

Perfect Rose was giggling up a storm, buckled into her highchair and yet seemingly enjoying herself very much as Time Catcher continued to prepare some food for her. There was a book open on its last page on the centre, Fluffy floating nearby in the butler’s aura in a position that suggested that the manticore had been used to act out some of the scenes.

“And applause to our star for the evening, Fluffy the Manticore!” the stallion said, trotting around the table and delivering the teddy back to the young griffon. “Keep that one close, Miss Rose, she will take you far.”

Time Catcher booped Perfect Rose on the beak, the infant going cross-eyed for a moment before descending into yet another fit of giggles.

“Well, I’d say he has everything in order,” Cash noted with a goofy grin.

“I’d say so, yes,” Ebony agreed with a small and gladly relieved smile. “Come on, let’s leave them to it.”

And so they did, grabbing their tickets and leaving the two to their fun. Giggles and other such noises of happiness filled the household, Perfect Rose’s minds filled with the adventures of reindeers and delicious yums, her spirits held high as Time Catcher continued to work.

It was a good night.

6 - ZAP!

Perfect Rose really liked trains.

And she never knew the world was so… green! So… open!

The Equestrian countryside continued to roll on by as the young griffon kept her face firmly pressed against the window, looking out in complete fascination at all the land had to offer. After spending most of her short life thus far inside city limits, seeing the raw and yet unspoiled landscape beyond those walls was an experience to behold.

Sure, she had found the train a little scary at first. Her parents had tucked her into her pram and taken her out into the streets, leaving the family butler behind to mind the house. They took her lower down into the city than she ever recalled being before, which in of itself had held the infant’s curiosity. And when they’d boarded the train, which Rose had undoubtedly comprehended and a mere building at the time, she’d been quite startled by its sudden jolt as the vehicle started to move down along the track.

Cue some terrified whimpering and squirming, but the reassurances of Ebony and Cash were enough to put her at relative ease.

And then she’d looked out the window…

“You know, it occurs to me…” Ebony lamented. “She’s never played in the grass before, or even just walked in it. Outside of our own garden, she’s never really even seen it before.”

“She’s a bit young to let out and play,” Cash noted.

“I know, but still. I think she could use the fresh air.”

“Maybe. Well, there’s plenty of that where we’re going. Ponyville is infamous for its location.”

“The good and the bad.”

“Bad? Please, there hasn’t been anything coming out of the Everfree Forest in ages. I don’t think the animals like leaving their home.”

“I know, still, you hear all sorts of things about that terrible forest,” Ebony mused. “A good thing we’re not going close to it.”

“The most trees we’ll be seeing are apple trees,” Cash Counter pointed out. “Heh, another thing Rose is about to learn. Where apples come from.”

“Think they’ll let her sneak one of the ‘special’ kind that’s making the rounds?” she wondered. “They only bloom for five days, right?”

“I’m sure they’ll part with one. Still, unfortunately, we need to take care of the ‘business’ part of this business trip first.”

“I’m sure Rich won’t mind. He’s a young stallion who got out of Canterlot at the right time, he’s never been quite so uptight as some might think.”

“True. We’ll just have to see.”

As the train continued on, Ponyville started to draw close enough that the town was easily visible from the window. Row after row of wooden, wattle and daub housing, all clustered around the town hall and an odd little tree that had been hollowed out for a library. The product of a unicorn’s odd design sense, or so they’d heard.

There were also the farms on the edges of town, of course. The true beating heart of the community in a lot of ways, and the very reason Princess Celestia had given the go-ahead for the town’s construction all those years ago. There was Carrot Top’s farm for one, with carrots being one of her primary sources of export. But that wasn’t the one the couple were there to see.

No, that would be Sweet Apple Acres, run by a branch of the Apple family that had helped found the town. It was with this farm that they did business, and it was one of their own primary sources of income. The farm had always done well, and particularly at this time of the year each and every year.

After all, where else could you get the highly sought-after zap apple?

The stallion who was actually their primary distributor was a young pony by the name of Filthy Rich, who had moved with his own late father to Ponyville many years ago to be closer to the family business. He had taken up the mantle when his father passed on and has worked well to enquire the farm’s continued prosperity.

And so came the real reason for their trip. With zap apple season well underway, the Apples would be working hard to complete the harvest while they had the chance. And much like every year, Filthy had new contracts and areas of distribution in mind. And that meant he had places he wanted to send Cash Counter to negotiate said contracts. So, they would go to Ponyville to talk strategy.

At least, this year, it gave them a good excuse to get Perfect Rose out of Canterlot and allow her to experience things beyond the capital city.

“Last stop, Ponyville!” the train’s conductor announced. “Prepare for departure from this train. Thank you for travelling with the Friendship Express.”

“This would be our stop,” Cash stated, standing up from his seat as his horn lit up and retrieved their luggage. “You got her?”

“Got her,” Ebony confirmed, prying Perfect Rose from the window, despite her protesting grumbles, and proceeding to strap her back into the pram. “Come on, honey. You can see it all up close in a minute.”

“So, check-in to the hotel and then head to the meeting point? I think we have little over an hour before we’re due to see Rich.”

“It’ll give us a moment to settle in,” she agreed. “Maybe get this one a bite.”

Rose’s stomach proceeded to growl as if to illustrate the point.

The mare nodded. “Yes, definitely.”

“Well, let’s get a move on then. We’re now pulling in.”

As he spoke, the train slowed to a halt at the platform of Ponyville’s train station, a hiss and slight shudder indicating the application of the breaks and the outer doors being opened to both let passengers off and allow those waiting outside to embark.

The family stepped out of their private first-class compartment, moving into the hall alongside the scant few others sharing the first-class carriage. They squeezed along the confined space towards the exit, carefully walking off onto the platform and into the light of Celestia’s sun.

Ponyville. They had arrived.

Splash.

Perfect Rose grasped at the water in the fountain and giggled maniacally as she flicked the water with her claws, taking delight in the patter of the drops and the new sensations she was experiencing for the first time. Her mother sat by her side as she played, mostly to ensure she didn’t fall into the fountain and require a rescue.

Her father, meanwhile, stood a little ways away keeping his eyes on the crowd of passing ponies. He was tapping his hoof in an expectant manner, waiting for the arrival of his business partner.

Not that Rose cared for such things, she was just enjoying her time playing with Mr Splashy!

Her time making a small mess with the fountain’s water was, however, cut short when a new voice cut across the crowd addressing Cash Counter specifically.

“Cash Counter! Well then, it has been too long!” a brown stallion with a black mane, blue eyes and a red bow tie greeted cheerfully as he approached from the direction of the nearby town hall. “How was the trip.”

“Filthy Rich, good to see you,” Cash greeted back. “The trip was fine. Different, for obvious reasons.”

“Yes, I can imagine,” he noted, looking over at the stallion’s two companions. “Ebony. A pleasure to see you again, and this is the little one I’ve heard about?”

“Yes, this is Perfect Rose,” Ebony introduced her daughter. “I think she’s a bit preoccupied discovering what a fountain is, I’m afraid.”

The stallion laughed. “The joys of infancy. Nopony minds, griffons need to discover things first hoof as much as any pony, I’m sure.”

“What about you, how're your prospects of starting a family going?” Cash enquired.

Filthy Rich grimaced. “Not so well. I have an uncle in Canterlot trying to pair me with varying mares from wealthy families. Nothing has come of it so far.”

“Uncle? Just find somepony you like, I don’t need to tell you this.”

“Well, there’s a lot of pressure. My father might have moved us to Ponyville, but that doesn’t mean I’m free of the nobility’s expectations,” he explained. “Not that you seem to mind defying those expectations. I wish I had your spirit.”

“You’re an earth pony, you’re partway there already. Plus, defying expectations is half the reason your father moved out here,” Cash joked. “I learned a lot from the old stallion, back when I was his young and inexperienced business partner.”

“And now I’m the young and inexperienced one, I see where this is going,” he replied in bemusement. “Funny, Cash.”

“I try.”

“Bwah?” Perfect Rose babbled in question. She also got the odd feeling that, for some reason, she should never utter that phrase again. It felt like she was stealing from someone else.

Trying to figure out words was confusing to the griffon.

“Maybe we should get a move on,” Cash suggested. “The zap apple harvest won’t wait while we reminisce.”

“Point taken,” Filthy Rich conceded. “Will Ebony and Perfect Rose be joining us?”

“We will,” Ebony confirmed, standing up and re-securing her daughter. “I don’t intend to miss the harvest. And I think she’d find it a nice experience too.”

“Fair enough. Come on, I assume you remember the way to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Cash nodded. “It’s hard to miss.”

“Good. I’d hate to keep Bright Macintosh waiting.”

The three ponies departed from the fountain, Ebony pushing Perfect Rose’s pram along as the infant continued to take in the sights. She got a few odd looks here and there, but generally it was more ones of ‘d’aw look at the little baby’ rather than the dismissive or outright disdainful glances they had a habit of getting in Canterlot.

It was nice getting away from the city for a while.

They headed off in the direction of the farm, Cash Counter and Filthy Rich taking the lead as they continued to talk.

“So, what’s the new game plan?” the blue unicorn asked the earth pony.

“A couple of venues in Fillydelphia are interested in the zap apples,” he explained. “Some big wigs for a big private gathering of theirs, and then another company who wants to distribute a limited selection to local schools as part of some big multicultural food tasting scheme.”

“I hope they know how expensive a bulk shipment of these apples are.”

“Of course. Given how rare they are, how couldn’t they? There’s also a retail outlet in Trottingham who wants to start selling Sweet Apple Acres branded cider, so you’ll also need to head there to hash out the details of production and shipping.”

“Cider always promises a good night and a bad following morning,” the unicorn quipped. “I’ll see it done. At least after we’ve talked it over with the Apples, going to need to know the numbers of zap apples we can expect this season before we can distribute.”

“Fortunately, it’s looking to be bountiful this year. They’re driving themselves ragged. Though, the return of the prodigal daughter certainly helped.

Ebony frowned. “Huh? What?”

“Their daughter, Applejack, went on a bit of a self-discovery trip to Manehatten,” Filthy Rich said. “Went to live with some cousins of theirs, the Oranges. A splinter group of the Apple family that wanted to give the life of the social elite a try. Given the money the family makes, more of them could make that jump with little difficulty.”

“Tradition is a hard thing to shake, and I think they like the way they live,” Cash Counter noted. “Besides, nopony else could do their jobs quite like they can.”

“True,” Rich agreed. “But yes, little Applejack wanted to give that life a try as well. It wasn’t for her it seems, got her cutie mark for the experience too. Something about a rainbow explosion.”

Cash took this moment to share his wife’s frown. That sounded familiar…

Right. They saw that too, the day they adopted Perfect Rose. It had been right before Celestia’s school had… ‘exploded’.

What an odd coincidence.

“But with her back, she’s giving her all to help her family do the harvesting. The filly has enthusiasm, I’ll give her that.”

“I guess we’ll find out…”

Soon enough, the volume of buildings lessened, and they found themselves on a dirt path heading into a distinct gathering of trees. The pathway led all the way to a gate blocking access to a farmyard consisting of a red barn, house and varying other small structures dotted around them. The trees grew into what was practically a thick wood, and while some of them were bare, others were covered in delicious-looking red apples.

And then, amongst them, already they could begin to spot some apples with a strange rainbow texturing. That was the reason they were here.

“Wonder why they never produce green or yellow apples…” Ebony muttered to herself.

“They have other farms for that,” Cash pointed out.

“I know, just seems odd to be dedicated by colour.”

“That’s just how the Apples run things,” Filthy said. “Not a lack of orchards for us to manage.”

No. This was just the most recognisable, mostly due to the yearly zap apples.

They could all still remember when the land had been shared with another farm, one who had been more inclined to produce pears. Now that had been a blood feud between the two families, at least before they’d moved the farm elsewhere and the entire orchard was bought out by the Apples.

Of course, the present two proprietors of the farm would know all about that conflict, wouldn’t they…

And there they were, just up ahead outside the barn as the group made it to the gate and slipped inside. A large pale olive stallion with a red mane and a Stetson was talking to another pony, this one a mare. She was a gamboge pony with a bright orange mane and the brightest pair of turquoise eyes you’d ever lay eyes on. Watching them proudly from nearby was an ageing but still fit and able green mare with a pale blond mane done up neatly with a band.

Bright Macintosh, Pear Butter and Granny Smith. Though the middle one was more commonly known as Buttercup nowadays, Cash Counter had to doubt her and Bright’s foals even knew about her former name given the unfortunate history is entails.

“Ah, look what the hound dog dragged in,” Granny Smith stated when she saw their approach. “Now what time do ya’ll call this?”

“They’re right on time, Ma,” Bright Mac interrupted. “Howdy, welcome back to Sweet Apple Acres!”

“A pleasure, as always,” Cash returned with a nod of his head. “Buttercup.”

“Guess ya’ll are here for the zap apples, huh?” Buttercup noted. “Oh, now what’s this I see? Nopony told me yer were getting a little one!”

Buttercup approached the pram giddily, tilting her head at the sight while not losing her smile. “Oh, that a griffon? Shucks, Ebony, Cash, really defying connection with that one!”

“I take it you approve?” Ebony enquired.

“Heartily!” the earth pony mare confirmed with an enthusiastic nod. “One mother to another, don’t matter a bit what they look like. Just love ‘em for what they are.”

“Well said,” Ebony replied approvingly. “Speaking of, where are your little ones?”

“In the house, getting some refreshments after a hard few hours of apple bucking,” Bright Mac responded. “We were just about to get back at it.”

“Big Macintosh! Applejack!” Granny Smith bellowed at an incredibly loud volume. “Get yer behinds out here! We got guests!”

A flurry of activity suddenly became visible inside the house, followed by a few crashes and bangs indicating the passage of some scampering foals haphazardly rushing to get outside. And then, from the front door, an orange filly and a red colt bundled out tripping over one another to the point of kissing the dirt.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Buttercup remarked crossly, trotting forward and pulling the two up by the scruffs of their necks. “What have I told you two about being careful and looking where ya’ll are going?”

“Not my fault!” Applejack whined in protest. “It was all Big Mac!”

“Liar!” Big Mac objected. “She was pushing just as much!”

“Was not!”

“Just because we gotta see some prissy rich ponies!”

“Enough!” Buttercup shouted. “Applejack, I’ve warned you about lying. Big Macintosh, you need to learn when to stop speakin’. We got guests, it’s rude to talk about them like that!”

Both foals bowed their heads guiltily, speaking in unison. “Yes, Mama.”

“Good. Now, whadda you say?”

“Sorry, Mama.”

“Good,” she said with a nod of finality, turning back to the bemused expressions of everypony else. “Ah’m so sorry about that, they got carried away sometimes.”

“The joys of parenting ya’ll got to look forward to,” Bright Mac joked towards Cash and Ebony.

“Tell me about it,” Cash Counter replied with a laugh. “Anyway, before we leave you all to get back to the farm work, we need to talk about business. Boring, I know. But it has to be done.”

“That is does,” Granny Smith agreed. “Big Mac, Applejack, you mind keeping Mrs Rose and her young’un company while we talk with Mr Rich and Mr Counter?”

“If it’s no trouble, Ebony Rose,” Buttercup added.

“No trouble,” Ebony assured them. “I can let Perfect Rose out for a bit. She’s never interacted with a couple of foals before.”

“Alright then,” the earth pony mare replied with a nod, turning to her two foals. “You heard ‘em. Play nice.”

They nodded, trotting over to Ebony and Perfect Rose while Cash Counter split off with the other adults to speak quietly amongst themselves by the barn’s entrance. Ebony immediately got to work releasing Perfect Rose from her constraints, letting the young griffon loose while the older foals looked on at her in fascinations.

“Wow!” Big Macintosh spoke first. “Eeyup, that’s a griffon!”

“What was yer first clue, genius,” Applejack jabbed as she jokingly elbowed her irritated brother. “Might I say she’s a mighty cute one, Miss!”

“Thank you,” Ebony responded as she gently placed her daughter onto the ground and watched her look up at the two earth ponies curiously.

Perfect Rose tilted her head, taking them in as she went over the situation in her head. She’d seen ponies like these two before, small ones. Little ones. Why were they smaller than her parents? Were they like her? They didn’t have the floaty-makers on their heads either, just like her. Was she like them? She looked different though, she could tell that just by looking at herself compared to them.

Little ponies were weird.

“Does she like us?” Applejack asked, seemingly worried the answer would be a negative one from the griffon’s strange look.

“I think she doesn’t really know you that well yet,” the older mare stated. “Try talking to her.”

“Big Mac’s good at that,” Applejack teased.

He huffed. “Shut up, Applejack!”

“Guys,” Ebony said warningly. “No fighting in front of the baby.”

They flinched back guiltily, but both then proceeded to crouch down in front of the griffon with friendly smiles.

“Howdy, er…”

“Perfect Rose.”

“Right, Perfect Rose! Name’s Applejack!”

“Aplwack?”

“Close enough…”

“She’s still learning, bless her,” Ebony said. “She tries.”

“Ma and Pa are thinking of getting us a lil’ brother or sister,” Big Mac claimed. “Ah don’t know if it’ll be soon, heard ‘em say something ‘bout a few years or so from now. But they are thinkin’ of it.”

“Little sis’, gotta be,” Applejack stated.

“Nnnope, brother.”

Ebony chuckled. “If it happens, you’d just have to wait and see. But, um, I think that’s between your parents. They have to sort that out.”

Applejack nodded. “Right. They need to write a letter to Princess Celestia to allow for a new Apple to come into the world.”

“…What?”

“That’s where Granny says foals come from. The Princess sends ‘em.”

The mare blinked. Then, as hard as she could, she tried to stifle incoming laughter behind a hoof. “Y-yes, dear. That’s… how it happens…”

That was a talk she had no business being a part of.

Perfect Rose just made confusion noises, likewise trying to get the large ponies to pay attention to her again.

“Sorry, Missy. Didn’t mean to ignore you,” Applejack apologised. “Ya like apples?”

“Ums!”

“I take that as a yes. A gal after my own heart,” she said with a chuckle. “Tell you what, we have apples here ah wager you’ve never gone and seen anywhere else?”

“Buh?”

“Granny?” Applejack shouted over at the other.

The green mare glanced towards them. “What is it, Applejack?”

“Can Perfect Rose have a zap apple? Seems a crime not to introduce ‘em young.”

The matriarch of the Apple family rolled her eyes, but she smiled nevertheless. “We still have a couple for personal use in the kitchen, remember? Don’t take any from what’s meant for sellin’, alright?”

“Got it!” she shouted back, turning back to Ebony and Perfect. “Be right back, ya’ll!”

The filly scampered off as fast as her short legs would take her, her tied up blond mane billowing out behind her as she vanished into the house and likely floundered her way into the kitchen.

“Sorry ‘bout my sis’,” Big Mac apologised. “She’s been a might bit eager to prove herself a ‘real’ Apple since getting back. Not so long ago she were saying how the farm was a bore, now she claims she never wants to be anywhere else.”

“I guess that trip she took changed her mind, huh?”

“Eeyup.”

They were only waiting a short while before Applejack came streaking back out of the house, a happy grin on her face as her eyes sparkled in anticipation, a bowl expertly sitting on her back and not falling despite her rushed pace. She reached the three, sliding the bowl onto the ground in front of Perfect Rose. Inside the wooden bowl were the mashed remains of a rainbow coloured apple, the fruit somehow still shimmering with magic despite its sad state.

“Thought to mash it up all nice so she can eat it just fine,” Applejack explained. “Come on, lil’ filly! Eat up, Sweet Apple Acres finest!”

Perfect Rose peered at the apple curiously. She’d eaten apples before, apple was among the best of the yums. But she’d never seen one quite like this. She could feel a strange sense of static from her proximity, kind of like the glow on her parents’ horns but… different. She tentatively reached out a claw, getting hold of a small piece of the once whole apple with her talons and bringing it close enough to sniff.

Smelt like an apple.

Tasted like…

Her eyes lit up, Perfect Rose giving a cheerfully approving squeal of delight as she dug into the rest of it.

Applejack started to jump up and down on the spot, clearly overjoyed at this development. “See! Best there is! Told ya’ll didn’t I? Didn’t I? Didn’t I?”

“Yes, yes you did,” Ebony said to the filly. “Seems you have a fan.”

Perfect Rose had no argument as she happily munched on the apple.

“Just goes to show that we’re the best at apples!” Applejack said gleefully. “Dontcha think there, Rose? Everypony is always up for a zap apple.”

Perfect Rose looked up with a happy expression. “ZAP!”

They all stopped. Especially, Ebony Rose, who just looked at her daughter in bewilderment.

“Um…” she muttered. “What was that, honey?”

“Zap!” she repeated, presenting her now empty bowl proudly. “Zap! Ap-… Apple! Zap apple!”

Ebony Rose sat down onto her withers. She took a deep breath, letting that breath slowly be released as she kept herself calm.

Then she failed, a grin as wide as a grin can be stretching onto her face with an “Eeeeee” that was rapidly ascending in the decibels.

“Eeeeeeeeeee!” she continued to squee. “That was a word! A proper word! She said words! Two! Yes!”

Perfect Rose giggled jubilantly to herself at her mother’s reaction, seeing is as a sign as she’d done something right.

“Zap apple! Zap apple!”

Cash Counter noticed his wife’s explosion of joy, excusing himself from the others and trotting over to see what all the fuss was about.

“Uh… did I miss something?” he asked. “Because I swear that I missed something.”

Perfect Rose gave him a proud, and somewhat smug, look. “Zap apple!”

He stopped, went over those words and all the moments in his life leading up to the exact time of his hearing them, and then found himself somewhat at a loss as to what to do next.

“Huh…” he finally settled on saying. “Was hoping it would be ‘Dada’, but sure. Zap apple. Why not?”

“Oops,” Applejack remarked.

“Don’t feel bad,” Ebony giddily reassured the filly. “It doesn’t matter, she speaks! She’s growing! My little girl so smart!”

“Well, ya’ll seem to be having a good bit of family bonding,” Buttercup noted as she and the others too trotted up to see the commotion.

“Might need to use it as our new slogan, so good it’ll be yer foals’ first words,” Bright Mac joked. “Mind if ah take pride in that?”

“You know, it wouldn’t be a bad slogan…” Filthy Rich mused a little more seriously.

“Enough about that, this requires celebration,” Granny Smith interjected. “Should be nothing less for a moment such as this, I know all too well the joy of seeing it. Join us for dinner, there’s plenty of apples to go around.”

“Oh, we don’t want to impose…” Ebony hesitantly responded.

“Psh, nonsense,” the older mare dismissed. “It’d be a pleasure. Besides, we’ve got a fair bit to talk about yet, and we still need to get on with the harvestin’.”

Cash Counter and Ebony Rose shared a glance, nodding at one another in agreement.

“Alright, we’re in,” the former decided. “How about we continue our discussion inside the house with Granny Smith while the rest of you get on with your work.”

“Sounds fine to me,” Bright Mac confirmed. “Come on, Applejack, Big Macintosh. We got apple bucking to do.”

As they went to do that, Ebony picked up Perfect Rose and held her in a big prideful embrace. They were soon joined by Cash, both parents proudly holding onto their daughter with as much love as they could give her.

Perfect Rose, on her part, accepted with all the glee she could muster.

Two words, a small but significant step.

One ready to propel her into the rest of the young girl’s life.

Author's Note

Too bad Filthy never defied those expectations, thus ending up with Spoiled Milk/Rich. He should have taken that advice...

7 - Rule of Three

Perfect Rose hated mornings.

Of course, she hated nights too. Why did she have to go to bed when she could be adventuring with Fluffy? It made no sense! But now she was sleepy and snuggled up to said stuffed manticore, and that was good too. So, the silly lights poking through her curtains could stop, because she wasn’t moving. Not an inch. She refused. No. It wasn’t happening.

The griffon opened her eyes, just a crack, seeing Fluffy staring at her in bemusement.

“Sleepy…” the young griffon muttered. “Shush…”

The manticore kept staring.

Perfect Rose grumbled to herself, turning her back on Fluffy and trying to ignore her favourite stuffed animal. She screwed her eyes shut, cuddling up to the pillow and wrapping her wings around it. It was too early, she just wanted to go back to the dream place where things were happy and fun.

Fluffy stared on, Rose feeling the glare on her back.

“Ugh! Fiiiine,” she moaned in defeated, sitting up and turning to give Fluffy a look of defeat. “We can adventure here, I guess. Where shall we go? The stairs of doom? Kitchen of yums? Oh! Maybe Mr Time Catcher has cookies?”

Fluffy’s lifeless eyes stared on in agreement.

“Cookies! Yay!”

Her lion-like tail swishing happily, Perfect Rose reluctantly released herself from her snuggly covers and nestled Fluffy comfortably between her wings. She vaguely remembered her being a little bigger…

Her Dad did say she was getting big. Maybe she would be as tall as the Princess someday? Oh! Or a giraffe!

Perfect Rose liked giraffes. But Fluffy was better, nothing could beat Fluffy.

The griffon hopped down from her bed. The thought of making it did briefly come into her mind. But then she decided that was boring, she had adventuring to do.

But where to start?

She looked around the room, which at present was neat and orderly, having been tidied by the family’s butler the night before as she was being put to bed. Her first port of call was a toy chest in the corner, the young girl throwing the lid open and placing her manticore toy on the side so it could see in as well.

“Storytime? Oh, but words are weird and hard.” Her parents kept trying to get her to read some, and she could do a couple. But the big ones made her head hurt. She preferred it when they read for her, they were awesome at stories! “Wonderbolts? Princess plushies? No. What about Mr Miney the Minotaur the Third? Gah, where is he…?”

She looked at Fluffy, the manticore sitting lifelessly on the side of the box.

“You’re right, Miss Fluffy! We need light to see!” she agreed to the voiceless reply. “Mr Time Catcher can open the curtains. Oh! Or we could do it! We’re big and smart, right?”

Rose took hold of Fluffy in her beak and turned towards the curtains obscuring the window to the outside world. That world mostly consisted of their own back garden, but to the griffon that was practically a continent in its expanse.

She stared up at the curtains, her eyes narrowing in contempt. It would be so easy if she had the glowy stuff that her parents did. She still didn’t entirely understand why she couldn’t do it, something about being a ‘griffon’ while they were ‘unicorns’, but she didn’t really get what the difference was. It wasn’t fair!

She did have the two feathered wings on her back, though. Like the Princess, or the pretty pegasus ponies in her storybooks! Her black feathers bristled with anticipation as she unfurled her wings, crouching down low like a predator preparing to pound upon its prey, her flank wiggling back and forth eagerly as she put all the power she could into her hind legs and jumped! Her wings kicked into action, the griffon soaring up and her talons made contact with the curtains!

And then she found herself hanging there, not entirely sure what to do next.

This had been a bad idea.

“Fluffy! Help!”

Fluffy didn’t move.

She gave a betrayed whine, her talons digging into the curtains as she hung on for dear life.

Riiiiip.

Perfect Rose plonked back to the ground, her eyes staring up in shock at the large gashes left in the wake of her descent, her claws having done quite the number on them.

“Uh oh.”

At least there was more light coming in now…?

Bashfully, and more than a little worried of those disappointed looks her parents would give her that made feel sad and like a bad filly, Rose took hold of the curtains from the ground and pulled them aside.

They opened without issue, letting sunlight grace the room in its entirety.

That would have been easier from the start, she realised.

Learning!

Eager to put some distance between herself and the scene of the crime, Perfect Rose started to slink towards the door to continue their adventure.

Only to find a new issue.

Reaching the door handle.

Crossing her arms indignantly, Perfect Rose gave off a loud noise that was somewhere between a squawk and a chirp.

“Oh!” she heard her father’s voice exclaim from outside. “Seems the rascal is awake. Time Catcher, we’re not ready yet!”

Ready? For what?

Perfect Rose hoped it was hugs. She liked those.

“Time Catcher!” Cash Counter addressed. “Distract!”

“As you wish, Sir.”

The door handle shifted, Perfect Rose taking a step back as the butler himself slid into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Hi!” Rose addressed cheerfully. “We’re going on adventures!”

“Good morning to you too, young Madame,” Time Catcher addressed, levitating the griffon up and placing her back onto the bed. “This is quite an early time for you, hm?”

“I wanted more dreamy time, but Fluffy was being silly,” she responded. “So, we went for adventure and cookies.”

“Cookies, you say?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yush! Cookies?”

He shook his head, not losing the smirk. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a few more minutes to find out.”

“Why?” she asked curiously.

“Just because.”

“Why?”

He raised his eyebrow. “Oh, we can play this little game all day long, but I think you’ll find my patience far supersedes yours.”

She went to argue, but then her brain flatlined as she tried to process the word he just used.

“Super- super… seeds? Do super seeds make super flowers? I wanna see!”

“No, ‘supersedes’. A single word, it means ‘better’.”

“Oh,” she said, her mouth forming into a surprised ‘o’ shape, or as much as it could given its beak nature. “Then why not just say that? Words are dumb.”

“Very,” the stallion jokingly stated. “But you will have plenty of time to learn all about them. Three years and counting, Madame.”

“Huh?”

His mouth formed into a wry grin. “Tell me, do you yet realise what today is, Miss Perfect Rose?”

She gave him a blank look.

“I see.” He hummed curiously to himself. “I suppose you don’t truly even recall this time last year with any degree of clarity, hm?”

“You’re using big pony words again.”

He chuckled. “I apologise. But what do you remember?”

“Um…” She scrunched her eyes, thinking really hard. But, to be perfectly honest, she used to have a tough time remembering things beyond a day or so. At least not important things, like who her parents were.

Weird.

“Fluffy forgot,” she claimed, shedding herself of all responsibility.

Fluffy sat silently in disappointment.

Time Catcher rolled his eyes. “Try not to blame poor Fluffy, she shouldn’t have to carry all the responsibility.”

Perfect Rose lowered her head. “M’sorry…”

“I assume she forgives you. But nevertheless…” he continued as he twirled a hoof idly. “I suppose it’s only natural, you are still young. I imagine you may remember more this time, though. If Sir and Madame play their cards right.”

“You are saying weird things and are weird.”

“Indeed. I’ll remember that when next dishing out those cookies you so desire.”

Her eyes widened. “But weird is funnyyy…!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“We’re ready now!” came the muffled voice of Cash Counter from somewhere else in the house.

“Well then, it appears my job is done,” Time Catcher announced. “Do follow me, Madame. I believe your parents await.”

“Oh! Pony ride!”

The butler gave her a bemused, albeit endeared, look. “Oh, very well. I live to serve.”

“And Fluffy too!”

“Yes, and Fluffy too.”

“Yay!”

Time Catcher lit up his horn again, planting the griffon into his back as she held her favourite manticore tightly in her arms. With the both of them secured, Time Catcher turned and opened the door once again, this time making a swift exit while closing it up behind him again. The chick held a large happy grin on her face as she enjoyed her pony ride, Time Catcher moving slowly and deliberately so that his charge was both comfortable and having a good time. This was particularly prevalent as he started to descend down the stairs, making sure not to accidentally dislodge Perfect Rose as he went.

He made it to the ground floor, Perfect Rose’s eyes glancing in the direction of the kitchen.

“Yums!”

“Not yet.”

“Huh? Awwww. But yums!”

“That can wait, I believe you’ll forgive me for it.”

She huffed, disappointed as her stomach rumbled. What could be better than yums and cookies? Hugs and cookies? Why not both?

She was so caught up in her daydreams of hugs and cookies that she almost missed what awaited her as Time Catcher made his way into the living room.

Almost.

And she was very confused.

The room was decorated in balloons of all kinds of colours, a large banner hanging from the ceiling reading ‘Happy 3rd Birthday, Perfect Rose!’. And to go along with this perplexing development, she spotted six ponies dotted around the room all wearing silly little pointed hats that were as colourful as the balloons.

“There she is!” Bit Collector announced, her grandfather blowing into a weird thing that made an even weirder noise.

“G-Grampy…?”

She saw both him and her Granny, as well as her Grandfather and Grandmother, both sets of grandparents giving her happy grins as her father and mother moved to flank either side of her and Time Catcher.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie!” Ebony Rose greeted jubilantly. “Three! She’s three!”

“I am…?”

“She doesn’t remember the last one,” Time Catcher explained helpfully.

“Well, it’s not too late for the dear to learn,” her Grandmother, Amber Rose, remarked. “Who wants to explain it to her?”

“I think that’s their job,” Fancy Mane mused.

“And ours to do the spoiling,” Gold Shimer added.

Perfect Rose blinked. “Huh?”

“Every year, you get just a little bit older,” Ebony explained to her daughter. “You did last year, and the year before. This is the day you came into our lives, so you get all the presents and cake you could ever want!”

“One day guarantee,” Cash Counter joked.

Now that got her attention. “Presents!? And yums!?”

It was like Hearth’s Warming! Again!

“Now she’s excited,” Cash noted upon seeing his daughter’s eyes suddenly light up and sparkle with glee. “We should have performed a full jump out surprise party!”

“And have a scared and crying three-year-old on our hooves?” Ebony deadpanned. “No thank you, dear.”

“Spoilsport.”

“Oh, enough with the hold-ups!” Bit Collector remarked. “We came all this way, set up all these balloons and party favours, and you’re talking about it? Give the girl her presents already!”

“You hear that, Fluffy?” Perfect Rose asked excitedly to her manticore. “We get presents! And yums! Best day ever!”

“It’s only just starting,” her father said, taking hold of the griffon and setting her down onto the floor nearby to several large wrapped gifts. “Take your choice, dig in!”

“We got a few things you might like,” Fancy Mane said with a wink. “Only the best for a grandchild of ours.”

“I’m glad you so think so, Fancy,” Bit Collector noted with a bit of ancient venom hidden in his words. “Funny how time can change one’s perspective, hm?”

Cash Counter quickly elbowed his father. “Let’s not bring up old issues, Dad. Don’t ruin it.”

“Sorry! Sorry,” he apologised both to his son and to a guilty-looking Fancy. “Anyway, open up! It’s all yours!”

Perfect Rose seemed somewhat… overwhelmed by this unexpected development. The adults just watched on as the young griffon glanced around in an attempt to figure out where to start. She seemed to turn to Fluffy to get her ‘opinion’ on the matter, causing them all to share a good chuckle as her parents stood back and started to speak in hushed tones.

“Well, I doubt she’ll be forgetting this time around,” Cash mused. “Speaking, walking… Soon enough she’ll be reading.”

“I hope so, we need to be sure she’s ready for kindergarten,” Ebony noted with a hint of worry. “It won’t be long.”

“They teach a lot of that anyway,” Cash assured her in turn. “But as is the rule of turning three, so begins the long grind of education.”

“She won’t be too scared with us not being around all the time, right?”

“Nah, she’ll be fine. It will be fun, she will get to make some friends.”

“One does hope,” Gold Shimmer remarked.

“What is that meant to mean, Mother?” Cash asked.

“There is a lot of talk around Canterlot. You know how the other nobles are,” she started to explain. “With the new generation soon to begin school, there has been gossip about our dear Perfect Rose. Some may not feel… comfortable with her being in the same schools the nobility send their young ones to.”

Ebony bristled. “Well, those ponies know where they can send their comfort. Our daughter will receive no less than the other kids do.”

“Would it not be such a bad idea to consider sending her to a school in the lower districts? With children not hailing from the nobility,” Fancy Mane added hesitantly. “I know after my first reaction to the poor girl I have little right, but the children and, more importantly, adults there are less likely to react poorly.”

“She may be more comfortable there,” Amber reluctantly agreed. “But no, she shouldn’t get any less than the other noble children receive. It’s just a question of where you think she would thrive better.”

“Bah, the other children should learn first hoof not to listen to their parents’ idle squabbling,” Bit Collector stated. “She’ll do fine.”

“Dad, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to consider…” Cash Counter reluctantly said.

Ebony turned on her husband with a shocked expression, her voice raising enough to catch Perfect Rose’s attention. “Excuse me!? We will not treat her any different because she’s a griffon, Cash! You of all ponies-”

“Don’t start that with me!” he growled back. “I know full well, Ebony Rose. But frankly, I’m not sure I want our daughter to be around the foals of those fops who turn their noses up at the sight of us nowadays.”

“So what? We send her to an obscure school somewhere at the rear end of Canterlot as if we’re ashamed for her to be seen in public!?” Ebony asked indignantly, their respective parents starting to shoot them looks of concern. “No, Cash. I won’t do it!”

“Who is hiding anything!? There’s plenty of good schools in the lower districts!”

“Not to them! And if we start treating Perfect Rose differently, then how can we expect the rest of the nobility to learn?”

“Screw the nobility, they never learn!” Cash rebuffed. “Just because we send her to a different school doesn’t mean we’re treating her differently.”

“Oh, really?” Ebony questioned doubtfully. “Sending her to a school further away and out of sight? Sounds different to me!”

“She’ll be happier!”

“You don’t know that! And all that will be seen is we’re so ashamed we can’t send her to the same school, all but vindicating what they think! And then what, Cash!?” she shouted. “Then when!? When she’s grown, what then? How will those kids see her? How will anypony see her? What happens if we don’t give her the same as the other children!? And how could we even look at ourselves in the mirror if we give in to the pressure!?”

“We’re NOT doing-”

Cash’s shouts of rebuttal were halted in their tracks by a sob nearby, only now realising the horrified looks their parents were giving them. This added in with the look of disappointment Time Catcher levelled their way deescalated their argument immediately.

And for good reason, both Cash Counter and Ebony Rose had their blood run cold as their attention moved on from the other adults in the room towards the source of the sob.

And there, cowering into the carpet while holding onto Fluffy for all the support the manticore could provide, was a crying Perfect Rose.

"It's n-not my fault, is it?” she asked between tears, rubbing her eyes with one of her claws. “I-I'm not... Have I been bad?"

Both of her parents had a sense of shame descend down onto them, each immediately moving forward to scoop Perfect Rose up into a family hug between the three of them.

“No, you’re a good girl. We love you so, so much,” Ebony assured the tearful child. “We’re sorry for being mean to each other. We’re the bad ones, we’re sorry.”

“Adults are just silly like that sometimes,” Cash agreed. “You have nothing to worry about, honey. We promise.”

Perfect Rose hiccupped, expending a few final sobs into the coats of both of her parents before her eyes finally started to dry up. She was still shaking, though, frightened by the sight of her parents arguing so violently. She’d never witnessed such a thing before, and definitely never wanted to ever again. So, they stayed in their embrace a while longer, holding their daughter until she could feel safe again.

If she couldn’t feel safe around them, they’d never forgive themselves. They’d have failed her.

“Perhaps…” Fancy Mane spoke up. “On the topic of her schooling, allowing her the same education as the other noble families would be for the best.”

“You think so…?” Amber Rose asked the stallion sheepishly.

“Both arguments have their merit,” he stated. “Sending her to a lower school certainly involves less risk… at first. But Ebony is right that it validates our opposition among the nobility. They will never accept her. A school more local is a road perhaps harder travelled, but…”

“But nothing worth doing ever is the easy road,” Bit Collector concurred. “Nothing will ever be simple for her. But she should be allowed to try and earn their respect. If not her, then where shall such change occur?”

“Celestia knows what you think about our peers, son,” Gold Shimmer said to Cash Counter. “But… they’re not wrong. And this isn’t about you, it’s about that little girl there.”

“Yeah, it is,” Cash agreed with a sigh. “Alright, I concede. I still have my reservations, but yeah…”

“Honestly, so do I,” Ebony admitted. “I’m scared to death about what might happen there. But… She is nobility, and she’s our child. They have to deal with that, one way or another.”

“Are… are you too all better now…?” Perfect Rose asked.

“We were never hurt,” Cash responded, nuzzling her on the nose. “And you are the very good little filly, correct pronouns be darned.”

“Yay! I’m a good filly!”

“The best,” Ebony said, bopping her with a hoof playfully. “Our very special girl.”

“Well, perhaps ‘good’ is a stretched statement,” Time Catcher said mischievously. “She can be a little troublemaker.”

“Hey! I’m a good filly!” Perfect Rose protested with a huff. “Even Fluffy says so! See?”

“And that’s why I saw your curtains ripped up as they were when I entered your room, hm?”

Perfect Rose stopped. He’d spotted that?

There was only one thing for it.

“Run, Fluffy!”

She bailed, manticore in tow.

The adults laughed among themselves, selecting to forgive the griffon for her earlier ‘accident’. The argument was soon forgotten, and the child eventually returned from her brief scarper to open up her presents and partake in birthday cake and other treats prepared specially for the occasion. In all, the birthday soon became one to remember.

But the rule of three was in effect, and a whole new frontier awaited her in the coming days…

8 - Friends

Perfect Rose was intimidated.

There were so many ponies and she had never seen so many colours before. The colours were all moving around her and she was scared, though Fluffy was telling her to be brave, so she would! Though she was secretly still kinda nervous, but she wouldn’t tell Fluffy that. It was her secret.

There were so many though…

Perfect Rose cowered between her mother’s legs as they stood on the street outside of the kindergarten, her manticore companion held tightly in her embrace as she examined all the unfamiliar sights and sounds assaulting her senses. Ebony did her best to shield her daughter protectively, starting to somewhat reconsider the idea of sending her to school altogether.

‘Maybe we could home school her?’ she thought to herself. ‘Hire a tutor? Maybe…’

No, that wouldn’t be right. She deserved the chance to make some friends, to make her mark as much as any other foal. That was why they ultimately decided to send her to the same school as the rest of the nobility’s children, she couldn’t back down now…

Still, the maternal instinct in her was telling her to scoop Perfect Rose up, run away, and give her all the cuddles she could ever want.

But on this occasion, the head had to win out over the heart.

“Well, this is it…” Cash Counter noted with his own nervousness barely hidden from view. “No going back now, I suppose. Still, she’ll do fine…”

A vindictive part of Ebony wanted to point out that he was the one arguing against this particular school a short time ago, but she kept herself in check. Their daughter didn’t need to see another ‘debate’ like that ever again.

“I hope this ‘Caring Hoof’ is as good a teacher as her reputation suggests,” the unicorn mare muttered.

“Well, she’s not from Canterlot, but Ponyville. Most ponies from there seem to be a good sort,” Cash mused. “Moved here to act as a nanny to a noble’s newborn son some years back. Loves children. Later became a schoolteacher at this very kindergarten.”

“Obviously.”

“Just trying to put your mind at ease, dear,” he defended. “We’ll have a quiet word with her before class starts.”

“Yes. We will,” his wife confirmed. “Rose, are you ready?”

“Why are they all looking at us?” her daughter asked.

Ebony bit her lip. They were already getting a few stares, thought often a glare back dissuaded the curious. She had been rather hoping that Perfect Rose hadn’t taken notice, though, seeing as she was utterly petrified as it was.

“They just think Fluffy is really cool. I’m kinda jealous I don’t have my own manticore friend,” Cash swiftly and smoothly explained. “Who could ask for a better protector?”

“Fluffy is nice…” Perfect Rose said in agreement. “I suppose that’s okay then. I can show her off! She’s really excited now!”

“I’m glad to hear it, kiddo!”

Perfect Rose gave off a happy chirp, though one that gave way to another bought of nervousness as she looked up at the building ahead. It looked like a lot of the other buildings in the rich Canterlot street; though it had several colourful banners set up with smiley faces welcoming all the new children attending.

They were pretty to the young griffon’s eyes, but…

“Do I have to go?” she asked with a low whine. “What if you come too? We can do stuff together!”

“Been there already, honey,” Cash informed her. “I’m afraid we can’t.”

“But we’ll come back for you in a couple of hours. And we’ll have Time Catcher prepare some of your ‘yums’ for when you get home.”

Yums were nice, but she didn’t want them to go. They never left her before, so why were they now? It was silly and mean and she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it so much that now her eyes were feeling wet and she wanted to go home.

“Oh, Rose…” Ebony addressed sadly, crouching down to face her daughter as the child started to cry. “I promise that you will like it and make lots of new friends! And we won’t be far, okay? We’ll always be close by, you won’t be alone.”

“Fluffy will make sure of it,” Cash quickly added.

Ebony nodded. “Yes, that too. So… hug?”

Perfect Rose didn’t need asking twice, jumping into her mother’s waiting hooves and holding on tight. Ebony Rose too held on as warmly as she could, holding her close if only so that she could feel safe and secure.

But the moment had to end when the mare’s husband gave a cough.

“The others are starting to go inside,” he informed them. “We should go too.”

“Alright…” Ebony replied, slowly pulling away from her daughter as the griffon sniffed and wiped away her tears. “You ready?”

She gave a slow nod, placing her plush doll onto her back safely between her wings before moving between her parents. With Perfect Rose now in tow, both started to move towards the school building and slipped inside behind another couple with their own foal, though theirs was more bouncing like an excitable ball of sugar than existing in a state of anxiety.

Still, they made it inside safe and sound. The interior space was a large classroom with a wholly friendly and welcoming décor, drawings from previous students and other such childish things lined the walls amidst the bright colours and other such warm designs. One corner seemed to be for reading, several bean bags dotted around with children’s books tucked neatly into a shelf. Another had a chest filled with toys, along with several small mats that seemed intended for nap time. The rest of the classroom was filled with tables surrounded by foal sized chairs, the front of the classroom containing a blackboard and the teacher’s desk.

Behind the latter sat Caring Hoof herself, a dark pink mare with a lighter pink mane. Her cutie mark was that of a smiling face surrounded by flowers, the horn on her head lit up as she glanced over some notes.

“Let’s have a quick chat,” Cash directed, leading his family over towards the teacher.

She saw them coming, giving them a bright and welcoming smile as they approached.

“Hi there!” she started. “Oh dear, you must be Mr Cash Counter and Mrs Ebony Rose! Why I was just reading up on griffon young, and might I say that I’ve sufficiently prepared myself to look after your child!”

“Um… thanks…?” Ebony blinked at the mare’s blunt enthusiasm. “Uh…”

“Oh, did I come off too strong?” she asked worriedly. “I’m so sorry! I’ve just never encountered a griffon before, let alone one so young, and I’m excited and- Oh! Hi there! Perfect Roes, right?”

Perfect Rose tilted her head at the silly pony, nodding along in confirmation.

“Wonderful! I’m Caring Hoof, I’ll be your teacher! I hope you have a wonderful- Oh! Who have you got there?”

“Her name is Fluffy!” Perfect Rose announced, cheering up significantly as she proudly presented the manticore. “She’s pretty and my friend!”

“Oh, she most certainly is! Guess I’ll have two new student,” Caring Hoof noted with a chuckle.

“Um… Miss…?” Cash tried to get her attention.

“Oh! Sorry! I’ve been told I need to let other ponies get a word in and I’m working on it but- Ahem, you were saying?”

Ebony rolled her eyes. “Well, we just wanted to have a quiet word before class started. We’re just a little concerned…”

Caring’s ears folded back. “Concerned? Is something the matter…?”

“Not with you, no!” Cash quickly explained. “Just…”

“Some of the others might not be so… ‘enthused’ by something so different. You know how it is here, I’m sure. Especially with what some of the other kids may have been told.”

“Ah,” Caring Hoof said in understanding. “Don’t worry, this classroom won’t tolerate that kind of thing. I’ll keep an eye on her, by my honour as a Ponyvillian!”

“We appreciate it.”

“Fluffy likes her. She’s funny,” Perfect Rose remarked.

Caring smiled happily. “D’awww….”

“Well, seems she’s in good hooves,” Cash commented. “So now all that’s left is…”

“Right,” Ebony stated, dreading this moment. “Alright, Rose… We have to go now.”

The griffon lost her smile, looking up at her parents sadly.

“But we’ll be back soon, remember that!” Cash added. “We love you, kiddo. So have fun!”

“Okay…” Rose muttered, sharing one last hug and some kisses with her parents before they started to depart. The child watched as they moved across the classroom, both parties trying to keep sight of the other for as long as possible.

“Come on…” Cash whispered into his wife’s ear. “She will be safe here. Let’s go home.”

Ebony only replied with a hum of half-hearted agreement, feeling sick to her stomach as she prepared to be without her child for the first time since she arrived. But with little choice left, she accompanied her husband as they exited out of the building and into the street.

Leaving Perfect Rose alone in kindergarten for the first time.

“Why don’t you meet some of the other kids, hm?” Caring Hoof suggested softly. “I’ll be along shortly. You’ll do great!”

“O-okay…” Rose mumbled, looking around the room in trepidation.

So many small ponies, and more than a few big ones still dotted about. She could still see a few of them staring at her, but she wasn’t really sure why. She knew Fluffy was cool, but it was a little weird at just how many were doing it. She didn’t like it.

Fluffy sat silently on her back.

“You’re right, this is just another adventure…” she agreed. “Uh… but I don’t know how to do this. I wish Mum and Dad were still here, they always know how to do everything.”

Fluffy shifted slightly as a result of a small movement from Perfect Rose.

“That one? Okay… Friends, we’ll be best friends with cookies and stuff. Right…?”

Slowly, one nervous step at a time, the griffon started to move towards the crowd of fillies and colts. Her eyes were set on one oddly familiar golden coloured colt that was presently hiding underneath a table. His blue eyes were darting about in terror, seemingly trying to make himself as small as possible.

He was clearly sad about something. Fluffy would make him feel better!

“Hi!” Perfect Rose stated, getting a yelp from the colt as he seemed to retreat further into a scrunched-up ball of fur. “I’m Perfect Rose! This is Fluffy! We can be friends and then you won’t feel sad! So, friends?”

He blinked. “Uh…”

“See! Fluffy is nice!” she continued, retrieving the manticore from her back and placing it in front of the young pony. “You can hug her if you want, she likes hugs. So do I! But you need hugs, it always makes me feel better, so it will work for you too!”

“I…” He shifted uncomfortably. “It’s really loud and there’s a lot of other kids.”

She tilted her head. So, she wasn’t the only one feeling like that?

“There is a lot…” she agreed. “But Fluffy makes things safe.”

“Fluffy, huh?” he questioned, though didn’t move from his shelter. “I… I don’t have something like that. Mama says they’re silly and undig- undigna- silly.”

Perfect Rose frowned. Why would his parents say something like that? That’s mean. His parents were weird and odd and stupid.

“P- Perfect Rose…?” he then asked. “I- I’m not supposed to speak to you.”

“Huh? Why? That’s silly.”

“I was told…” he muttered. “I just want to be left alone…”

He scrunched up further, causing Perfect Rose to wilt like a sunflower in winter. Why was he so scared of everything? That made her feel sad. Maybe she could make him feel better if-

“Wow! Feathers!”

Now it was Perfect Rose’s turn to yelp at the sudden outburst, jumping in surprise and quickly turning to find a lime green colt with a darker green mane that had a big dumb grin plastered onto his face.

“And a beak!”

“Uh… Fluffy?”

Fluffy was silent.

“Traitor.”

“Oh! Does your thing speak and stuff?” he asked eagerly. “That’s uber coolness! Like the feathers!”

Well, she would consider this a good start.

“I’m Perfect Rose!” she greeted. “She’s Fluffy! And yeah she talks! Can’t you hear her?”

He tilted his head. “Uh, no?”

Huh. That was weird, maybe he was deaf.

“I’m Bright Spark! I’m going to be a wizard!”

“A… wizard?”

“Yeah! Like magic and things!” he claimed, pointing at his horn. “I’m going to make things go pop and bang and boom!”

This colt was weird. She was oddly okay with this.

“Hey, uh, do you know the pony under the table?” she asked, turning around to face him and try and make even more friends.

But he wasn’t there anymore, apparently having scampered away while she’d been distracted by Bright Spark.

“Oh, him? Yeah, I saw him,” he confirmed. “I heard his name is Goldenblood. He’s a prince or something. I prefer wizards.”

“Fluffy heard you the first time,” she deadpanned. Still, Prince? That’s like important or something, wasn’t it? Like Princess Celestia or Caden-whatsit?

If he is a prince, why was he so scared? It seemed weird and strange.

Something for later, she decided.

“So, wanna be friends?” Bright Spark asked.

“Sure!” Perfect Rose chirped in return. “Fluffy does too!”

“Cool! So, uh… where you wanna sit?”

“GAH!?”

Perfect Rose was getting a little bored of sudden shouts making her jump. It was no fair!

She turned this time to see a small pale-yellow filly with a red mane that had several dark pinks stripes flowing through it. She was as still as a statue, her eyes wide with pure fear as she stared directly at Perfect Rose.

The griffon was confused.

“Hey, Fluffy isn’t that scary!” she protested, holding the manticore protectively close. “She’s nice!”

The filly just looked confused amidst her terror, before turning to bolt off into the crowd of foals.

“Huh,” Bright Spark spoke up. “That was weird.”

Very. And once again Perfect Rose found herself not liking it.

A short while later, Bright Spark and Perfect Rose were both sat on a table in the corner of the classroom. They were the only ones here; the other foals seemingly having gathered around tables away from the duo. Goldenblood, meanwhile, could be spotted by himself hiding in the reading corner amongst the beanbags. Caring Hoof had tried to coax him out, but she ultimately decided to leave him be until he was more comfortable being among other foals.

Perfect Rose couldn’t help but feel really bad for him. As nervous as she had been coming into kindergarten, this colt brought shyness to a whole new level.

Still, not much she could do about it at that moment. Miss Caring Hoof was currently going through the ABCs.

“Why are there so many letters…” the griffon complained quietly. “My head hurts…”

“Yeah…” Bright Spark agreed. “Looks like the scaredy pony likes it, though.”

Sure enough, looking across the classroom to the filly that had been really weird earlier, she was reciting the alphabet alongside a few others in the class flawlessly.

“A, B, C, D…”

“There’s like a million billion of them!” the colt continued. “I just wanna learn how to make things sparkle…”

“How do you do that?” Perfect Rose asked him, pointing at his horn.

“Huh? Wadda you mean?”

“Be all sparkly and floaty?” she continued. “Mum and Dad always are silly about it. I wanna do it too!”

“Uh…” He looked a little confused. “I don’t know? I have a horn, Dad says it’s what makes the sparkles. But you don’t. But you’re a feather filly, so I don’t get it.”

She blinked. “Feather what?”

“Feather filly. You have feathers.”

Fluffy was still.

“You’re right. He’s weird,” Perfect Rose agreed.

“Well done, Sundance,” Caring Hoof said to the pale-yellow filly. “You’re really getting those ABCs!”

Sundance clapped her hooves together happily, a bright smile gracing her face.

“For those of you struggling, no worries! We’ll all get there with lots of fun and practice!” the teacher claimed. “But let’s have a little break first, hm? Toys are in that corner, books in the other, have fun!”

There was a resounding cheer and general excitableness around the class at the word ‘toy’, the foals jumping from their seats and stampeding to get the ones they desired.

Perfect Rose and Bright Spark remained seated, meanwhile.

“So, what do you wanna do?” Bright Spark asked. “Tag? Uh… book fort?”

“Book fort?”

“I heard about it from some of the others,” he explained. “One of the other colts said a weird purple filly made one in the castle.”

The part of her that liked adventures was intrigued, while the part of her getting a headache from letters and words was less than impressed with the idea.

Crash.

The two had their attention diverted towards the sound of a huge calamity in progress, turning to see an overturned chair and a wailing colt spread out on his back with a brand-new bump or two, apparently having tripped and fell over the chair somehow.

Caring Hoof was already on the case, leaping into action and rushing to the foal’s side to whisper assurances and make sure they were alright.

But with the teacher suddenly occupied, a couple of other foals glanced at one another before trotting over to Rose’s table.

“Hi!” Perfect Rose greeted instantly. “I’m Perfect Rose! This is Bright Spark and Fluffy. Fluffy wants to be friends!”

The lead colt, a grey pony with a white mane, snorted.

“It’s a stupid doll! It doesn’t talk!”

Perfect Rose was instantly offended. “It does too! You’ve upset her now!”

“Does not!”

“Does too!”

“Does not!”

“Yeah, Ice Shard! She totally can!” Bright Spark remarked.

“Liar!” one of Ice Shard’s compatriots accused.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Uh-huh!”

“My Dad says you’re bad!” Ice Shard then said to Perfect Rose. “That you shouldn’t be here.”

Perfect Rose shrunk back. “Huh? Why?”

“That’s stupid!” Bright defended his friend.

“He says she’s a freak and that she’s not supposed to be anywhere near us, that she’s useless!” the colt pressed further. “You should come with us. You might get in trouble being with the freak!”

Perfect Rose shrunk down further, started to whimper as she realised that the filly from earlier… She hadn’t been scared of Fluffy, she’d been scared of her.

Why didn’t they like her? She just wanted to be friends!

The griffon could see that filly watching from a short distance away, just watching on. She probably thought she was mean and a freak, but she didn’t want to be! She just wanted to be nice…

She wanted to go home.

“You’re mean!” Bright Spark shot back, seeing his new friend start to cry. “Go away!”

“Freak lover!”

“Meanie!”

“Crybaby!” Ice Shard directed at the tearful Perfect Rose, his horn lighting up and snagging onto Fluffy. “I’m gonna- GACK!”

He was cut off, Fluffy dropping back onto the table when he was suddenly jumped on by a yellow blur. He was suddenly on the floor, struggling against an unexpectedly interfering filly as she pushed all her weight onto him.

“Don’t be mean!” Sundance shouted out. “Meanie!”

“Sundance!” Caring Hoof called out hurriedly, rushing over to quell the commotion. “Get off of him this instant!”

“B- but…”

“She hurt me!” Ice Shard complained. “She’s the meanie!”

Bright Spark saw Sundance sag, her lip quivering as she faced down Caring Hoof’s disappointed glare. He jumped from his seat, standing at her side.

“Nuh-uh! He was the meanie!” he blurted out. “He made Rose cry! He tried to steal Fluffy!”

Caring’s expression softened, her gaze settling onto the still tearful Perfect Rose as she reached out for Fluffy and held the stuffed animal for all it was worth.

“Is this true, Perfect Rose?” the teacher asked.

The griffon slowly nodded.

“She’s a liar! Dad says griffons are freaks and-”

“Ice Shard!” Caring Hoof stopped the colt in his tracks. “Naughty corner, now!”

“But-”

“Now, Mister!”

He bowed his head, his friends sheepishly backing off as the colt begrudgingly started to head off towards a corner by the teacher’s desk marked as the prior mentioned ‘naughty corner’. With that dealt with, fully intent on speaking with both him and his parents, Caring Hoof turned back to Sundance.

“It’s sweet of you to help your friend, dear. But you can’t jump on other foals like that,” she gently chided. “Please, don’t do it again. Come get me instead.”

Her ears folded back. “Y-yes, Miss…”

“Are you okay, Perfect Rose?” the mare then asked with concern.

She nodded slowly, trying to wipe away some of her tears.

“Well… okay. I’ll be back over in a moment to check on you. But I need to have a talk with Ice Shard, alright?”

“Okay…”

The teacher nodded, biting her lip in concern. She then moved off, however, setting her disappointed sights on the offending colt once more.

“That was awesome!” Bright Spark suddenly splurged once Caring Hoof was gone. “You were like BAM and he was like GAAAAH and it was so cool!”

“Um… yeah…” Sundance replied bashfully. “He was mean. I didn’t like it.”

“Thanks…” Perfect Rose muttered quietly.

The filly looked guiltily up to her. “Sorry I was mean… I heard bad things, but you’re not bad. You’re nice. And I like your Fluffy. She’s cute.”

The griffon blinked, perking herself up. “She’s not cute. She’s pretty!”

“She’s pretty and cute.”

“Better!”

Sundance giggled, taking a seat at the table. “I’m Sundance, nice to meet you!”

“Perfect Rose.”

“Bright Spark the Wizard!”

Sundance looked at him oddly. “You are not!”

“Am too!”

Perfect Rose watched in amusement as her two new friends started to bicker over what qualified as being a wizard, smiling to herself as she continued to hold Fluffy close.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all…

9 - Alicorn of Love

Perfect Rose liked the park.

It was a good day for it too. But that was pretty easy to say since most of the time you’d always have a weather schedule to plan around. Though there was that one time a rogue cloud fell into Mrs Sunny Breeze’s bedroom down the street. That had been kinda funny.

But the sun was better. The wet just made her feathers all icky.

And now she had friends to share it with!

“Hey! No fair!” Sundance protested as sand was kicked into her mane. “Gah! Jerk!”

Bright Spark stuck his tongue out at the filly, idly kicking about more of the insides of the sandpit. “You started it!”

“Did not!”

“Did too!”

This was a common argument.

“Maybe you both started it and you’re both silly ponies?” Perfect Rose innocently suggested.

They both looked at the griffon. Then they glanced towards each other. And then, with a nod signifying their sudden unification against a common enemy, the two foals turned their evil gazes on Perfect Rose once more as a small pulse of magic sent a tidal wave sand towards her!

She gave out a startled SQUAWRK as the assault of sand hit her, leaving her looking somewhat like a sand sculpture.

She was displeased by this development.

“That’s it!”

Begun, the sand wars had.

Time Catcher shook his head in amusement as he watched the children diligently from a nearby bench, seeing the trio giggle and laugh as they kicked around the sand in some kind of impromptu conflict. They seemed to be enjoying themselves at least, though he suspected each would require a bath by the time they were done.

At least they could enjoy times like these. It had taken some doing to convince Sundance and Bright Spark’s parents that there was nothing different or dastardly about Perfect Rose, but the young griffon’s parents were nothing if not persistent. Once they had quelled any uneasiness the respective couples had felt, this and any future playdates had seemingly been secured.

The butler was glad for it. It was good to see the young madame out and about, after all.

It was enough to get the stallion to reminisce about his own younger days, the simplicity of life in the eyes of the young. Still, he was content to watch them experience such joys from the sidelines, likewise giving his employers some time to themselves for a change. Plus, he wasn’t exactly alone, he was charged with a most important task by Perfect Rose herself.

Safeguarding Fluffy.

The manticore doll was tired and needed a rest, apparently.

He had to wonder just what went through the griffon’s head at times.

‘Quite the active imagination, that one,’ he mused to himself, glancing at and regarding the lifeless doll. ‘At least she’s never lonely, I suppose.”

“I win!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

And there they went at it again. Maybe it was time for a cease-fire.

“Children, I do believe it is time for a spot of lunch,” Time Catcher announced, immediately gaining the attention of the three at the slightest mention of food. “Or I suppose I could let young Miss Fluffy have your shares.”

“No! She’s on a diet!” Rose instantly protested.

He raised an eyebrow at that. “Is she now? Well then, I suppose you’d better hurry. I see her going for the daisy sandwiches.”

“NOOO! Bad Fluffy!”

In a blur, suddenly Perfect Rose was upon them. She instantly went for the doll, chiding it as her friends followed along with an eagerness in their eyes at the promise of sustenance.

Chuckling, the butler lit his horn and lifted a basket from under the picnic bench. He set it on the table, taking a glance through it. Daisy sandwiches, apples, some other such pieces of fruit… Ah, and a little bit of chicken as a treat specifically for Perfect Rose. He had ensured to keep it separate from the rest, wrapped in some silver foil at the bottom.

He unpacked the basket, bringing it all out and arranged in an orderly and professional manner. The children all eyed the incoming treats with barely withheld glee, all but ready to jump on the lot of it.

“Take your seats, remember your manners,” he told the three of them. “I know you’re eager but let us not forget basic decorum.”

“Uh-huh. Food now?” Bright Spark asked quickly.

He gave him a stern look.

“…Please.”

“Moderately better,” he remarked. “Very well. As they say in the city of Prance, Bon Appetite.”

They had no idea what he just said, but it mattered little. Yums awaited.

Time Catcher watched silently as the three dug in, quickly grabbing what they wanted and getting on with demolishing it to the last crumb. Sundance went for a simple daisy sandwich and some apple juice, seemingly starting small. Perfect Rose was much the same, though she added a few carrot sticks and an extra sandwich to her load. Bright Spark, meanwhile, hit up everything he could from sandwiches to apples to a tall glass of ice-cold lemonade.

And then he went for that little foil wrap.

“Ah-ah-ah! I’m afraid that’s not for you,” Time Catcher informed him, catching the wrapped chicken just in time.

“Huh?”

“This is for you, young Madame,” he continued, passing the foil over to Perfect Rose as she got to work unveiling its contents.

“Yee!” she squeed. “Thank you thank you!”

“Ewww…” Bright Spark moaned. “That looks gross.”

“To us, it would be,” Time Catcher noted. “Thus why I stopped your little food heist. Perfect Rose eats a few things we can’t, courtesy of being an omnivore.”

“Omni-wha?”

“Suffice to say her palette is more varied.”

“…I…?”

He levelled him a deadpan stare. “She can eat more than you, young colt.”

“No fair!”

“Is too!” Perfect Rose shot back.

Bright Spark grumbled about it, but the colt soon forgot the whole thing as he dug into his own pile of gathered good and gained a content sandwich-filled smile in short order.

It was quite a peaceful scene in all, Time Catcher himself sitting back with a spare apple as the kids continued to enjoy themselves.

And then one of them perked up.

“Woah!” Bright Spark said. “A pegacorn!”

Time Catcher frowned, turning to look over his shoulder.

His eyes widened at the pink pony he saw, standing by a purple filly that was sitting on a swing set with her muzzle in a book. The pink pony in question had both a horn and wings on her back, standing slightly taller than most other ponies, a crystalline heart sitting on her flank.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself.

“Woah, a Princess!” Sundance said with glee.

“With Celestia’s pupil, no doubt,” Time Catcher mused, regarding the filly for a moment before turning back to his own entourage. “Let them be. Their business is their own.”

“But-”

“No buts,” he sternly chided. “She is a Princess of Equestria, she deserves her privacy.”

Sundance sagged. “Oh… okay…”

Perfect Rose shifted uncomfortably, looking towards the pair by the swings with cautious curiosity.

“Don’t you want me to push you? Not even for old times sake?” the Princess asked. “You have to get out of the book sometime.”

“Nuh-uh!” the older filly denied. “The Princess wants me to study!”

“She also wants you to take a break every once in a while, Twilight,” the alicorn rebutted. “Come on, not even for me…?”

The Princess gave Twilight a pout, the filly shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

“O-okay…” she finally relented. “But only if we can do the sunshine dance after!”

Cadenza giggled. “You never need to barter with me for the sunshine dance, Twily.”

Perfect Rose didn’t know what that was, but she was more preoccupied with sinking into her chair and trying to place Time Catcher between her and the Princess. She’d heard what some older ponies thought of her, would she be the same? She didn’t want to look like a bad filly in front of the Princess. Princesses could send people to prison. She didn’t want to go there.

“Are you well, Madame?” Time Catcher asked her, noticing her discomfort.

“Hm…” she replied noncommittally.

“I could show her my magic, though…!” Sundance piped up again, apparently still wanting to meet the Princess. “See, watch this!”

Sundance’s horn lit up and, before anypony could stop her, her lunch shot into the air with an extra burst of barely controlled mana!

…Straight into the sandpit.

“EEP!” the filly shouted in surprise, mouth gaping as her lunch become rolled up in a few layers of sand. “I… But…”

Her lip began to quiver.

“Oh dear!” All eyes turned back towards the swings, Time Catcher, in particular, looking rather surprised as the Princess took notice of them with a look of concern. “One moment, Twily.”

The alicorn picked up her saddlebag, beginning to wander over the table. Perfect Rose tried even harder to shrink herself down to an unnoticeable level, Sundance continuing to stare off at her ruined lunch with an expression of heartbreak while Bright Spark had no idea what was happening.

Time Catcher, with a look that seemed to be just short of panic, stood up to face the incoming Princess of Equestria.

“M-my apologies, your Highness,” he said with a bow of his head. “Just a small lunchtime accident, we didn’t mean to disturb you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, it’s not a bother! I remember Twilight doing something similar when she was a little younger.”

In the background, the purple filly seemed to cross her hooves in a show of indignation.

“Here, let me,” the Princess said, lighting her horn and lifting a small lunchbox out of her saddlebags. “I have a few spare things from earlier. Take your pick!”

“Oh, Princess! You really don’t need to…” Time Catcher said, even as Sundance’s face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree. “I have plenty spare.”

“It’s no bother, it would only go to waste otherwise,” she insisted in turn. “Besides, I can’t stand to see a little filly get upset over such a silly little thing. That was some strong magic there, young lady.”

“I wanted to show you it!” Sundance replied happily. “It went a bit whoosh, but I was really trying!”

“Hey, I’m meant to be the wizard!” Bright Spark protested with a huff.

“I’m sure you’re both going to be amazing,” Cadenza noted diplomatically before her attention then settled onto the shy griffon. “Hello again, Perfect Rose.”

She perked up slightly. “Huh? I… don’t know you…”

“You wouldn’t remember, I met you when you were really little,” she replied. “You were the cutest thing…”

The young griffon blushed, her feathers bristling. “I’m not cute…”

The Princess tittered behind a hoof at the adorable display. “Of course not. What was I thinking?”

“Fluffy is the cute and pretty one!” Rose then continued, holding up the doll with her former shyness dissolving quickly. “Sundance says so too!”

“Oh, I see you have a friend!” the alicorn noted enthusiastically. “Twily has something similar. Smarty Pants.”

“Ohhh. Is she smart?”

“Very.”

“What kind of pony wears pants…?” Bright Spark wondered aloud.

Perfect Rose ignored him. “So, we really actually met?”

“Of course, I remember it well. And we have something in common, you and I,” the Princess told her.

“Really?”

“I was also adopted, you know.”

“But you’re a Princess. How could you be adopted?”

“I wasn’t always a Princess,” she said with a shake of her head. “My parents are earth ponies from a rather isolated little village. Even Princess Celestia is my adoptive aunt. I only came here when I was a little older than you.”

Perfect Rose let this information sink in. She couldn’t fathom a princess not being from Canterlot. That seemed weird. But… here she was, telling her just that.

But then…

“Did anypony think you were mean…” the griffon asked timidly. “Because you were different?”

Cadenza gave her a sympathetic look. “I… got a few odd glances at first. But you shouldn’t mind what other ponies think, it doesn’t matter.”

“Huh?”

“Look at your friends. They love you, as does your family I’m almost certain,” the Princess noted with a glance at the foals in question. “And your Fluffy of course.”

She grabbed her doll quickly and lovingly. “Fluffy!”

“Exactly. Don’t let a few meanies get you down, okay? I happen to know you’re a wonderful little filly. Or would it be-”

“Filly will do fine, we’ve gotten used to using terms interchangeably,” Time Catcher informed the Princess. “But… you have my thanks for your kind words, Princess. She has had a bit of trouble at school with one or two of the children.”

“It happens, I know that quite well. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want to hear me go on for hours on end. Who wants some extra treats?”

“ME!” all the children shouted at once.

But the sweetest treat for Perfect Rose was the newfound knowledge that, despite the grumblings she heard in the dark, she had a Princess who was just like her. And she might have even made a new friend.

That made her feel a little bit warmer on the inside.

10 - A World Apart

Perfect Rose was bored.

Learning how to do their ABCs was one thing, but what was with this counting stuff? She could count to five! Most of the time! Beyond that was silly, why do grownups need to do numbers so high? They’re weird.

And, oh yes, boring.

She preferred playtime. Then Fluffy could tell her exactly how many toys were sitting on the front teacher’s desk. The answer was ‘a lot’. See! Who needs numbers?

“Twenty!” Sundance gave the real answer with a happy grin.

“Very good, Sundance,” Caring Hoof complimented. “Twenty toys are on my desk. And if I added another five it would be-”

“Twenty-five!” she answered smartly. “And two plus two is four. Five plus five is…”

‘Bookhorse,’ Rose mentally grumbled as her friend continued to show off. Looking at Bright Spark, his head in his hooves, he seemed to share her thoughts.

And they’d been at lessons like these for almost a year. To be fair, a lot of it HAD been playtime. But basic counting and additions had been added as the days went by. But now that the end of the school year was rapidly approaching, promises of even more advanced learning had drifted around the class. More like warnings, descriptions of how playtime would be lessened, and the numbers would be higher.

Fluffy thought it was silly. And Perfect Rose had to agree.

“I think we get the idea, thank you, Sundance,” the teacher cut off her tirade of additions. “Consider yourself the proud owner of yet another gold star.”

“Yee!” she squeed happily.

“Now, I know these things may seem a little pointless at your young ages,” Caring Hoof noted knowingly, a raised eyebrow at Bright Spark getting him to sheepishly rise on out of his hooves. “But trust me when I say these things will be very important next year. There won’t be as much playing as there will be learning.”

Oh no, the rumours were true! The horror!

“Soooo it’s a good thing I’ll be with you to make the transition a smooth one.”

Perfect Rose blinked.

“I’ve enjoyed teaching you all so much that I’ve decided to stick with your class. Good thing I’m qualified,” she announced. “I look forward to seeing you all grow into the wonderful young ponies, and griffon, I know you’ll be. But we’ve still got a while left yet, but not today. So enough of my emotional ramblings, home time!”

There was a resounding cheer around the class at that.

Now that was music to her ears. No more numbers, more Fluffy adventures! That was more like it!

So, with that in mind, Perfect Rose jumped down from her seat and made sure to grab the said stuffed manticore doll and the rest of her things. Her friends did the same, along with the rest of the class, the ambience and general noise rising as chatter broke out amongst the fillies and colts as they prepared to escape their educational confines and flee on home.

“I hope she teaches us magic lasers next year!” Bright Spark remarked. “I wanna do more than float things!”

“Maybe if you didn’t nap so much…” Sundance teased.

The colt stuck his tongue out at her. “I happen to like nap time! Nap time is awesome!”

“Not when we’re meant to be listening.”

“Who needs listening? I want lasers!”

“You’re the worst.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Are too and not!” Perfect Rose quipped.

They both gave her an odd look.

“What does that even mean?” Bright Spark asked in confusion.

“Yes.”

“You’re weird,” Sundance shot back.

“Yup!” she replied proudly. “It’s Fluffy’s fault.”

“Don’t blame her!”

“She says it’s okay!”

“Fluffy is silly!”

Perfect Rose gasped in shock. “Take that back!”

The filly shook her head in defiance. “Nope.”

The young griffon’s feathers bristled, a sharp huff being released as she pulled on her saddlebag and prepared to head towards the door. Her friends seemed somewhat amused by this, giggling to themselves as they too gathered their belongings and followed on.

“Oh! Perfect Rose! Hold on a moment,” Caring Hoof interrupted, trotting over to the troublesome trio. “I received a message from your butler, Time Catcher. He says that he and your parents are all going to be late picking you up, so you’ll have to stay with me another ten or twenty minutes.”

“Whaaat!?” Rose moaned in turn.

“I’m afraid so. It’s just some errand they needed to run I’m sure,” the pink mare assured her.

“Maybe we can wait with you?” Bright Spark suggested.

“I’m afraid both of your parents are already waiting outside.”

“Awwww,” Sundance complained.

“I’m sorry, but you don’t want to keep them waiting,” Caring apologised. “She’ll be alright with me. Go on.”

“See you tomorrow, Rose,” the colt then said to his friend. “Good luck being stuck in school.”

“Thanks…” Rose uttered sarcastically.

“Hey! School is fun!” Sundance protested. “Anyway, bye. Have fun!”

“Yeah. Bye, guys…” Rose said sadly, watching, as Caring Hoof herded them out.

“Do you mind waiting here while I make sure the others leave safely?” the teacher then asked as she glanced back at Perfect Rose.

She shook her head.

“Alright then. Be back in a tick!”

She departed from sight, leaving Rose alone amongst the remaining crowd of children as they all made to pile out of the classroom. The griffon looked amongst them, trying to see if there was anypony new she could speak with in the meantime. She always hung out with her two friends, so maybe making more wouldn’t hurt.

But they were all leaving as quickly as they could. None stopped to so much as look at her beyond the usual occasional odd glance.

…Except for one golden exception.

“Hey, Goldenblood!” Perfect Rose called out, walking over to the colt sitting uncomfortably by the reading corner. “Wanna talk?”

The unicorn shifted uncomfortably. He was always shy, he never talked to anyone else. That made Rose feel a little sad for him, he never had friend adventures like she and the others did. He never spoke to the other foals, he just sat in that very spot and did his own thing. Alone.

She’d tried to talk to him several times, but he always slipped away into the crowd the first moment he could. He was like that with everypony. Most of the other foals were actually a little intimidated due to him being a prince as well as ‘technically’ being Princess Celestia’s nephew. Which was weird, because she’d heard adults saying that Celestia didn’t have any real family. Which was sad. But that was also weird that she had nieces and nephews anyway. It didn’t make much sense to her young mind. Something about a Queen Plate-numb?

Princess Cadenza said she was adopted. So maybe Celestia adopted loads of family so she wasn’t so lonely?

She didn’t really know, but she did know one thing. Most of the other foals were leaving, so he had no crowd to run away into! This time she would be his friend, and nothing could stop her!

“Uh…” he muttered, glancing from side to side looking for an escape.

“Are you waiting for your parents? I am too.”

“T-the staff usually pick me up,” he replied timidly. “Mama and Papa are usually too busy.”

Rose tilted her head. “Huh? That’s weird. Mum and Dad pick me up most of the time. Time Catcher sometimes if they’re busy.

“That’s… nice…”

“Why don’t we wait together? It could be fun!”

He shrunk down a little. “I- I don’t know, I’m not sure how and I… Uh…”

“Here! Have a Fluffy!” she chirped, handing over her toy into the hooves of a marginally bewildered Goldenblood. “She is nice and helps me whenever I’m scared. She can help you too!”

He blinked, looking down at the doll strangely. “You… You’re letting me hold her? I see how much you love her…”

“Well, yeah! She’s friendly!” Rose claimed. “See! She likes you!”

“She… does…?”

“Yeah! I think you’re a nice pony. And I wanna be friends!”

Goldenblood paused, shifting around where he sat. He studied the manticore carefully, hesitating a moment before seemingly building up the courage to say something.

“I… Would you like to-”

“Goldenblood? Ugh, where is that brother of mine?”

Goldenblood gave a ‘yeep’ of surprise at the shout, both he and Perfect Rose turning to see a pony who looked to be a pre-teen cantering in with an expression of annoyance and boredom in equal measures.

“Oh! Prince Blueblood, your Highness!” Caring Hoof remarked in surprise. “Here for your brother? It’s so nice of you to-”

“Father is in Manehatten and Mother is having her mane done. The servants, meanwhile, have other tasks at hoof that cannot wait. There is a gathering at the estate tonight, you see,” he explained dismissively. “So Mother sent me to pick up the rodent.”

“…Alone?” Caring Hoof enquired carefully. “Don’t you think you should have somepony with you?”

“Do you take me for an imbecile?” the colt asked.

“Not at all, but you aren’t an adult who-”

“Ms Caring Hoof, can I have a word?” a parent of one of the other foals asked, entering the classroom with their bemused child in tow.

“Oh, excuse me for a moment,” Caring Hoof said to the Prince apologetically, turning to face the newcomer.

Blueblood gave a ‘tsk’ of disapproval, trotting further into the room as he finally laid eyes on a rapidly shrinking Goldenblood.

“Ah, there you- Brother! What do you think you are doing!?”

“Uh…” he replied awkwardly, still holding Fluffy.

“Give me that!” the older unicorn said, his magic taking hold of the manticore doll and throwing it aside. “Why are you interacting with this creature?”

“Hey!” Perfect Rose protested. “That’s mean! Say sorry to Fluffy!”

“It speaks. How novel,” the colt remarked rudely. “But you should that mouth shut! My mother could get you in a lot of trouble!”

“You’re mean! I don’t like you!”

Goldenblood scuffed the ground with a hoof. “Blueblood, she was just-”

“Not a word! Mother will be livid to hear you are interacting with something so far below our station!” Blueblood rebuffed. “Have you not listened to a word she’s said?”

Perfect Rose sniffed. “I just wanted to be friends…”

Blueblood snorted. “Friends? You griffons are getting brave. I know all about you people! Mother says you belong in the dirt. That you were weaselled into that ‘family’ of yours without earning it! And I think a non-pony being here is completely insane!”

“Blueblood…” Goldenblood lamely protested.

“And you! You’ve been told not to speak with this thing!”

“Y-you can’t tell him what to do. You’re just a kid too,” Perfect Rose tried to refute.

“I’ve been raised with dignity and integrity, I am well above what you could ever hope to be,” he retorted. “Come on, brother. It is irritating enough that I have to collect you, but now you’ve forced me to lower myself by speaking with it. And now I have to tell Mother too. Ugh!”

The colt went wide-eyed, panicked. “No! Please!”

“Too late. Come on, I don’t have all day,” the Prince concluded, turning and walking away with the expectation that his younger sibling would follow on.

And Goldenblood did. His head lowered, unable to look at Perfect Rose, he followed on as Caring Hoof looked up from her chat with the parent as the brothers approached.

“I’ll be a moment more, I’m just- Wha-!?”

The mare stopped in surprise as Blueblood stormed past, clearly irritated, with a solemn Goldenblood trying to keep up behind him and a tearful Perfect Rose further back. The griffon sniffed as tears silently fell down her face, Fluffy discarded as she just… sat there.

Caring Hoof blinked, the math running through her head as she watched Blueblood vanish through the door and out of the classroom. A scowl appeared on her face, a passionate fire of disdain raging in her chest directed at the unicorn who had just barged out without another word.

But with that in mind, stifling it for the moment, she turned and gave a quick apology to the parent she’d been talking to. And then, without any further prompting, she quickly rushed to the griffon’s side as she tried to think of exactly what she’d be telling her parents.

“I’m going to kill them!”

“Knives or magic explosions?”

“BOTH!”

“Kill them, Cash! I really want to!” Ebony raved, storming down the street as several other ponies looked on with shock and horror. “How… How dare they!”

“I know,” Cash agreed, his hatred of the higher nobility a storm in his mind as he only kept it from detonating entirely due to his wife’s own barely controlled rage. “But let’s leave the crimes for another day. An apology would be a start.”

“A BIG one! BIG!

“A darned good one.”

They had a few number of things in mind for when they arrived late to pick up Perfect Rose alongside Time Catcher. Her playing with her friends to pass the time? Her sitting by herself in the corner bored, maybe? Something along those lines.

What they were not expecting was her to be horrifically silent. She hadn’t said a word. Not when they’d arrived, not when they sent her back to the house with Time accompanying her. Just a silence accompanied by rolling tears and clinging to Fluffy for all the doll was worth.

It had been an alarming and confusing sight… until Caring Hoof had spilled the beans.

And now they were on their way to the estate of Prince Blueblood Sr. for a little chat. The family patriarch might have been out of the city for a while, but the matriarch and the offending son were certainly still present. And they had more than a few things to say.

“Where does that brat think he gets off? Saying something so… horrible!” Ebony continued to rage. “We’ve had our fair shares of trouble, but this is above and beyond! Did you see our daughter? Catatonic! I’m amazed Caring managed to get anything out of her about what happened!”

“I know. I was there,” Cash pointed out. “I’m just amazed at how one pony can become so sour. He’s not even that old, not really. Blueblood, the older one, he’s never been a particular opposer of Perfect Rose. How could the rest of them be so… typically ‘noble’.”

“Oh, he’s always away, isn’t he!” Ebony remarked. “That Social Grace is the big driving force in the lives of those children! And now our daughter… You know she’d heard the grumblings, right? She never said anything. Of course she didn’t, she’s three! She doesn’t know how to process things like this. But I knew.”

“I know.”

“But this? She shouldn’t have to face it this close. Not like that. I… Oh, Celestia. You were right, Cash.”

Cash Counter stopped, turning to stare at his wife. “What do you mean?”

“We never should have put her in that school. She wouldn’t have had to meet that colt had we just put her into a different school.”

Her husband hesitated, looking off to the side as he mulled over things in his head. But then he shook his head, turning back to Ebony with a determined look.

“No, I wasn’t.”

“W-what?”

He placed a hoof on her shoulder. “YOU were right, honey. I mean, if we placed her elsewhere, she wouldn’t have found those two friends of hers. There’s no guarantee somepony wouldn’t have said something cruel to her no matter where she went to school. But all we can do now is deal with the repercussions however we can.”

The mare took in a deep breath, holding it a moment before letting it out in a steady stream. “Yes, you’re right. Of course. I… Let’s get to the estate. I want this over as quickly as possible.”

The couple continued on in their journey, passing the largest of Canterlot’s rich estates as, closest to the castle itself, the Blueblood estate finally came into view. The home of all of Platinum’s descendants… Or at least the primary family line. And, right now, the home to those who had earned the ire of the two ponies.

They proceeded right up to the gate, horn’s lighting up and opening them without much of a second thought. They then proceeded to march up the path and towards the front door of the mansion, several gardeners glancing at them curiously while another servant saw them arrive and moved to intercept them.

“Excuse me, Sir and Ma’am,” the pony spoke up. “The gathering isn’t due to start for-”

“Get me Social Grace!” Ebony Rose barked.

The pony blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

“I want to see your boss. Now.”

“I don’t believe I-”

“We’re not leaving until we’ve seen her, buddy,” Cash warned. “Besides, wouldn’t the esteemed Duchess Social Grace want to know that she has guests?

The servant hesitated, but then bowed. “I’ll… inform her right away.”

He scurried off, leading the two into the entrance hall before leaving them there and proceeding up the stairs. This left them alone, examining the hallway they hadn’t witnessed since the party they’d brought Perfect Rose to nearly four years prior.

But they didn’t have to wait long, the servant returning to the top of the staircase with a flustered expression on his face. Following behind him was Social Grace herself, looking rather annoyed at the interruption.

“Cash Counter. Ebony Rose. Might I ask what I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

“Nothing pleasurable, I assure you,” Cash remarked. “Quite the opposite.”

“I see,” she replied evenly. “Then can it not wait? I have had a most unfortunate conversation with my youngest and I cannot fathom how this day could get more annoying than it already is.”

“Actually, it’d be super easy. Barely an inconvenience,” he quipped in turn. “You clearly already know what happened at the school. So, here we are.”

“Does your son not know the meaning of ‘subtlety’ or ‘decorum’, Social Grave?” Ebony sneered. “Unbecoming is an understatement.”

Social Grace snarled. “I beg your pardon?”

“You know what he did! He left our child in tears and, frankly, made her out to be nothing more than a common beast!”

The noble huffed. “I do admit what he did was poor timing on his part. And a poor locale. I have already let him know that we shall be going over holding his temper better. His teenage years are upon him soon, I’m afraid.”

“Poor timing? He demeaned her! Called her ‘it’ rather than ‘she’. It was cruel, nothing more and nothing less.”

“Cruelty would indicate what he said wasn’t without a point.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You took on the street rat expecting, what? Applause? You knew there would be repercussions. It is unfortunate that my son, in all his youthful arrogance, chose that moment to voice that truth. But timing aside, it is the truth. You’d be better off taking her away from here and living your days in some dirt pony town like Ponyville.”

Cash scoffed. “And this isn’t arrogant and lacking in subtilty?”

“This is my home. Here, while my husband is away, my word is all but law.”

“Alright, well, let me put it in simple terms so her Highness may comprehend them…” Cash Counter mocked. “Stay away from our daughter or we will do whatever we need to in order to protect her. After all, I’m sure it wouldn’t do your social status much good for the Princess to know all about how you wilfully encourage the discrimination of a child in public, would it?”

Social Grace narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

“More like a reading suggestion.”

“Indeed. Well, let me make one in turn,” the mare scoffed. “Keep your pet away from my son. Goldenblood’s meekness is trouble enough without diluting his blood with such a cursed ‘friendship’. Do that and you won’t have any trouble from me and my sizably superior influence in this city. We’re willing to let her, and you, fail in this experiment on your own terms.”

“Listen here, hag!” Ebony blurted out. “She’s our child! And she’s a person! If you think you get to hold any measure of high ground just because she’s not a pony then you can shove your-”

“I think we’re done here,” Social interrupted. “Keep the griffon away from my son. And now, leave.”

“Just like that?”

“Must I call the guard to have you removed for trespassing?” she asked, holding a smug grin on her face.

Cash grit his teeth. “No. I can see we’ll make no progress for an apology here.”

“Apologise? How about one for bringing in an impure element as recklessly as you did?” she remarked. “Alas, it is not to be. Servant, remove them. If they continue making a fuss, have them detained.”

“Yes, Madame,” the pony dutifully replied, trotting down the stairs and confronting the couple. “If you would follow me.”

The two glanced at one another, each one bristling with anger at her undeserved sense of superiority. But they knew when they were trying their luck, so turned to leave. Besides, they had a child to check up on. If they wanted their two families to remain as far from one another as they could, on that they would be happy to oblige.

“Ta ta. Do have a good day,” Social Grace called as they exited, sarcasm dripping in her tone.

“Hag,” Ebony repeated to herself.

11 - Different

Perfect Rose didn’t know what she was feeling.

It had been a little while since she’d gotten home from school, she wasn’t really sure how long exactly, and she’d just been staring at a blank wall for most of that time. Walls make time go funny; she’d learnt that in the past… weird amount of time.

It wasn’t helped by the horrible and entirely alien sensation that was the deep pit that had formed in her stomach, an odd mix of queasy and sad that her young mind wasn’t really able to process. She wasn’t really sure why. Blueblood was a meanie, she knew that much. He had said bad things, but she was home now, and her mum and dad would make everything better with love, hugs and cookies.

…So why weren’t things better? They were always meant to make things better!

This didn’t make sense. It was weird. It was stupid. She hated it. HATED it!

She didn’t want to feel like this.

She sniffed sadly, listening to the silence of the bedroom around her. Part of her wanted to call for Time Catcher, but she couldn’t quite manage it. Instead, she elected to turn around and throw herself onto her bed, scrunching her face up into her pillow and letting out a heart-wrenching wail that, had it not been muffled by the said pillow, could have been heard for miles around. The sheer confusion and myriad of unknown feelings swirling inside the almost four-year-old’s mind were unleashed in that wail, the silence being banished by her cries of anguish and hurt.

This wasn’t a mere tantrum, a bout of tears brought on by something as small as a scraped knee. Her parents could attest to witnessing moments of both those points. No, this was a moment of pure sadness no one of such a young age should ever have to experience, and no parent should ever have to witness.

But her parents weren’t there at that moment. She didn’t know where they were. She hadn’t asked. She hadn’t thought to, given the state she had been in during the trip home.

But now she wanted them. She just wanted her mummy and daddy.

Fluffy sat silently nearby.

“No, Fluffy! Shut up!” she gave her pained protest. “It’s stupid and bad and wrong and graaah.”

She curled up further, the movement dislodging her covers and causing the manticore doll to tip over.

“…Sorry, Fluffy. I love you…”

She reached out one of her wings and pulled the manticore closer, snuggling up to her faithful companion and burying her face in its chest. The manticore toy, as always, was willing to put up with Perfect Rose as she cried all the tears she had to give.

And those tears flowed for a while longer, though they did slowly begin to taper off, intermittent with the occasional hiccup and cough brought about by her hysterics. But after a time silence fell over Rose’s bedroom once more. But in its own way, the silence was its own curse. As an eerie calm returned to the young griffon, her mind once again started to go over previous events in some attempt to comprehend why they happened.

Perfect Rose sniffed. “I just wanted to be friends…”

She just didn’t understand… She had seen the looks. They were weird. Her parents said so! She knew she was ‘adopted’, that her parents were different from other parents. That they brought her home from a place called an ‘orphanage’, rather than… Where did babies come from? She didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. She was different, she knew that.

But Princess Cadenza was too! And she was nice and pretty and smart! So that was stupid. Why would weird people be mean for dumb reasons?

Her birthday… She’d forgotten…

“Who is hiding anything!? There’s plenty of good schools in the lower districts!”

“Not to them! And if we start treating Perfect Rose differently, then how can we expect the rest of the nobility to learn?”

Differently? She was different, but how different? Why didn’t other ponies like her very much?

…Other ponies.

She was a griffon. She wasn’t like other ponies. She couldn’t make things float, even when she tried really really hard and got sad that she couldn’t. Her friends could! But she never managed it. Even with Fluffy helping her. Which was stupid, because Fluffy should be able to make everything work.

And there was the wings, feathers, beak, lack of hooves…

“My Dad says you’re bad!” Ice Shard then said to Perfect Rose. “That you shouldn’t be here.”

Perfect Rose shrunk back. “Huh? Why?”

“That’s stupid!” Bright defended his friend.

She thought Ice Shard was just being a stupid meanie butt head. But… was she a freak? Was she really so different that… Was she a monster? A bad thing that made everypony else scared of her?

But she didn’t want to be bad! She just wanted to be a good filly…

A good… filly…

Was she a filly? She was a griffon. But what did that actually mean? Her head hurt thinking about it.

Was she not a filly?

And did that mean…

“…I’m… Aren’t I a pony…?”

“Gyah,” Ebony Rose spat out as she pushed her way through the front door, allowing Cash Counter to follow her in before slamming it shut behind her. She then pressed her back up against it, slumping to the floor with an expression of pure defeat on her face.

“…So…” Cash said awkwardly. “Want some tea? I can-”

“No! I don’t want some tea!” she retorted. “I want to… Gah. Forget it.”

Her husband sighed, sliding over to join her in sitting by the doorway. “Yeah, I know. Murder, arson, jaywalking… Somewhere in-between?”

“To put it mildly.”

“The nobility…” he muttered spitefully. “Perhaps moving to Ponyville isn’t the worst idea. The ponies there are actually worth being called ‘ponies’.”

“We could bunk with Rich. Or with the Apples. I’m sure Buttercup and Bright Mac wouldn’t mind.”

“Applejack and Big Mac would love having Perfect Rose running around with them.”

“With the new foal? Buttercup’s pregnant, remember that piece of news?” Ebony reminded him. “Filly or colt, what do you think?”

“Depends, which name do you like better? Apple Surprise or Apple Bloom?”

“Either. But Apple Bloom sounds cute,” she replied. “Huh… It would be quite the household. Think Granny Smith would protest?”

“Probably.”

“Maybe we’d better hold off then.”

“Most likely.”

Silence fell between them, the couple just sat by the door affectionately and comfortingly holding hooves. They were content to let their fury towards Social Grace and her son bleed away as they slowly breathed in and out, calming themselves before doing anything else.

And then they noticed Time Catcher at the end of the hall, the unicorn butler taking that as a sign to approach.

“Sir. Madame. Welcome home. I would ask if you had any luck, but your demeanour gives me my answer.”

“She’s a self-important idiot, Time Catcher,” Cash answered him. “Ugh. How’s… How’s our daughter?”

Time Catcher paused a moment. “I’m afraid the young madame has yet to come out of her room. I wish I knew what to say, but I think that’s a job more suited for her parents. You should go and see her, she needs you.”

“It’s bad, then?” Ebony asked in a quiet voice, her mane falling to obscure her tired eyes.

“No child as young as she should have to experience the social prejudices of our society in such gross detail,” the butler responded sternly. “I fear she is facing some harsh realities she isn’t yet equipped to process or understand. I fear for her wellbeing.”

“Well… duty calls, then,” Cash noted, standing up and offering a hoof to his wife. “Forget those… beasts. She’s all that matters right now.”

“Yes. I know,” Ebony replied, accepting a hoof up and standing beside her husband. “Come on. I need to see my baby…”

Time Catcher watched on solemnly as the two parents ascended the staircase, his eyes serious and full of worry. He shook his head as they fell out of sight, wishing them the best before returning to his work throughout the household.

Ebony and Cash, meanwhile, quietly approached Perfect Rose’s bedroom with their ears perked up and listening for any sounds within. What they got was… silence. Nothing. And so, each nervous as to what they might find, they slowly opened the door and revealed the room beyond.

The curtains were open, Celestia’s sunlight flowing into the room and making it look, overall, far cheerier than it had any right to be given the circumstances. But on the whole, everything appeared undisturbed. Toys were scattered where they’d been left that morning before school, her books remained in their bookshelves ready for future bedtime stories… The only difference, and a soul-crushing one for the two ponies, was the sight of Perfect Rose’s bed. Or, rather, the sight of what lay atop of that bed…

Perfect Rose herself, curled up on scattered and uncomfortably scrunched up bedsheets with Fluffy predictably held close. They almost thought she’d fallen asleep if it weren’t for the fact that her eyes were open and staring blankly into the void.

They entered, silently closing the door behind them as they approached the bed.

“Perfect Rose…?” Ebony called out gently.

The griffon gave a sharp gasp at the intrusion, shooting up with her favoured doll in her claws as her eyes latched onto the two ponies who approached and sat on the side of her bed. She remained there for a good few seconds, simply staring at them like she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Then her lower beak began to quiver, her eyes welling up as she lunged at her parents as they caught her with open hooves and both hugged her tight. Her wailing renewed, the child crying away all she had left to give. They, on their part, were happy to sit and wait for their daughter to get her grief out of her system. Minutes passed them by, the child’s cries becoming their world as the terrible noise assaulted their ears. And yet, eventually, they once again began to die off…

But what she said next broke their hearts worse than any errant tear ever could.

“Mummy… Daddy… Why am I different?”

They immediately froze; both the question and the sheer void in her tone throwing them completely through a loop.

And, this time, they found themselves at a complete loss as to how they should respond.

“Am I… am I a monster?”

“What? No!” Ebony refuted. “Never ever think something so horrible! You are the sweetest little filly this side of Equestria. Don’t let them ever make you think otherwise, okay?”

“But… I’m not a filly…” she realised sadly.

“W-what do you mean?”

“Am I… Am I pony…?”

Ebony’s mouth gaped like a fish, her eyes moving pleadingly over to Cash Counter for help.

“…No, you’re not a pony,” Perfect Rose’s father finally admitted. “You know you’re a griffon. You’ve always been a griffon. Griffons… they are not ponies.”

“But…” Perfect Rose held them a little tighter. “Is that why I can’t make things floaty?”

“You know not all ponies can make things float either,” Cash pointed out. “Your teacher has taught you that much.”

Earth ponies and pegasi…

But she wasn’t either of them.

“What is a griffon?” she then asked. “Why aren’t I a pony?”

“Griffons are… half eagle and half lion,” Ebony explained. “Most live in a faraway place across the sea. Another country, with their own cities and their own families. But some live in Equestria too, like you.”

“They brought you to us, and when we saw you, we realised you were the most beautiful little filly to ever exist,” her father then stated, nuzzling the top of her head. “It doesn’t matter that you aren’t a pony. Not in the slightest.”

“Can I… meet them?”

“Maybe one day.”

“What are they like?”

“They’re… like every other creature. People of all kinds.”

“But everypony is scared of me…” she muttered sadly. “Even when I just want to be friends and play.”

“Perfect Rose, listen to me,” Ebony addressed sternly. “There is nothing wrong with you. You didn’t do anything bad, okay?”

“Some other ponies are just naughty and don’t understand,” Cash Counter further explained. “You are perfect the way you are, we promise. I mean, the Princess, your friends… even Fluffy says so!”

That finally got a smile out of her. “Yup! Fluffy is a smarty pants!”

“Yes. Very smart,” her mother agreed. “And she is telling you to ignore the mean ponies, alright? We all love you so, so much. My special little girl…”

They hugged her tight, a loving family embraced that, despite it all, told Perfect Rose that she was safe. Here, with them, in this room, nothing could hurt her. She was protected, secure and, most importantly, loved. Loved more than anything by two ponies who meant the world to her, and she to them.

Here and now, Perfect Rose felt safe.

13 - Griffon N' Pals

Perfect Rose liked being royalty!

“Avast ye!” the griffon proclaimed, an imaginary crown on her head as the park around her spontaneously became a grand keep. “Bring me yer treasure!”

“You’re meant to be the old king, not a pirate!” Sundance protested.

“He could have been a pirate king!”

“Not according to this, no,” she denied, sifting through the book they’d borrowed from the library before placing it back in her saddlebag. “He was not a pirate king.”

“Aw. But that would be so cool!”

“There is nothing ‘cool’ about being a pirate, young madame,” Time Catcher replied from his position on a nearby bench. “And I was under the impression you sought out the female monarchs of the old Empire.”

“I was. But this guy knew Princess Celestia!” Perfect Rose replied. “What was it the book said? A da- dali- daliant?”

“Dalliance,” Sundance replied factually. “I think it means they ‘liked’ each other.”

“A rumour circulating among some historical societies,” Time pointed out. “Only her Highness would know if there is any truth to the matter.”

“Pfft. Perfect Rose likes girls,” Bright Spark taunted.

Rose’s cheeks puffed up. “Ew! That’s gross! All love-dovey kissy-face stuff is gross!”

“I know right,” he agreed. “When Mum and Dad get all smoochy it’s so bleh.”

“I think it’s nice,” Sundance remarked.

“Of course you would.”

“Hey!”

“Such things are beyond your years,” Time Catcher pointed out. “I would advise returning to your little re-enactment. As inaccurate as it is.”

“But it’s cooool!” Perfect Rose insisted with a drawn-out whine.

The children continued to bicker amongst themselves as to whether the portrayal of the king should be that of a pirate or not, their accompanying adult just watching with intense bemusement at their display. At least they were taking an interest in such things, having spent a good while in the library picking out certain tomes with the information they required. So absorbed were they that they had insisted on playing them in such a manner, and they certainly seemed to be having fun pretending they were back in the middling years of Celestia’s reign. A time before King Grover lost his prized possession, during a period where Equestria and the Griffon Empire had more cordial relations.

But it had been during their library trip that his ward had sighted a book on piracy, so that’s likely where the mixed obsession came from.

“Fine, I won’t be the pirate griffon king. Spoilsport,” Rose finally conceded to Sundance. “I’ll be Queen Grizelda instead.”

“Aw,” Bright Spark complained. “I thought pirate kings were cool too.”

“Shush!” Sundance shot him down. “Besides, the book says that Grizelda was plenty cool too. She fought a tribe of Diamond Dogs that tried to steal their treasure and stuff. Apparently, she was a super awesome fighter, and has a statue and everything in one city!”

“Then I am Queen Grizelda!” Rose announced, turning towards Bright Spark with a smirk. “Look out, Diamond Dog! You are a meanie and I will beat you up!”

“Hey! Why am I the bad guy!?” he protested heavily.

“Yes, and as the General of your armies, I will lead the charge and defeat the bully!” Sundance agreed, scuffing the ground as if to charge. “Surrender, or you will fall to the Griffon Empire!”

“This is dumb! Why should I be the Diamond Dogs and not one of you!?”

“Because you’re a boy,” Perfect Rose replied as if it were obvious. “And we outnumber you.”

“Huh!? Gah. Well, I’m not going down easy! I have magic!”

“Diamond Dogs don’t have magic!”

“They do now!” he proclaimed, jumping forward and poking Perfect Rose right in her fluffy red-striped front. “And you’re it now bye!”

He then ran away.

Perfect Rose’s eye twitched. “You-! Get back here, dummy!”

“By Queen Grizelda’s order, after him!” Sundance declared before giggling with glee. “Acting is fun!”

“Then after the criminal, General!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Then bolted off after him, Time Catcher raising an eyebrow while continuing to watch them curiously.

Since Bright was ahead of them, he slowed down ever so slightly as if to taunt them. He turned, sticking out his tongue at his friends before turning and bolting off again. Neither girl liked his attitude, glancing at one another with their eyes fiery and filled with determination to put the jerk in his place!

“You go left, I go right!” Rose commanded.

“On it!”

Bright Spark rounded a tree, spotting the other two split up in an attempt to catch him from both sides. He saw Sundance closing in, not stopping as his horn lit up and he was greeted to a surprised yelp behind him.

“No fair!” Sundance groaned, now flat on her stomach with her tail rooted in place in the colt’s magic aura. “Cheater!”

“Hah! You can’t catch me!” he bragged.

And then a shadow fell upon him, the pony only having the briefest of moments to look up before realising he had made a mistake. One crucial mistake. Or perhaps it was two? The first would be picking a fight where he was outnumbered, because while he’d focused on Sundance the other had closed in.

And the big major second mistake?

The other one could fly.

“Got you!”

“Oof!” Bright Spark had the wind knocked clean out of him as the griffon landed on his back, sending him down in a crumbled and highly indignant heap.

Perfect Rose bounced off, a spring in her step as she rounded the downed colt and bobbed him on the nose with a talon. “You’re it!”

“Double it!” Sundance declared as she trotted up and roughly nudged him on the shoulder. “Because that tail thing was not okay!”

Bright Spark looked between them, his head then hitting the floor in defeat. “Ugh…”

“I do hope you’re being careful,” the watchful butler shouted over to them. “The last thing we need is a bruise and scrape, don’t you think?”

“Yes, Time Catcher,” Perfect Rose replied in a practised drone. “I think that means we should stop.”

“And there goes my revenge,” Bright noted with dissatisfaction. “I’ll get you two later.”

“Bring it,” Sundance replied with a smirk. “Oh, but now what do we do? I liked playing that. Acting like somepony else was awesome.”

“You sounded really convincing as the General as well!” her griffon friend complimented.

“Scarily so,” Bright agreed. “Since when were you good at performing and stuff?”

Sundance blushed. “I just think it’s cool, that’s all…”

“Well, we still need to figure out a new game,” Rose stated. “Queen griffon needs to take her faithful subjects on adventures!”

“Still going with the royalty stuff, eh?” Bright asked with amusement.

“Yush!” she replied cheerfully. “And Fluffy is Captain of the Guard!”

She pointed towards the manticore doll, which sat lifelessly on the table in a sagged heap.

“See! He’s so happy to help!”

“Right…” Sundance muttered with a frown. “I still get to be important though, right?”

“You’re both important,” she replied to her two friends. “But we still need an adventure…”

“You know, I heard that there is a dungeon in the castle,” Bright Spark mused. “Dad said bad ponies used to go there. But it’s all empty and stuff now.”

“Where do they send bad ponies then?” Sundance asked.

“I dunno. Some prison or something. But we’re good, so we don’t have to worry,” he answered. “And since it’s empty, why don’t we go check it out?”

Perfect Rose tilted her head. “That’s your idea? Wander into an abandoned dungeon in Princess Celestia’s castle?”

“Yup!”

“That… is… a great idea!” she announced with her wings happily fluttering on her back. “Like exploring a lost tomb, perfect for a queen griffon and her friends!”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sundance said with clear doubt in her voice. “The adults might get mad at us.”

“Yeah, we’d have to sneak away. He won’t notice if he doesn’t see us, and we can get back before he does, right?” Perfect Rose asked with a glance at Time Catcher.

“I’m not sure…”

“Come on, adventure!”

“But-“

“Adventure!”

“…Fine.”

“Yay!”

But how to do that without getting caught…

And then it was as if the universe itself saw fit to assist in their ill-advised endeavour.

A mare was wandering down the pathway that cut through the park, holding several bags in her magic while balancing two others on her back. It looked like she was struggling a bit, exerting her limited magical strength just to carry that many things at once and likewise needing to balance the rest of her cargo not caught in the levitation spell.

And, as any who might have seen her could easily have imagined, it was too much.

The mare yelped as she tripped on one particularly large stone, stumbling only slightly, but it was enough for the bags on her back to go tumbling forth and scatter the entirety of their contents to the ground.

“Blast it,” Time Catcher cursed, shooting up from his seat and, being the gentlestallion he was, rushed to the mare’s aid.

Taking his eyes off the foals as a result.

“Great!” Perfect Rose spoke out, feeling quite grateful to the oddly convenient timing. “Let’s go! Let me just grab Fluff!”

“No, he might spot us!” Bright pointed out, pulling Rose forward with his magic. “Now!”

“But…”

“She’s the Captain, right? She can hold the kingdom in our stead.”

That made sense, she guessed… But…

She glanced back at Fluffy as she went, giving a sigh and figuring Time would keep an eye on her. Still, it wouldn’t be as fun without her…

And as they went, Time Catcher finished gathering up the stray contents of the mare’s bags and placing them back in their containers.

“Oh, that was most kind of you,” the mare thanked profusely. “I’m sorry about this, such a mess…”

“Not at all,” he replied. “It happens to the best of us. Quite the load you seem to carry.”

“Yes, I work as a maid for the Illustrious household. I was sent for a resupply; the pantry was looking rather bare.”

“Ah, the life of a servant,” he noted sympathetically. “I know it well.”

“So I see. But thanks again and have a great day!”

“As with you, ma’am,” he replied brightly, watching her go before we made to turn back to the kids.

The thing is, the whole exchange occurred for less than a minute. Thirty seconds, perhaps. Maybe even less. Mere moments to turn his back and help a pony in need. But more the fool was he, he figured, for believing that wasn’t enough time for a foal to do what a foal does best.

Cause trouble.

“Blast it all…” he repeated at the sight of a playground that was unfortunately empty…

Beyond that playground’s confines, meanwhile, those three troublesome foals trudged along, laughing amongst themselves without much knowledge of the panic they had left behind. A few ponies they passed did glance at them curiously, but seeing as they were quite happily walking together, most figured they were simply allowed by their parents to roam as they wished. It was a safe district, after all, and many likewise decided they were likely older than they truly were.

Which served the three just fine.

“What do you think we’ll find there?” Bright Spark wondered aloud. “Maybe ghosts?”

“Oh please, ghosts don’t exist.,” Sundance dismissed.

“How do you know?”

“I… I just know! Okay…”

“But they could be waiting for a filly to come along and gobble them up!”

She shrunk back. “S-shut up, stupid…”

“Pfft, I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!” Perfect Rose dismissed. “I am Queen Grizelda, after all! She wouldn’t be afraid!”

“Yeah!” Bright Spark enthusiastically agreed. “Ghosts can’t handle my magic!”

“Sure…” Sundance said with continued nervousness. “Um, but how do we get there? The guards will probably not let us in.”

Rose hummed. “I… don’t really know. We could fly?”

“We don’t have wings.”

“Oh. Yeah… Fluffy would know. We shoulda brought Fluffy.”

Sundance rolled her eyes. “Well, doesn’t Princess Celestia let ponies in to see her during the day? Maybe we could sneak in with a crowd?”

“You are a sneaky pony and I am okay with this.”

The three friends laughed amongst themselves, continuing their march up the street and towards the castle at the height of Canterlot. None of them had been inside those legendary halls before, so it was something to look forward to. Even Sundance’s mind was now racing with thoughts of what they might find, hoping their small frames would allow them to escape notice in a crowd of adults.

And so they went, eager for their self-proclaimed adventure, all unaware of a simple fact. At least in active consciousness, but perhaps deep down they did know, choosing to ignore the niggling feeling their brains attempted to inform them of.

But it was too late.

And they had no idea how grounded they were.

14 - Business as Usual?

Perfect Rose was probably fine.

Ebony shook her head. What trouble could she possibly get into? She was usually as good as gold when Time Catcher looked after her, but today she just had an odd feeling that something was going to go wrong. Was it motherly instant? Paranoia? Some paranormal sixth sense she had no idea she had until now?

It probably wasn’t the latter, though it was a fun thought. But ever since they had sent their child off towards the library, she’d been nothing but a worrywart.

Then again, she’s her mother. It was her job to unnecessarily worry about her wellbeing.

At least, she hoped it was unnecessary.

“You’re making that face again,” Cash noted with an amused smile.

“Face? What face? I don’t make faces.”

“It’s the face you make when you’re about to enter ‘mama bear’ mode.”

“Now that’s an exaggeration,” she defended earnestly. “And you’re the same, papa bear.”

“Okay, yeah, you got me. But relax, Time Catcher knows how to handle three fidgety foals.”

“He does handle you.”

“Hey, low blow.”

Now it was her turn to shoot an amused smile, and she felt some of the tension in her body bleed away with great relief. Not entirely, mind you. She would never stop worrying for as long as she still drew breath. But enough to shove it to the back of her mind for the time being and focus on present matters.

Namely, approaching the monarch of the entirety of Equestria with a foreign-based business proposal surrounding rainbow apples. You know, a completely casual day.

“You’re making that face again. For different reasons now, I’m guessing.”

“Ah, shut it.”

Ebony squirmed in her seat, a plush red velvet cushion that was customary for a waiting room within the confines of Canterlot Castle. It was nice to stand away from the usual line carrying on down the halls, she wasn’t sure how Filthy Rich managed to secure a specific appointment time. Those were usually reserved for particularly important matters and dignitaries, and yet here they were. Some strings he must have pulled…

Speaking of…

The door opened, admitting the said stallion alongside a few other bored-looking ponies in business suits. She wasn’t really familiar with their faces, but some faint recognition lit up in her husband’s features.”

“Mr Rich,” Cash Counter greeted, getting up and shaking his hoof. “I trust the trip from Ponyville was pleasant?”

“Pleasant enough,” he responded. “Though, circumstances back home have not been overly pleasant as of late.”

“Yes, we heard. The death of Buttercup and Bright Macintosh has to have hit the whole town rather hard.”

“An understatement. It came as a shock to everypony,” he mused regretfully. “There has been a great number of condolences being passed to the family, but nopony has really seen them in days. They’re keeping to themselves, though a few other members of the Apple clan have shown up as well.”

“I take it there’s going to be a memorial service?” Ebony asked.

“Next week. Granny Smith is seeing to it, Big Macintosh is helping out too, the poor lad. But I hear he is handling it well for a teenager. I imagine to be strong for young Applejack.”

“She’s not all that much younger,” Cash noted.

“No, but he is the big brother. It makes sense,” Ebony then pointed out. “What about their youngest?”

“It’s a blessing and a curse, really. She won’t remember a thing; she doesn’t even know what’s going on. And yet she will be raised by her siblings and a single grandparent. Quite the tragic set of circumstances.”

“Not to mention how it’ll affect the harvest,” one of the other ponies grumbled.

“Yes… quite…” Cash replied through gritted teeth. He then released a sigh. The pony may have put it horribly, clearly not having brushed up on what counts as a priority in this situation, but it was still an issue they couldn’t ignore. “We do still have a stock of zap apples and other such products from the farm. And if I recall, crates they have yet to distribute.”

“That is correct,” Filthy Rich confirmed. “But production will understandably cease for the time being. At least until after the memorial.”

“I’d hope so,” Ebony said, seemingly earning the ire of the other suited ponies. “But what we have can sustain our bit flow until they are ready. At most, we’ll see a minor deep in earnings for a few weeks. But things will return after that, the family is nothing if not dedicated to their farm.”

“But how can they run with their primary workers no longer of this world?” one of the suited ponies enquired.

“Granny Smith is still spry enough to pull her weight,” Filthy Rich pointed out. “And Big Mac is old enough, Applejack too is near enough. Worst comes to worst; Mrs Smith will hire some extra hooves for a while. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Or get some other family members to come on for the time being,” Cash added in. “Don’t underestimate them, they have things in hoof. Right from childhood, an Apple is a tough pony to bring down.”

“Speaking of kids, how is your own doing?” Filthy then asked. “Perfect Rose, I trust she is well?”

“She is off at the library right now with her friends and our butler. Thanks for asking,” Ebony explained. “What about you? I mean, I hear you’ve got a new mare in your life.”

“I… Ahem, I would rather not talk about that.”

Ebony frowned. Something was going on there, but in this case, she decided it wasn’t her place to press on the matter further.

“Either way, we should also make our move,” the brown stallion then stated, glancing at a pocket watch he held in his suit. “Our allotted time is rapidly approaching, and the court of Princess Celestia won’t wait on account of tardiness.”

“Good point. Honey?” Cash asked over to his wife.

“I’m coming,” she confirmed as she stood up, stretching out her stiff muscles for a moment. “Filthy, would you care to lead the way?”

The stallion nodded, turning and opening the door back out into the hallway of Canterlot Castle. As they did so, a member of the Solar Guard ran past in a bit of a hurry. The group all looked at one another in confusion at the sight, Cash looking over to another standing guard with a quizzical expression.

“Guardspony, what’s going on? Should we be concerned?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, sir,” the guard assured. “Just some trouble in the dungeon.”

His frown deepened. “Isn’t it sealed off?”

“Again, it’s nothing to worry about. Please, go about your day.”

They all looked at each other again, but the pony’s tone left no room for argument. So, with nothing else better to do, they chose to push that little curiosity aside for the moment and continued on towards the throne room. They didn’t require a guide, each of them more than familiar with the process of entering Celestia’s court. So, with that in mind, they passed through the corridors, past the various historical images depicted in the windows and other such day-to-day things usual to the castle until the hustle and bustle of a decently busy line of ponies became known to their ears.

Indeed, rounding the next corner, they found themselves outside the throne room. The queue bent all the way around the next corridor over, around the corner and out of sight. The doors were sealed shut for but a moment when they arrived, the guards then opening it up to allow the previous petitioner to exit.

“Just in time…” Filthy mused to himself, approaching the guards. “Filthy Rich and accompanying company. I believe this is our time slot.”

The guard glanced towards another unicorn pony wearing the attire of the castle’s serving staff, said unicorn checking a checklist held in his magic before nodding at the guard. The guard, in turn, nodded back at the group and moved aside to allow their entrance into the throne room.

This achieved no small number of groans and complaints from those towards the front of the line still waiting their turn.

Ignoring the disgruntled protests, the ponies made their way inside as the doors were secured behind them. Walking down the red carpet towards the golden throne, and reaching the end, each of them took a low bow towards the figure sitting in the seat.

Princess Celestia looked up from a chat with her assistant, Raven, and graced them with her typical brand of motherly smiles.

“Ah, my little ponies, I would presume you have something to discuss regarding that quaint little farm in Ponyville.”

“Yes, your Highness,” Cash Counter confirmed as he and the others stood up again. “We wish to discuss royal endorsement in opening a new line of trade with some foreign powers.”

“Oh? Like whom?”

“The griffons, potentially. We were also looking at the minotaurs of Minon and the hippogriffs of Mount Aris.”

“I trust you have also heard of the difficulties plaguing the farm as of late?” Filthy Rich then asked.

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Difficulties? I am afraid I have heard little news from Ponyville. I apologise for this, but I have a whole nation to watch over, sometimes things slip through the cracks.”

“No apologies necessary, Highness,” Ebony assured. “We can’t expect you to have heard about all the things happening out in Equestria. Especially a small town like Ponyville.”

“Ponyville may be small, but it is no less important,” Celestia replied. “Now, what has happened?”

“It’s the owners of Sweet Apple Acres, Princess,” Filthy explained. “Sadly, both have passed away. The family, being in mourning as they are, shall understandably not be working the farm for the time being as a result.”

Celestia blinked in shock. “Passed away? I am very sorry to hear this. What happened, if I might ask?”

“An accident, best to leave it at that. Lest you truly wish to know the details.”

“…Perhaps I should spare us from that,” she decided. “But do send my condolences to the family. The Apples were the ones who helped kickstart that town, with my support. I am quite familiar with the family.”

“As we understand it, your Highness.”

“But even with this dire news, you wish to keep going with this new business enquiry?”

“We have a modest supply of zap apples stored,” he explained. “A minimal amount, admittedly. But enough to broach the market by selling them at a high price to… particularly high-class individuals. We also have a larger surplus of other types of Sweet Apple Acres branded apples and products that could be distributed at more moderate prices to a wider range of individuals.”

“And you believe selling zap apples exclusively for the rich is the way to go?” she asked doubtfully.

“We would ideally make it for everyone, but we don’t have the supply for that kind of demand,” Cash pointed out. “We would run out far too quickly and leave far too many customers wanting. Maybe when things are better we can, but at least this way we get a line of trade with these nations and increase Equestria’s own influence on their markets.”

“Which would be useful to the crown, at least diplomatically speaking,” Filthy further stated. “Seeing as our current trade with other powers are at an all-time low, Equestria could use it. Which is why we’re seeking a royal endorsement.”

Celestia hummed. “It is true that relations with other species and powers aren’t as… open as I would like in recent years. But I am not certain that-”

And then the door exploded.

All eyes looked back in utter surprise at the sudden spark of mana that cast the door aside and revealed the complete calamity going on beyond the throne room. Shouts and the sound of beating hooves, as well as a far stronger clanking of metal, could be heard as whatever the source was came rushing through the splinters that were once the entrance.

And then, the most dumbfounding thing of all was the tumbling pile of four foals that came rolling in before crashing and landing in a heap. Behind them came running several animated suits of armour of archaic design, not a soul inside them as the magical automatons were pounced upon by the frantic Royal Guard as they tried to stop the rampage.

But that wasn’t the focus of Ebony and Cash’s attention, however. No, that would have been the single child that stood out among the rest, the former’s mouth going agape at the sight.

“Perfect Rose!?”

“Uh… I can explain.”

15 - The Fantabulous Adventures of a Queen Griffon

Perfect Rose was on a mission.

The castle gates were up ahead, and there was no shortage of crowds with which to put Sundance’s clever idea into action. Though the griffon had to admit, she was feeling a tiny bit intimidated by those ponies in golden armour keeping watch over everything. They looked cool and stuff, like tough warriors from stories she’d heard. But those spears of theirs looked like they would make an ouchie, and their gazes were all serious and mean-looking…

No! What was she on about? She was the Queen Griffon right now! The Queen Griffon and her faithful followers! She wasn’t afraid of anything!

Plus, she would be super embarrassed if she had to go back to Fluffy without actually getting inside first. She would never let her forget it.

They could do this. They couldn’t possibly fail!

“Onward!” Perfect Rose announced, pointing a talon towards the gate and attracting a few odd looks.

“Get. Off. My. Back,” Bright Spark demanded with no small amount of annoyance.

Perfect Rose grumbled to herself, and yet to not dislodge from her sudden and completely impromptu pony ride. “I am Queen, my subjects should be so kind as to carry me!”

Bright Spark blinked. And then, completely casually, he leant slightly to the side and let Perfect Rose fall off with a resounding thud when she hit the pavement.

“Ouch! Ugh, fiiiine. Sundance?”

“No chance,” she denied.

“Aw. You guys are no fun.”

“Lies.”

“Hrmg…”

“So, we doing this? Because, uh…” Bright Spark scuffed a hoof. “I’m a wizard and all, but I can’t magic us out of getting into serious trouble when those guards catch us.”

“If, Brighty, if,” Perfect Rose corrected. “And we won’t. Because I am your brave leader. And… Sundance also has a smart plan.”

“Maybe she can act her way out of trouble since she enjoys it so much,” he then deadpanned.

“I do. And maybe I will,” the filly retorted, sticking out her tongue at him. “But… we’re small, right? So we can just sit in the middle of the bigger ponies and get inside.”

“Maybe you can figure out a spell to make us all ghost-y and stuff,” the griffon suggested.

“Invisible? Can he do that?” Sundance asked.

“I dunno,” he replied with a shrug. “Hm… Maybe…”

“Actually, no. Let’s just go with her plan,” Rose decided.

“Aw. Now who’s no fun?”

“Still you. So… Crowd…”

They totally had this.

They sat on the sidelines for a little while, watching the crowds and occasionally bickering about whether it was time to jump in or not. Eventually, however, a clump of about a dozen or so ponies came by travelling in a cluster. Finally able to agree that this looked like the perfect opportunity, the children scampered forward and nosed their way into the middle of the large grouping.

“Hey!”

“Watch it!”

They uttered hushed apologises every time they bumped into somepony else in their efforts, but aside from some annoyed grunts, the would-be day court attendees ultimately paid them little mind. They seemed far too absorbed in their own reasons for being there to focus on the issue of a couple of clumsy foals, which served their purposes just fine.

They stayed silent after that, each one clearly nervous that they would be called out and get into trouble should the adults figure out what they were up to. And it was in this terrified silence that the gates drew rapidly closer. And then it was upon them, the crowd moving by the guards and heading inside.

Rose almost froze when she saw one of the guards’ eyes meet hers. But it lasted a mere moment before he got right back to examining the crowd.

Maybe he thought they were with some of the adults making up the crowd?

So far, so lucky…

They stayed with the group as they were shepherded through the grounds and towards the main entrance of the castle, two great doors leading into the interior that looked to the foals like a gigantic maw ready to eat them whole. At least, that was what their imagination told them. But they had to brave it, for the castle dungeon and all its secrets awaited them!

And so they passed into the maw, emerging into a grand entranceway with even more ponies going about their business. Going up the central staircase, the adults started to move off down one of the corridors. And there, down that corridor, was a conjoining hallway that nopony seemed to be watching.

Perfect Rose’s adventure senses were tingling!

Nudging the others, she pointed towards the turn they would be making. Getting mutters of confirmation, they waited until the group started to pass by the turn before making their move. Breaking away from the crowd, they darted down the other hallway as quickly and sneakily as they could.

And then they were free. The corridor stretched out before them, and none of the castle’s staff were any the-

“Hey! Where do you kids think you’re going!?”

Uh oh!

“RUN!”

Without missing a beat, the troublesome trio sprang into action and sprinted as fast as their little legs would take them away from the voice. Rose dared a glance over her shoulder to find the source, finding a maid quickly following on with a panicked expression on her face.

“Children! You can’t be back here!”

With promises of scolding and other such repercussions on their mind, they somewhat foolishly continued on despite the mare’s frantic calls to the contrary. They rounded the next corner they came across, ideas for escape rushing through the young griffon’s mind. Maybe they could hide behind a tapestry? A decorative suit of armour? Duck into a closet somewhere? Maybe they should just bail?

All those thoughts soon went away, however, as all three of them suddenly skidded to a halt in front of a very confused-looking colt wearing a smart suit. Perfect Rose was about to tell the others to ignore him and move on, that mare would be around the corner herself any second after all! However, when her mind actually caught up to what she was seeing, she realised she recognised this colt.

“Goldenblood?”

“Uh…” he muttered in a dumbfounded manner. “Hi…?”

“There you are!” the maid breathed out with a sigh of relief as she caught up to them, taking in heavy breaths at her unexpected sprint. “What are… you… doing!?”

“We’re… with him!” Sundance suddenly declared, pointing at a surprised Goldenblood. “We got lost. Sorry!”

“Yeah. Totally!” Bright Spark quickly agreed. “Isn’t that right, Goldy?”

“Um…”

Perfect Rose regarded him a moment, shifting uncomfortably as he was. Their eyes met, and she couldn’t help but remember how their previous interactions had gone. The shouting of his older brother that day, the trouble he could get in…

Part of her thought that she should play along with the ruse, but it didn’t feel right. She didn’t want the colt to get into trouble with his meanie of a brother because of her. Besides, this was their idea, he should be dragged into their game if he didn’t want to play. He was shy after all, Fluffy wouldn’t approve.

She sagged, a resigned look of defeat crossing her face. “Actually-”

“Actually!” the colt suddenly interrupted. “Yeah! That’s right, we got separated and they aren’t used to the halls and their layout.”

Perfect Rose blinked, staring at the Prince with wide eyes as he gave her a nod and smile. Why was he going along with this? He was always so shy at school, not to mention they’ve never said a word to each other since the incident with Blueblood. Why would he lie for them?

She was more than a little confused by this.

“Then… why did your friends run…?” the mare asked in confusion.

Goldenblood bit his lip, and Rose suddenly found him looking towards her for an answer. Rose gaped a moment, her mind trying to catch up with everything that had just happened. But, after a moment of collecting herself, she turned to face the maid.

“You scared us,” she replied truthfully. “Sorry…”

The pony sighed. “Alright… Keep your friends close, Prince Goldenblood. I’d rather not give the guard cause for concern.”

“Thank you, ma’am. We will.”

The mare nodded, heading off back down the corridor from whence she came.

“That… was… awesome!” Bright Spark gushed, getting up in Goldenblood’s face excitedly. “You totally saved us! That was great!”

“Oh, um…” The shyness returned in force. “Hm… Uh…”

“You’re scaring him, Sparky,” Sundance chided. “Thank you. That was super nice of you.”

“So, since you’re a Prince, you can tell all the staff what to do and stuff, right?” Bright then asked.

“I guess…” he replied with a shrug. “But… um… I don’t wanna shout and stuff. That’d be mean.”

“Why help us out?” Perfect Rose asked him. “I don’t want you to get in trouble or anything…”

“Well… you were nice to me, remember? And then my brother was mean, and he shouted like he always does. I kinda felt bad.”

“Really…?” He remembered that day too? “I… I’d only wanted to be your friend, and then he got grumpy just because I’m a griffon.”

“Blueblood’s a jerk,” he replied. “I was gonna ask if you wanted to play. But then he had to be a stupid head and ruin it all.”

Perfect Rose cheered up instantly. He was going to accept her offer to be friends!? So she hadn’t messed it all up! And neither had the mean pony! That was super fantabulous! Because she was the fantabulous Queen Griffon about to gain another follower!

“Then I accept!” Perfect Rose declared. “I am leading an adventure to the dungeons, and you’re coming with us!”

He shrank down. “I… am…?”

Rose blinked at his demeanour, and then promptly reined her enthusiasm in a little. “I… Sure! If you want to come, which would be super cool and all. Friends?”

“You still want to be friends? Even after what happened?”

“It was like… forever ago,” Rose dismissed. Two years was practically forever, right? “Yup! I wanna be friends! And I know Fluffy would too.”

“Fluffy? Oh. The doll, right?”

“Uh-huh!” she confirmed. “Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“It’s just… I… uh… don’t really have… friends…”

“Aw, that’s not nice,” Sundance lamented. “Then we’ll be your first!”

Bright Spark shrugged. “Eh, couldn’t hurt.”

“See? We’re all your friends now!” Perfect Rose insisted.

Her enthusiasm, and the agreement of the others, seemed to get the colt to perk up a little more. “You really mean it?”

“Yup! Oh! And since you know your way around the castle, do you know how to get in there?”

“Well… I’m not really supposed to go in there. Nopony is. It was sealed away.”

“So… we really can’t get in?”

Sensing her impending disappointment, Goldenblood bit his lip in contemplation for a moment before deciding that he didn’t want to let his newfound friends down mere moments after its declaration.

“…But, I do know a secret way in. I heard some guards talk about it once,” he informed them. “Come on, I’ll show you!”

The griffon grinned. This was so great! She was on an adventure and she had finally made that friend she’d been trying to make since… well, ever. And with no big mean ponies around to stop them, she and her other friends all fell into step behind the young prince as he led the way through the corridors towards this secret entrance he supposedly knew.

And it was definitely easier with him around. The first time a couple of guards rounded the corner they immediately prepared to run again, only for them to merely nod and walk past with little more than a glance. That glance had been made towards Perfect Rose specifically, but the presence of Goldenblood seemed to remove any concern they may have otherwise displayed at the group’s idle wander through the halls.

He really did have free reign over the castle. That was so neat!

They went a fair ways further before coming to a stop at a seemingly inconspicuous wall. It was blank, sitting on another corner with but a single displayed suit of Royal Guard armour decorating the otherwise blank spot. Rose studied it curiously, then moving her gaze towards Goldenblood with a questioning look.

“All I see is a blank wall,” she noted. “Where’s the door?”

“It is the door,” he replied, his horn lighting up and taking hold of the armour’s helmet. He twisted it to the left, a loud ‘click’ sounding before the helmet moved itself back into position and the wall jolted slightly. It seemed to open slightly, just like a door that was barely ajar.

“Oh, it actually worked,” Goldenblood mused. “Cool.”

“You didn’t think it would?” Sundance asked with a frown.

He blushed. “It’s not like I tried it before! You know… I just heard it, so…”

“You’re awesome, Goldenblood!” Perfect Rose stated, catching the Prince off guard with a sudden glomp of a hug. “Thank you thank you!”

The blush only deepened. “Uh… Um… Okay…”

“So, we getting this adventure going or what?” Bright Spark asked, lighting his own horn and opening the secret door wide enough for them to get inside.

What laid beyond was an incredibly dark staircase leading downwards. Spiderwebs covered it practically from top to bottom, the stone looking cracked and as if it hadn’t been maintained in a very long time. They all noticeably hesitated at the sight, but with each of the unicorns having their horns providing enough of a glow to light their way, they started down the steps and shut the door up behind them.

They descended down, the stairs continuing for a surprisingly long stretch before they emerged into a square chamber with a cobblestone floor that contrasted heavily with the pristine architecture of the castle above. The darkness seemed even more crushing now that they had reached it, a broken table sitting in the corner and several open but barred prison doors leading off in several directions.

“So… this place to super creepy. Not just me?” Bright asked with a shiver.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all…” Sundance agreed. “How long has this place been so… empty…?”

“I’m not sure. Super long I heard. Bad ponies are sent to other prisons now,” Goldenblood explained. “There wasn’t a need for this place anymore.”

“There are definitely ghosts down here,” the other colt then remarked.

“Bright Spark!” Sundance hissed at him. “Not. Funny.”

“But there totally are!”

“No! Stop it!”

Perfect Rose left them to bicker, her eyes being drawn to one of the open doorways. She crept on in, peering inside as far as the light of her friends’ horns would let her. She felt a chill along her back, there being nothing but silence if one were to discount her friends and their chatter. As she entered in slightly further, the talking stopped as the others moved to cautiously follow.

CRASH.

SQUAWK!

Rose’s noise of extreme surprise was accompanied by the equally startled screams of the others as the griffon, missing it due to the darkness, ploughed straight into something metal that immediately fell over and clanged to the ground. They all shot backwards through the door, diving behind the walls to escape the obviously terrible monster ghost thing that they had just awakened and now wanted to gobble all the naughty children up!

…But no monster followed.

Slowly, they all poked their head back around the doorway and glanced into the darkness. Spotting a shape from where the clatter had occurred, they all cautiously approached with the unicorns lighting their horns as brightly as they could for the best possible view.

“Pfft,” Bright Spark snorted at what they found. “Ha. Who said anything about ghosts? It’s just an old suit of armour.”

He ignored the very angry glare Sundance shot his way.

But indeed, Perfect Rose had stumbled into an old suit of armour that looked… super old. She’d never seen any of the guards wearing it. It was a dark purple colour, the helmet fully obscuring where a pony’s face might have been. It also seemed like it would have covered the wearer’s whole body and had a lot of spiked edged and a covering for the whole horn. The whole thing looked more than a little intimidating… if it wasn’t a pile of scrap scattered along the floor.

“There’s more,” Goldenblood noted.

Rose looked up and, with a mix of the added light and her own eyes adjusting to the dark, she could indeed make out several more suits lining the hallway as if standing guard over the various cells.

“Guards used to wear this stuff?” Sundance wondered. “It’s creepy.”

“Woooow. But so much cooler!” Bright Spark added. “Why they’d stop?”

“It looks a little… mean…” Perfect Rose noted, wandering up to one of the completed sets and staring up at the helmet above her. They were really tall… “Like the stuff bad guys wear in stories.”

“Equestria used to be a little rougher in the far past…” Goldenblood noted. “I have a tutor at home as well as school. Mother insists he go over things that Miss Caring Hoof doesn’t.”

“You sounded super posh just then…” Bright Spark noted with a gag.

“He’s a prince,” Sundance pointed out, flicking her friend with her tail.

Perfect Rose looked back at her friends. “So, they just stopped and started using the ones the tough ponies use now?”

Goldenblood shrugged. “I guess?”

“The Princess is supposed to be really nice, so I guess she wanted the guards to look nice too,” Sundance surmised.

The griffon tilted her head. She guessed that made sense, though that had to be so long ago that she couldn’t entirely wrap her head around it. She wondered how Equestria actually was back when these suits were worn. Was it when Queen Grizelda and the other griffon kings and queens she’d been reading about were around? Well, since she was currently a Queen Griffon, this was perfect!

She turned around to face the armour again, ready to give it orders as if it was alive.

The issue was, its helmet was now looking right at her.

“Uh… Guys…?”

They all started to move.

“GHOSTS!” Bright Spark screamed.

They all decided now was a very good time to bring their adventure to a close and run!

They all turned tail, the armour sets all coming to life as they sluggishly started to pursue while adjusting to years’ worth of rust. They quickly seemed to speed up, however, a blue magical glow emanating from inside each of them as they moved to pursue.

All four foals were screaming now, fleeing as fast as they could back up the stairs before barrelling out into the hallway.

“What the-!?” the guard on the other side exclaimed, he and a couple of castle staff apparently having been inspecting the suddenly open secret entrance.

“Monsters! Ghosts!” Bright Spark further stammered out, pointing behind the group.

The pony frowned. “Kids, what are you- Huh!?”

Like a horde of locusts after a crop, the animated suits of armour burst out and into the castle hallway. Their focus remained on the children, the guard they’d run into looking more than a little alarmed at this turn of events.

“Blasted kids, you’ve tripped the old security golems! You two!” he shouted at the staff, pummelling one of the suits aside as he drew his weapon and letting it clatter lifelessly into its various armour pieces. “Sound the alarm!”

The armour spring after the kids, the guard unable to stop them all as a dozen of them in total entered the pursuit. Not waiting for an invitation, they decided to keep running. They quickly left them in the dust, the guard being left behind too as he toppled a second set were they blew past him, and he was forced to chase after the rest.

The following sequence of events was a panicked blur. Perfect Rose wasn’t entirely certain how long it was they’d been running, but Queen Griffon and her followers had no intention of letting the scary armour monsters catch up to them! Hallway after hallway, turn after turn, they kept on moving even as the animated armour adamantly refused to give up the chase. Surprised shouts greeted them wherever they went from the various ponies inhabiting the castle.

The griffon was pretty sure at least a couple more got tackled and taken out by arriving guards, but most were forced into the chase as it continued on for Celestia knows how long.

But the blur finally ended, everything coming back into a more cohesive environment, when the exhausted youngsters were forced to stop their flight as they ran straight into a crowd of ponies waiting outside a great set of doors.

All eyes were immediately on them, the guard and civilians alike before them all confused at the sudden entrance of the four children.

And then they all started to shout in surprise and fear as the suits of armour also arrived in their hot pursuit.

“Stop them!” one of the guards shouted, all of them rushing into action as the other ponies moved to flee back the way they’d came.

It was utter chaos. The guard grappled with the animated suits in an effort to hold them back, several surprisingly able to hold their own as they tried to be rid of their attackers to get at their targets. One made an effort to grab at Sundance, though Bright Spark bit down onto her tail and pulled her to one side.

Perfect Rose, looking at all of this, didn’t know what to do! She was meant to be leading this little adventure, but things had gone so far off the track she was at a loss! There were too many ponies around to run without bumping into something and tripping, there was no small amount of danger around them as the guard continued to try and get the rampant golems under control.

What was she meant to do?

And then the door exploded.

That was a start!

“Inside!” Rose shouted at the others, all turning to follow her quickly into the next room.

And then they tripped. As one of the suits of armour was dispelled its pieces clattered towards them, causing the group as a whole to lose their balance and go flying in a heap through the doorway.

All those within had looked back in utter surprise at the sudden spark of mana that had cast the door aside, launched by one of the defending guards. The shouts and the sound of beating hooves persisted as the group tumbled their way inside, as well as the far stronger clanking of metal. But they landed safely enough in a pile, surrounded by the splinters that had once been the door.

But behind them came running several of the animated suits of armour, the soulless automatons refusing to give in even as they were pounced upon by the frantic Royal Guard as they tried to stop the rampage.

And yet, for all that, suddenly the young griffon found herself far less scared of what lay behind her. Oh no, the most terrifying thing was now the two uncomfortably familiar ponies staring at her with the most bewildered expressions imaginable.

“Perfect Rose!?” her mother shouted in shock and horror.

Oh no.

“Uh… I can explain.”

She wasn’t sure she could explain.

Princess Celestia, sitting on the throne behind her parents and several other ponies, raised an eyebrow as she stood up and lit her horn. A pule of golden light spread out around them, the rest of the suits that hadn’t been contained falling lifelessly to the ground as the magic keeping them mobile was dispelled.

And then everything was silent. A wave of relief washed over everyone present now that the danger had passed, the guards all letting their sense of alarm bleed away as a few ponies started to return and poke their curious heads inside before being ushered away by those irritated guards.

And then that left the four friends… and the monarch in the room.

“…And what was that, exactly?” she asked with an equal expression.

“Your Highness!” one of the guards called out, rushing in and next to the pile of children. “These kids… they somehow entered the old dungeon and tripped the security golems down there.”

“WHAT!?” Ebony shouted out.

“Golems?” Cash said in a dumbfounded tone. “What… I… Huh!?”

“Snrk…” came a barely withheld laugh from the Princess, her neutral expression breaking. “These foals… managed to…”

And then she gave up, the Princess of the Sun giving a thunderous roar of laughter at the surprising turn of events. Her jubilation echoed throughout the halls, Perfect Rose’s cheeks burning with embarrassment as she and her friends picked themselves up off of the floor in preparation for whatever might come next.

“Princess… they could have been killed!” Filthy Rich noted in shock.

“Heh, eh heh… Oh please, they were never designed for that,” Celestia dismissed, wiping away a tear that had resulted from her great display of humour. “On spotting what they believed was an escaping prisoner, the golems were programmed to apprehend and restrain them until a living guard could take over. They are not permitted to do any actual bodily harm; the children were in little danger. But still, it is good that they could be spared the discomfort of such an event.”

“Yet you find humour in the situation?”

“Oh! I do apologise, but day court can be such a dull affair,” the alicorn explained. “Ah, I do appreciate a good distraction. Now…”

She got to her hooves and approached the four guilty-looking foals, craning her head down towards them.

“Are you alright, my little creatures?” she asked, making a note of Perfect Rose’s presence.

“Uh-huh…” the said griffon replied. “Um… we’re sorry we broke your things…”

“Oh, I quite forgive you. And I thank you for making this day a little more interesting,” she replied with a motherly smile. “However, you still should be far more careful with such things. Those dungeons are sealed away for a reason.”

“Yeah, we’re sorry…” Sundance further apologised. “We just wanted to have fun.”

“Indeed. But there are far safer, and more responsible, ways to do this. I hope you all learned a valuable lesson from this experience.”

“Yeah. Don’t listen to Perfect Rose,” Bright Spark quipped.

“Hey!” Rose protested. “Hrmg… I think what we really learnt is that we shouldn’t go into dangerous places without a good reason. And I don’t think adventure is one of them.”

“And we should probably have told an adult, just in case we got into trouble,” Sundance concurred.

“I think so,” Celestia agreed. “Do not worry about the door. It is easily fixed.”

“So… we’re not in trouble?” Perfect Rose asked hopefully.

“Not from me, no. It is enough that you are in good health, and you have come away from this experience having learnt something,” the Princess decided. She did showcase a rather sinister smirk, however… “But that is just me. I’m afraid your parents are a different story.”

Perfect Rose gulped, looking past the Princess of the Sun and towards her parents. Both of them were giving her scathing looks, their eyes twitching quite erratically.

Oh, she was so dead.

“And you, nephew of mine,” Celestia said far more seriously. “I do hope you realise how much trouble you shall be in.”

“I know…” he said dejectedly. “I’m sorry…”

The tall alabaster pony sighed. “I know, Goldenblood. But I am glad to see you have at least made some friends.”

Goldenblood smiled at that. And it was a smile that helped cheer Perfect Rose up, if only a little.

“But I am afraid that Social Grace will have to be informed. My hooves are tied in this situation, I apologise,” she then continued. “And you, Miss Perfect Rose…”

“Yes, you…” Ebony piped up, walking past the Princess and glaring down at the rapidly shrinking into the floor griffon. “You… Where is Time Catcher?”

“Um… I… We…” The child gulped again. “We kinda sorta ditched him.”

Ebony Rose took in a steady breath.

“Honey, you’re grounded.”

16 - Grounded

Perfect Rose might have made a mistake.

She was sitting on the sofa in the living room of her family home, sitting rather awkwardly with her tail idly shifting back and forth as if it had a mind of her own.

She really wanted to put that tail in its place but didn’t want to get into more trouble by acting grumpy.

Stupid tail.

The young griffon didn’t entirely know what to feel at being grounded after their… ‘escapade’ in the castle dungeons. On the one hoof, she kinda deserved it. She HAD let loose a bunch of barely functioning ancient magic things that looked like metal ponies but scarier, and she HAD run away from them as they made the castle messy and made the normal ponies really mad and pouty. It had also been her idea to do the whole ‘Queen Griffon’ thing.

She still would’ve made an awesome queen. Or at least that was what Fluffy said, sitting still as he was on a pillow next to Perfect Rose.

Fluffy was also grounded. He didn’t have to be, but he wanted to be grounded with Rose so she wouldn’t be lonely.

Fluffy was great.

Still, despite maybe kinda sorta deserving to be grounded for accidentally causing a mess in Princess Celestia’s pretty castle, her parents being angry with her was still enough to make her beak quiver and her eyes water. Her stomach was doing backflips and she couldn’t help but sniff every now and then as if on the cusp of all-out tears. She had been close to them since the castle, but she had to remain strong for her equally upset friends. And now she just had to be strong because she didn’t want Fluffy to be upset too.

But not crying was hard, so she was trying very hard to focus on anything else.

She felt bad about her friends as well. Sundance and Bright Spark had been left behind at the castle when her parents had dragged her home. Their own parents had probably since picked them up with angry scowls and promises of no cookies for a month.

The. Worst. Fate.

As for Goldenblood…

She didn’t really know. The Princess had taken him aside herself, so she hadn’t gotten to see him much after everything happened. She’d have to say super-duper sorry at school because he was her friend now and this wasn’t ‘exactly’ the best start to that.

But that was a worry for later. Right now, she had to focus on the big thing. Namely, the grounding itself. Worse than that, how upset her parents were with her. They’d met with Time Catcher on the way back, and he also had that super disappointed look in his eyes even as he gave Fluffy back. He even said Fluffy was sad with her, which was kinda true, but the manticore had forgiven her as always.

Forgiveness with her Mum and Dad, however…

That was going to be a trickier thing to achieve.

Perfect Rose’s tail stopped swishing, the child giving off a loud groan before falling onto her back between the sofa’s cushions. The sudden movement disturbed Fluffy, who conveniently fell onto the griffon’s stomach as she wrapped the manticore up in her arms. She remained there for a good while, her ears listening out for any movement from beyond the closed living room door. Her mother had said to sit still, think about what she had done, and wait for them to come back from their talk.

But there was no sign of them as of yet. Just the occasional chirp of a bird outside and the soft squishiness of the cushions against her back. She sank into it quite far, her wings lazily sprawling out beneath her as she found a small degree of comfort from the piece of furniture.

She then held her favourite doll into the air, looking the manticore straight in its glassy eyes as her beak continued to quiver.

“They’re not gonna stay made forever, are they?” she asked it. “I know I was pretty bad today, but it’ll all go away, right? Like you forgave me, didn’t you?”

The toy was still.

“I know we’re besties and that’s totally different to being parents and stuff,” the child then lamented. “But still. Could you talk to them? Maybe get the cookie ban down a few days?”

Silence.

“…Yeah, that’s probably pushing my luck. But it sucks so baaaaad. I’ll miss you, chocolate chip-y goodness…”

Fluffy’s head jostled a little as Perfect Rose adjusted her position on the sofa.

“Yes. I know, we’ll survive this! Together! And then we’ll find Goldenblood and say sorry and sorry and very sorry until he forgives us for getting him in trouble. Sundance and Bright Spark too, though it was their fault too!”

Fluffy gave a completely unchanged look of disapproval.

“Was too!”

Nothing.

“Ah! Okay, fine! Mostly my fault. But not just me…” she complained. “Ughhh. Okay, but after that, Mum and Dad will forgive me and give us a load of hugs and definitely cookies. And then Time Catcher too. Because we… sorta… left him…”

Her stomach churned again.

“I don’t like being bad. Why was I bad? I’m a stupid dumb head. But at least he had you to keep him company. Oh! Did you go on adventures? Become superheroes like the Power Ponies? Did you find a super bad pony and stop it with super Fluffy Time Catcher powers!?”

Fluffy didn’t say a word.

“Awesome!”

She could have used those power when being chased by the metal ponies. Then she wouldn’t have broken Princess Celestia’s door.

She was pretty sure they had tape in one of the drawers somewhere. Maybe she could get some and go back to the castle so she could fix it? Door doctor!

Not as cool as Fluffy Time Catcher superpowers. But she’d take it!

It was around then that she finally heard movement on the other side of the living room door. Sitting up, Fluffy still clutched timidly in her claws, her eyes remained focused on the entranceway anticipating its opening at any moment.

What would they say?

Would they be angrier than before?

Would they kick her out!?

She didn’t want to go…

With all of these fears rampantly running around inside her head, an unstoppable flood now that the gates had suddenly been thrown open, did the door finally begin to open to admit the three ponies who were the focus of that fear. Her mother entered first, her father following on with Time Catcher taking the rear. Once they were all within, the butler closed the door behind him and stood in the corner while Rose’s parents approached the sofa with completely neutral expressions.

Those looks made it worse somehow. She didn’t even know what they were feeling.

“Perfect Rose,” Ebony spoke with an equal tone, albeit one that had an edge that very much conveyed who was in charge at that given time. “I hope you know, now that you’ve had time to think on things, why we’re taking this so seriously.”

The griffon nodded meekly. “…I was a super bad griffon and did a dumb thing and I’m sorry! I- I didn’t mean to… I mean… I didn’t…”

Her mother held up a hoof. “Stop. I don’t want to hear excuses. What I want to hear, Perfect Rose, is why what you did was bad.”

She tilted her head. Why what she did was bad? Wasn’t because of all the big messes she made by making the metal ponies make them? And getting her friends in trouble, that was bad too. And ditching Time Catcher while he was being nice to that mare. She thought it was kind of obvious what went wrong. A lot of obvious things at that.

It hadn’t exactly been their most successful of adventures.

“I… I did bad stuff and made a door explode,” she bluntly remarked. “And I didn’t tell Time Catcher where we were going… I’m sorry we left you, I didn’t mean to make you sad…”

“I am certain you didn’t, Madame,” Time Catcher replied. “However, it was my job to watch you while your parents attended to their business. And your taking advantage of a lapse in concentration, my assisting another pony in distress no less, was no less as alarming as it was hurtful.”

Rose sagged guiltily. “I’m sorry…”

“And that brings up the main point,” her father then spoke up. “I do believe you made Time Catcher worried sick when you vanished.”

“Indeed,” the butler confirmed. “I had no idea where you might’ve been. Had you simply wandered off or had something more nefarious taken place? If I could not find you, what was I to tell your mother and father? Especially leaving dear Fluffy behind, your abandoning that doll was most unusual for you.”

She held Fluffy tighter.

“Actions have consequences, young Madame. They must be thought through properly,” he then concluded with a sigh. “You are but a child, so I cannot hold you in complete accountability. But I could not bear something happening to you on my watch. Having watched you grow these past years… It goes without even considering.”

“Do you understand now, Perfect Rose?” Ebony asked. “Yes, what you did was bad. The damage to the castle after you accidentally turned on those golems. Sneaking in in the first place! That’s…”

“…A bit impressive, actually,” Cash noted.

“…Not the point!” Ebony rebuffed. “As much as all of that is terrible and worthy of your punishment in of itself, despite the Princess’ remarkably relaxed response… It’s far worse to consider what might have happened differently. Had you been seriously hurt! Or worse! You or any of your friends! The main point of why it was bad wasn’t the chaos itself, even though that IS bad, but the main reason is how it would have affected everypony around you if something happened!”

Perfect Rose’s young mind tried to consider that for a moment. If something had happened? Metal ponies breaking things was something happening, though. But she also said if she had gotten hurt. She guessed she meant super hurt, not just a scraped knee or something.

One time she thought she had lost Fluffy down a drain. But in reality, she’d just fallen behind a chair out of sight. The griffon had been super scared when that had happened, thinking that if she never saw Fluffy again…

An ember of understanding lit in the child’s mind. Perhaps not the full scope of what those consequences could be, just how hurt she could have been in differing circumstances, but at least enough to know a little bit of the fear they would feel in that scenario. A fear of thinking they might not see their daughter again…

“Perfect Rose…” her mother spoke out, her neutral expression breaking as her voice quivered. “If anything were to happen to you… If you were to get hurt I… I couldn’t…”

“It would make us very scared,” Cash simply explained, placing a hoof on his wife’s shoulder. “And very sad. Like you made Time Catcher very scared and sad today, but even worse than that if things didn’t turn our okay. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Y-yes… I didn’t mean to make you sad… Please don’t cry, Mama…”

“S-sorry…” Ebony wiped her eyes quickly. “I just can’t bear to think it. Please promise me you won’t do something like that again. If you want to do something, ask first. Please don’t wander off on your own. The world can be dangerous if you go to the wrong places, please tell me you won’t get yourself hurt like that.”

“I promise to be good. Please be happy again… I…”

Perfect Rose sniffed, that barrier she’d placed around herself cracking as she finally started to let loose those tears she’d been withholding.

This was worse than them being angry. Them being sad and crying because of her made her wish they were angry. She didn’t want to make anypony cry! That was mean. She was mean! Like Ice Shard and Blueblood! Mean to her parents. Mean to Time Catcher. To Fluffy! Her friends!

She was just a meanie griffon…

“Okay, that’s enough of that…” Ebony cooed, pulling Perfect Rose into a loving hug as Cash immediately went to join them.

Both parents shed a few tears of both fear and relief of their own as their daughter sobbed away her guilt, her tears matting their coats as Time Catcher took a step closer to the family but kept at his own respectable distance.

Rose gave a hic, slowly pulling away from her parents and rubbing her eyes with a claw. She looked towards the butler, opening her wings and shooting towards him like a battle mage’s fastest bolt. She glomped him, holding him tight as her weeps suddenly returned amidst a flurry of apologies and guilt-ridden promises to be a good foal.

Time Catcher was clearly taken aback at first, blinking in surprise at the sudden attack of affection. But then he relented to it, putting his hooves around the young griffon and softly shushing her cries. Rose’s parents watched on at the sight, calming themselves and listening in until the child had worn herself out into a quiet slumber.

“I think she is sleeping,” Time noted, levitating the chick up and putting her onto his back. “I shall deposit her to her bed, she could certainly use the recharge.”

“Okay. Do that,” Ebony agreed. “Oh, that was more emotionally charged than I was expecting…”

“You’re telling me…” Cash muttered. “So… should we relax the grounding? She seems to have learned her lesson.”

“Maybe a little bit,” she concurred. “But only a little. She did wreck the castle.”

“She… did do that, didn’t she?”

Their daughter had wrecked Canterlot Castle.

Despite it all, they couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of that.

12 - History

Perfect Rose had no idea history class could actually be interesting.

The now six-year-old found herself rather entranced by the familiar sight of a griffon on the board, only this griffon was a colt! Weird! King Grover was his name, or at least that’s what Caring Hoof claimed. But that was a super long time ago so, like, he was super dead by now. Or maybe he was immortal! Like Fluffy!

Oh yeah, Fluffy was immortal now. She decided this about a week before.

But there were a lot of lessons that Rose found more enjoyable than she did a couple of years ago, maybe her mind was actually developing both in function and in tolerance to sitting still for more than five minutes. Mathematics was still the absolute worst, numbers and symbols that made the entire class’ head spin. Though her parents insisted that it was important because they worked with money and stuff. She wasn’t sure why. Adults had loads of money. Why did they need to count so much?

Science was interesting, though. If still boring and number-y at times. She liked seeing space, learning how apparently the planet once revolved around the sun by itself. Who would have thought! She wasn’t sure why the world would want to be going around and around in circles all the time, it made Rose very dizzy when she tried doing it. But now the princesses did it for the planet because they’re nice like that. Apparently, ponies started doing it because of a cata- catacly- catu-

A bad thing happened! A very bad thing that Fluffy would have told off the bad thing for doing those bad things. Because it was a bad thing!

Caring Hoof said so.

Oh, but this class was also fun to listen to sometimes. Like, the specific thing that the pretty teacher was talking about was how Equestria talks to other nations and tries to be friends, but not everypony wants to be friends and Rose found herself wondering why because that’s just mean.

Oh, and the Grover guy! He was like her, a griffon and stuff, but a colt! Or… stallion? What was the boy word for a griffon? Eh, she didn’t really know. But he was anyway, and that was cool because she’d never seen one before! She’d seen a couple of drawings in books before, but they’d been girls like her. Ponies seemed to draw a lot more fillies than colts in books and stuff.

So this was new! He looked kinda like her, his feathers all black and stuff. But he wore a crown like a princess’ and looked like someone had stolen his favourite toy during break time. She hated it when that happened, and Fluffy didn’t like being foalnapped, either!

But yeah, he looked mad. Griffons weren’t usually mad, were they?

“King Grover ruled over the griffons many years ago, long before even I was born,” Caring Hoof told the children. “Back then, a place called Griffonstone was the centre of the Empire. He kept all of his treasure there, something that made him envied by all the other creatures.”

“Treasure! Now we’re talking!” Bright Spark loudly interrupted.

“Ahem, please raise your hoof if you have a… comment, please,” the teacher gently chided.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Sundance’s hoof dutifully hit the sky.

“Yes, Sundance?”

“What does, um, ‘envied’ mean?”

“Envy, it means that others were jealous,” she helpfully clarified. “So one day, an Arimaspi thief broke into the castle and attempted to steal the most prized item in his collection. The griffons chased the thief, but he fell into a deep chasm and was lost with the treasure. Soon after, Griffonstone was abandoned by the royal family and the capital moved. Since then, the city has become… a little less glamorous than it was under Grover’s care.”

Another colt’s hoof went into the air.

“Yes?”

“Did the bad thief guy die?”

Caring Hoof blinked. “I… do not believe we should concern ourselves with such things. But since then, the griffons have become suspicious of outsiders. So, unlike the hippogriffs of Mount Aris, we sadly aren’t friends with the griffons in the same way.”

Not friends? But she had plenty of pony friends! This was dumb and didn’t make sense.

Wishing for answers to this mystery, she raised a claw into the air.

“Yes, Rose?”

“But I’m a griffon. And I love ponies! Ponies are awesome. Dad’s a pony!”

Caring Hoof chuckled. “And we are very lucky to have you, dear. Of course, there are some griffons who would proudly call themselves Equestrian, much like yourself. But like ponies, not all griffons are alike, and those in the Empire are… touchy.”

“Oh… I wanna meet more friend griffons!”

She gave the young girl a sympathetic smile. “Sadly, you won’t find any besides yourself in Canterlot, but I’m sure you’ve talked long and hard with your parents about that. But if you ever visit a city like… Baltimare! You should be able to find a few non-ponies amidst the bustling crowds.”

Baltimare, huh? She had new ideas for an adventure. Too bad she couldn’t wander off by herself or her parents would be upset with her, and that was a very bad thing indeed. But she could imagine. Maybe when she was big like the tall ponies!

Caring Hoof cleared her throat, turning a page in a book she was holding in her magic. “Now, that is the basic history of the Griffon Empire. We shall go into further depth at a later, date, but for the moment, let’s move on to the Abyssinians…”

Perfect Rose’s heard the teacher’s voice gradually fade into the background as her thoughts strayed back to Grover.

‘So, if they only became grumpy after the treasure was stolen, then they were friends with ponies before that?’

Who were those past griffons, she wondered? Actually, now that she thought about it, there was so much of her own history she didn’t know at all. She’d been curious ever since she had realised her true nature, of course. And she’d asked a couple of questions a few times, that’s how she saw the girl griffon drawings. They don’t lay eggs like birds do, apparently. How were those eggs made in birds? How were non-egged griffons like herself made? She would need to ask her parents at a later date.

But what about their actual history? She knew ponies came from the west, how they ran from the snow and founded Equestria. There was a Queen first, then Princess Celestia took over after a jerk called Discord messed things up. But where were her kind during all of that?

“Rose, you’re not listening to Miss Caring Hoof!” Sundance scolded in a whisper. “You should! We’re meant to learn this stuff!”

“I want to go back to the treasure,” Bright Spark complained. “Or talk more about the magical creatures. That’s cool.”

“Sparky! Shush!” she shot back. “You wanted to stick with this school, so you should listen!”

“Hey, I skipped the test for Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns cos I wanted to stick with you guys!” he retorted. “You’re welcome!”

“You want to be a mage, right?”

“Wizard.”

“Same thing. You shouldn’t have-”

“I think we should go to the library,” Perfect Rose suddenly announced, cutting their conversation short.

Her friends gave her an incredulous look. Bright Spark being particularly deadpan. “Really? You?”

“I wanna know more about griffons kings. And definitely queens! There has got to be some awesome queens.”

“Well, we’ll need to ask our parents if we can go. You think Time Catcher can take us again?” Sundance asked.

“He always likes to take me places!” Rose confirmed. “Fluffy and I need to learn all the things about griffons! I mean, I am one, and I don’t know a lot of things. And that’s probably not a good thing.”

“Probably,” her friend agreed. “What do you say, Bright Spark? I’m sure they have spell books~.”

He blinked. “I’m in.”

Perfect Rose beamed. This was going to be great!

That evening…

The young griffon carefully made her way down the stairs, Fluffy predictably on her back, poking her beak through the gaps in the railing as she kept an eye out for her parents. She had yet to gain the courage to ask them about the library trip she’d talked about with her friends, childishly afraid that there was an off chance that they might say no. Because if they did, that would really suck. Like, really suck. Smaller griffons were doing flips in her stomach at the thought.

She was actually excited to go to a library. And not just the section with the fun picture books, but the wordy learning section. She felt like Sundance was rubbing off on her and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

But they wouldn’t say no. Why would they? She just had to be a big girl and ask them like a brave pon- griffon. Be like those queens that definitely existed! Queen griffon! Yay!

Her eagle eyes turned to stare at the living room door as it opened a crack, a shadow being seen inside as it seemed to hesitate and return inside. She had been hearing voices inside while she had been waiting and stewing in her own thoughts. Actually, now that she really considered it, her parents had been acting a little odd.

Now that their voices were coming in a little clearing through the crack, maybe she could find out why.

“-poor dears, I hope Granny Smith is able to comfort them at least a little,” Ebony said sadly to her husband.

“I’m not sure she can do much. Imagine if it were Perfect Rose,” Cash replied.

They were talking about her now? And Granny Smith… wasn’t that one of the apple ponies they worked with?

“And Apple Bloom, she’s only one. She won’t even remember her parents,” Cash lamented. “I can’t even imagine, can you? Who knows what it will be like for her, not knowing her birth parents?”

“It’s not so different from our own child, really…” Ebony Rose pointed out. “At least for her, she will know her siblings and grandmother. Plus the rest of the Apple clan. But… Applejack and Big Mac? They’re the ones I particularly feel for. Just knowing what they must be feeling now that Buttercup and Bright Mac are gone.”

Perfect Rose frowned. The Apples were gone? Gone were? Did they move or something? But why would they leave their kids behind? How odd.

“How does an accident like that even happen?” her mother then wondered aloud. “For both of them to…”

“Well, little can be done now but give our good wishes. We’ll keep an eye on the family. Business will take a hit too while they recover,” Cash noted. “We’ll have some disgruntled partners. But hopefully, they’ll understand that a farm cannot run when it’s owners are… Yeah.”

“Can I help you, young madame?”

Rose practically jumped out of both her coat and feathers at the sound of Time Catcher’s voice behind her, the child jumping into the air with a screech with her wings popping out in alarm. Their sudden beats almost took her into the ceiling before she took control of her flight, Fluffy becoming dislodged and falling towards the floor before the butler lit his horn and catching the doll.

“Do take care with your flight,” he warned. “Lest there be any more broken china.”

“Not my fault!” It was one time! Maybe two. Three. Ba! “They jumped in the way!”

“I’m sure,” he said doubtfully as Rose landed at the bottom of the stairs and he followed, passing the child’s companion back over upon reaching the girl. “Now, mind explaining why you’re eavesdropping on your parents?”

She scuffed the ground. “Wasn’t eavesdropping… I just want to ask them something important.”

“Ask us what?” Cash asked as both he and Ebony exited the living room, undoubtedly drawn in by the commotion in the hall.

“Are you okay, honey?” Ebony asked, sitting down beside her adopted daughter.

“Uh, yeah… I just…” Her beak gaped a moment, attempting to find the will to speak. “Um… Can Time Catcher take my friends and I to the library soon… I want to find griffon queens.”

Cash snorted. “Griffon queens you say? Heh. I don’t see why not, it might do you and your friends some good to do some studying.”

She immediately lit up. “You mean it!?”

“I could come with you myself if you want, show everypony just how much I love my precious little filly at the top of my voice…”

“Daaad,” Rose whined. “Don’t embarrass me!”

“Someday you will appreciate that it’s my job as your father.”

“Cash, knock it off,” Ebony chided, albeit with a laugh. “Time Catcher, would you be willing to go Saturday?”

The stallion nodded. “Of course. I take it during your meeting?”

“Meeting?” the child questioned. “What’s going on?”

Ebony bit her lip. “It… doesn’t matter. We just need to talk some business, that’s all. A lot is happening with Sweet Apple Acres lately.”

“Because those two ponies went somewhere?”

Her parents frowned, looking up questioningly at Time Catcher.

“I do believe she caught a brief word or two about it,” he admitted. “Albeit, I do not believe she grasps the full situation.”

“You are saying weird things!” the griffon protested. “Stop it.”

“Perfect Rose,” Ebony addressed sternly. “Be nice. There is a lot going on that you’re too young to understand, okay? So please be patient.”

Rose glanced downwards dejectedly. “Okay… Sorry…”

“It’s okay. I promise we’ll tell you one day,” she promised in turn. “So, Saturday?”

She brightened again. “Yes! I want to know all the things about me!”

“Hey, just remember that some dusty tomes don’t mean anything about you as a person,” Cash pointed out. “You’re just you?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ah, forget it. Kids…”

Ebony rolled her eyes. “Time Catcher, would you please finalise dinner. I do believe it’s high time we sat down to eat.”

“Oh! Yes!” Perfect Rose enthusiastically agreed. “Fluffy wants burgers!”

“Not today I’m afraid,” the butler replied, much to her immense disappointment. “But I’m sure you will survive. Do you wish to watch?”

“Okay!”

Time Catcher smiled, turning to lead the way as the griffon fell into step behind him. They moved a short distance down the hall, Rose’s parents watching them go with relieved expressions. But then, Perfect Rose had a thought…

There was one thing she had yet to ask them. It had struck her earlier, after all. A strange question that had popped up in her head when thinking about eggs, and it returned to the forefront of her mind with renewed vigour. It would be a shame not to use now to find some answer to it.

She unfurled her wings, jumping into the air and turning around. The sudden ability to stare at her parents at eye level added a greater weight to the immense question she would now ask, ready to shatter any semblance of peace in the household.

“Mum, Dad…” she started, the universe holding its breath. “How are eggs and foals made?”

Her parents blinked.

“Oh no.”

Author's Note

The birb returns... New cover art included!

17 - Winter Bells

Perfect Rose quite liked the snow.

Winter had fallen over Equestria, the weather ponies working overtime to ensure there was just the right amount of snow on the streets. Enough to give that wondrous Hearth’s Warming effect, but not so much that daily life was negatively impacted to any significant degree. But winter could lead to some unscheduled and unexpected permutations with the weather. Be it a rogue cloud a pegasus carelessly let drift away or a random gust of wind bringing some forth where they were not meant to be, controlling the elements was often a job requiring overtime at this time of year.

Canterlot didn’t have the luxury of all the facilities the likes of Cloudsdale had in regard to controlling the wilder aspects of nature. And with the pegasus city presently on the other side of the country, the local teams were forced to do things the old-fashioned way. Good old hoof-grinding work to ensure the fillies and colts of the capital could get the most out of their winter break.

Of course, winter break had to come first. Alas, there were still a long couple of weeks ahead before school shut up for the holidays…

That didn’t mean the kids couldn’t make their own fun in the meantime, however.

“INCOMING!”

Thwack.

Case in point.

“Peh! Ewww… You got snow in my beak!” Perfect Rose complained as she picked herself up from the frosty ground. “Bleh. And my feathers…”

“You shoulda ducked better!” Bright Spark said with zero remorse, already readying yet another snowball. “This is war, Rose!”

“Oh, you are so gonna be trounced!”

She glared at her unicorn friend. But then she brightened into a smile as she charged off towards him while picking up snow in her claws. She may not have magic, but she could role one just as well!

She was very glad her grounding hadn’t lasted so long as to cut into al the wintery goodness. Sure, it had sucked something fierce. But she had firmly learned her lesson, no more breaking into castles! At least not without leaving a note or something. But otherwise, no more breaking into castles!

But it had been a trawl to get through, nonetheless. Fluffy could only come up with so many knock-knock jokes to pass the time. But it had passed, and her parents had eventually allowed the griffon to meet up with her friends again outside of school. Freedom was definitely a sweet feeling, and now that those weeks had passed and the seasons had changed, a snowball fight seemed like the most appropriate way to continue this new bout of adventures and fun.

After all, she had a little pony to thrash!

“Gah!” she shouted out as she ducked behind a bush, several magically propelled snowballs flying overhead as she finished constructing her own. “Magic is totally cheating!”

“It’s not cheating!” Spark’s voice protested from beyond her cover.

“Is too!”

“Shaddup!”

“No!”

Perfect Rose shot up and threw her snowball at the colt, the unicorn giving a yelp as it grazed his snout and sent him hurling random chunks of snow at his friends that hadn’t even been morphed into a ball shape yet.

“Eeek!”

And also not exactly aimed, either. Much to the spectating Sundance’s irritation when a small snow tsunami hit the bench she was sat on.

“Guyyyyys!” she whined as she tried to clear the freezing substance off of herself. “Watch it! Stupid heads!”

“Hey! It was her fault!” Bright Spark redirected the blame without hesitation.

“What!? How!?” Rose replied in clear offence. “You’re just not very good at this!”

“Oh, I’ll show you! I’m the snowball master!”

Sundance gulped, decidedly moving ‘behind’ the bench. “I’m… just going to go over here…”

Perfect Rose was just about to insist that Sundance join them and help in the super-duper important mission of making Bright Spark eat his stupid words. But any such words were prevented from exiting her maw by a sudden flurry of snowballs being hurled her way! Being hit in the wing by one, the griffon was forced to duck back to the ground as a torrent of projectiles came overhead.

What the hay was he doing!? This was cheating, right? Cheating McCheaterson!

Daring a glance through the gasp in the bush, what little wasn’t already drenched in snow, she saw her friend’s magic working overtime to pick up snowballs and propel them at high speeds towards their target. His eyes were focused, deadly and serious, not giving in for anything…

Definitely cheating.

“I surrender…!” Perfect Rose squawked, deciding a tactical retreat might be a better option here. “Griffon down! Stop! Ah!”

“Never!”

PUNT.

“Noooo!”

The snowballs stopped. In fact, everything went eerily silent from the other side of the bush. Waiting a couple of moments just to see if this was some kind of evil genius-level trap by Bright Spark, Perfect Rose slowly raised her head up with the expectation of another face full of snow at any given moment.

But none came.

In actuality, when she saw what lay beyond her cover, she found it was him who was practically buried beneath a small pile. That and the colt was glaring in no small amount of irritation at the other unicorn who had done the deed.

“Uh… sorry…” Goldenblood apologised sheepishly. “But Dad said I should always, uh… defend uh… what was it… a madman’s honour?”

“Maiden’s honour,” Sundance corrected, still behind her own piece of cover. “It’s what knights do in stories and stuff.”

“Right. That.”

“I didn’t need help!” Perfect Rose lied. “I had that! Stupid colts and stupid maidens and stupid…”

“I thought you had extra lessons or something…” Bright Spark deadpanned in annoyance. “Somepony help me out of this, by the way…”

“Say please~!” Rose taunted.

“…I’ll make my own way out.”

“Uh-huh, sure…” she replied doubtfully, emerging from the bush and approaching the colts. “But yeah, didn’t your Mum say you couldn’t come out and stuff?”

“She did,” he confirmed. “But I had the nice tutor today, they let me out early.”

The young griffon frowned. “Wouldn’t that get her in trouble? Your mother is mean.”

“Um… please don’t talk like that…” The Prince scuffed the ground awkwardly. “But yeah, we both would. But she promised not to tell. She’s my favourite teacher for a reason.”

“What about Miss Caring Hoof?” Sundance pointed out.

“Her too.”

“You can’t have two favourites!” Bright Spark rebuffed.

“But I do. So there.”

“Ugh, whatever! You’re the Prince! Get me out of here!”

Sundance approached the group, looking at her stricken friend with an entirely unamused expression. She lit her own horn, wiping away the snow the pulling the colt to his hooves with a roll of her eyes.

“Use your horn, dingus!”

“Ohhhh.”

“Honestly…”

“Hey! I forgot…”

“The wizard forgot?”

“I coulda done it!”

“But you didn’t.”

“Hrmg…”

“Anyway…” Rose interrupted, her eyes remaining on Goldenblood. “So, you’re good to hang out for a little while?”

“So long as my mother doesn’t find out, yeah,” he confirmed with a nod. “…A snowball fight looks like fun. I see other kids doing it all the time right now. But Mother and Blueblood say it’s for common ponies.”

“Do I look like a common pony?” the griffon asked.

He blinked. “…Is that a trick question? I feel like that’s a trick question.”

“I don’t know what the means, but whatever!” she responded. “Point is that snowball fights are super fun! You already got Brighty really good!”

“Ha ha, so funny…” the colt deadpanned once more.

“Better luck next time,” Sundance said as she patted the other unicorn on the shoulder.

“Well, I guess I can join in. We don’t get to hang out too much…” Goldenblood decided, looking around at the already slightly decimated piles of snow around them. He idly picked up a bunch, rolling it into a ball and examining it. “Mum has been keeping a close eye on me since what happened at the castle. She gets this really scary look if she thinks I’m doing something I shouldn’t be, so it’s hard to get away.”

“She is a little scary…” Sundance agreed.

“Yeah… But don’t worry about it, we’ll take ya when we can get ya! Oh! Or maybe I can have Fluffy pretend to be you so that you can sneak out more!” Rose enthusiastically suggested.

“Thanks, but I’m not sure that’s going to work,” he denied. “She can be smart too.”

“Right. Mothers are smart, they always know when I’ve nibbled on just one cookie…” the griffon recalled. “Oh! What about that thing that the school is doing at the end right before the holiday!? You coming?”

The colt tilted his head. “Thing?”

“Yeah! You know when Miss Caring Hoof was talking about those ghost horses and the biggest snowball fight ever?”

“…Huh?”

“The Hearth’s Warming Pageant!” Sundance gushed. “Acting and princesses and making a story come to life and acting and really fun stuff like that! And acting!”

“We got that bit,” Bright Spark remarked.

“Don’t take this from me!” she hissed in turn.

“Yush, that thing!” Perfect Rose continued. “You coming? Are you? Are you? Tell me!”

Goldenblood looked between his friends, but then lowered his head sadly. He then shook it in denial, Perfect Rose’s wings drooping at the unfortunate news.

That was so unfair! They should all be going in to get parts for that thing together! After all, their teacher said it was all about how Equestria started and how everyone became friends and beat back ghosts and stuff! That was so cool! She liked friends. Friends were the best. She liked fighting ghosts because that was just adventure. And Equestria was kinda cool too, she lived there! It was weird to think there was no Equestria once. Her grandparents were super old, maybe they were there? Nah, that didn’t sound right…

Oh well. Either way, it wasn’t as fun as it would be if not all of her friends would be there.

“Aw, how come?” Sundance asked.

“Duh, it’s Mrs Social Grace again,” Bright Spark deduced. “She’s always spoiling things. Meanie!”

“I asked you not to talk about her like that…” Goldenblood reminded him, his ears flattening against his head.

“But it’s true, isn’t it?”

Goldeblood looked even more downcast, causing Sundance to elbow the green colt in the ribs.

“Ouch!” he complained, though he otherwise got the point. “Sorry… But it’s just dumb that you can’t come with us. We could have been knights for Princess Platinum!”

“Yeah, I know,” he replied. “I asked her, but she said it was, uh, low brow. She says weird things like that, but I think she doesn’t like plays like that. She listens to opera a lot, she dragged me and my brother to this one and it was really weird. Not boring, just… loud.”

“That really is a shame,” Sundance sympathised. “Hey, we can tell you all about it when it’s done. Oh! I’ll even act out my bit!”

“You don’t even know who you’re playing yet,” Bright Spark pointed out.

“So? I’ll do it no matter who I play. This’ll be great!”

“Thanks, guys…” Goldenblood didn’t really look like that helped at all, but he showed polite gratitude anyway. Whether that was because of his lessons in etiquette, because they were his friends, or a mix of both, was anypony’s guess. “Can we not talk about this? I kinda want to forget about all of that and do something fun…”

“Well, you have that snowball,” Bright Spark suggested. “I think you know what to do?”

“Is it really the same if you see it coming?”

“Depends who you do it on,” he said. “I’d say a certain bird right around there would be an awesome target.”

Perfect Rose glared at him. “Um, what?”

“Revenge!”

Goldenblood considered this for a moment. He looked at Bright Spark, his eyes expectant and full of glee. He hummed, turning his head around to study Perfect Rose’s reaction to this turn of events. He also saw as her glare steadily redirected itself and pierce straight into the colt’s soul with promises of great retribution should he attempt it.

The choice was obvious.

Thud.

“Ow! Why meeeeee!?” Bright Spark complained as he was once again subject to a snowball to the face.

“Good choice,” Perfect Rose said approvingly.

Bright Spark wiped the snow from his face, his eye twitching as his horn lit up with great menace and an even greater level of intent.

“Oh-ho, I see how it is…” he began. “Sundance, our alliance against their’s! Let’s go!”

“It’s on!” his griffonian rival instantly agreed.

Sundance baulked. “But-”

The battle started without her, Perfect Rose and Bright Spark pulling their respective startled partners back towards the future locations of their now forts as the trade of fire began.

And what a battle it was.

18 - Auditions

Perfect Rose wasn’t nervous.

Whoever said she was nervous!?

YOU are nervous!

Or at least that’s what she internally argued with Fluffy, the doll sitting idly on a plastic chair amid the theatre hall. The stupid manticore kept insisting that the weird butterfly things in her stomach were her being super weird about the fact that she would be auditioning for a part in the pageant in front of the entire class and how could that… ever make… her…

The griffon gulped rather audibly.

But not because she was nervous, she had to make that clear.

“Are you nervous?”

“GAH!?” she squawked at the silly idea that she was freaking out over this! “No no no! Heh, he heeee…”

Sundance blinked. “But you’re-”

“Shaddup!”

“Um… Okie dokie loki…”

“Come on, fillies! I’m trying to enjoy the show here!” Bright Spark complained.

“But… This isn’t a show? We’re trying to get into a show.”

“No way! Seeing some of these things are super funny!”

“Why?”

“Well, cos they’re bad.”

“That’s mean.”

“You’re mean!”

“Just because you can’t act!”

The colt crossed his hooves, grumpily pouting to himself as he muttered under his breath. “I’ll show you not acting you stupid dumb smart filly…”

Rose heard him, though, raising a claw awkwardly into the air. “Um, isn’t that just what she said you’d do?”

He just pouted harder.

“Ice Shard! Come on up!”

There went another sacrifice off to the doom of the pageant gods. At least it was him, so they could all get a good chuckle if he sucked at it.

“Man, Miss Caring Hoof is tearing through these,” Bright Spark noted when he emerged from his self-pity pit. “I thought this would take forever.”

“If it took forever, I’d miss Time Catcher’s cooking,” Rose remarked. “So I’m glad it’s not.”

“Mmmm, food…”

“Take this seriously!” Sundance verbally shot at the pair. “We’re going to be in a play! And we’re not only representing the school, but we’re doing the Hearth’s Warming Pageant. Do you know how important that is?”

“I think we’ve heard it a bazillion times by now,” her griffon friend deadpanned. “I’m sure you will get a good part. You’ve been working really hard at this.”

“But what if I don’t!? What if Bright Spark laughs at me like a meanie!”

“I’m not mean!” he continued to insist.

“Maybe I just shouldn’t even try…” Sundance continued without missing a beat, starting to pace around in agitation. “Maybe I should just run away to Manehatten and start a new life of crime or something oh I don’t know HELP ME!”

Perfect Rose blinked. Somehow, seeing Sundance freak out so much was making her own jitters dissipate somewhat.

Somewhat.

“Come on, Sunny,” Rose addressed her friend sympathetically. “You’re really really good at this stuff! Just because everypony would be… watching… us… Um, er, what was I saying? Oh, right. You’ll be great! Better than me…”

Sundance stopped in her tracks, giving the griffon a questioning look.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, because it’s a pony play and stuff…” Perfect Rose scuffed the ground with her talons. “It sounds cool and all, ghosts and swords and things, but I probably won’t be anywhere near as good as you.”

“I’m sure you’ll get a part. How about we promise to all try super hard and get into the play?” Sundance suggested. “So we can all have fun and do really well!”

“Eh, I guess I can,” Bright Spark said with a shrug.

Perfect Rose let out a breath, glancing off to the side where her faithful companion sat silently on his plastic chair.

She looked into his beady eyes and knew Fluffy had a point. If Sundance was going to try as hard as she could to get a place in the play, and even Bright Spark was going along with it despite not being anywhere near as excited for it, then how could she do any less? She wasn’t nervous after all, so why did she have to be afraid?

Rose looked back at her friends with a nod of her head. “Okay. Let’s all get in and have adventures and fun and then lemonade at the end!”

“Now you’re speaking my language!” Bright Spark piped up.

“I thought that would be spells and stuff,” Sundance mused.

“I speak multiple languages.”

“Uh-huh…”

“So, we doing this?” the griffon then asked. “Working hard and showing our parents how good we are and then we can all be happy?”

“You betcha!” Sundance confirmed with a tilt of her head and a happy smile.

Across the hall, Ice Shard’s audition came to an end with several adults, Caring Hoof included, jotting down notes on a pad. The unicorn mare in particular nodded several times at what she had written, biting her lip for a moment as she seemingly considered some things before the pony cleared her throat and looked up at the colt on stage.

“Thank you, Ice Shard. That was… nice? Ahem, please exit the stage and wait for the results after the others have had their turn.”

The colt did so without so much as a word, hopping down as Caring Hoof swapped her notes for a checklist and studied it for a few moments. She took her quill and ticked off Ice Shard’s name, looking through the remaining students’ names before she gave a nod to herself and placed the list aside.

The teacher turned around, saying a few words to some other kids before approaching the troublesome trio and their stuffed manticore companion.

“Alright you three, you all have yet to have your moments to shine!” she noted cheerily. “Any takers?”

Bright Spark just shrugged noncommittally while Sundance froze in place, her eyes turning into saucers as she stared up at the teacher with renewed trepidation.

Ignoring any she herself might allegedly be feeling at that very moment, she stepped up beside Sundance and gave up a gentle nudge with her wing.

The effect was immediate.

“GWAH YES I WOULD PLEASE MISS!” she proclaimed with flustered eagerness. “…Please?”

Caring Hoof raised an eyebrow for a moment, but then replaced the expression with an amused chuckle.

“My, you are certainly keen. I would be a horrible pony, and teacher, to keep you from it. The stage is yours, Miss Sundance.”

The filly looked a mix between someone who had just won the lottery and one who had just been presented with a speeding train coming towards you on a narrow bridge with nowhere to go but down.

“Yes yes! This is great and terrifying STAGE! I’m going!”

Sundance scurried off, the group all watching her go with a mix of amusement and worry for the excitable and yet clearly overwhelmed child.

On her part, Caring Hoof just shook her head before regarding Perfect Rose specifically.

“You can be next, Perfect Rose. Since Bright Spark doesn’t seem all that concerned.”

“Fine with me!” the colt remarked.

Now it was Perfect Rose’s turn on that bridge. “Um… me… Next…?”

“Uh-huh. Unless you have a problem with that?”

“Um… no?”

“That’s settled then! Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

The teacher turned and walked away, gathering her notes as Sundance readied herself on stage with the presented script. All the while, Rose just looked between them as her stomach suddenly seemed to grow heavy and her feathers stood on end.

Fluffy was rather smug when she finally acknowledged that she was, indeed, a little nervous.

“Queen Platinum!” Sundance squealed in delight as the group exited the theatre hall with the rest of the class, Caring Hoof shepherding them back to class. “EEEEEEE!”

To say the filly was pleased with the results would be an… understatement. Especially since Platinum was not only the first ruler of Equestria but was also one of the starring roles of the play. So ‘over the Mare in the Moon’ did not even begin to describe the sheer joy the filly was exhibiting at that moment in time.

“Yeah, but I got Clover. So that’s WAY better!” Bright Spark bragged. “He’s a wizard!”

Perfect Rose rolled her eyes. Yes, despite all the evidence that might have said the contrary, the seemingly apathetic Bright Spark had also landed one of the leading roles… As the story’s primary magic user no less. Perhaps becoming a wizard was just fated for the colt after all. Landing the part had certainly convinced him that was the case.

As for Perfect Rose…

“Yeah, well, I’m Pegasus Guard Number Five!” Perfect Rose declared, gaining a couple of odd looks from the other children around her. “That’s way cooler.”

“Um, Rose…” Sundance started gently. “It’s awesome you got a part and all, but you do know it’s just a background character, right?”

The griffon blinked. “I’m not sure what that means, but who cares? I got armour and a sword and everything! That’s better than a wizard and pretty princess.”

“Nothing is better than wizards…” Spark grumbled.

“Yes there is, adventuring griffon guards and Fluffy,” she shot back in a matter-of-fact tone. “Maybe Commander Hurricane would have been better, but I can be a guard. I’ll be a great guard! Just you watch!”

Sundance hummed. “Well, I guess if you’re happy then I am too! Oh, this is going to be amazing! I can’t wait to tell my parents!”

“Yeah, mine will be glad and all I guess,” Bright Spark noted. “Maybe I can convince Caring Hoof to let me do some big spells and explosions!”

“You are not blowing up my big play!” Sundance immediately shut his idea down.

“Okay, one, ‘your’ big play? Two, you are so boring.”

“I think you’re both fun!” Perfect Rose innocently replied. “I just wish that Goldenblood could be part of it too. He would make a good Puddinghead!”

Bright Spark levelled her a deadpan look. “Really? I don’t see it.”

“Oh, well, something! I just think he should be allowed to have fun with us. That’s all.”

“Yeah, me too. But we can still play our parts, right?”

“Nothing is stopping me!” Sundance announced. “I’m going to be the Queen Pony!”

“Hey! No! I’m Queen Griffon!” Rose protested with a whine.

“Heh. Well, I took your crown!”

“Awww! You can’t do that!”

Sundance stuck out her tongue in a cheeky display of defiance towards her feathered friend. The griffon, in turn, dramatically gasped at the sight and let out another whine. She then looked towards Bright Spark, stopping in front of him with a dangerous look that caused his fight or flight instincts to scream danger.

“Brighty…” she started in an eerily sweet tone. “If you were to choose one of us to be the Queen Adventuring Awesome Person, which would it be?”

“Uh… I mean…”

“Yes, Brighty…” Sundance spoke in the same tone that made the colt wonder just how someone of a natural prey species could be just as terrifying as somepony from a predatory one. “Which one of us would it be…?”

The colt took a step back, nervously looking between the two fillies with a nervous chuckle as he looked for a way out of the situation.

Perfect Rose, on her part, just glared at him harder.

“Can I just stay silent?” he pleaded.

“No,” they both answered quickly.

“…Fluffy?”

Both girls blinked at his answer, craning their heads around to look at the stuffed toy sitting victoriously on the griffon’s back. They then looked back at Bright Spark. Then to each other. And then to Bright Spark again.

Then both of them huffed indignantly as they turned around and walked away from the colt in a grumpy fashion.

“Hey! You asked…!”

He scrambled to catch up to the two of them, grumbling to himself all the while.

And then, further on ahead where the rest of the class had gotten a lead during the whole exchange, Caring Hoof looked back at the three with a bemused expression.

“Come on you three. We’ve still got a small walk back, don’t fall behind now!”

“Sorry, Miss Caring Hoof,” the three droned in response.

The trio sped up to make up the distance, all while the unicorn mare herself slowed a little until she was walking alongside the children.

“Everything alright?” she asked.

“Hm. All good!” Perfect Rose replied.

“Just stupid girl stuff…” Bright Spark complained.

The mare giggled behind a hoof. “Oh, I imagine. You did choose to be friends with two fillies, young colt.”

“Yeah, well… they’re cool I guess.”

“High praise. Now, were you all satisfied with the parts we gave you?”

“Oh, yes! I love it!” Sundance confirmed brightly. “Thank you very much! We won’t let you down!”

“Oh, I know you won’t. Don’t worry yourselves so much, it’s all just a good bit of fun,” she assured them. “How about you, Perfect Rose? I know your part isn’t as… prestigious as your friends’.”

“I’m okay with it. I’m looking forward to looking all cool, actually!” she replied. “Why do you ask, Miss Caring Hoof?”

“Just checking up, that’s all,” she explained kindly. “I know things haven’t always been easy for you at school…”

She grew silent for a moment, deep in thought, before shaking them away and smiling back at the children once again.

“Oh, never mind that. I’m happy that you’re satisfied with your parts. Now come on, or the other teachers will think I’m a slowcoach!”

Well, they couldn’t have that, could they?

The four of them joined back up with the rest of the class, heading back to their school a few streets away. As they went, the griffon in the group briefly thought about what the teacher had said. How things hadn’t always been easy, what certain ponies had said and done…

What else would they say, seeing her up on that stage?

But she soon let the issue slide from her mind once more, just enjoying the revelry of their incoming pageant and the parts they had to play.